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Editorial

About Some Trends in CAAD Research

by
Ewa Janina Grabska
Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science, Department of Design and Computer Graphics, Jagiellonian University, 30-348 Kraków, Poland
Buildings 2023, 13(6), 1536; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13061536
Submission received: 16 May 2023 / Revised: 10 June 2023 / Accepted: 15 June 2023 / Published: 16 June 2023
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Computer Aided Architectural Design)
Computer-aided architectural design (CAAD) is the driving force that connects architecture, technology, and design. Along with the development of technology, new opportunities are used to improve the quality of designed buildings, but also to facilitate interactive control of the design process. On the one hand, the commonly used generative technique in CAAD gives the designer a platform for experimentation and artistic freedom, as well as modeling styles of architectural objects and feature specification. On the other hand, it is important to use computer tools to create a balanced and high-performance architecture. This Special Issue introduces readers to important topics regarding current research in the field of computer-aided architectural design (CAAD), taking into account these two trends with the potential for synergies.
The following papers:
  • “CAD Tools and Computing in Architectural and Urban Acoustics” by Jablońska and Czajka (2021) [1];
  • “Optimization of Hyperboloid Wooden House Concerning Structural, Cost, and Daylight Performance” by Khidmat et al. (2022) [2];
  • “Digital Modelling and Accuracy Verification of a Complex Architectural Object Based on Photogrammetric Reconstruction” by Ozimek et al. (2021) [3];
  • “The Obverse/Reverse Pavilion: An Example of a Form-Finding Design of Temporary, Low-Cost, and Eco-Friendly Structure” by Łątka and Święciak (2021) [4];
have been selected for this Special Issue to draw attention to the really important trend of integrated computer-aided design for sustainable and high-performance architecture.
In the first paper [1], interesting research results are presented, the scope of which covers various scales of consideration, from architectural acoustics to the urban level. The authors draw attention to the negligence in the field of noise reduction by professionals responsible for designing a sustainable and quiet built environment. To remedy this, they provide new knowledge on how to use CAAD tools and thus enable the design of the built environment with more optimal acoustics. One should hope that their results will contribute both to the popularization of the proposed optimal acoustic solutions among specialists in the built environment and the education of interdisciplinary researchers.
The second article [2] deals with efficient and sustainable wood-based architectural constructions. Very interesting considerations in the search for a design solution in terms of wooden construction and daylight are presented. The authors advocate wooden construction, giving many arguments, among others, that the advantage of wood over other materials is its natural cultivation and the possibility of full recycling. Wood is also the oldest material commonly used in architecture, valued for its contribution to maintaining an optimal living environment. The article proposes the design of hyperboloid wooden structures using parametric design and multi-criteria optimization (MOO) in the example of a two-story wooden house in Japan, made of 105 mm × 105 mm × 4000 mm Japanese timber. The presented experiments with the proposed method are very convincing.
The third article [3] considers issues related to the renovation of historic and landscape objects with the use of CAD tools. Technologies currently used to obtain data necessary to create precise models of historic architectural and landscape objects are presented. The authors proposed photogrammetric reconstruction that combines terrestrial imaging with UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) imaging. The presented methods are also used for all kinds of inventory and construction projects.
In the fourth paper [4], designing a temporary pavilion, undertaking the task of obtaining combining structural novelty, visual attractiveness, and low cost, is considered. It is worth noticing that temporary pavilions play an important role as experimental fields for architects, designers, and engineers. The newly created pavilion proved the potential of obtaining a low-budget, but visually attractive, architectural solution obtained with the use of a parametrical design and innovative structural systems proposed by the authors.
The following two articles:
  • “Fractal Dimension Calculation and Visual Attention Simulation: Assessing the Visual Character of an Architectural Façade” by Lee and Oswald (2021) [5];
  • “Generative and Evolutionary Techniques for the Process of Creating Architectural Objects on the Base of a 3D Prototype Model“ by Grabska (2022) [6];
have been selected for this special issue to consider the trend of CAAD related to analyzing the visual attractiveness of architectural objects. The broader context of studying the attractiveness of architectural objects includes people’s aesthetic preferences regarding the style modeling of the designed objects, which is one of the greatest challenges of contemporary architecture. All approaches to these topics are based on visual perception and visual thinking.
In an article [5], methods to help understand the reaction of people to building facades are presented. Two computational methods to examine potential visual stimulus-sensation relationships in facade design are proposed. The first method is based on fractal analysis, while the second one is based on visual attention simulation. This paper provides a methodological contribution to the field of computer-aided design related to the attractiveness of architectural objects based on visual perception.
The paper [6] addresses the generative and evolutionary methods from the perspective of supporting designers in the process of generating forms of buildings to the designer’s stylistic preferences. In the approach presented, the designer provides information about his aesthetic preferences, when creating a prototypical form using a graphics editor. The form is transformed automatically into a graph, which stores structural information for the generative procedure, enabling the creation of other architectural forms based on the designer’s aesthetic preferences. Some of these forms are input data to evolutionary mechanisms that give the designer freedom to create design alternatives beyond the original design space.
The presented CAAD trends are related to the need to use new methods and computer tools in the education of architecture. Two selected works, the first presented by Komarzyńska-Świeściak et al. (2021) [7] and the second one by Rusnak and Rabieg (2021) [8], are educational, in line with current trends in architecture.
The first of the papers [7], using a case study approach, presents the systematic process of transforming the Physical Design Studio into the Virtual Design Studio and how it was perceived by students enrolled in the surveyed courses. The results of the study, assessed by both experienced Design Studio instructors and surveyed students, can be used as recommendations for the implementation of digital learning, using a remote design studio. The second article [8] aims to discuss the potential of eye trackers as tools that provide various support for the architectural education of future designers. This is the result of an analysis of research related to the perception of urban projects and architectural objects. The contribution of the article is a wide range of research related to the impact of eye tracking on the acquisition of specialist professional skills.
The variety of topics and methods in these eight articles highlights the potential of new technologies and their impact on both innovative research directions and new educational ideas in the field of CAAD. However, considering the conceptual design phase, a fully computer-aided design process has not yet been achieved. Considering the role of artificial intelligence in the modern world, not only technology should motivate the implementation of innovative solutions, but also new methodologies that result from the creative CAD process should inspire the use and/or development of new technologies.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

  1. Jablonska, J.; Czajka, R. CAD Tools and Computing in Architectural and Urban Acoustics. Buildings 2021, 11, 235. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  2. Khidmat, R.P.; Fukuda, H. Kustiani Design Optimization of Hyperboloid Wooden House Concerning Structural, Cost, and Daylight Performance. Buildings 2022, 12, 110. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  3. Ozimek, A.; Ozimek, P.; Skabek, K.; Łabędź, P. Digital Modelling and Accuracy Verification of a Complex Architectural Object Based on Photogrammetric Reconstruction. Buildings 2021, 11, 206. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  4. Łątka, J.F.; Święciak, M. The Obverse/Reverse Pavilion: An Example of a Form-Finding Design of Temporary, Low-Cost, and Eco-Friendly Structure. Buildings 2021, 11, 226. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  5. Lee, J.H.; Ostwald, M.J. Fractal Dimension Calculation and Visual Attention Simulation: Assessing the Visual Character of an Architectural Façade. Buildings 2021, 11, 163. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  6. Grabska, E.J. Generative and Evolutionary Techniques for the Process of Creating Architectural Objects on the Base of a 3D Prototype Model. Buildings 2022, 12, 899. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  7. Komarzyńska-Świeściak, E.; Adams, B.; Thomas, L. Transition from Physical Design Studio to Emergency Virtual Design Studio. Available Teaching and Learning Methods and Tools—A Case Study. Buildings 2021, 11, 312. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  8. Rusnak, M.A.; Rabiega, M. The Potential of Using an Eye Tracker in Architectural Education: Three Perspectives for Ordinary Users, Students, and Lecturers. Buildings 2021, 11, 245. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
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Grabska, E.J. About Some Trends in CAAD Research. Buildings 2023, 13, 1536. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13061536

AMA Style

Grabska EJ. About Some Trends in CAAD Research. Buildings. 2023; 13(6):1536. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13061536

Chicago/Turabian Style

Grabska, Ewa Janina. 2023. "About Some Trends in CAAD Research" Buildings 13, no. 6: 1536. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13061536

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