Practice

Here is the preface of the famous book “Architectural Geometry”. It simply encourages me to learn new things every day even sometimes it seems to become impossible. Geometry lies at the core of the architectural design process. It is omnipresent, from the initial form-finding stages…

Joseph Bergin‘s pedagogical patterns for computer science education returned my attention to teaching methods I’ve searching for almost five years. Here is a phrase from a paper submitted to pedagogical pattern language project: Most educators and trainers are not taught how to teach. Rather, they…

The logical structure of computer-aided architectural design tools is based on object orientation. New design methodologies named Building Information Modeling or Virtual Building aim to improve this structure by synchronizing the digital object classes with real architectural products. Therefore, CAD becomes smart and parametric. But…

Here is an interesting six-year-old quote from Rivka Oxman, telling us about a potential class of designers. The particular character, type, class or whatever we call could be more sophisticated people than we imagine today. It tells me that, advances in design computing does make…

I recently discovered Wordle, a visualization tool for websites. I’m very curious about the social network of design computing community. Trying to understand the trends, how the knowledge is spreading, and the role of different actors on this developing field of architectural design. First of…

Here are several passages from Shamos’s dissertation thesis, where he is studying the history of geometry from the perspective of a computer scientist. This topic always fascinated me. However, this is a good reading for the algorithmic roots of geometry. “…Egyptian and Greek geometry were…

After the starting point of the Galapagos, there came another attempt to utilize this beautiful addition of David Rutten. This time, I worked over the night to tell it what I want. The aim was (or seemed to be) simple at first sight. I wanted…

…While it is true that every curve which can be described by a continuous motion should ve recognized in geometry, this does not mean that we should use at random the first one that we meet in the construction of a given problem. We should…

Today, there are pedagogical and practical challenges on the use of algorithms in architectural design, as computer puts not only a physical but also a cognitive layer between designer and the subject. Formulation of this cognitive layer is becoming important, regarding which model of computing is…

Searching for a meaning to today’s popular design methods and concepts we are all going after. Most of the abstract problems, today described within architectural domains, are very parallel to another field defined by M. Ian Shamos in 1978. Here is the introduction paragraph of…

QuickShaper (QS) an experimental computer utility for Shape Grammars. It aims to assist designers and students in creating and exploring rule-based designs. QS is first presented and published with Birgül Çolakoğlu at the 25th eCAADe Conference held at Frankfurt / Germany in September 29th, 2007….

Whenever we try to define something suitable for our design intentions, it became somehow closely related to the design tool. The contemporary theory of computational design (or design computing) has many definitions. In this website, we look at that from the perspective of method and…

In recent years, computational approaches in architecture started to change the scope of the architect’s work. He/she is not any more a passive tool user instead, became a casual tool developer. Conventional CAD systems that focus on geometric representation of a designed artifact, are transforming into systems in which the design…

Information Age has been transforming architecture, provoking its theoretical and methodological foundations. We might call this as a paradigm shift or not; it’s obvious that contemporary research fields and built practices lead architectural design into a certain revolution. Mainstream schools of design education are becoming…

This was a design competition of a precast concrete roof system. My design proposal was a modular and variable structure for İstanbul’s old bus station, converted to art galleries. However, this project was developed purely by hand-sketches, I’m planning to create an envelope of alternatives…

This was a couple of months ago, Nilüfer Kozikoğlu (TUŞPA Architecture) has offered a design for a competition, the new TV Tower in İstanbul. Her design intention was mainly focused on the spatial qualities of the observation decks and the visual interpretations on the overall shape…

Design computing in architecture is evolved enough to form a more spread out advance, instead of being an alternative way of thinking and practising. Contemporary architectural practice is beginning to push forward such a transformation. This also effects architectural education, that is beginning to focus…

This was an interesting challenge for me to find out if an architect can use Visual Programming Languages (VPL’s) also for graphical purposes? Now, I would say “not exactly” because this definition took much time than I expected. The aim was to create an algorithm…

This was my first serious Grasshopper study. In 2009, I decided to attend a design contest for a campus entrance. Of course, the jury didn’t know that the design resulted from a parametric model. I have called this Parametric Entrance since then. The starting point…

When an educational system does not meet the requirements of a paradigm, new teaching approaches start to emerge. Today, design computing pushes forward a similar transformation on architectural education. Design studio, as the dominant setting for architectural learning, is the center of this transformation. There…