Inferring a shape grammar: Translating designer's knowledge (original) (raw)
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arq.urb - Revista eletrônica de Arquitetura e Urbanismo, 2014
This paper is done in the scope of a research in which a housing rehabilitation was methodology is developed to meet contemporary functional and ICT requirements. The methodological hypothesis is to use description grammars, shape grammars, and space syntax as tools for identifying and encoding the principles and rules underlying the adaptation of existing dwellings to meet new requirements. ‘Rabo-de-bacalhau’ building type was used to develop the transformation grammar-based rehabilitation methodology. This paper focuses on the characterization (functional, constructive, stylistic, and cultural) of the case study buildings at the time of construction and nowadays. The process to transform dwellings and the possibility of generating designed solutions that meet the user’s requirements is discussed at the end of the paper.
The research presented here aims to develop a methodology for rehabilitating the existing hous-ing stock to meet the new needs of dwellers in the current information society and the conse-quent need to integrate information, communication and automation technology into living areas. This article focuses on the use of a transformation grammar in the rehabilitation methodology as a tool for identifying and encoding the principles and rules behind the adaptation of existing hous-es, and on space syntax as a tool for evaluating the spatial properties of the proposed designs, both in the final layout and during the transformation.
This paper compares the quality of designs generated by shape grammar systems with designs created by professional architects. It describes an experiment in which evaluators rank the quality of preliminary designs for refurbishing Lisbon's Rabo-de-Bacalhau apartments, and that makes plausible that the design quality of the grammar solutions for this task is similar to that of the designs of the professional architects. It is argued that shape grammars can therefore be used as stand-alone design systems in architecture. The practical value is that shape grammar systems become alternative means to take up design challenges (such as refurbishing all of Lisbon's Rabo-de-Bacalhau apartments) that currently require too much effort of architects to be economically feasible.
An Architect/An Architectural Language and a Shape Grammar
1995
Every architect, whose goal is to create valuable artifacts, should own a unique architectural language. This language is composed of a vocabulary and a set of grammar rules to combine them. In this study, a number of ground and first floor plans of single-family houses designed by an individual architect are analyzed. Plan lay-outs are decomposed into their components, and the composition rules are examined. Vocabulary elements, and geometric and semantic relationships among these elements are specified and a shape grammar is formed. Finally, different design possibilities are generated in terms of the defined language rules.
Towards the Mass Customization of Housing: The Grammar of Siza's Houses at Malagueira
Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 2005
The goal of the described research is an interactive computer system for the design of customized mass housing. Shape grammars are the formalism proposed to systematize the design rules required for such a system. A shape grammar for Alvaro Siza's patio houses at Malagueira, a 1200-unit development still being designed and constructed today, is presented. The grammar is based on the corpus of thirty-five houses designed between 1977 and 1996. The generation of houses in the grammar proceeds by the recursive dissection of rectangles locating four different functional zones (patio, living, services, and sleeping) and the key placement of the staircase. The schematic generations of two existing houses and the detailed generation of a novel one illustrate the grammar.
A Customization Grammar: Describing the customization process of apartment design
International Journal of Architectural Computing, 2017
This article introduces the concept of Customization Grammar, an analytical shape grammar that describes the alterations introduced by homeowners to high-standard apartments before occupation. This is viewed as a contemporary phenomenon that reveals the incompatibility between social demands and housing units offered by the current real estate market in Recife, Brazil. It is expected that the proposed grammar could support mass customization design procedures and able to generate suitable housing units to current and future lifestyles.
A Transformation Grammar-Based Methodology for Housing Rehabilitation
Design Computing and Cognition '12, 2014
The goal of this research is to rehabilitate the existing housing stock to meet the new needs of dwellers in the current information society and the consequent need for the integration of Information, Communication and Automation Technologies (ICAT) in living areas. This article focuses on the use of both shape grammar and space syntax as tools to identify and encode the principles and rules behind the adaptation of existing houses to new requirements. The idea is to use such rules as part of a methodology for the rehabilitation of existing dwellings.
Transforming housing typologies. Space syntax evaluation and shape grammar generation
This paper focuses on the transformation of housing typologies by using a grammar-based methodology assisted by the use of space syntax measures. In this paper we start by describing three different types of housing buildings regarding their functionality by using syntactic measures. The studied buildings were constructed in Lisbon from the 18th to the 20th century and are representative repetitive cases in the city. The buildings’ descriptions are then used as part of the systematization of rehabilitation principles for the transformation grammar. We concluded that the particular characteristics of those buildings enable specific rehabilitation strategies to be carried out and that those different strategies may be integrated in the general grammar framework but defining specific sub-grammars.
SHAPE GRAMMAR IN CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURAL THEORY AND DESIGN
Facta universitatis, 2012
In the past decade, digital technologies had a great impact on contemporary architectural practice, design and theory. CAD/CAM technologies opened up new opportunities by allowing design and production of complex geometric shapes. One of the first applications of computational process in architecture was based on using shape grammars, a rule-based expert systems in artificial intelligence generating geometric shapes. Early applications of shape grammars in art and architecture started shortly after its invention during the 70ies and 80ies of the XX century, however, their potential as a generative design tool still has not been fully exploited in practice. Despite their popularity in academic circles, shape grammars have not found a widespread place/usage in computer aided architectural design. Role of shape grammar as a generative design and analysis tool and their influence on contemporary architectural design and theory are examined in this paper. Also, new and ongoing issues concerning shape grammars are discussed in order to indicate further directions of their usage
Designing Alternatives for Residential Apartments in Cairo Using Shape Grammars
Journal of Mediterranean Cities
Through observation, it is noticed that the design solutions of the inner spaces of residential units in Cairo have circulation problems. These problems are represented in direct and indirect separation between different zones in apartments, whether private or semi-private. This is due to; reduced areas, site location, building policies, etc. Such problems obstruct resident’s way of everyday life, and their living quality. After introducing such problems, this paper proposes a set of shape-grammars rules that facilitate designers, through their process to produce a range of design alternatives for the same area. Shape grammars’ rules are set according to three aspects: a) required relationship between zones for Carians culture, b) building policies as a constrain, c) the given building area in different situations (attached to neighbours or free standing, etc.) That rule works as a design tool for any designer in Cairo to select the suitable alternative and facilitate his creativity...