Computer vision and augmented reality technologies in experimental architectural design education at the AA

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the potential of both open source software and new media (esp. computer vision and augmented reality) as tools for architectural design and education. The examples illustrated in the paper would be drawn mainly from students' projects done as part of their AAMedia Studies Course submission at the AASchool of Architecture (AA) during the academic years from 2011/2012 to 2012/2013. The paper outlines the main approaches, which students have chosen to implement, both directly and indirectly, these new media and tools into their studio work at the AA. Section 1 briefly introduces a range of currently available open source computational design toolkits that are deemed useful for quick implementation of computer vision and augmented reality technologies. The related programming languages, softwares and hardwares would also be introduced and described accordingly. Sections 2 and 3 are accompanied with a visual catalogue of students' projects to better illustrate the diversity in the understanding and implementation of computer vision and augmented reality technologies in architectural design. Section 4 serves to conclude the paper by first discussing briefly the feedback from students at the end of the course before clarifying the context of the research and thus its relation to recent work done by others using similar technologies. © 2013, The Association for Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA), Hong Kong, and Center for Advanced Studies in Architecture (CASA), Department of Architecture-NUS, Singapore.