71 | Integration
Computational Design Workflow for Energy and Cost Effective Buildings Graduation Thesis by Alvaro Rodríguez García
“Architecture is the will of an epoch translated into space” - Ludwig Mies van der Rohe One of the cutting-edge interests gaining relevance among design offices, notably in the sphere of Architecture firms, is computational design. With its inception embedded in the 60s and later reformed through the CAD revolution that boomed in the 80s, the use of the computer as a design tool has evolved to such lengths that it became indispensable to contemporary practices. Nowadays, under the bright prospect of a challenging future and considering the sustainability hypothesis - sophisticated computational approaches and parametric design can genuinely be considered a most promising alternative for exceeding
outcomes in the fields of performance and efficiency. The research focused on investigating the evolution of the aforementioned tools, through understanding the current user experience and interface in prevalent architectural offices. Consequently, through the use of existing computational tools - simulations, optimization and design exploration techniques – The aim of this Graduation Project was to put forward a new method and use pattern that would also project the potential and the future of these technologies specifically applied to a sustainable, energy-efficient and cost-effective vantage.
Figure 1. Design options generated through computational design.
34
