Collaborative Models for Design Computation and Form Finding—New Workflows in Versioning Design Processes

This paper explores the role of frameworks and conventions in design computation workflows for collaboration on the development of design, structure and detailed fabrication within a visual scripting environment. The frameworks were developed in the computational team Dsearch of the architectural practice White Arkitekter and the engineering practice of structure, and was used in the part-time 12-month design and build workshop Textile Hybrids at the HafenCity Universität Hamburg. During the workshop, the framework was further developed to facilitate iterative design/analysis studies between design models in a visual scripting environment and a FEM simulation environment through cloud-based data exchange protocols. The authors regard this continuous re-development of workflow frameworks during design development as emergent, and regard this as a valuable and potential mode of development also for architecture and engineering practice. This is shown in the individual practices of the authors, where additional layers have been added.