Responsive Architecture through Parametric Design How Parametric Systems Introduce Diversity, Adaptability, and Responsiveness into the

Architectural Design Process Ferda Kolatan niversity o! Pennsylvania su"" architecture#design In recent years generative systems in nature have become a source o! inspiration !or a number o! architects$ Rather than viewing design as a top%down, linear, and goal%oriented procedure, they see& to understand underlying rules and principles o! natural systems, which produce structural order and material organi'ation o! high comple(ity, e!!iciency, and beauty$ )ur own research investigates how parametrically controlled systems can be applied to architectural design in order to achieve more responsive and adaptive modeling techni*ues$ +hile wor&ing with the so!tware ,- .generative components/ we also !ound that a rule%based approach to design introduces a whole new set o! opportunities, which as designers we have the responsibility to !urther e(plore and develop$ Parametric so!tware in architecture is o!ten viewed as merely an output tool, which allows !or comple( shapes to be translated into !abrication and production modes$ As such, this type o! so!tware mar&s the !inal steps o! the design process while o!ten more 0intuitive1 .graphic inter!ace/ modeling so!tware is used !or the initial design o! the pro2ect$ However, i! used as an input tool, parametric setups promise an entirely novel approach to the !ield o! architecture, which can be identi!ied through a set o! speci!ic characteristics such as the !ollowing3 Diversity A parametric design system is based on a hierarchy o! variable%controlled dependencies$ 4ach active variable causes the overall system to change its behavior and thereby generate variations without losing the overall coherence and integrity o! the model$ 5his is an incredibly power!ul tool, which allows designers to test a range o! possible applications within a controlled design environment$ Adaptability +hich variations are 0!itter1 to solve a particular design problem6 Parametric models can be !ine%tuned toward speci!ic environmental pressures$ 7ersions can be tested toward particular per!ormance values$ Di!!erent regions within the same model can be programmed and constrained individually in order to respond more sensitively$ 4nvironmental changes that occur over time at the same location can be addressed by layering !unctional 'ones and controlling them through targeted variable manipulations$ Responsiveness/Feedback A parametric model maintains its ability to change .openness/ throughout the entire

design process$ Individual components can be lin&ed in ways that allow constant and immediate !eedbac& throughout the model regardless o! scale and hierarchy$ 5he design o! the networ& o! dependencies becomes a crucial part o! the overall design by highlighting certain relationships over others and thereby allowing !or speci!ic local changes to impact the model8s global scale and behavior$