A growing number of firms, including HDR, NBBJ, and Thornton Tomasetti, are investing in talent and training to advance their computational design capabilities. Here’s a roundup of the clever applications for CD:
1. Rapid prototyping. Why design a few prototypes when you can create thousands to find the ideal solution? Algorithm-based design processes allow teams to develop and explore dozens, even hundreds, of prototypes in a matter of hours—something that would be impossible using traditional methods.
2. Rapid iteration. Similarly, computational design is being used to more efficiently test and refine particular design schemes through rapid iteration—design, test, refine, repeat, in quick succession.
3. Data dashboards. Data can be an incredibly helpful resource for Building Teams, especially if it’s readily accessible and real time. Progressive firms are using CD methods to extract vital data from, for example, BIM models to feed custom Excel dashboards. Other firms are investing in more scalable platforms, such as Web-based data visualization, to gain insight into their data.
4. Automating repetitive duties. From mundane tasks like renaming files to complex projects like calculating the walking steps in a hospital floor plan, computational design tools can be used to automate the grunt work in the design process.
Using computational design tools, a team at HDR created an iterative process for building on-the-fly parametric models directly from sketches.
5. Creating custom plug-ins for existing software platforms. Need a tool that doesn’t exist on the market? No problem. Just code a solution. An extreme example is Thornton Tomasetti’s TTX database, which provides real-time read, write, and sync capabilities across six software tools: ETABS, Grasshopper, RAM Structural System, Revit, SAP 2000, and Tekla.
6. Evaluating the performance of early design concepts. Energy analysis, daylight modeling, even cost and schedule impacts—CD tools allow teams to make informed decisions much earlier in the design process.
For more on computational design, see BD+C's feature story, “Conquer computational design: 5 tips for starting your journey.”
Related Stories
BIM and Information Technology | Mar 21, 2016
Latest tech devices simplify the leap from BIM to virtual reality
Faster conversion times and higher-quality graphics are enabling VR to make the jump from novelty to necessity in the AEC world.
AEC Tech | Mar 15, 2016
Two to tango: Project Tango isn’t just for entertainment, it also has a wide range of possibilities relating to the professional world
Making things like augmented reality, precise measurements of indoor spaces, and indoor wayfinding possible, Google’s Project Tango has all the makings to become a useful and ubiquitous tool in the AEC market.
BIM and Information Technology | Mar 14, 2016
Visual estimating, generative design, and component construction push the limits of BIM/VDC
DPR Construction, JE Dunn, and The Living advance the AEC industry with three clever tech solutions.
Drones | Mar 9, 2016
A new image-capturing platform mediates drone and cloud technologies
3DRobotics, Autodesk, and Sony launch Site Scan to speed the process of making models from field data.
BIM and Information Technology | Mar 2, 2016
Thanks to MIT researchers, Boston now has its very own citywide building energy model
The most detailed model ever for a city this size will help Boston meet its long-term energy use goals.
BIM and Information Technology | Feb 24, 2016
5 tips for creating photorealistic architectural renderings
Storytelling, authenticity, and detail are vital to producing lifelike project artwork, according to a digital art specialist.
Augmented Reality | Feb 17, 2016
Startup Meta unveils holographic augmented reality prototype
The startup is an underdog in the AR battle but has a range of investors and fans.
Game Changers | Feb 5, 2016
London’s ’shadowless’ towers
Using advanced design computation, a design team demonstrates how to ‘erase’ a building’s shadows.
Game Changers | Feb 4, 2016
GAME CHANGERS: 6 projects that rewrite the rules of commercial design and construction
BD+C’s inaugural Game Changers report highlights today’s pacesetting projects, from a prefab high-rise in China to a breakthrough research lab in the Midwest.
Drones | Feb 3, 2016
A new volume measurement tool makes drone imagery easier to analyze
DroneDeploy’s latest app is available for all mobile devices.