how do small and medium architectural firms deal with architectural complexity?
TRANSCRIPT
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How do small and medium architectural firms deal with architectural complexity?
A look into digital practices
A. Stals, S. Jancart, C. Elsen
University of Liège, Belgium
eCAADE 2016, Oulu
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What are the commonly used software packages,and how do designers adapt to master them?
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 1
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What are the commonly used software packages,and how do designers adapt to master them?
What impact does digital design have on teams?
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 1
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Table of contents
1. A THEORETICAL LOOK INTO COMPLEXITY THROUGH HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE
2. A LOOK INTO BELGIAN PRACTICESResearch gapMethodologySample description
3. RESULTSUse of digital design tools in WalloniaComplexity and the use of digital design tools Complexity into interdisciplinarity
4. DISCUSSION5. FUTURE WORK
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 2
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A theoretical look into complexity through history of architecture
> Morphogenesis through experimentationVisual simplicity and coherencyComplex mathematical descriptions of the shape
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 3
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A theoretical look into complexity through history of architecture
> Morphogenesis through experimentationVisual simplicity and coherencyComplex mathematical description of the shape
> First step into the digital eraWider number of shape possibilitiesMultiple levels of complexityTensions between ideas and feasibility
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 3
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A theoretical look into complexity through history of architecture
> Morphogenesis through experimentationVisual simplicity and coherencyComplex mathematical description of the shape
> First step into the digital eraWider number of shape possibilitiesMultiple levels of complexityTensions between ideas and feasibility
> Digital architecture nowadaysLarge firms develop protocols and strategies espacially
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 3
Small and medium firms ?
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Table of contents
1. A THEORETICAL LOOK INTO COMPLEXITY THROUGH HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE
2. A LOOK INTO BELGIAN PRACTICESResearch gapMethodologySample description
3. RESULTSUse of digital design tools in WalloniaComplexity and the use of digital design tools Complexity into interdisciplinarity
4. DISCUSSION5. FUTURE WORK
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 4
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A look into Belgian practices
> Research gap2008 : research on design support tools in general [Weytjens and al. 2008]
No research on the role of digital tools in Belgium
> MethodologyOnline-based surveySurvey in 3 sections: demographic data, digital culture, parametric design and toolsExclusion criteria: completed too fast, only the first section completed, worker in a firm of more than 100 people
> Sample descriptionWalloon designersTopics about digital tools and architects’ perception of complexity
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 5
Wallonia
Brussels
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331 surveys = 6.2 % of architects registered in Wallonia
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 6
Female
Male
I prefer notto answer
73.4% Male
26.0%Female
< 40
> 40
49.8%< 40
Isolated independentarchitect 56.3%Independant architectcollaborator 10.5%Architect engineer 6.4%
Teacher 4.7%
Other
49.8%< 40
Sexe Age Occupation
23.5%10 - 20
56.3%Isolated
Size of firms (number of people) 1 to 2 3 to 5 6 to 10 10 to 20 20 to 50 50 to 100 > 100 Other
Percentage 41,0% 21,4% 10,6% 9,6% 4,0% 4,0% 6,2% 3,1%
73 %
Relevance of the Walloon case
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Table of contents
1. A THEORETICAL LOOK INTO COMPLEXITY THROUGH HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE
2. A LOOK INTO BELGIAN PRACTICESResearch gapMethodologySample description
3. RESULTSUse of digital design tools in WalloniaComplexity and the use of digital design tools Complexity into interdisciplinarity
4. DISCUSSION5. FUTURE WORK
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 7
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Results
> Use of digital design tools in Wallonia
72.5% use digital tools during the design phase
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 8
0
50
100
150
200
250
# p
arti
cip
ants
Never heard Use in 2D Use in 3D
15.1%
24.5%
55.9%
17.6%
50.3%
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Results
> Use of digital design tools in Wallonia
72,5% use digital tools during the design phase
Revit > 3D> under 45> more than 20 employees
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 8
0
50
100
150
200
250
# p
arti
cip
ants
Never heard Use in 2D Use in 3D
15.1%
24.5%
55.9%
17.6%
50.3%
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Results
> Complexity and the use of digital design tools
84.6% satisfied15.4% unsatisfied
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 9
23.4% work more complex Factors complicating practice:
Administrative formalitiesRegulations« PEB » certificationEvolving techniquesCustomer requestsDigital tools
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0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
Increase executionspeed of project
Promote diversityof shapes produced
Facilitate exchangeswith stakeholders
Facilitateimplementation of
projects
# p
arti
cip
ants
Strongly Slightly Not at all No opinion
Results
> Complexity and the use of digital design tools
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 10
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Results
> Complexity into interdisciplinarity
Reasons for outsourcing tasks:
- Time 54.8% - Complexity of the shape 24.4%
interdisciplinarity is benefical
57.1%
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 11
Difficult to manage humanelyDifficult to manage technically
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Results
> Complexity into interdisciplinarity
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 12
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Internally Externally Never resorted to
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Results
> Complexity into interdisciplinarity
78% Numerical modeling enriches design process25% Numerical modeling enriches design process even if conceptor and modeller are different persons
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 13
3D modelization
Produce « commercial » images
Part of design process
3D modeling specialist Graphic designer
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Discussion
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 14
Complexity
> Large firms = innovative morphologies
> Small firms = administrative procedures, regulations, building techniques, customers requests
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Future work
- Analyze of more data
- Specific use of parametric tools
- Interviews of selected offices
A. Stals | FNRS, Faculty of Architecture - ULG Belgium | 15