Civil 3D 2021
by: Anand Stephen
A Case for Computational Design: A Systems Perspective T
he current pandemic has upended our social and physical systems, testing the limits of their resiliency. The MerriamWebster dictionary defines resilience as “an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.� However, when misfortune strikes, time is critical for an effective, resilient response. The faster a system responds to an external force, the lesser it will impact the system.
SYSTEMS PERSPECTIVE
One could take a sledgehammer approach and throw all available resources to respond to the external force. However, the response itself will alter
the system’s shape. For a system to not entirely change its form, the fewer inputs (or resources) that the response requires, the more a system will remain closer to its original condition. We must explore any opportunity to improve resilience within the civil engineering community. The implications of improved resilience within civil engineering are far-reaching, extending beyond profitability. Systems designed by the civil engineering community is the connective tissue of contemporary society. Computational design is a tool in our toolbox that we will explore here.
30 AUGIWorld Magazine | February 2021 augi.com
