Using Data in Architecture
As a profession, Architecture has been around for many centuries. In that time, it has had to evolve and adapt to the technological changes happening in the world. This century will mark a new era in the industry, as it starts to leverage available computation power and data to help make better design decisions.
New technologies will allow architects to design buildings and environments which are responsive and relevant for end users. Even a small improvement in building environments towards being more human centered can have a positive impact on inhabitants. Since we spend most of our daily life inside buildings, such change will result in a large improvement to society as a whole. At instorative, we strive for our design to recognise users preferred environments and allow this to shape our proposals.
“The future is already here — it’s just not evenly distributed.” — William Gibson
Other industries are already leveraging data, where information is more readily available and the competition requires companies to innovate and adapt more quickly. As end users become accustomed to more personalised services, they will begin to demand the built environment around them to be also customised to their own unique way of life.
At present, the key obstacle lies in the slow feedback loop, between design and observing its impact on end users. Reducing this cycle and collecting as many data points as possible will enable the relevant systems to be developed. At present, RIBA Stage 7 ‘In Use’ is designed to produce this feedback through a post-occupancy evaluation and review of project performance and project outcomes. However, time and resource constrained architects often ill equipped to take advantage of this crucial learning opportunity.
Intersection of Expertise
Another challenge in enabling technological advance in architecture lies in the skill gap. At present, individuals are usually trained only in the skills required by their profession. This problem is mitigated through collaboration among a multidisciplinary team.
Such group needs to combine the knowledge and skills of different domains. The key three domains are: architecture and design, the spatial theory and computing, which automates the necessary processes and makes it accessible to anyone around the world. It is paramount that these individuals overlap in each of these areas to ensure a common understanding. Similarly, mutual knowledge will allow individuals to appropriately categorise different problems to be solved by relevant domains. Allowing the company to focus on most critical challenges first will maximise its chances of success in the long term.
Application Example
We are currently developing a program that helps architects with the design of buildings. It automatically analyses existing floor plans and calculates various spatial metrics that can be useful to an architect. For example, using graph analysis, the layout of rooms and their relationship to one another can identify deficiencies. This method is a lot more efficient than the current manual workflow of producing dozens of different arrangements. Such process is greatly influenced by subjectivity (designer’s own cognitive biases and even politics of the design/client team). This prevents designers from being focused on delivering the best outcomes for end users.
There are many possible avenues where the workflow of designers in the built environment could be optimised by technology and data. To enable such innovation to take place it important to build an interdisciplinary team with expertise in architecture, spatial analysis and computing.
A collaborative disposition, a willingness to challenge the status quo and an desire to adapt to future technologies are prerequisites to a successful team. If these characteristics align with your expertise, we would love to hear from you.
Originally published at www.instorative.com.
