Computational design of a theater complex for Boston

Abstract

The design of a theater complex for Boston is used as a test case for the more integrated use of computers in the design process. In architecture digital media remain mostly tools for efficiency and productivity rather than design and creativity. Simultaneously computational studies have been undertaken which produce exciting diagrams or seductive forms without necessarily leading to a built or buildable work. I believe that for the computer to become a useful partner in the design process the tools must be developed - borrowed, stolen, hacked together - in a way that takes into equal consideration design thinking and computational possibilities. This thesis proposes to pursue such a middle ground by developing a design for a theater complex using the computer as a primary design tool. The role of the theater is opened to reinterpretation in light of the continued encroachment of other forms of entertainment. The theater complex provides a place for the development of a theater culture, a space for the celebration of the attendance of any performance. Computational studies at many scales enhance the design exploration: from visualization of the urban flow to testing of acoustical and structural possibilities, from formal manipulation to analysis and conceptualization.