The conception drawing in architecture is that allows to initiate the architectural thinking, visualizing, and discovering the first ideas. This drawing has traditionally been given as an act of linking and collaboration between thought, sight, and the movement of the hands with a tool. Identifying and recognizing its characteristics will make it possible to deal with any mediation of information technologies. To establish such characteristics, three case studies were carried out. An analysis was made of the conception drawings and interviews by the Pritzker Prize laureates: Ando, Hadid and Gehry. One condition and four characteristics have been determined: drawing is a phenomenological action that produces haptic drawings; it is an undecided process that originates unformed drawings; it is a fast action that results in small and multiplied drawings; it is a perceptual act that generates redrawn and remarked drawings; and finally, it is an action that seeks to remember to resume the creative process at another moment, which produces rudimentary conventional drawings. Knowing these before any technological mediation will be an important pedagogical contribution that will allow future architects not to alter the cognitive processes that generate the first ideas in the initial moments of the architectural project.
This study explores the role of Bedouins in preserving Palestinian land through their own means of community resilience through the concept of “Art of being” and its entailed “Arts of presence and persistence”. This is examined through the correlation between Bedouin lifestyle and the spatial distribution of structures within “Al-Kurshan” Bedouin clan in Area C in the West Bank. Based on a mixed qualitative and spatial methodologies, information was gathered through semi-structured interviews with Al-Kurshan Bedouins and employees of organizations supporting Bedouins, on-site observation, and analyses of maps and photos, in addition to drawings and illustrations. The spatial distribution of Bedouin built structures is analyzed in relation to landscape and climate, social aspects within the families, and available service and sectorial infrastructures. These analyses give insight on how Bedouins struggle against adopting other lifestyles. The study shows that the Bedouins are slowly forced to negotiate their semi-nomadic lifestyle, but resist giving up their right to exist against the threat of forced displacement. They maintain their “Art of being” which partly represents their own way of safeguarding Palestinian lands from confiscation. The study contributes to the wider discussion of spatial dynamics of Bedouins and their community resilience within the Palestinian geopolitical context.
The relationship between tradition and modernity significantly influences society, culture, and architectural discourse. This philosophy offers a framework for exploring the impact of traditional architecture on contemporary Iranian architecture from different perspectives and approaches. Various viewpoints exist on whether historical architecture can be a defining characteristic of contemporary architectural discourse. Through an in-depth review of analysis-centred architectural literature, a unique method was chosen for analysing contemporary architecture and gaining insight into its creation. The main goal of this study is to establish a productive relationship between past-oriented architecture, innovative architectural concepts, and contemporary thought. This article examines three critical viewpoints, tradition as imitation, transmission, and transformation, alongside analysing their influential components on architectural form to gain insight into productively connecting with historical achievements and show that the role of history is to add new values to architecture-conscious needs that have changed during history. Ultimately, the challenge lies in finding a suitable path among diverse perspectives and reinterpretations and establishing a productive relationship with history and contemporary thought.
Historical sites (HSs) are akin to living entities, and their existence is perpetuated through the erection of new buildings or additions. Many HSs need sustainable development and new construction, as existing monuments fail to meet contemporary user requirements. Despite the urgent demand, many new buildings within HSs have been constructed without considering the influencing factors on contextual value, built, and natural environment. This oversight has led to irreversible damage to their historical value. Numerous studies have independently explored interventions, construction, and development within HSs. However, there is a conspicuous absence of comprehensive research that concurrently addresses these issues while preserving the intrinsic value of the HSs. This study aims to identify the variables and factors contributing to the successful design and construction of new buildings within HSs, satisfying user needs, conserving contextual values, and achieving sustainability with the natural and built environment. The research employs a mixed-method approach, gathering raw data through literature reviews, case studies, and expert interviews. The study population comprised 97 experts in architectural heritage conservation and sustainable development. Exploratory factor analysis was utilized for data analysis, leading to the identification of influential factors. The study highlights the significance of the location, function, scale, form, material, skyline, viewpoint, accessibility, reversibility, topography, sustainability, technology, structural system, lifespan, and interior design in constructing new buildings within a HS. Moreover, the design of new additions should adhere to five guiding principles: integrated design, volume design, green design, compatible design, and modern design. In this context, the new structures will fulfill user needs, preserve or enhance contextual values, and harmonize with the built and natural environment.
Since the beginning of the First Industrial Revolution, technology and its impact on art and design have been a topic of discussion. With the rise of digital technologies, there has been a renewed interest in exploring the relationship between technology and aesthetics. The aim of this paper is to clarify the concept of techno-aesthetics and make it a more accessible field of study by identifying its key discourses. In order to understand how technological objects have been evaluated in architectural history, a systematic review of 177 studies was conducted. The collected literature was analyzed using Kant’s characteristics of aesthetic judgment, discourse analysis techniques from Foucault’s methodology and Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory. This helped in creating a framework for classifying the literature. The study analyzed results based on five categories: admired technological objects and architectural objects inspired by them, concepts (function, truth, freedom, objectivity, unity, and power), standpoints (rationalism, romanticism, optimism, and determinism), and benchmarks of legitimation (ideology, history, scientific nature, everyday aesthetics, and sublimation of technology). These results were then combined to identify eleven significant discourses of techno-aesthetics.
This study aims to study the conditions for the architectural form of vernacular houses of Thai Korat, Laotian, and Tai Yuan ethnic groups living in the central Lamtakong watershed. Nineteen stilt houses with the age of fifty-three to one hundred years were incorporated in the case study. Data were meticulously gathered through methods such as observation, photography, surveying, architectural drawing, three-dimensional modeling, and interviews. The analysis, conducted within the frameworks of ethnic identity and cultural diffusion, involved morphological and comparative assessments. The findings showed that the houses in the present case study could maintain their ethnic identities as can be clearly seen in the space planning and the shapes of the houses passed down from generation to generation. In addition, there was cultural acceptance among these ethnic groups through exchanging, adopting, and borrowing house construction techniques, in order to express the common traits in the larger social context in a friendly and smoother way. This phenomenon indicates that the co-existence in a multicultural society is the key that makes different ethnic groups be able to maintain their ethnic identity and live with the larger society in a friendly way. Hence, the cultural significance of stilt vernacular houses in the study area is embedded in the dynamic process of exchanging house construction techniques, fostering harmony within the broader social context. This preservation simultaneously safeguards the essential elements and key attributes of ethnic identity in architecture.
Dutch housing associations are dealing with a growing number of tenants who are ageing in place. Meanwhile, there is a lack of suitable housing that meets the (social) needs of this target group. Clustered housing, which offers a socio-spatial context that facilitates encounters between residents, is considered a promising housing concept to (partly) fill this gap. However, clustered housing is a broad concept consisting of a variety of housing types that differ from each other in the extent to which people “live together”. Still little is known about which types of clustered housing can be distinguished in relation to the potential for social interaction. Therefore, in this article we distinguish between types of clustered housing based on social, organizational, and spatial building characteristics. We have mapped these characteristics by combining real estate data of housing association Woonzorg Nederland with survey data collected among their building managers. Based on this dataset, an explorative cluster analysis was performed, resulting in four types of clustered housing. Finally, further exploration of the data shows that, from the perspective of building managers, residents of certain types of clustered housing interact more often and feel more connected with each other than residents of non-clustered housing types.
This study establishes an evaluation and optimization framework for the public transit network based on social network analysis and a greedy algorithm, aiming to explore a quantitative approach to improving access to urban parks through public transit optimization. Social network analysis and the ArcGIS platform are used to build a public transit network model within Nanjing Old City and analyze its overall network structure characteristics. The study also focuses on a method to improve the convenience of reaching regional and citylevel parks by public transit by increasing access and connecting points accordingly. A greedy algorithm is introduced to generate an optimized solution for improving public transit accessibility to regional and city-level parks, consequently enhancing their utilization. The major findings include: (1) The greedy algorithm effectively enhances the performance of the public transit network, but its benefits gradually diminish as more stations are added. (2) Strategically adding stations enhances the performance of most public transit access points, creating efficient pathways for other stations to directly reach these access points and enter regional and city-level parks. (3) The optimized public transit network model offers guidance for the planning and layout of regional and city-level parks. The site selection for new parks should prioritize establishing connections with the “hubs” in the public transit network. The proposed optimization of the public transit network in this study is specific to a single type of urban park, but subsequent research could be conducted to extend the optimization of public transit accessibility around more urban public resources.
In this paper we present a research-through-design study where we employed text-to-text, text-to-image, and image-to-image generative tools for a conceptual architecture project for the eVolo skyscraper competition. We trained these algorithms on a dataset that we collected and curated, consisting of texts about and images of architecture. We describe our design process, present the final proposal, reflect on the usefulness of such tools for early-stage design, and discuss implications for future research and practice. By analysing the results from training the text-to-text generators we could establish a specific design brief that informed the final concept. The results from the image-to-image generator gave an overview of the shape grammars of previous submissions. All results were intriguing and can assist creativity and in this way, the tools were useful for gaining insight into historical architectural data, helped shape a specific design brief, and provoked new ideas. By reflecting on our design process, we argue that the use of language when employing such tools takes a new role and that three layers of language intertwined in our work: architectural discourse, programming languages, and annotations. We present a map that unfolds how these layers came together as a contribution to making machine learning more explainable for creatives.
The modern architectural heritage is the core carrier of city’s historical inheritance and vitality. Its value is related to the spatial and temporal evolution of the urban landscape, along with the collective memory of society and transformation in public life. The contradiction between high-speed urban construction and architectural heritage preservation has proliferated, and the problems of loss of heritage culture and fading of relics are very significant, but there is a lack of research on modern architectural heritage. This study analysed indepth the artistic archetypes and evolutionary characteristics of the architecture of Zhongshan Park in Xiamen through field research and historical data collation, adopting the theory method of architectural typology. Afterwards, we analysed the architectural typology of Zhongshan Park in Xiamen and the process of acculturation and translation with foreign cultures, explored the motives of its formation and the cultural meanings of the public space embodied in it. Based on this, we proposed a sustainable development heritage approach for the modern architectural heritage of Zhongshan Park in Xiamen. Our results indicate that modern architectural art has inherited classical Chinese historical and cultural traditions and ideological foundations. Its unique characteristics reflect the spirit of the times and result from the gradual development of Western influence. Moreover, it embodies a strong sense of national identity. These findings enrich the academic research on the cultural interaction between Chinese and Western architecture, offering valuable insights for the conservation and living heritage of modern architectural heritage in other regions.
The study of organic stabilization is crucial for understanding its impact on the durability and effectiveness of earthen plaster. Analyzing natural admixtures’ effects on plaster properties provides insights that aid in optimizing plaster composition and application for desired characteristics. The addition of biopolymers, known to enhance plaster performance, necessitates further investigation to understand their role in earthen plaster stabilization.
This study focuses on Tata Somba homes in Benin and Togo, recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sites. These unique architectural examples embody “architecture without architects”, relying solely on local traditional knowledge. The objective is to explore and revive Tata Somba’s ancient eco-technology for earth plaster stabilization. Research shows that biopolymers’ combined stabilization and application techniques can improve earthen plaster performance. Seven promising bio-stabilizers were identified, suggesting their potential as sustainable, effective options for CO2 mitigation in buildings. These findings not only deepen our understanding of earthen architecture but also underscore the potential of merging traditional, eco-friendly building methods with modern scientific insights to create sustainable solutions for cultural heritage preservation and contemporary built environments.
Flexible housing resolves the fundamental conflicts between the long-standing structure and the evolving demands. We propose a computational method of optimizing the structural layout of high-rise residential buildings. Chinese high-rise apartment buildings have widely employed shear wall-frame structure in which one big room or multiple small rooms could occupy the same span. Fitting multiple floor plans into a fixed sparse scheme of shear walls and columns is feasible. We developed a computational framework to seek flexible structural schemes. A building scheme consists of a circulation core, shear walls, columns, and boundaries. The computer program automatically adapts floor plans to any drawn or generated scheme. Based on a large dataset of apartment layouts, the number of apartments that fit into a building scheme statistically reflects the flexibility of the scheme. If many hypothetical plans can fit into a wallframe structure in computer simulation, this structure could probably support several generations of unknown plans. Such a data-driven computational method provides the possibility of creating a one-to-many mapping between permanent structure and evolving apartment plans.
In the last decade, micro-architected structures have gained significant attention in academia and industry for their lightweight, strong, and thermally efficient properties. Inspired by biomimicry design, this paper presents a novel ribbed family of additively manufactured Micro-Architected Domes (MAD). The design incorporates tetrapod pyramid unit cells, golden ratio-based fractal patterns, Schoen’s Minimal Gyroid, and spherical geometry. The study focuses on dome radius, height, and azimuth/elevation partitioning as input variables, with the main output being ribbed micro-cell diameter. The relationships between unit-cells’ diameter and input variables were established through problem-solving and numerical computations: linear dependency with the dome radius and hyperbolic dependency with the azimuth and elevation partitioning. The proposed design successfully adhered to the Surface-to-Volume ratio of Schoen’s Minimal Gyroid, achieving an average volume relative density of 2.5%, confirming its lightweight nature. The feasibility of the design was further supported by fabricating three specimens using Filament Fused Fabrication. This research showcases the potential of biomimicry-inspired micro-architected structures, paving the way for innovative applications in various fields.
In summer, factors such as solar radiation could make semi-outdoor spaces uncomfortable, and the use of misting systems for evaporative cooling is a low-energy improvement measure. To investigate the impact of misting system on the thermal environment and thermal comfort of seated people improvement, a field study was conducted at a semi-outdoor cafeteria in Xi’an. The results indicated that the misting system was capable of reducing the ambient air temperature by 2.4-4.9 ℃ and increasing the relative humidity by 17.1%-17.8%. Participants in misting condition reported lower thermal sensation and higher thermal acceptability, thermal preference, humidity sensation, humidity preference and humidity acceptability. In no misting condition, the upper SET* limit acceptable to 80% of the population was 28.5 ℃. However, in the misting condition, the acceptable percentage of participants in each SET) interval was more than 90%. When SET) was 22.1-23.7 ℃, the improvement in human thermal comfort through misting system was not significant. When SET) was 23.7-28.5 ℃, the misting system significantly improve human thermal comfort. Finally, two control temperature thresholds of the misting system were provided according to the relationship between 80%, the maximum (89.3%) acceptable percentage and the air temperature, which were 30.1 ℃ and 26.5 ℃, respectively.
Urban heat stress profoundly affects the health of residents. However, current research primarily focuses on quantifying the risk of urban heat based on LST, Ta, etc., overlooking the crucial and intimate influence of continuous intense solar radiation on human thermal comfort and health. Simultaneously, there is a lack of smaller units to support more precise planning. This study utilized the radiant heat stress intensity (RHSI) metric concentrating on the intensity and duration of thermal radiation, to develop a thermal-radiation induced health risk (TIHR) assessment system. Leveraging technologies such as the SOLWEIG model, Python, BERT, and GIS enables precise calculations of 12 spatial indices, including RHSI and Weibo heat. This facilitates a more accurate assessment of health risks at the smallest urban units (blocks) and directly guides planning. The application of this workflow in the case of Suoyuwan, Dalian, China, confirms its value, as it can be used to determine which blocks should be prioritized for specific aspects of risk prevention and control. The results show that some blocks exhibited differences in TIHR even within close proximity, with disaster-causing factors varying according to locations. This study proposes a novel assessment framework based on the interactive perspective of thermal radiation-human-activity-space.