January 22, 2014 by CallisonRTKL

Programetric Design (Part 3)

With any research endeavor, one must come up with a hypothesis of how and why things might work. The gathering of facts and precedents allows us to validate our research so that we may come to a firm conclusion. My Kagan research was focused around the idea of moving this process forward, which directly impacts the way we work and look at information as architects. The Design Conference in London this year gave me the perfect opportunity to validate some of these research objectives.

Just last year, Performance-Driven Design℠ became a key driver for our design process, and in embarking on my research, I sought to specifically advance a particular part of it – the programming phase. I, by no means, considered myself a programming guru. Nevertheless, there was a fundamental question that I wanted to find the answer to: how can I graphically visualize programming? I wanted to go beyond the typical bubble diagrams and spreadsheets that we often encounter in order to find a way to visualize programming through script automation. The result would transcend mere numbers and figures into architectural fact.

During the London Design Conference, I presented my idea through a series of videos and slides. In a very summarized format, I explained how ‘programetrics’ could potentially expedite the timeline of the design process in our favor, allow us more flexibility in our design decisions and give us more time to study those decisions. One valid concern was that this automated script could become an engine for pre-meditated design solutions. However, I believe we all understood that the script would only help us to visualize the numbers and figures in the graphic terms that architects are used to seeing. In no way could the automated script replace the human and intellectual dynamic of designing a project

Throughout the Design Conference, much of the discussion focused on the implementation of this idea as well as the possibility to expand it to design processes beyond the programming phase. The conversation was very exciting and I returned to Dallas feeling optimistic about the relevance of my research. I was also a bit anxious to get past some hurdles and start incorporating ideas that I gathered from the various participants in London.

As I continue my journey into the world of programming, two things have become rather evident. First, I should either brush up on my arithmetic or hire a mathematician, and second, scripting has got to become my third language, besides English and Spanish. As I now find myself revisiting past calculus and basic trigonometry lessons, it’s exciting to see those college classes finally paying off! Like any design approach, there is never a lack of ideas or energy to work through problems that arise. I have always said that if we can think it, we can definitely do it. The big challenge for my Kagan Research is creating the scripts that will prompt the appropriate actions and assign the appropriate relationships. At the moment, there are a few pieces of code that operate well in isolation and others that must still be discovered. Ultimately, the test will be to collapse all the pieces of code into one collective script and have it realize my initial goal of helping us define programming in architectural terms.

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CallisonRTKL

For more than five decades, Callison and RTKL have created some of the world’s most memorable and successful environments for developers, retailers, investors, institutions and public entities. In 2015, our two practices came together under the Arcadis umbrella, expanding our sphere of influence and the depth and breadth of our resources. Our team is comprised of nearly 2,000 creative, innovative professionals throughout the world who are committed to advancing our client’s businesses and enhancing quality of life.