A design visualization machine : an agile prototype for architectural plans on a finite grid

Abstract

This thesis project proposes a rapid visualization machine that can produce agile prototypes of simple architectural plans on a finite grid system. While various visualization systems to demonstrate instantaneous three dimensional form generations have been implemented recently by automobile industries and artists, a small scale visualization machine for architectural planning purposes has not been tested. Through careful analysis of the minimalist architectural plans of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and research into the schematic plans of Palladian villas, it was determined that 1) fundamental structural components are the column and the wall, and 2) simple architectural plans can be well represented by a finite grid system on which those components are laid out. The proposed system is composed of repeatable, independent modular pieces; each houses one column unit and two wall units that can be extruded or restructured depending on the designs of the user. Those components are driven by servo motors which translate into agile movements to instantly reflect any change of layout a designer draws in the software. The current machine design with a 4 x 4 module grid can create a completely enclosed 3 x 3-grid plan and is able to visualize simple plans layouts. With the increased number of modules in the machine, a higher number of combinatorial plan schematics can be represented and more complex architectural plans can be visualized. The analysis of plans suggest a finite 12 x 12 module grid on the machine, or a 11 x 11-grid plan, is sufficient in the context of visualization for commonly practiced residential designs of architecture.