SYNTACTIC SPACE SYNTAX 4 Generative Configurational Design

Dr.ir. Pirouz Nourian Assistant Professor of Design Informatics

Faculty of Architecture and Built Environment

Delft University of Technology

The story behind the toolkit

Long Story: CONFIGRAPHICSMorphology and Syntax in Linguistics

Why configurations matter: Functional Efficiency and Social Atmosphere of Complex Environments

1. Do we know how buildings and cities work? Can we predict the use (motion dynamics) of an environment?• Architectural Spatial Morphology• Architectural Spatial Syntax• The 9-Squares: Geometry, Topology, and Graph Theory (Locus Topos Graph)• Social Logic of Space & Functional Efficiency• Performance, Behavior, Interaction, Networks • (privacy-community, visit-frequencies, visibility, way-finding, Cliquishness) • Social Network Analysis (Centrality & Marginality: Closeness, Betweenness, Eigenvector, Connectivity)

2. Can we design an environment via spatial configuration?• Graph Topos Locus• Starting from interactions• Starting from a connectivity graphs• Starting from spatial manifolds• 2D Layout: Tutte Layout, Triangulations, Dualization• 3D Layout: Spectral Layout, Force-Directed Layout, Isovist Bubbles

Topics

http://abe.tudelft.nl/

Why some buildings do not function as intended?

not ‘the right building’, not at ‘the right location’!?

image © designboom: vacant NL dutch pavilion at venice architecture biennale 2010

How do we know if a building is fit to its purpose and its context?

image © designboom: vacant NL dutch pavilion at venice architecture biennale 2010

SYNTACTIC

Space Syntax For Architectural Configuration

CONFIGURBANIST

Network Analysis For Urban Configuration

For 3D Reconstruction from Point Clouds

rasterworks.dll

Library of Raster3D & Voxel Tools

Computational Design Toolkits 3D Modelling Toolkits

My R&D Projects

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“We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us”. Winston Churchill

Environment Shapes BehaviourB

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Architecture is the art of providing for both encounter and avoidance. The Social Logic of Space [1]

A certain environment affords certain behaviours, “The Theory of Affordances” [2] &[3]

Image: Google Campus Dublin, by Camenzind Evolution Architects, Zurich, Switzerland[1] Hillier B. and Hanson J. (1984), The Social Logic of Space, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.[2] James J. Gibson (1977), The Theory of Affordances. In Perceiving, Acting, and Knowing, edited by Robert Shaw and John Bransford, ISBN 0-470-99014-7.[3] James J. Gibson (1979), The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception, ISBN 0-89859-959-8.

Image Credits: https://www.techtricksworld.com/charles-babbage/ & http://www.redbubble.com/people/adalovelaceday/works/15017169-ada-lovelace-first-computer-programmer?c=482740-women-in-stem

Environment Shapes Behaviour

Built Environment as a Socio-Spatial Network

Image: Telecom Palace, by Architectus, Australia

Image Credit: Bill Hillier, Space is the machine, 1997

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Image Credit: Bill Hillier, Space is the machine, 1997

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Building Structure Space Structure Network Structure

Image Credit: Bill Hillier, Space is the machine, 1997

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Geometry Topology Graph Theory

locus topos graph

Topological Thinking Is Intuitive!

Right: The Tube Map by Harry Beck, the First Topological Metro Map for the London Underground Network in 1931

Environment Shapes/Conducts Behaviour

PERFORMANCE BEHAVIOUR INTERACTION NETWORKS ENVIRONMENT

Graph Theory Markov Chains Space Subdivisions Fuzzy Logics

http://world.mathigon.org/Graph_Theory Wiki Commons http://educationally.narod.ru/

Social Network Analysis

http://blogs.worldbank.org/category/tags/social-network-analysis

Optimal Paths

Google Maps Wiki Commons

STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS

Leonhard Euler Andrei A. Markov Georgy Voronoy Lotfi A. ZadehLeo Katz Edsger Dijkstra

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A spatial network should be __________________ logical

to sustain its value.

• environmentally

• functionally

• socially

A spatial network should be __________________ logical

to sustain its value.

• environmentally

• functionally

• socially

http://www.treehugger.com/

CONFIGURBANIST

Network AnalysisFor

Urban Configuration

A spatial network should be __________________ logical

to sustain its value.

• environmentally

• functionally

• socially

Departments

Departments 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1. Reception U E O U U U A O

2. Emergenccy Unit I U A I U U U

3. Outpatients Clinic U U O U U E

4. Wards U I O U O

5. Intensive Care E I U O

6. Surgery U U I

7. Laboratory U E

8. Administration O

9. Farmacy

Rating Definition

A Absolutely necessary (Weight=1)

E Especially important (Weight=0.75)

I Important and core (Weight=0.5)

O Ordinary (Weight=0.25)

U Unimportant/Indifferent (Weight=0)

X Undesirable (Weight=-1)

Reference: Course Materials Facilities Planning, E212, Republic Polytechnic. Departments

Departments 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1. Reception U E O U U U A O

2. Emergenccy Unit U I U A I U U U

3. Outpatients Clinic E I U U O U U E

4. Wards O U U U I O U O

5. Intensive Care U A U U E I U O

6. Surgery U I O I E U U I

7. Laboratory U U U O I U U E

8. Administration A U U U X X X O

9. Farmacy O U E O O I E O

A spatial network should be __________________ logical

to sustain its value.

• environmentally

• functionally

• socially

Important=Connected to Many People

Degree Centrality

Important=Close to Many People

Closeness Centrality

Important=In Between Many People

Betweenness Centrality

Important=Connected to Important People

Eigenvector Centrality

Images from Wiki Commons

An Exemplary Reginal Government Office: Strategy/Vision 1 (a hierarchical organization)

An Exemplary Reginal Government Office: Strategy/Vision 2 (a flat organization)

Entrance

An Exemplary Reginal Government Office: Strategy/Vision 1 (a hierarchical organization)

Entrance

An Exemplary Reginal Government Office: Strategy/Vision 2 (a flat organization)

Bubble Diagrams in Architectural Space Planning

https://nl.pinterest.com/tanvikanakia/bubble-diagrams/?lp=true

SYNTACTIC a.k.a. Space Syntax for Generative Design

A Plugin for Grasshopper3D,Written in VB.NET & C#

▪ Real-Time Space Syntax Analyses for Parametric Design▪ Interactive Bubble Diagrams▪ Automated Graph Drawing Algorithms▪ Enumeration of Plan Configuration Topologies▪ Measuring the Socio-Spatial/Programmatic Performance▪ Topological Layout

Download: https://sites.google.com/site/pirouznourian/syntactic-design

User Group: www.grasshopper3d.com/group/space-syntax

Publications: ▪ Nourian, P. Rezvani, S., Sariyildiz, S. (2013). Designing with Space Syntax. Proceedings of eCAADe 2013, (pp. 357-366). Delft. ▪ Nourian, P., Rezvani, S., Sariyildiz, S. (2013). A Syntactic Design Methodology. Proceedings of 9th Space Syntax Symposium. Seoul.

Implementation A: a tool suite for architectural configuration

SYNTACTIC Space Syntax for Generative Design

Implementation A: a tool suite for architectural configuration

SYNTACTIC Space Syntax for Generative Design

Implementation A: a tool suite for architectural configuration

A Configurative Design Process

Configurational Analysis

(Network Analysis)

Connectivity

Relations

(Graph)

Cell

Configuration

(Mesh)

Graph

Embedding

(Map)

Abstract

Function

Concrete

Form

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Nodes(configuration graph)

Packed Bubbles(e.g. isovist bubbles)

Dual Faces(of a topological map)

Kissing Disks (simple bubbles)

Topological

Possibilities

Graphical

Possibilities

Geometrical

Possibilities

Graph Theory Topological Graph Theory Graph Drawing Computational Geometry

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Architectural Configuration: From Abstract to Concrete

Work in Progress

Architectural Configuration: From Abstract to Concrete

Architectural Configuration: From Abstract to ConcreteArchitectural Configuration: From Abstract to Concrete

Architectural Configuration: From Abstract to ConcreteArchitectural Configuration: From Abstract to Concrete

Architectural Configuration: From Abstract to ConcreteArchitectural Configuration: From Abstract to Concrete

Architectural Configuration: From Abstract to ConcreteArchitectural Configuration: From Abstract to Concrete

Architectural Configuration: From Abstract to ConcreteArchitectural Configuration: From Abstract to Concrete

Architectural Configuration: From Abstract to Concrete

Nodes(configuration graph)

Packed Bubbles(e.g. isovist bubbles)

Dual Faces(of a topological map)

Kissing Disks (simple bubbles)

Topological

Possibilities

Graphical

Possibilities

Geometrical

Possibilities

Graph Theory Topological Graph Theory Graph Drawing Computational Geometry

Architectural Configuration: From Abstract to Concrete

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

2D Isovist Bubbles: Entirely Visible Star-Shaped Polygons

SYNATCTIC design methodology in a nutshell: • We model existing and desired network structures and then• Simulate Potential Interactions of people with environment and each other• Analyse the social networking potential of the environment• Iiteratively design a desirable network structure (at micro and macro scale)• Design the layout and interior according to the network structure

SYNTACITIC DESIGN METHODOLOGY

• Our user group on the Grasshopper Forum• Our Paper on Space Syntax Analysis in Architectural Design• Our Paper on Space Syntax Analysis in Architectural Design• The Webpage of SYNTACTIC (download links & example files)• A video showing SYNTACTIC toolkit in action

HYPERLINKS

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Stay tuned @ Grasshopper Space Syntax Group

The first 3D molecule of Space Syntax