SmartGeometry 2007
Winter Workshop

What is it?

SmartGeometry workshops are intensive collegial events where the use of advanced computational tools and methodologies are taught, and participants use these tools to pursue exploratory design objectives.

The 2007 Winter Workshop consisted of four days of hands-on activity, with this year’s focus shifting from tool use to design. Computational tools such as Bentley GenerativeComponents are now maturing, and the goals of the workshop were to explore in depth what can be done with this tool and to create a critical forum based on professionals who actually practice the skill of parametric and computational geometry.

What was explored?

1. Design strategies informed by pure Design elegance and manufacturing constraints
   1. 1.1 Design strategies based on ‘pure form’
   2. 1.2 Optimisation of repetition
   3. 1.3 Form driven by manufacturing and assembly constraints
   4. 1.4 Form driven by spatial considerations (sight-lines, spatial flow)
2. Algorithmic Design and Emergence
   1. 2.1 Iterative systems generally
   2. 2.1 Genetic coding, inheritance and culling in GC
   3. 2.3 Large-scale system form such as urban and wider issues
3. Design Strategies informed by Structural Considerations
   1. 3.1 The principles of GC structural modelling, loads and feedbacks
   2. 3.2 Dynamic linking to structural analysis
   3. 3.3 Structural optimisation strategies and form finding techniques
4. Design strategies informed by Environmental and Material performance
   1. 4.1 Simple energy considerations (heat flow)
   2. 4.2 Sun and Wind responsive systems
   3. 4.3 Material behaviour systems—knitting and weaving
   4. 4.4 Lighting and acoustics driven systems