Beyond the Bubble: Computer-aided Topological Analysis and Parametric Design of Room Configurations in University Education

Abstract

In the early stages of the design process, the conceptual idea of the envisaged building and its design parameters is still vague and incomplete. While the built environment, the end product of this design process, can be represented concretely in the form of drawings or computer models, the initial design idea can usually only be formulated abstractly, for example as schematic functional descriptions or as topological constellations of spaces. In this paper we discuss the use of reference projects to support the design process along with ways of formalising spatial configurations and their use in the design process, and examine how these can be supported using software tools. We discuss the elaboration of requirements for such software tools and their implementation as plug-in to facilitate a seamless process from analysis to evaluation in a parametric design environment. By way of example, we describe selected functionality of a plug-in developed for "Grasshopper" and "Rhino 3D" to support the design process in the early conceptual stages.