Browsing by Subject "Architectural design--Data processing."

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7

Open Access
Collaborative environments to enhance creativity of design students : use of collaborative creativity support tools
(2011) Karakaya, Ahmet Fatih
Collaboration and creativity are integral parts of design education process. Tools to support collaborative design process, as well as tools to support creativity in the process now being used together in design education. Therefore in this study, the Collaborative Creativity Support Tool (CCST) is proposed and applied to the design process that is conducted both synchronously and asynchronously. CCST is composed of design students, knowledge domain and design field. MOODLE learning environment is utilized for collaboration and enhancing creativity processes in knowledge domain, and Google SketchUp 3D modeling tool is used in the design field. Data collection is composed of observations during and after the study, surveys, correspondence logs, 3D models, interviews and statistics that were obtained by MOODLE forum logs. To evaluate effectiveness of CCST, segment analysis over demographic data, communication frequencies, communication codes, indicators of creativity, analysis of creativity in design education is used. Findings of the empirical research indicate that CCST supported design students in both collaborative and creative processes.
Open Access
A computer assisted universal design (CAUD) plug-in tool for architectural design process
(2008) Afacan, Yasemin
Managing universal design process is a highly complex and challenging design task due to its multi-parameter characteristics. It becomes even more difficult while accommodating the needs of people with diverse impairments in architectural design process. Thus, this study aims to propose the development and implementation of an innovative computer-assisted universal design plug-in tool (CAUD) in the initial design phase that is compatible with the existing three-dimensional design software, SketchUp. Based on the theories and researches, the cognitive design strategies are analyzed for the efficiency of the knowledge support of the CAUD plug-in tool. Thus, the capabilities of the plug-in tool are defined according to the accommodation with an ideal cognitive strategy during analysis, synthesis and evaluation operations. Moreover, to achieve challenges of selecting the right set of universal design requirements within the plug-in tool, a prioritization technique that is based on the hybridization of the two techniques, the Planning Game (PG) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) using a cost-value approach is proposed. Through the proposed hybrid technique, requirement–design relationships are computed and the cost-value ratios of requirement priorities are represented. The study that is developed for universal kitchen design applications yielded a significant contribution to the universal design problem-solving process in a computer-aided design (CAD) environment. Finally, the results of the acceptability studies also showed that the CAUD plug-in tool is found in general useful, understandable, efficient, helpful and satisfactory.
Open Access
Dynamic simulation in virtual environments as an evaluation tool for architectural design
(1999) Taşlı, Şule
Prediction and evaluation of future performance of buildings are essential aspects of an efficient design process. This thesis aims to discuss dynamic simulation as a prediction and evaluation tool for architectural design. It is discussed that since buildings are living entities, whole life-cycles of buildings should be dynamically simulated in a highly visualized virtual environment to evaluate the future performance of prospective designs. The media of architectural design (traditional media: paper-based drawings and physical scale models; and digital media) are analyzed in terms of their capacity to support dynamic simulations. It is concluded that virtual reality systems and resulting virtual envu'onments are yet the best media for the dynamic simulation of building designs. Some recent applications are mentioned and some important considerations for the future use of dynamic simulations in virtual environments are presented.
Open Access
Exploring vertical navigation within a virtual environment : a staircase experience
(2012) Memikoğlu, İpek (Sancaktar)
Architectural cues are configured by architects in the initial phase of design process. Local architectural cues within an environment can aid individuals during navigation and influence their spatial orientation. Staircases, as a feature of local architectural cues that provide access to the other floors in a multi-level building can have an impact on vertical navigation. This study focuses on the issue of vertical navigation during virtual navigation by integrating the individual characteristics and the geometric attributes of a staircase pair within two different multi-level desktop virtual environments (VEs). The angle between the cue pairs with respect to the same observation point is altered in order to determine the staircase pair that is more efficient in navigation. Circulation paths, gender differences, navigational abilities and cue pairs are considered to be factors that affect staircase preferences for ascending and descending. For the VE with a 180° difference between the cue pairs, there was a relationship between the ascending and descending staircases. Further analysis indicated that the staircase preference in ascending was either related to the first or last visited rooms on the ground floor. For the VE with a 90° difference between the cue pairs, no relationship was found between the ascending and descending staircases as well as with any other factor. There was no significant relationship between gender and staircase preference except for the descending staircase with 180° difference between the cue pairs and was in favor of females. In addition, there was no significant relationship between the navigational abilities and staircase preferences.
Open Access
An interface model for improving the use of space simulation software in architectural design
(1998) Şenyapılı, Burcu
There is an ongoing debate on the success of architectural software in meeting the designers' wishes and in being familiar with the way designers design. One dominant belief is that as architectural software introduces a work environment closer to that of the paper-based techniques, the efficiency of the use of such software in the profession will increase. We argue that the use will increase by designing interfaces through which the users will be able to customize the digital environment according to their wishes. This thesis introduces a context-specific interface model to transform a state in the user+need space to a digital aid in the virtual design space. This model incorporates the Customization Scale Menu (CSM) to act with the menu options of the architectural space simulation software. The menu options are customized through the selections made on the CSM by the user. These selections will determine the required level of interaction between the software and the user, thus customizing the digital environment according to the user's needs.
Open Access
Proposal for a software model based on the critical analysis of packages used in interior architecture
(2008) Bozdağ, Burcu Gökçen
Interior architectural education and practice employ various different general purpose software packages. Nonetheless, this study claims that as none of packages is developed specifically for interior architectural design process and purposes, both interior architecture education and market seek ways to fulfill their specific needs. This study aims at proposing a model for domain specific software for interior architecture. Within this conception, initially, general purpose and domain specific CAAD software used in interior architecture are defined. Then, selected software are analyzed according to ‘drawing’, ’transformation’, ‘view’, ‘rendering’ and ‘other’ features. Interior architectural domain specific requirements are obtained as a result of these analyses and comparisons. Consequently, questionnaires and interviews are performed with interior architectural students and professionals in order to determine user needs. The analysis of the user needs provide significant background information about software features and quality attributes of the proposed model.
Open Access
User interfaces for computer-aided architectural design
(1993) Kulaksız, Aygün
The rapidly developing technology of the twentieth century has transformed the general use of computers into a specific, convenient, and necessary tool for professionals. As in each profession, they are also used by architects. But, architects have some problems with the properties of user-computer interface that inherit from the times when computers were only used by computer professionals. Considering the architects professional needs and expectations, this thesis intends to avoid the unsatisfying results of this poor dialogue. After mentioning the development of human-computer interaction, the specific problems that a new user may face and the characteristics of a well designed interface are described. Although there are much more primitive action units performed by the user, the essential ones such as interaction tasks, the complementaries like controlling tasks that may be preferred by architects are examined. Different types of interaction techniques which respond to the various kinds of requirements of these tasks are explained, by identifying their advantages and disadvantages. In order to establish the architects’ intended goals, some formal specifications, standards and prototypes that are required by the increasing needs for communication, the access of information technology and the rising involvement of architects into the computer-aided technology, are identified. Gradually the evaluation of the interface is stated as a guidehne both for the architect who wants to use a software and the computer programmer who wants to write a software for the architects.