Integrating simulation into design: an experiment in pedagogical environments

Abstract

With the growing complexity of design technology and the emergence of intelligent design assistance, architectural studio classes are facing a new pedagogical paradigm. The digital literacy of younger generations and availability of scientific simulation have the potential to transform the traditional master–apprentice model. In our experiment, we had students perform a museum layout task and observed their behaviors from three perspectives: (1) how students utilize an assistance tool and whether we can group their behavior, (2) how the new simulation-aided design process is different from a traditional one, particularly in terms of the evolution of solution over iteration, and (3) whether students' behavior is affected by the type of design problem given. Protocol analysis on design processes and interviews revealed that individual’s characteristic design processes in terms of iteration ranged from distinct iterations guided by simulation to monotonous progress with little simulation. When comparing between an instructor and software, it was not the given environment but the designer’s subjectivity that determined their attitudes toward either type of feedback. Lastly, the challenge of integrating design concepts with performance requirements stemmed from a misalignment between their true evaluative measures. We propose that a versatile design platform implement real-time, non-intrusive mechanisms for performance reporting and solution branching, and include social and psychological measures as well as physical ones in order to expand designers’ concept choices.

Criteria for the incorporation of software in architectural education

“… The interest in the area for the integration of technologies, specifically for integrating simulation in the design process [15], [16].  The use and exploration of software in architectural education is scarce, so the authors present their analysis in this regard [12], [16], [18], [25].  For the impact it has had on architectural design (VR, VDS) and the dilemmas facing its integration into architectural education [3], [14], [26]- [28].…”

“… For the impact it has had on architectural design (VR, VDS) and the dilemmas facing its integration into architectural education [3], [14], [26]- [28].  For the recent recognition of the potential of the digital tool in the area of architecture or related areas [18], [25], [27], [29].  Relatively low cost as one of the main advantages of using certain technology [18].…”

“…Some investigations mention that there is a lack of standardized models for teaching architectural design. This is a consequence of the diversity of perspectives, educational approaches and design methods [25]. Added to this is the emergence of new intelligent design tools, which have not been sufficiently studied regarding their impact and pedagogical application.…”

Metamodel driven acceleration of actor-based simulation

“…A challenging task in simulating ABM-based applications is maintaining the correctness of the application while architecting it using the concept of agents 1 . A sub-optimal design of the application can lead to poor message communications and hence increased simulation time [3,14,30]. This adversely affects the application's scalability in supporting a large number of agents (or users of the application) on given hardware.…”