A computational interpretation of ”De re aedificatoria Translating Alberti’s column system into a shape grammar

Abstract

Alberti’s ”De re aedificatoria” is considered one of the most influential treatises of architecture. Historic approaches aimed at tracing such an influence on European architecture have relied mainly on documental sources. The extent of such an influence, however, remains elusive. The research described in this paper is part of a larger project aimed at using the computational framework provided by shape grammars to determine the extension of such an influence on the architecture of the Portuguese empire in the counter-reform period. The idea is to translate the treatise into a shape grammar and then determine the transformations required for the grammar to account for the generation of the buildings designed and built in this geographic region. The paper presents a grammar for the Albertian column system, focusing on the Doric order. Subsequent work will be concerned with identifying the transformations of this grammar in the Portuguese context.