Coding Architecture

Large-scale Text Generative Models known as DALL-E and Stable Diffusion offer incredible opportunities to improve and enhance the creation and manipulation of design communication through images. The toolkit developed by the author shows how to integrate the LTGMs technology introduced by the OpenAI and StabilityAI platforms into the creative design process as well as the Dense Prediction Transformers (DPT) technology capable to predict a 3D-shaped object started from a 2D image generated by the AI. This contribution will provide the key elements to understand some fundamental aspects of research on artificial intelligence, while through the “Ambrosinus-Toolkit” project, publicly shared on the network, the reader will be provided with operating cues that can be experienced during the schematic design stage. The research presented bears witness to a first step foot with a new paradigm that uses Diffusion Models in the computational design workflow.

The embodied carbon (EC) emissions of the construction industry are governed by the local carbon intensity of energy production used in raw material extraction, product manufacturing & fabrication, transportation, and erection of buildings. Eckersley O'Callaghan (EOC) has created EOC ECO₂, an automated add-on for Autodesk Revit, allowing the building sector to record emissions directly from design models. Recent projects were compared with targets set by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the London Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI), with the majority meeting current guidelines. Primary performance levers included structural grid size, material choice and the extent of permitted demolition. The UK construction industry can achieve target guidelines for new construction until around 2030, after which a more targeted approach will be necessary using circular economy principles, more refurbishment projects and increased use of regenerative materials. Data extracted by Building Information Modeling (BIM) should allow for ease of knowledge share across the industry. A similar approach to monitoring of EC in infrastructure is recommended.

The AEC industry faces significant challenges in software development, including reusability, scalability, and interoperability issues stemming from its diverse and segregated nature. Multiple domains and subdomains within the industry create coordination difficulties when striving for a unified design. Existing software solutions inherit these challenges, often relying on individual products and plug-ins built on proprietary software. These solutions lack interface and interoperability, necessitating users to comprehend different underlying assumptions. Furthermore, limited accessibility to code bases hampers collaboration for non-authors due to suboptimal software engineering practices. Open-source solutions like BHoM and Speckle offer promising approaches to enhance interoperability by enabling data interchange and concept mapping between domain-specific vocabularies. However, their widespread adoption and scalability rely on industry-wide acceptance. This chapter provides an overview of software development approaches in the AEC industry, focusing on recent open-source interoperability solutions. It examines knowledge representation, design patterns, trends, and practices, while discussing potential strategies for addressing software engineering challenges in the AEC industry.

This chapter chronologically presents the genesis of industrial robotics software specialists HAL Robotics. The first part focuses on the founding team’s preliminary motivations and experiments with generative design for manufacturing, leading to the emergence of early robot simulation and control tools within the scope of architectural practice and academia (2010–2014). The second part follows with the design requirements and development milestones of the HAL Robotics Framework for adaptive industrial manufacturing (2014–2022). Typical deployment architectures of the Framework are discussed and illustrated by a series of case studies, ranging from complex toolpath generation for component prefabrication, embedded path planning for mobile construction robots synchronised with BIM models, to cloud-based factory orchestration for distributed manufacturing. The chapter concludes with a discussion on how architectural design thinking helped completing these complex cross-practice software engineering projects, and how variable automation technologies primarily designed for non-standard construction-component manufacturing have progressively percolated to other industrial sectors.

This chapter delves into the intricate relationships between man and cities as complex systems, highlighting the need for resilience and ethical systemic evolution within urban spaces to confront environmental challenges. We discuss the environmental and ecological impacts of cities and underline the pressing need for rethinking urban planning models. With advancements in technology, we explore the role of computer science in understanding urban structures and the increasingly significant role of the Web-3 era and the emergent data economy in city modeling. We further elaborate on the potential of metaverses and the role of community interactions within these virtual spaces, proposing an innovative approach for post-disaster reconstruction where architectural theory intersects with the metaverse, artificial intelligence, and blockchain technologies. The research builds upon the theoretical foundation of Lebbeus Woods’ reconstruction series and explores a novel metaverse-based model for post-disaster reconstruction. To demonstrate the practical application of the proposed model, we envision a case study illustrating its use in a disaster scenario. Following this, we discuss critical points and potential limitations of the model. The study concludes with the implication that leveraging technology and reorienting urban planning towards preparedness and resilience could radically reshape post-disaster reconstruction, potentially paving the way for more efficient, responsive, and sustainable cities in the future.

Over the past three decades, as multiple layers of complexity, sustainability aspirations, innovative design and manufacturing methodologies emerged, the need for novel integrated design processes has become crucial. While the widespread introduction of computational design, building information modeling, and robotic fabrication has brought significant advances in the AEC industry, traditional linear models limited the potential of these tools. On the other hand, rethinking design models as a rhizome (ῥίζωμα, rhízōma, “mass of roots”) can accomplish a non-hierarchical network that “connects any point to any other point” (Deleuze and Guattari), where digital tools can provide a powerful platform to carry out a truly interdisciplinary collaboration. Two aspects are particularly illustrative of this model: sustainability, where the organic embedment of sustainable measures in the design process yields more meaningful results and a higher-level functionality throughout an object's lifecycle, and fabrication, where the integration of digital and robotic technologies generates efficiencies in terms of production and data management, but it also fosters innovative material explorations and architectural expressions.

Daylight, glare, and overheating are crucial factors in achieving optimal user comfort in buildings. However, the lack of balance in these aspects often leads to visual and thermal discomfort. To address this challenge, a new workflow is proposed to support designers in developing solutions that provide ample natural light while mitigating glare and overheating through iterative parametric modelling. This approach enables efficient comparison of a large number of daylight and irradiance simulations using simplified shoebox models with varying geometries, opaque and transparent components, solar control strategies, and glass properties. The workflow automatically eliminates configurations with excessive shading based on the minimum depth of well-lit areas in the room, allowing designers to determine a range of optimal facade configurations that align with the architectural vision and assist mechanical engineers in their computations. A practical example demonstrates how the workflow was applied to achieve high daylight comfort and reduced solar gains in a subtropical climate for a 220 m high office building. Additionally, the study suggests steps for quantitatively assessing operational embodied carbon reduction before and after implementing this approach.

In recent years, digital tools and technologies like parametric design, computational modeling, and advanced manufacturing have disrupted the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction sector. Despite traditionally slow adoption, these tools have the potential to revolutionize building design and construction. While many case studies demonstrate the cost, energy, and carbon savings achieved through their application in new and large-scale projects, their potential for retrofitting existing buildings remains largely unexplored. This chapter presents a case study of a façade retrofit at the University of Sydney’s ‘F10—New Law Building’ to showcase the benefits of digital technologies in analyzing, reconfiguring, and optimizing existing structures. The authors utilized various digital workflows to assess the façade’s condition, evaluate design options, and involve stakeholders in identifying optimal solutions.

Studio Chris Fox has worked on various projects, from small scale temporary installations to large scale urban landmark artworks. This chapter presents three of the most recent projects that have been designed and delivered using computational design processes and digital workflow. The computational design approach of the Studio Chris Fox team allows rapid testing to push the aesthetic boundaries of every artwork. At the same time, this workflow and skillset enable the team to adapt and optimize different materials for fabrication integrating with the required engineering specification. The projects have been fully designed and documented within a parametric framework developed by the Studio Chris Fox team. The developed framework allowed for exchange of data and information with engineers, consultants and contractors. The chapter also presents insights of the coordination challenges between different stakeholders for the delivery of complex artworks.

The Reciprocal shell is a lightweight freeform structure, optimized for fabrication and assembly. The demonstrator investigates a new method for the digital design, fabrication and construction of timber grid shells made from simple, linear (non-curved) members. It addresses the challenge of parallel face offsetting in a triangulated surface with a catenary shaped cross-section. We solve this problem using a trivalent planar polygon topology, known from recent timber plate structure prototypes. Applying this method to a grid shell, we cross-braced each polygon using reciprocal nodes. The robotic fabrication process was optimized for a fast and simple assembly. The production process is completely carried out with only a saw blade, which allows for very fast and precise cuts. The demonstrator was built as part of an International Design and Build Workshop between Chalmers University of Technology and Augsburg University of Applied Sciences.

This chapter discusses digitization in the construction industry and explores how the combination of advanced design tools such as parametric design and BIM with design for manufacturing and assembly systems creates a new digital chain in the AEC sector. The main focus is on describing “how digital becomes physical,” which refers to the transformation of a digital model into real objects. To support the thesis, the chapter showcases several digital workflows that Stylcomp spa, a company specialized in the design and construction of special precast elements with free, complex, and custom-made shapes, implements and utilizes on a daily basis.

This chapter presents six research projects conducted in collaboration with academic and industrial partners at TU Darmstadt, investigating the use of Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC). The case studies demonstrate the versatility of WAAM applications, including function integration, mass customization, onsite fabrication, and post-processing. The studies cover: (i) Hybrid reinforcement of thin sheet metal for function integration and mass customization. (ii) WAAM-manufactured lattice structures for structural design. (iii) Individualized connectors for glass facades showcasing mass customization challenges. (iv) Onsite fabrication of a steel printed bridge, identifying welding challenges. (v/vi) Post-processing techniques using milling to create complex shapes and textures, along with Rudimentary Digital twins for process control. The chapter highlights WAAM’s potential to transform AEC and identifies key challenges, offering valuable insights and suggesting future research directions.

Over the past decade, robotic manufacturing has made its way out of the shadow of the automotive industry, giving rise to a growing interest in adopting Additive Manufacturing (AM) techniques for architectural and infrastructure projects. This chapter presents the explored capabilities of 3D concrete printing (3DCP) as developed by Vertico, an innovative startup from the Netherlands that focuses on additive manufacturing with concrete. It explores the role that the symbiosis between robotic technology, material mix and computational design tools is playing within the larger context of the construction industry, in prompting material manufacturers to create mixes better suited for 3d printing, and technology manufacturers to focus on advancing the tools to mix and extrude seamless layer after layer of mortar. What differentiates Vertico’s technology from other concrete printers is their two-component (2 k) technology and perseverance in pushing the limits of concrete printing. Vertico does not focus on printing entire buildings, and certainly not on-site. It creates building blocks for a revolution taking place at the intersection between architecture and robotics. This revolution, for the designer as well as for the user, means an unprecedented freeing from building conventions, which are generally guided by strategies such as cost cutting, production limitations and increasing standardization.

The shift towards digital design and construction in architecture seems to be omnipresent and irreversible. The opportunities that come along with this digital evolution appear to be vast but still sub optimally used by different stakeholders within the realization of architecture. This opens the opportunity to connect the data these specialists create in one single, digital seamless flow of data describing the complete lifecycle of a real estate project. It seems that architects could play a pivotal role in this shift. There may be a central role and as such the opportunity to add extra value in the creation of a streamlined digital workflow while touching a more fundamental issue, namely how architects can strengthen their position from which they can claim and protect their creativity and aesthetic concerns under capitalist conditions. In this article these thoughts are excavated and discussed by introducing some of the work of Studio RAP.

The authors of this chapter introduce Superframe, a system developed to create cost-effective free-form claddings. The innovation of the system is centered around the capability to combine planar n-gonal panels with twisted-edge frames, effectively addressing the discretization of intricate surfaces. This solution is made possible through a 3D printing process that shapes the frames according to the required geometries, utilizing recycled plastic through Robotic Additive Moulding (RAM) technology. The 3D-printed frames can be paired with various interior or exterior cladding materials, offering numerous configuration possibilities and granting designers unparalleled creative freedom. In a broader sense, Superframe represents an approach to complex geometries that is mindful of the challenges—or field of forces—of our time, tied to conscious resource utilization, and leveraging the possibilities offered by computational design.