Conference PaperPDF Available

Dynamic Architectural Canvas: Designing a Relational Mapping Based Architectural Design Tool

Authors:
Dynamic Architectural Canvas
Designing a relational mapping based architectural design tool
Nilüfer Kozikoğlu1, Pelin Dursun Çebi2, Tuğrul Yazar3,
Büşra Balaban4, Oğulcan Üneşi5, Melike Sena Erden6
1Tuşpa Architecture 2,4,6İstanbul Technical University Faculty of Architecture 3,5 İstanbul
Bilgi University Faculty of Architecture
1,4,5,6{nkozik|busrabalabann|ogulcanunesi|melikesenaerden}@gmail.com 2dursunpe@itu.
edu.tr 3tugrul.yazar@bilgi.edu.tr
Configuration of spatial set-up is a major act in the architectural design process.
Configuration implies a set of relationships among the spatial elements that can
be represented as a network pattern. This kind of spatial network is significant for
architectural design as it reveals social implications by mapping interactions
between users, indicating functional and latent routes and spatial proximities.
This paper concentrates on network thinking in architecture and presents the
development of a new software plugin and compares the plugin to similar software
studies that allow coding spatial networks and exploring their potentials. The
experimental study is also tested by student workshops, explains the motives for
the plug-in currently prototyped as a Grasshopper definition and how-it-works.
Keywords: Space syntax, Network thinking, Scenario based Design, Evidence
based architectural design
INTRODUCTION
Architectural design activity is essentially concerned
with the creation of a spatial configuration. Spaces
are associated with an “architectural narrative or sce-
nario” conceived in the design process. The narra-
tive concerns the body, its movements, activities, re-
lations with other bodies, as experiences. The nar-
rative shapes space, and accordingly space informs
the narrative: whereby a mutual relationship is per-
formed. In other words, structure, order, and the re-
lation between spaces will produce a movement pat-
tern and ultimately describes a lifestyle.
During the design process, imaginary narratives
are made visible and discussed through continuous
construction and deconstruction of configurations.
This process is inspiring for architects who learn by
making. Architectural design is a complex, cogni-
tive, and intellectual process that needs a distinc-
tive approach in which a designerly way of knowing,
thinking, and acting have been realized (Cross, 2001,
2007). It is a kind of discovery process which pro-
ceeds by searching, probing, and learning by doing
(Dursun, 2007). The architect has an active and crit-
ical engagement with his/her surroundings, mainly
focuses on a making process in “action in reflection”
(Schön, 1987). In a creative and performative process,
architects think with different design tools (Dursun
Çebi, Kozikoğlu, 2017) and bring together different
D1.T1.S2. DESIGN AND COMPUTATION OF URBAN AND LOCAL SYSTEMS – XS to XL - Volume 1 - eCAADe 38 |229
information forms to evaluate design outputs, learn-
ing from their own designs and investigating possi-
ble consequences of design decisions.
Design processes are subjective however cer-
tain design tools/methods provide objective evalua-
tion criteria enabling iteration with feedback. Tools
for building and measuring space allow visualization
of architectural decisions and developing scenarios.
This study is focused on the use of space syntax and
graph visualization algorithms in design.
The use of graph-theoretical tools in architecture
is not a new approach. C. Alexander ’s (1964) pioneer-
ing book Notes on the Synthesis of Form has followed
The Geometry of Environment: An Introduction to Spa-
tial Organization in Design by L. March and P. Stead-
man (1971), The Architecture of the Form by L. March
(1976), Synthesis and Optimization of Small Rectangu-
lar Floor Plans by W.J. Mitchell, J.P. Steadman, R.S.,
Liggett (1976), Architectural Morphology by J.P. Stead-
man (1983) and The Social Logic of Space by B. Hiller
and J. Hanson (1984). These works refer to the use,
meanings, and methods of scientific tools in architec-
tural design. The utilizations of graph theory-based
tools in architecture can be conceptualized in three
different modes (Kozikoğlu, Dursun Çebi, 2015): “(1)
to analyze existing spatial formation (Hillier, et al.,
1987; March and Steadman, 1971), (2) to generate
spatial form, (Mitchell et al., 1976; Steadman, 1983),
and (3) to evaluate the architectural design (March,
1976; Hillier, 1998). The first group concentrates on
the intrinsic nature of the existing built environment
and its social meanings. The second group uses a se-
ries of predefined rules in a computerized process to
search for a desired spatial product. The final group
provides tools for architects to evaluate their design
proposals.
This study first investigates the contribution of
one of such scientific approaches, space syntax, as a
creative tool in the design process and examines the
possibilities and limitations of existing space syntax-
oriented computer software that intends to decrypt
and measure spatial configurations. Then, it aims to
produce a software plugin investigating the use of
graph-based thinking in the architectural design pro-
cess that generates topological layout possibilities.
This plugin, which is developed as part of an ongo-
ing research project, is intended to have a dynamic,
playful, mind-opening structure that provides real-
time information to the designer using the space syn-
tax metrics. In the scope of the study, in order to
evaluate the potential and limitations of this plugin,
workshops are organized with the participation of ar-
chitecture students. The plugin will be developed
and elaborated through the output of these student
workshops and further studies will be organized.
MAPPING CONFIGURATIONAL NARRA-
TIVES: THE POTENTIAL OF NETWORK-
BASED DESIGN ENVIRONMENT
There have been various research conducted on de-
signing configurations through scientific spatial data
and digital tools with variation and multiple layers of
input (Derix, 2014; Veloso, et al., 2019). This study in
comparison is focused on the phenomenological as-
pects of the “experiencing body”, the creativity of the
designer and peculiarities in the designed space. The
research stems from the studies on patterns of hu-
man activities and Space Syntax and aims at accom-
panying the architect in the playful creative design
process of spatial configurations. This study is a re-
search on how to incorporate scientific insight into
the architectural design process as a creative tool that
will show analytical, generative, dynamic, and inter-
active features. This study highlights the following
points:
1. Our research interest is neither about an au-
tomated design process, nor a tool to analyze design
outcomes only, but an integrated tool that provides
real-time data on the connectivity of the whole and
the parts, as well as accompany the design process
by generating intended as well as incidental visuals,
just as in the case of concentrated hand sketching.
2. Architect as the protagonist of the design pro-
cess feeds in the toolset and plays with the inputs,
and drives the process by the tool which has a dy-
namic character, changing the configuration in pre-
230 |eCAADe 38 - D1.T1.S2. DESIGN AND COMPUTATION OF URBAN AND LOCAL SYSTEMS – XS to XL - Volume 1
senting in the eyes of the architect through relation-
ships preloaded or dialled iteratively. This constant
motion is akin to vague and repetitive sketch lines.
There but not exact. Moreover, the designer can re-
trieve the scientific value of any node or cluster or the
whole configuration if he needs to. The architect is
not the one who chooses the spatial configuration,
but the designer who creates the configuration with
her narratives.
3. The tool is both dynamic (constant animation)
and interactive (designer can change add at any mo-
ment). Multiple parameters in the design canvas are
considered as active connections such as the contex-
tual, interspatial, metric, and other physical relation-
ships. These parametric values are prioritized, chore-
ographed, and fed in the plugin by the designer in a
playful manner that turns the canvas into a “thinking
sketch”.
4. The geometric composition is a result rather
than the aim of the research. Rather the scenarios,
and the patterns of living, experiencing, relating in
and to space is the mode of Operandi. The social
meaning, the “experiencing bodies” and their be-
haviours and corresponding spatialities are of main
concern.
Space Syntax maps the configurational narra-
tives in a scientific, numerical way by using graph-
theoretical tools and syntactic measurements. By
making non-discursive characteristics of space dis-
cursive (Hillier, Hanson, 1997; Dursun, 2012), it
presents architects’ possible effects of their design
decisions. According to Al-Sayed et al. ”space syntax
methods are not only effective in terms of evaluating
existing spatial structures but can also support archi-
tectural design thinking by evaluating design ideas
throughout a design’s evolution, thus generating en-
hanced spatial configurations” (Al-Sayed, et al, 2010).
Current Space Syntax research uses a number of
computer programs developed for spatial analysis.
Developed by research groups at various universities,
these programs have their own potentials and con-
straints: availability at city and building scale, avail-
ability of an independent or extension of a program,
operability in Windows or macOS environment, us-
ability in the analysis of complex or small spatial for-
mations, etc.
A range of these computational tools is stan-
dalone programs exclusively developed for perform-
ing space syntax analysis, such as Axman, Netbox,
Pesh, Omnivista developed by Nick Dalton from 1988
to 2002 and NewWave, Space Box, Orange Box de-
veloped by UCL, Mindwalk by L. Figueiredo in 2002,
Jass by D. Koch in 2004, Segmen by S. Lida in
2005, Depthmap by A. Turner in 2001, SPOT by �H.
Markhede and P. M. Carranza in 2007 (Turner, 2007).
Some of these tools perform as extensions to GIS (Ge-
ographic Information System) software, such as Ax-
woman developed by B. Jiang in 1998, Ovation by N.
Dalton in 2001, Ajax by M. Batty in 2003, Place Syn-
tax Tool by A. Ståhle and friends in 2005 and UNA-
Toolbox�, �sDNA, �Confeego, �iVALUL developed by
Space Syntax Limited between 2007 and 2012. A
number of programs are extensions to existing CAD
software, such as Syntax2D, sDNA and UNAToolbox
(Gil, et al., 2015; Turner, 2007).� In addition to them,
as they allow to integrate Space Syntax analysis into
CAD environments and become a part of the gen-
erative design process, several tools and extensions
for Grasshopper3D have been developed for the last
ten years. Examples such as Spiderweb (Schaffranek
and Vasku, 2013) and Decoding Spaces Components
(Bielik,et al., 2012) which are able to work with axial
lines and segment maps use for urban design and as-
sociate the spatial analysis with the creation of forms
or urban layouts. Another tool for Grasshopper is
Grasshopper Reach Analysis Toolkit (Feng and Zhang,
2017) and it integrates the reach analysis to the de-
sign formulation process. As distinct from the other
tools, Syntactic (Nourian, et al., 2013) is considered
as noticeable for this research because it allows gen-
erating interactive bubble diagrams as running with
the convex spaces and enables to constitute the dia-
grammatic plan layouts while offers real-time Space
Syntax analysis.
On the other hand, architectural design software,
which has a close parallel with the history of the com-
D1.T1.S2. DESIGN AND COMPUTATION OF URBAN AND LOCAL SYSTEMS – XS to XL - Volume 1 - eCAADe 38 |231
puter, has been mostly geared towards accurate in-
formation for construction. The fact that Computer-
Aided Design programs are used in a wide variety of
fields to accurately design and organize structures,
components, and numerous other applications is the
basis for the architect’s inclusion of AutoCAD in the
design process. Software such as Rhino3D provides
computational environments that are preferred fora
more intuitive creative process due to the free form
surface modeller. In both cases, the metadata ex-
traction out of an iterative modelling environment is
delimited. The transition from CAD to BIM, a mar-
ket almost entirely dominated by Revit, represents a
shift from a strong 2D drawing tool that replicates the
sketching process with its layers functionality to a ro-
bust 3D tool that builds all views of a structure simul-
taneously and captures significant metadata about
the model.
Although these advancements empower the de-
signer with more precision, over more square meters,
and/or more complex buildable matter, the need
to replace what the design sketch had as a tool
emerged: the power to hold the designers’ aspira-
tions onto the paper and relate back to his design
dialogue. Plugins such as Grasshopper, a visual pro-
gramming language first released in 2007, and it’s
very many add ons and plugins that build genera-
tive algorithms not only provide the possibility to
create geometries that would otherwise be incredi-
bly labour-intensive, but also enable the designer to
work with as a creative design environment as is his
sketch pad. Still, the tools capacity to aid the designer
space-related pattern-based semantic and program-
matic relational data are not available. What’s more,
this is also data that can be transferred, computed,
and dealt with in a coding environment. As the crite-
ria made possible by Space Syntax, the patterns out
of human movement and vision provide a generous
potential if not only to assess the relational input of
the designer.
THE PROTOTYPE TOOL
In order to achieve the goals mentioned, a prototype
of the intended software was developed in Grasshop-
per; in future versions, some of the clusters of this
definition are expected to be advanced as special-
ized Grasshopper components. The current defini-
tion uses Kangaroo 2 by Daniel Piker, Human UI by
Andrew Heumann, Shortest Walk by Giulio Piacentino
and several custom Python scripts for better function-
ality.
The dataflow algorithm starts by getting an ini-
tial graph data from the user (Figure 1). The graph
consists of specified zones (nodes) and relationships
(edges) represented by lines and points in the Rhino
screen. The tool automatically generates the node
and edge lists and asks the user to input labels
(names) for each node. As indicated earlier, the re-
lationships between the nodes might have various
characteristics, being in-between, being in the same
zone, being as close as possible, or as far as possi-
ble etc. In the current version of the tool, several
relationships could be defined and simulated such
as; attraction and repulsion, collision, magnet snap-
ping and metaball clustering. Since the initial data
is defined, the tool calculates and displays the mean
depth and integration scores, and displays the justi-
fied tree graph of any given node. An optional indi-
vidual or uniform area setup can be done after the
analysis, providing the node sizes accordingly, to be
used in the following stage. As explained previously,
the numerical and graphical feed-back are major fea-
tures of the tool. Since the Space Syntax metrics are
not fully covered in the prototype tool, more metrics
and dynamic attributes obtained from these values
will be added in the future.
232 |eCAADe 38 - D1.T1.S2. DESIGN AND COMPUTATION OF URBAN AND LOCAL SYSTEMS – XS to XL - Volume 1
Figure 1
The initial
prototype
developed as a
Grasshopper
definition.
After the initial setup and analysis, the “thinking
sketch” explained earlier is ready for interaction. The
initial graph drawn by the user remains static but a
replicated dynamic version of the graph releases it-
self away from the initial one. The dynamic graph
is constantly in motion and interaction, showing
the designer many potentials and emergent condi-
tions. To enable the designer to simulate external fac-
tors, “contextual nodes” are introduced to the graph.
These fixed nodes attract selected dynamic nodes, af-
fecting the graph for desired orientations. Currently,
the graph works only in 2D, but recent tests showed
that it is possible to improve the tool for 3D, by intro-
ducing new spatial relationship types that are effec-
tive in various heights.
The current version of the tool provides the vi-
sualization of the spatial relationships in a dynamic,
fluid, and almost never-ending manner due to the
non-existent friction. Previously calculated integra-
tion values of each node are applied as inertia fac-
tors, keeping the more integrated nodes less active.
The graph rotates and flows, nodes move, collide and
orbit unless an exceptional balance state is found.
The original intention is to keep the graph moving
continuously, still a damping option is introduced.
The users can drag the dynamic nodes across the
screen. Combined with a geometric pipeline from
Rhinoceros, users can dynamically alter the state of
the simulation by introducing new nodes and edges
or altering existing ones on the static graph during
the process. Dynamic graph edges can also be man-
aged in the “Link Manager”, which makes it possible
for the edges in the static graph to be adjusted with-
out that part of the graph being redrawn and act as
springs with adjustable compression and extension
limits. Without the Link Manager, any edge or node
modification would require alteration of all the other
connected nodes and edges. Instead, it is displayed
dynamically. Due to this possibility, even if the de-
fault behaviour ends up in a motionless state, a drag
of the mouse or a quick modification can reacceler-
ate the simulation. This tool is expected to provide
a familiar environment to architects and designers in
an attempt to simulate and analyze the logic of Space
Syntax via a dynamic graph. Figure 2 shows the cur-
rent user-interface of the tool.
Figure 2
A screenshot from
the user interface of
the first prototype
tool.
STUDENT WORKSHOP
Within the scope of this research, a student workshop
is conducted as a part of the undergraduate course
entitled “Architec tural Morphology” in Istanbul Tech-
nical University, Faculty of Architecture. This work-
shop was open to the participation of undergradu-
ate architecture students from different backgrounds
with various levels, and it lasted for two days with 20
participants. The main purpose of the workshop was
to present the first prototype of a new plugin devel-
oped within this research to the students and eval-
uate its potentials and limitations by comparing it
with similar graph-theoretical digital tools. The work-
shop’s aim was to decipher the potentials of spatial
configurations focusing on the idea of network think-
ing in architecture.
D1.T1.S2. DESIGN AND COMPUTATION OF URBAN AND LOCAL SYSTEMS – XS to XL - Volume 1 - eCAADe 38 |233
Figure 3
Cytoscape:
Demonstration of
the usage steps and
flow.
During the workshop introductions seminar to
the subject matter, a physically engaging systems dy-
namics game called ikide1 and the hands-on tutorial
and practice of three different graph theory-based
computational tools: as Cytoscape,Syntactic, the pro-
totype of SpaceChase. On the first day, participants
were introduced with a graph theory-based open-
source software Cytoscape which visualizes complex
networks by integrating them into any type of qual-
ity data. Although this software was developed for
uses in molecular and systems biology, it is a pow-
erful tool for any other complex network analysis in
general. Cytoscape performs through the follow-
ing steps; (1) inserts network as listed one-to-one
relationships from .xslx and related file format, (2)
demonstrates this network as nodes and their links
and allow to select visualization parameters and lay-
out types, (3) analyzes the static network for different
graph-theoretical parameters while visualizes them
by representing the values in nodes’ size and colour
(Figure 3). In light of this knowledge, participants
were asked to explore the software by creating a leg-
ible and assessable network in the architectural de-
sign process. Firstly, a dwelling scenario with its func-
tions, actions, and relationships was generated col-
lectively in the studio, and the generated network
was examined through Cytoscape (Figure4). As a sec-
ond phase, each student completed a similar process
for their nursery scenarios, and it allowed us to ob-
serve the diversity created by spatial relationships es-
tablished in line with the design decisions even de-
signing for an architectural type.
Figure 4
Spaces of dwelling
unit and relational
characteristics. Its
visualization in
Cytoscape software.
Thereafter participants encountered the Ikidebir
game which enables the players to represent a space
or spatial entity with their bodies and makes them
able to experience network thinking in architecture,
corporeally. This game provides networks with cre-
ating a configuration where each node pursues its
movement until it satisfies a simple rule (Kozikoğlu
and Dursun, 2015). The game has these following
rules: (a) Players select and announce a spatial entity
or concept as an avatar depicted as nodes. (b) Each
player then selects two other avatars to follow. (c) Af-
ter positioning in the game area, players try to stand
at an equal distance to two other picked avatars to
follow (Figure 5). After the physical experience, the
dynamic situation is analyzed, revealing hidden con-
nections between these nodes (Figure 6). Through
234 |eCAADe 38 - D1.T1.S2. DESIGN AND COMPUTATION OF URBAN AND LOCAL SYSTEMS – XS to XL - Volume 1
this game, a dynamic system is created; and qualities
of networks are experienced. The game invokes the
following questions with participants; How did these
selected nodes behave in this system? How did they
interact or connect? How many connections were
possible? Were there any key nodes? Were there any
groups of nodes? (Kozikoğlu and Dursun, 2015). One
of the participants shared her own discovery about
the relationship between her personal architectural
design process and network thinking by indicating
that the process of establishing spatial connections
took place in her mind and became visible through
this mode of thinking. This exercise increased the
student’s awareness in architectural design as a sub-
jective process and explored the potentials of net-
work thinking as well as personally experienced tools.
Figure 5
Ikidebir Game:
snapshots from the
evolution of the
game.
Figure 6
Visualization of
selected spaces and
their relational
characteristics
experienced in
Ikidebir game.
The second day got started with examining the space
syntax-based software Syntactic which is a plugin for
Grasshopper (Nourian, et al., 2013) that integrates
space syntax theory into the configurative design
methodology. Within the Rhinoceros and Grasshop-
per interface, Syntactic performs through the follow-
ing steps; (1) lists the names and values of all func-
tional spaces, (2) draws their spatial connections, (3)
visualizes them as a bubble diagram, (4) calculates
the space syntax metrics such as integration, choice,
entropy, control and creates the justified graphs of
the network, (5) transforms the bubble diagram to
planimetric layout within the contextual data (Fig-
ure 7). Workshop participants explored the plugin
for their dwelling scenarios. Advantages offered by
Syntactic compared to Cytoscape were pointed out
as the inclusion of the area values for nodes or rep-
resenting a more comprehensive visualisation. One
of the students praised the software for generating a
spatial layout and building the planimetric construc-
tion as a result of this configurative design process.
Following the prototype, SpaceChase developed
as a Grasshopper definition was shared with par-
ticipants. One again students tried designing their
dwelling scenarios with spaceChase. In order to de-
code the scenarios participants generated spread-
sheet data in the following steps; (a) make a list
of spatial units/actions/functions to be denoted as
nodes, (b) define some contextual nodes, (c) evalu-
ate their one-to-one relationships, (d) define rough
dimensions of these spaces, (e) provide the relation-
ships defined between nodes as positive or nega-
tive, (f) define the minimum and maximum values
of rough distances between nodes. Participants ran
the tool with initial data that belongs to the de-
sign process. The game-like interface allowed the
participants to experience the “interrelated dynamic
modality of spatial constructs” and further enabled
them to interact with the network in real-time. The
software also calculates the space syntactic metrics
for a more precise understanding (Figure 8).
At the end of the workshop, the potentials and
limitations of these three digital tools were discussed
with students and received their opinions through
surveys and interviews. The prominent comments
from students regarding the comparison of three dig-
ital tools are considered as;
According to Student A, Cytoscape is positive in
terms of ease of use and ability to express con-
figuration in the network, but it is criticized be-
cause of not including field information in out-
comes. Syntactic includes the field and spa-
tial information and it allows us to use this pro-
gram in the design process of architecture disci-
D1.T1.S2. DESIGN AND COMPUTATION OF URBAN AND LOCAL SYSTEMS – XS to XL - Volume 1 - eCAADe 38 |235
Figure 7
Syntactic:
Demonstration of
the usage steps and
flow. (Nourian et al.,
2013)
Figure 8
SpaceChase:
Demonstration of
the usage steps and
flow.
pline. In addition, to be able to serve the sim-
ilar outputs provided by two other programs,
SpaceChase also makes it possible to see the in-
stant changes with its dynamic and generative
user interface.
Student B explains her approach to network
thinking by defining each spatial volumetric unit
as “cell” and indicating the concept of the net-
work as examining and representing tools for
the communication, combination, and relation-
ship between these cells. I n this view, Cytoscape
presents legible but intangible graphs of spatial
networks. In the Syntactic spatial measurements
are added to these relationships and the net-
work visualization becomes more defined with
the more tangible values. In addition to using
similar data, SpaceChase allows users to disrupt
and rebuild the network, over and over again.
This software makes visible the oscillations be-
tween the tangible and intangible values in the
design process. It increases the potentials in the
architectural design process.
Participant comments on SpaceChase from the in-
terviews are as follows; (1) The most prominent key-
words from students‘ reviews have been “dynamic”,
“interesting” and “effective”. 50% of students have
found the prototype effective in visualizing relation-
ships. A group of students evaluated the dynamic
interface positively and stated that in comparison, it
contains functions and components for their interest.
(2) Approximately 70% of the participants stated that
236 |eCAADe 38 - D1.T1.S2. DESIGN AND COMPUTATION OF URBAN AND LOCAL SYSTEMS – XS to XL - Volume 1
they want to use this definition in their architectural
design processes and 60% of them indicated that
they will recommend this prototype to their archi-
tecture student friends. (3) The common criticism of
30% of the students is that the prototype requires the
usage knowledge of Grasshopper and Rhinoceros
programs. (4) It is observed that students’ highest-
rated positive reaction is “I enjoyed using this appli-
cation. Although it is seen that students criticize the
difficulty of using the application, the accessibility of
the information needed, and the difficulty of naviga-
tion in the prototype they encounter, it is seen that
they are largely satisfied with the time they spend
with this application. Consequently, the prototype
presents network dynamics to architecture students
as a game-like interface, allowing us to consider the
pedagogics for architectural design and education.
CONCLUSIONS
Considering that one of the major aspects of architec-
tural design is the composition of the spatial layout,
current design software solutions do not provide ed-
ible feedback from the architects‘ project represen-
tations, whether 2D or 3D. The layout is somewhat
still part of the architects’ hand sketch or mind or any
probing medium. Space Syntax has been in the aid
of the architect since the outset of the computational
environment and provides the tools for thinking and
measuring the qualities brought by adjacencies and
routes that emerge from spatial layouts.
The development of the plugin, SpaceChase, de-
scribed in detail with a working prototype is aimed
at catering graph theory-based feedback to the de-
signer on his model, or even design from scratch initi-
ating with the relationships he would like to register,
emphasize or delimit. The research is concentrated
and has proven to achieve developing a playful de-
sign tool effective in the following:
1. generating comparative data on, relations be-
tween the architectural elements, as well as any
architectural elements’ relation to the whole.
These relations are determined by a measurable
ratio based criteria such as: To be in between, to
be adjacent, to be or not to be in the same ”spec-
ified” zone, to be located as far as possible or to
be opposite of. The program depicts, relays and
generates this data.
2. to keep molding the form and playing within rel-
ative data while the software provides feedback,
both numerically, as well as experientially on the
screen. The software supports interaction.
3. to relate intangible elementary design con-
stituents and concepts such as an orientation or
a concept like privacy to the spatial constituents
of the project. Such relations that have direct
spatial, clustering, or defragmenting capacities
are part of the visible design environment. The
tool enables the designer to conceptualize and
link ideas to physical counterparts.
In short the fundamental benefits are to develop
skills to address dynamic conditions, to improve an
understanding of networks, to explore qualities of re-
lational and ratio based thinking of space.
The prototype plugin has been studied and
tested with students of architecture that have
been acquainted with Space Syntax. Students
tried network-based software, such as Syntactics,
tool directly on Space Syntax evaluation through
Rhinoceros, Grasshopper, Cytoscape, a network vi-
sualization tool that enables to assess the network
cluster qualities in a given relations data. to the
SpaceChase Plugin Prototype that also works under
Rhinoceros. The response of the students is pretty
straightforward: Firstly, it is easier and more accessi-
ble to use the plugins in Rhinoceros, than outside of
the design platform. Secondly among the two plu-
gins that use syntactic calculations in Grasshopper,
the SpaceChase prototype is more creative and fun
to engage in.
The research aims to achieve three major bene-
fits out of the SpaceChase. First to provide a dynamic
canvas to play and engage which is in the mind of the
designer into the design software environment. Sec-
ondly to enable real-time syntactic feedback to the
designer. and thirdly to be able to feed in pattern-
based abstract thinking to the design platform.
D1.T1.S2. DESIGN AND COMPUTATION OF URBAN AND LOCAL SYSTEMS – XS to XL - Volume 1 - eCAADe 38 |237
The prototype which will be further tested with
students as well as professionals through summer
2020.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The study presented in this paper is supported
by TÜBİTAK ARDEB 1001 scientific project number
119M082.
REFERENCES
Al-Sayed, K, Dalton, R.C and Hölscher, C 2010, ’Discursive
design thinking: The role of explicit knowledge in
creative architectural design reasoning’, Artificial In-
telligence for Engineering Design, Analysis and Manu-
facturing, 24, pp. 211-230
Alexander, C 1964, Notes on the Synthesis of Form, Har-
vard University Press
Bielik, M, Koenig, R and Schneider, S 2012 ’Parametric
Urban Patterns: Exploring and integrating graph-
based spatial properties in parametric urban mod-
elling’, Proceedings of eCAADe 2012
Dursun Cebi, P and Kozikoglu, N 2017 ’Network Think-
ing Architectural Design: Experimenting and Work-
ing with Relational Models’, Proceedings of 11th In-
ternational Space Syntax Symposium, Lisbon, pp. 1-
10,15
Cross, N 2001, ’Designerly Ways of Knowing: Design Dis-
cipline Versus Design Science’, Design Issues, 17(3),
pp. 49-55
Cross, N 2007, Designerly Ways of Knowing Board of Inter-
national Research in Design, Birkhäuser Architecture,
Basel: Boston, Berlin
Derix, C 2014, ’The Space of People in Computation’, in
Derix, C and Izaki, A (eds) 2014, Empathic Space: The
computation of human-centric architecture, Architec-
tural Design, John Wiley & Sons
Dursun, P 2007 ’Space Syntax in Architectural Design’,
Proceedings of 6th International Space Syntax Sympo-
sium, ITU Faculty of Architecture, 12-15 June 2007, Is-
tanbul
Dursun, P 2012, ’“Dialog on Space, Spatial Codes and
Language of Space’, AZ, 9(1), pp. 104-119
Feng, C and Zhang, W 2017 ’Grasshopper Reach Analy-
sis Toolkit: Interactive parametric syntactic analysis’,
Proceedings of the Eleventh Space Syntax Symposium
Gil, J, Varoudis, T, Karimi, K and Penn, A 2015 ’The
Space Syntax Toolkit: integrating depthmapX and
exploratory spatial analysis workflows in QGIS’, Pro-
ceedings of the 10th International Space Syntax Sym-
posium
Hillier, B 1998, ’From Research to Design’, Urban Design
Issue, 68, pp. 35-57
Hillier, B and Hanson, J 1984, The Social Logic of Space,
Cambridge University Press
Hillier, B and Hanson, J 1997 ’The Reasoning Art: or, The
Need for an Analytical Theory of Architecture’, Pro-
ceedings of First International Space Syntax Sympo-
sium,UCL, London
Hillier, B, Hanson, J and Graham, H 1987, ’The Ideas are in
Things: An Application of Space Syntax Method to
Discover House Genotypes’, Environment and Plan-
ning B, Planning & Design,, 14, pp. 363-385
Kozikoglu, N and Dursun C, P 2015, ’Thinking and De-
signing with the Idea of Network in Architecture’, AZ,
12(3), pp. 71-87
March, L 1976, The Architecture of the Form, Cambridge
University Press
March, L and Steadman, JP 1971, The Geometry of Envi-
ronment, An Introduction to Spatial Organization in
Design, Riba Publications Limited
Mitchell, WJ, Steadman, JP and Liggett, RS 1976, ’Syn-
thesis an Optimization of Small Rectangular Floor
Plans’, Environment and Planning B, Planning & De-
sign, 3, pp. 37-70
Nourian, P, Rezvani, S and Sariyildiz, S 2013 ’A Syntac-
tic Architectural Design Methodology’, Proceedings
of Ninth International Space Syntax Symposium
Schaffranek, R and Vasku, M 2013 ’Space Syntax for Gen-
erative Design: on the application of a new tool’,Pro-
ceedings of the Ninth International Space Syntax Sym-
posium
Schön, A D 1987, Educating the Reflective Practitioner,
Jossey-Bass , A Wiley Imprint: San Francisco
Steadman, JP 1983, Architectural Morphology, An Intro-
duction to the Geometry of Building Plans, Pion Lim-
ited
Turner, A (eds) 2007, Proceedings of Workshop on New
developments in Space Syntax software, 6th Interna-
tional Space Syntax Symposium, Istanbul Technical
University: Istanbul, Turkey
Veloso, P, Rhee, J and Krishnamurti, R 2019 ’Multi-agent
Space Planning: A Literature Review (2008-2017)’,
Proceedings of the 9th CAAD Futures conference.
238 |eCAADe 38 - D1.T1.S2. DESIGN AND COMPUTATION OF URBAN AND LOCAL SYSTEMS – XS to XL - Volume 1
... SpaceChase, a software plug-in that allows designers and architects to build and analyze dynamic and interactive network architectures, is a recent Space Syntax software tool and the major subject of this study (Dursun et. al 2021, Kozikoğlu et. al 2020. This plug-in is intended to be used by architects as a generative and mind-opening design tool during the design process. In the scope of the work, the principles of the plug-in are presented and its value in software development studies has been demonstrated through its ability to distinguish itself from current software. It is sugges ...
... conference (Kozikoğlu et. al 2020). As a result of these tests and feedback, the fourth and final prototype was created. ...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Architectural design, as a cognitive activity, has always been fed by architectural knowledge based on practice and theory, and it has been questioned how creative and generative design processes can benefit from scientific methods. Through inquiry and experimentation, the architect develops his or her ideas, constructs and analyzes the space, and continuously improves it. However, this is a subjective process. There are design tools and methods that provide objective criteria for the assessment of the design decisions and their potential for the designed space whilst iterating with feedback. This study intends to explain how scientific data might be functionalized to search for spatialities that have yet to be designed, and Space Syntax was analyzed to see if it could be included in such a process as a scientific approach. Following discussions on the characteristics of the architectural design process, the study focuses on the development and testing of SpaceChase for Grasshopper, a software plug-in that allows designers, architects, and students to build and analyze dynamic and interactive network structures. This experimental plug-in is intended to be used by architects as a generative and mind-opening design tool during the design process.
... Netbox and Jass, for example, were among the first implementations of these programs, and they are capable of producing justified graphs of spatial systems as well as numerical data. Netbox software that ran on a Mac in the 2000s is no longer supported (Dursun 2020). Developed by Daniel Koch in 2004, Jass focuses on convex spaces and allows justified graphs to be created in a simple interface. ...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
This study aims to problematize Space Syntax spatial analysis software by emphasising the architectural design process and to discuss how the existing toolkit can be enriched with qualities that can accompany this process. Within the scope of the study, the possibilities and limitations of existing Space Syntax computer software are examined. Existing software has been comparatively evaluated and mapped in terms of the main objectives of the programs, their operation and the spatial information they reveal. Then, the qualities of the software as a design tool were questioned. It is thought that the reading on Space Syntax software will reveal an awareness of how a scientific understanding can be translated into the design process as a design tool that will show analytical, creative, dynamic, and interactive features, what kind of qualities Space Syntax software has in this sense and how it can be developed in the future. The findings can be a guide for new software designs.
Conference Paper
Full-text available
In this paper we review the research on multi-agent space planning (MASP) during the period of 2008-2017. By MASP, we refer to space planning (SP) methods based on online mobile agents that map local perceptions to actions in the environment, generating spatial representation. We group two precedents and sixteen recent MASP prototypes into three categories: (1) agents as moving spatial units, (2) agents that occupy a space, and (3) agents that partition a space. In order to compare the prototypes, we identify the occurrence of features in terms of representation, objectives, and control procedures. Upon analysis of occurrences and correlations of features in the types, we present gaps and challenges for future MASP research. We point to the limits of current systems to solve spatial conflicts and to incorporate architectural knowledge. Finally, we suggest that behavioral learning offers a promising path for robust and autonomous MASP systems in the architectural domain.
Conference Paper
Full-text available
The set-up of spatial configurations is an essential topic in architectural design. The logics behind this configuration of spatial networks are significant for architects as it denotes social as well as physical implications. If we accept that design is an experiential process, then experimenting and probing gain much prominence in the process. Experiments lead architects to discover, and then to redefine their design concepts. This study focuses on the potentials of analytical methods via graph theory based tools and how to apply network thinking in architectural design. The study questions the following: If spatial systems are regarded as networks, how do various network visualization and assessment tools are useful to extrapolate the inherent pattern and the logic? How do space syntax, graph theory based tools and diagrams aid the exteriorization of this logic? How does the architect think through these tools and learn from them? The topic will be expressed by presenting an experiment from architectural practice. This experiment deals with an iterative process of “a hotel specialized on the elderly and the disabled with rehab centre” (a mix-used building which includes a hotel, a rehabilitation centre and assisted-care apartments). In the design scheme relationships based on circulation scenarios of daily activities and services are modelled and animated by network related tools like Syntactic, the Space Syntax tool in Grasshopper, a plugin for the digital design platform Rhinoceros; a software for network visualization and evaluation Cytoscape, and a mind mapping software TheBrain. This experiment aims to explore how scientific; graph theory based tools feed design thinking and making. Exploring alternative ways to integrate theoretical and practical implications of network thinking in architectural design is valuable for those in the architectural education and in practice. Findings of the research show that, graph theory based tools provide a useful basis for architects both for making and thinking about architectural space by generating scientific and numerical data. The study concludes with an array of advantages in working with network models in architectural design, and suggests future methods for design analysis and design research with network mapping tools.
Article
Full-text available
Design is a sophisticated cognitive activity that has space at its core. Design begins through the gaining of an understanding of the living culture, potentials, constraints, and variables of the space. To do this, architects must acquire a perception of the architectural space by decoding the characteristics of its social culture and discovering the messages revealed via its built form. In this way an architect enriches his or her understanding and forms personal knowledge of the space in question. Critical questions arise at this point: How do architects understand and decode space? How do architects perceive and conceptualize space? How do architects express meaning in space? How do they think and talk about space? The intent of this paper is to reveal the output of discussions on these essential questions with the students in the first lecture of an undergraduate elective course, Architectural Morphology that was given at Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Architecture. The course asked students to describe and talk about their living spaces so as to record their mental processes and clarify the characteristic elements of language they use to talk about space. The last part of this paper contributes to the creation of a scientific, analytical tool, space syntax, to form a language for thinking and talking about space.
Article
Full-text available
A spatial setup is designed considering the network of interrelations between its constituent units. This is a network significant for architectural discourse as it maps the interactions and social relations between users, defines the functional and latent routes, and indicates spatial proximities. Although design is subjective, design tools and methods provide objective criteria to interpret and iterate. Common tools of network thinking allow us to invoke scenarios that will lead us to visualize and exchange ideas about architecture, extrapolate up to date functional ratios, define ranges of proximities to bring forth spatial and potentialities of architectural program and test them within criteria. This study focuses on the idea of networks in architectural design and discusses the use of graph theory based tools in the design process. It presents the possibilities of systematic mapping of relations among spatial elements through their neighboring and attracting qualities in the initial phase whereby the relational network is still dynamic and non-hierarchical. The topic will be expressed by presenting two examples, one from an academic setting, the other elicited from practice. The first describes a workshop on systems thinking demonstrated with a game called “İkidebir”. The second is an iterative hospital campus design scheme in which functional and site specific relationships are modeled and animated with network modeling and assessment tools. Network-based thinking, graphs measurements, and the diagrammatic assessment of relationships between spatial organizations as a design exercise are valuable both for those who are in practice and in the education of architectural design. © 2015, A|Z ITU Journal of Faculty of Architectur. All Rights Reserved.
Conference Paper
Full-text available
The “Space Syntax Toolkit” is a QGIS plug-in for spatial network and statistical analysis. It provides a front-end for the depthmapX software within QGIS, offering user-friendly space syntax analysis workflows in a GIS environment. It is primarily aimed at supporting the space syntax methodology, and enhancing it with GIS data, analysis and visualisation features. Nevertheless, its functionality is of general benefit to QGIS users by introducing tools for exploratory spatial data analysis. In this article we present the “Space Syntax Toolkit”, describing its principles and implementation, the features of its two initial modules – “Graph Analysis” and “Attribute Explorer” – and give indication of future developments.
Article
The main hypothesis investigated in this paper is based upon the suggestion that the discursive reasoning in architecture supported by an explicit knowledge of spatial configurations can enhance both design productivity and the intelligibility of design solutions. The study consists of an examination of an architect's performance while solving intuitively a well-defined problem followed by an analysis of the spatial structure of their design solutions. One group of architects will attempt to solve the design problem logically, rationalizing their design decisions by implementing their explicit knowledge of spatial configurations. The other group will use an implicit form of such knowledge arising from their architectural education to reason about their design acts. An integrated model of protocol analysis combining linkography and macroscopic coding is used to analyze the design processes. The resulting design outcomes will be evaluated quantitatively in terms of their spatial configurations. The analysis appears to show that an explicit knowledge of the rules of spatial configurations, as possessed by the first group of architects can partially enhance their function-driven judgment producing permeable and well-structured spaces. These findings are particularly significant as they imply that an explicit rather than an implicit knowledge of the fundamental rules that make a layout possible can lead to a considerable improvement in both the design process and product. This suggests that by externalizing the design knowledge and restructuring it in a design model, creative thought can efficiently be evolved and stimulated.
Article
The paper begins with a brief review of the historical concerns with the relationship between design and science, and seeks to clarify three different interpretations of this concern: (a) scientific design, (b) design science, and (c) a science of design. The paper then develops the view of ‘design as a discipline’, based upon a science of design. This discipline seeks to develop domain-independent approaches to theory and research in design. The underlying axiom of this discipline is that there are forms of knowledge peculiar to the awareness and ability of a designer, independent of the professional domain of design practice. The final part of the paper suggests the ways in which this discipline of design, and the understanding of designerly ways of knowing, is pursued through design research.
Article
This paper describes a set of algorithms for the production of a certain class of architectural plans. Each plan is made up from rectangular rooms arranged within a simple rectangular overall plan shape. The effective upper limit on the number of component rectangles which may presently be treated is eight. Given certain specified requirements as to which rooms shall be adjacent, the algorithms produce exhaustively all topologically distinct arrangements of rooms in which those requirements are satisfied. Constraints on the dimensions and areas of each room may then be introduced. Several approaches for the dimensioning of the rectangular arrangements have been explored. In certain cases, appropriate dimensions may be found by solving simultaneous linear equations. Under special conditions linear programming may be used to find that assignment of dimensions to rooms which gives least cost -- where cost is for example calculated as a function of the enclosing surfaces. A more general solution may be found with the use of nonlinear programming methods. One further possibility, where dimensions are allowed to vary only by modular increments, is for all feasible dimensional solutions to be enumerated exhaustively.
Article
Simple 'space syntax' techniques are used to explore the problem of spatially typing a sample of vernacular farmhouses in Normandy. It is suggested that such techniques can demonstrate that cultural ideas are objectively present in artefacts as much as they are subjectively present in minds.