The confluence of digital design/fabrication and biological principles : systematic knowledge transfer for the development of integrated architectural systems

Abstract

In the last century, many of the developed computational theories and methods have been inspired by biological principles. The design generation methods, originating from these theories, along with the advances in digital fabrication technologies have impacted architecture in the last thirty years. One of the main qualities of the biological systems, functional integrity, can be adapted to architectural systems to shape a new generation of digitally designed and fabricated architectural systems. Proposing a guideline for the development of integrated systems, this thesis first presents a critical review on the precedents of biologically inspired computational theories, form generation tools and digital fabrication techniques. Later, it frames a systematic cross-domain knowledge transfer method, specifically with some guidelines for the development of architectural integrated systems. And finally through an example, it has been demonstrated how the described process can lead to the development of a method for the design and fabrication of an integrated wall system.