Course: Unit XVII Rigorous Creativity
“Parametric design is a process based on algorithmic thinking that enables the expression of parameters and rules that, together, define, encode and clarify the relationship between design intent and design response.”
Parametric Design for Architecture – Wassim Jabi.
The term rigorous creativity points to the symbiotic dependency between systematic analysis and intuitive design. By obsoleting the two long-held beliefs that analysis hinders creativity and that creativity has no role in rigorous research, this studio explores the notion that methodical and evidence-based work helps and even sparks creativity while intuition, tacit knowledge, and a freely creative mind enriches an otherwise conservative analytical approach. In this studio unit, we want to engage with the idea of a metropolitan tower within the city of Cardiff as well as with computational design methods to analyse and design such architecture. The studio will be concerned with the urban dimension of tall buildings and their impact on the immediate and wider context. The tower will host a multifunctional programme including public functions. The appropriate mix of occupation will be determined by the context analysis. The studio is speculative and experimental seeking for innovative concepts and solutions. Our interest is biased towards the combination of parametric design thinking, computational analysis methods, digital fabrication, and innovative technologies as building systems.
The application of parametric design, analytical methods, and digital fabrication adds another dimension to the investigation in terms of engaging in alternative design thinking based on algorithmic processes and finding reliable and precise production methods to achieve desired forms and more complex building envelopes through robotic fabrication. The complexity and diversity of a metropolitan high rise is predestined to provide the platform for such computational design exploration. Systemic and systematic design externalising design principles into computational approaches in analysis and synthesis are encouraged. The studio should contribute to the question of how high-rise architecture may contribute to a sustainable development of an urban community and the sense of place and on the discussion on urban density especially in a post-COVID-19 era.
The exploration of a metropolitan tower in the city of Cardiff would need to carefully consider the urban context and reflect the community aspect in the programmatic development of the tower. It might range from cultural event spaces, over exhibitions, housing and offices to leisure and restaurant spaces. Furthermore, building large structures has ramifications on all aspects of architecture including but not limited to public health, sustainability, construction, economy, occupant experience, and urban context. The studio requires an interest in computational methods and tools. In addition to an introduction to computational methods and skill-building workshops as needed, students are expected to develop and enhance computational skills through self-studies, depending on individual interest and approach.