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Designing (Tools (For Designing (Tools (For ...)))) Designing (tools (for designing (tools (for ...)))) A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Thomas Fischer Dr. phil. (University of Kassel) Volume I School of Architecture and Design Faculty of the Constructed Environment RMIT University February 2008 DECLARATION I certify that except where due acknowledgement has been made, the work is that of the author alone; the work has not been submitted previously, in whole or in part, to qualify for any other academic award; the content of the thesis is the result of work which has been carried out since the official commencement date of the approved research program; any editorial work, paid or unpaid, carried out by a third party is acknowledged; and, ethics procedures and guidelines have been followed. Thomas Fischer Hong Kong, 26th of February 2008 iii PUBLISHED WORK During the course of this study, the following related papers have been published: Thomas Fischer: Computation-universal voxel automata as material for generative design education. In: Soddu, Celestino (ed.): The Proceedings of the 5th Conference and Exhibition on Generative Art 2002. Generative Design Lab, DiAP, Politechnico di Milano University, Italy 2002, pp. 10.1-10.11. Thomas Fischer. On the art of designing science. In: Celestino Soddu, editor. Proceedings of the 6th Conference and Exhibition on Generative Art 2003. Generative Design Lab, DiAP, Politechnico di Milano University, Italy, 2003, pp. 352-363. Thomas Fischer, Mark Burry and John Frazer: How to plant a subway system. In: Chiu, Mao-Lin et al. (eds.): Digital Design - Research and Practice. The Proceedings of the Tenth International Conference on Computer Aided Architectural Design Futures. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Boston and London 2003, pp. 403- 412. Thomas Fischer and Torben Fischer: Parametric voxel geometry control for digital morphogenesis. Proceedings of the 19th European Workshop on Computational Geometry 2003. Institute of Computer Science I, University of Bonn, Germany, pp. 35-40. Thomas Fischer and Torben Fischer. Toolmaking for digital morphogenesis. International Journal of Design Computing, 6, 2003. Thomas Fischer, Torben Fischer, and Cristiano Ceccato. Distributed agents for morphologic and behavioral expression in cellular design systems. In: George Proctor (ed.): Thresholds. Proceedings of ACADIA 2002. Department of Architecture, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Los Angeles, 2002, pp. 113-123. Thomas Fischer, Mark Burry and John Frazer: Triangulation of generative form for parametric design and rapid prototyping. Automation in Construction Vol. 14, Issue 2 (March 2005), pp. 233-240. Also published in: Dokonal, Wolfgang and Hirschberg, Urs (eds.): Digital Design. Proceedings of the 21st International eCAADe Conference 2003. Graz University of Technology, Austria, pp. 441-447. iv Thomas Fischer: Notes on modeling evolutionary directionality. World Scientific and Engineering Academy and Society Transactions on Systems, Issue 2, Volume 3, April 2004, pp. 579-583. Thomas Fischer: Generation of apparently irregular truss structures. In: Martens, Bob and Brown and Andre´ (eds.): Computer Aided Architectural Design Futures 2005. Proceedings of the Eleventh International Conference on CAAD Futures, Springer Verlag, Dordrecht, 2005, pp. 229-238. Thomas Fischer. Rationalising bubble trusses for batch production. Automation in Construction, Volume 16, Issue 1, January 2007, pp. 45-53. Thomas Fischer and Christiane M. Herr: The Architect as Toolbreaker: Probing Tool Use in Applied Generative Design. In: Yu Gang, Zhou Qi and Dong Wei (eds.): CAADRIA 2007. Proceedings of The Twelfth International Conference on Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia. School of Architecture, Southeast University and School of Architecture Nanjing University, Nanjing, pp. 381-389. Thomas Fischer: Enablement or restriction? On supporting others in making (sense of things). In: Andy Dong, Andrew Vande Moere and John Gero (eds.): Computer Aided Architectural Design Futures 2007. Proceedings of the Twelfth International Conference on CAAD Futures, Springer Verlag, Dordrecht, 2007, pp. 585-598. Thomas Fischer: Obstructed Magic. On the Myths of Observing Designing and of Sharing Design Observations. In: CAADRIA 2008. The Proceedings of The Thirteenth International Conference on Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia, forthcoming. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I gratefully acknowledge the valuable support and feedback I have received from my supervisors Mark Burry Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Australia and John Frazer Queensland University of Technology, Australia and the indispensable and generous mentoring I have received throughout this research from Ranulph Glanville CybernEthics Research, United Kingdom as well as the feedback, the suggestions and a lot of proofreading from Timothy Jachna The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong vi I also wish to thank all panelists, besides those mentioned above, who have commented on, criticised and challenged my research during the RMIT Graduate Research Conference presentations including (in alphabetical order): Andrew Burrow (RMIT), Peter Downton (RMIT), Pia Ednie-Brown (RMIT), Zeynep Mennan (Middle East Technical University), Ted Krueger (Renssealer Polytechnic Institute and RMIT), Thomas Kvan (Univeristy of Melbourne), Mark Goulthorpe (dECOi and MIT), Jeff Malpas (University of Tasmania), Michael Ostwald (Univer- sity of Newcastle and RMIT), Julieanna Preston (Massey University), Nicholas Ray (University of Cambridge and Nicholas Ray Associates), Dennis Shelden (Gehry Technologies), Mark Taylor (Victoria University of Wellington and RMIT), Juliette Peers (RMIT), Mike Xie (RMIT) For their generous support and feedback I also wish to thank (in alphabetical order): Simon Anson (ARUP London), Chris Bosse (PTW, Sydney), Kenneth Brakke (Susquehanna University), Stuart Bull (ARUP Sydney), Tristram Carfrae (ARUP Sydney), Cristiano Ceccato (Gehry Partners), Mao-Lin Chiu (National Cheng Kung University, Tainan), Hans Dehlinger (Kassel Univeristy), Steven Downing (ARUP Sydney), Torben Fischer (Mahr Fertigungsmesstechnik, Gottingen),¨ Ernst Hafen (University of Zurich),¨ Christiane M. Herr (The University of Hong Kong) Richard Hough (ARUP Sydney), A. Scott Howe (University of Hong Kong), Taysheng Jeng (National Cheng Kung University, Tainan), Klaus Knebel (MERO), Alexander Koutamanis (Delft University of Technology), Lin Hsuan-Cheng, (Na- tional Cheng Kung University, Tainan), Luo Chien Rung, (National Cheng Kung University, Tainan), Rudiger¨ Lutz (ARUP Berlin), Andrew Maher (RMIT), Anitra Nelson (RMIT), Paul Nicholas (ARUP Melbourne and RMIT University), Reinhard Schmidek (MERO), Jaime Sanchez-Alvarez (MERO), Nicole Schadewitz (The Open University, UK), Fabian Scheurer (designtoproduction and ETH Zurich)¨ Shen Yang- Ting, (National Cheng Kung University, Tainan), Siegfried Stolz (MERO), Alvise Simondetti (ARUP London), Michael Orion (Phoenix, Arizona), Hugh Whitehead (Foster and Partners), Peter Wood (University of Wellington), Robert Woodbury (Simon Fraser University), Margaret Woods (RMIT), Gerard de Zeeuw (Universiteit van Amsterdam), Gregor Zimmermann (Kassel Univeristy). I also wish to thank everybody at the Spatial Information Architecture Lab and the postgraduate community at the School of Architecture and Design at RMIT for welcoming me into a challenging and stimulating research environment. vii CONTENTS Volume Ii Declaration . iii Published work . iv Acknowledgements . vi List of Figures . xi List of Tables . xv Summary . xvi 0 Background . 1 0.1 Introduction ................................. 2 0.2 A personal perspective ............................ 6 0.3 Scope and limitations of this thesis ...................... 6 0.4 Structure of this thesis ............................ 9 0.5 Terms used in this thesis ........................... 11 1 Review of literature and work of others . 24 1.1 Introduction ................................. 25 1.2 Tool use, tool making and computer-aided design ................ 27 1.2.1 Tool use and tool making in humans and other animals ......... 27 1.2.2 Engineering design ......................... 30 1.2.3 Software engineering and computer programming ........... 31 1.2.4 Design methods and design research ................. 36 1.2.5 Design systems and CAAD research ................. 42 1.2.6 Tools and media ........................... 46 1.3 Generative design and inspiration from Nature ................. 48 1.3.1 Biological analogies in science and design ............... 48 1.3.2 Parametric tools for designing ..................... 49 1.3.3 Evolutionary tools for designing .................... 52 1.3.4 Cellular automata tools for designing ................. 55 1.3.5 Evolutionary Developmental Biology .................. 58 1.3.6 Limitations of biological analogies ................... 60 viii 1.4 Space grid geometry ............................. 61 1.4.1 Polyhedra and soap bubble geometry ................. 62 1.4.2 Design of architectural space frame structures ............. 69 1.4.3 Architectural geometry rationalisation ................. 76 1.4.4 Pre-, post- and co-rationalisation ................... 84 1.5 Models of knowledge growth in science and design ............... 87 1.5.1 From objective truth to discursive growth of knowledge ......... 88 1.5.2 The relationship between design and science ............. 92 1.5.3 Lack of methods of enquiry ...................... 95 1.5.4
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