Parametric design : a paradigm shift?

Abstract

The variety reflected in constant change became an imperative in the development of the modem world. The society is more insistent in seeking the implementation of quality and customization in most of humans' activities. Such notions as satisfaction or contentment are achieved through having choices at one's disposal. While other creative disciplines are rapidly adapting to depict this evolving reality, architects continued to rely on traditional design methods, which in most cases is synonymous with a process resulting in few slowly developed choices. More recently, the adoption of computational aids did not have a significant impact as the latter are primarily used as tools to facilitate representations of designs. To keep up with the society's dynamism the architects must adopt a new approach to design, one which will facilitate the exploration of rational variety, allow them to programmatically search the solution space and develop systems or tools used in conceiving multiple designs. This thesis investigates parametric design as a possible remedy.