The Digital Design Institute of Tianjin University was established in 2010. After years of construction, we have formed a digital-centered basic teaching and digital application. We also expanded parametric design, interactive design, virtual simulation, BIM, space syntax, VR/AR in building environment research, GIS and digital humanities,computer-aided architectural representation, etc. We have achieved great results in teaching, research and practice, and international cooperation and exchange. A large number of professionals in the field of digitization have been trained.
(1) Parametric Design
In the background of industrialization 4.0, as computer technology and machinery manufacture has been developed, architectural design and construction has changed significantly. Architects no longer just design forms, but also paths, logics, algorithms and behaviors.We are on the edge of a new era of construction. The development of technology enables products and components to break through the limitation of standardization and fixed modulus, and hence customized modules can be produced and utilized more quickly, cheaply and efficiently.At the same time, industrial production by the rapid change following the shift also promotes "factory customized components manufacture + field assembly" mode of construction. In the future, construction may become an important parameter of architectural design, it may change design process in a certain degree.
In this context, the parametric design and construction research group of Digital Design Lab in Tianjin university is exploring the integration process of architectural design and construction in the future, trying to achieve more convenient, more accurate and more personalized design. On one hand, architecture in the future will be sophisticated, efficient, and low cost; on the other hand, it has more flexibility and adaptability than ordinary industrial products, asit can reflect the environment feedback and the architect 's thought.By analyzing the diversity and adaptability of space and function, we discussed the method of assembly and reassembly of components, we also discuss theprocess of generation, development, evolution and circulation of architecture.
For the fourth year of undergraduate students, we set up a digital design studio.It guides students to focus on building logic, and research how different parameters-materials, structure, construction and so on-would decide architectural design together.In the near future, we will also cooperate with materials and computer science to conduct more experimental teaching on digital design guided by intelligent construction.
Fig 1:Student work: dynamic generation of Digital Design Center
(2)Interactive Design
Through sensors, embedded computing and other technologies, interactive architecture enables building elements to perceive the external world and user behavior. By combining with big data platform and by making intelligent operation, interactive architecture also has the ability of perception, judgment to interaction.As an emerging technology, interactive architecture design reflects the trend of combining architecture with artificial intelligence in the future and expands the thinking field of traditional architecture.
In 2011, the DDI of TJU invited Michael Fox of America to teach and join the first interactive design workshop in China.In June 2012, we successfully completed the first undergraduate graduation project with interactive architecture as the theme in China. In the following years, "senseable city" has been the reserved topic of graduation project. In 2017, we also set up relevant programming and design courses for graduate students.
After years of practice, TJU has formed its unique teaching and research direction in interactive architecture. We research small-scale variable design based on graphicsand human behaviors, we also study and realize the interactive programming between sensors and mechanical devices.With the input of big data and portable device, we design corresponding spatial algorithm and intelligent components to make more humanized architecture.
In graduation project courses, we guide students to make spatial optimization of a supermarketbased on shopping behaviors.With the help of spatial algorithm, we realize the intelligent arrangement of shelf matrix and shopping streamline. In the postgraduate course, wediscuss the topic of intelligent construction oriented architecture design. We guide students to design an interactive and portable concrete machine which serves the construction process of a growing community.We realize the programming design and mechanical design at a model scale.
Recently, Digital Design Lab also research on interaction design between behavior and visual media, technically solving the programming problem of interaction interface, and carrying out experimental course on the "micro-interaction" design of materials, exploring the programmable nature of materials and broadening the expressive force of traditional architectural materials.
Fig 2:The interactive programming of sensors and mechanisms under the condition of parametric variable structure design
Fig 3:The interactive portable concrete machine
Fig 4:The interaction between behavior and visual media
(3)Virtual Simulation
Virtual simulation experiment teaching and scientific research is guided by the connotation and direction of Emerging Engineering Education. It is also guided by the needs of teaching practices and scientific research issues such as architecture, urban design, environmental art, and heritage preservation.We areexploring design cognition, spatial design and analysis capacity development and assessment, public space analysis and evaluation, urban spatial scale perception research, smart cities and also focus on urban organic development.Based on real-time synchronization of BIM data in virtual reality/mixed reality for collaborative interaction design, we are paying attention to model research and development under the background of new technology and new industry, constructing a new knowledge system and spreading it widely.The research and practice in this field are closely combined with the teaching and training of core basic courses in Architecture College.
Fig 5:Application of Virtual Simulation Experiment to Spatial Experience and Cognitive Analysis
Fig 6:Programming and creating virtual simulation scenarios based on Internet cloud computing for research spatial analysis and evaluation
Fig 7:Panorama can be easily and quickly shared, disseminated and applied to space use assessment
Fig 8:There are rich interaction design content and practical application in the virtual simulation experiment:
(4)BIM
Beginning in 2007,BIM in DDI is focusing on Building Information Modeling, a new technology of AEC industry and exploring the direction of building performance optimization, building generation, virtual simulation and digital construction, etc. based on the characteristics of BIM integration, dynamic and the whole life cycle. We develops the relevant teaching training, research and practice for architectural students. The BIM group has 1 professor, 2 associate professors, 3 lecturers and a dozen of research students from bachground of architecture.
TJU is one of the earliest architectural schools to offer the BIM course in China. Through years of practice and adjustment, the current BIM course is set for the fourth-grade undergraduate students, including several BIM softwares such as AutodeskRevit, Catia, Archicad, Dynamo. We integrate the BIM course and architectural design curriculum, focus on the influence of BIM on design thingking and process, develop the basis skills and design abilities of the students and acquir a unique BIM education. Besides the teaching, we have published two BIM series books and applied 3 National Natural Science Foundations.
Fig 9:Student work of Autodesk Revit
Fig 10:Using BM in building generation
Fig 11:Using BM in building performance optimization
(5)SpaceSyntax
The research group mainly focus on urban form and its interaction with urban function, movement, and usage based on space syntax theory and analysis method. Meanwhile, data-driven methods for urban and architectural design are also the research field of the group. Since created by Bill Hillier in UCL Bartlett in the 1970s, space syntax theory has risen as an important theory and research method for urban form-function research, which is widely spread all over the world. It was also rapidly spread since it was introduced to China in the early 2000s. DDI is one of the earliest research institutes in China which apply the research method in urban research and design practice. Until now, the research group has developed several distinctive research directions, including quantitative morphological analysis of traditional Chinese settlements, space usage in micro and medium scale, and studies of the configuration of traditional Chinese gardens. In addition, the Institute also organize space syntax theory courses design studios for undergraduate students.
Fig 12:Space Syntax analysis for historic Tianjin
(6)VR/AR in building environment research
The research direction covers multiple types of researches and practices on architectural and urban environments based on VR and AR Technology:
1) Based on VR technology, the spatial cognition experiment of architecture and urban environment aims to build an architecture environment laboratory with virtual reality technology, so that large-scale research objects such as architectures and cities can be placed in the laboratory to be analyzed. Compared to traditional methods, it solves the problems of high cost, lack of practicability, complicated influencing factors, and the inability to carry out the experiment and test of architecture environment before use. The experiment platform built by DDI has equipped with a virtual reality circular-screen projection, a wearable VR helmet, an omnidirectional motion acquisition platform, a multi-channel polygraph, etc. The whole process of virtual reality experiment and data acquisition has been realized. The research technologies including independently developed 3D space motion tracking and visualization, as well as viewpoints, sight, visual range 3D catch, and visualization, are in the leading position in this field in China and applied for national invention patents. On this basis, the laboratory has carried out experimental research on the spatial cognition of traditional Chinese villages for five consecutive years, accumulated a large amount of experimental data, and deeply analyzed the cognitive mechanism of people in complex settlement environment.
2) The VR/AR display technology research on cultural heritage aims to explore the possibility of cultural heritage display in the future by using VR/AR technology. With the technique mentioned above, the traditional cultural exhibition will be transformed from conventional physical display to information display, from one-way information transmission to two-way interactive display. Currently, DDI has cooperated with domestic heritage institutes to develop the VR/AR display technology for indoor and outdoor space, carpentry and joinery work and furnishings in ancient Chinese wooden structure buildings. The application of this technology will significantly expand the cognitive depth and dimension of the future cultural heritage display.
Fig 13:VR experimental platform for spatial cognition research
Fig 14:3Dvisualization for eye gazing research
Fig 15:Visualization of spatial movement
(7)GIS and Digital Humanities
GIS in DDI is a question-oriented research approach to serve the investigations on urban planning, landscape architecture, and history and humanities disciplines related to architecture, cities and human-environment interactions. Besides common geographical and technical perspectives of GIS, we are more focusing on innovative GIS and RS technology, methodology, and data applications in professional fields. Through academic research as well as teaching and public trainings in current years, TJU is acquiring a unique GIS education and study paradigm different from other Chinese architecture schools. Our objective is a leading position in Asia-Pacific region through in-depth exploration on education and research topics in condensed professional and humanity fields, and by computational and spatial analysis in both quantitative and qualitative approaches from multi-disciplinary perspectives.
The GIS group has 1 associate professor, 1 assistant professor, 2 lecturers and a dozen of research students from backgrounds of architecture, urban planning, landscape architecture, architectural history, environmental sciences and other humanities. The faculties are teaching or going to teach several GIS-related courses for undergraduate, master and PhD students in both Chinese and English. The courses train a multi-disciplinary perspective and self-learning capabilities as well as technical applications. Regards to academic investigation, our research concentrates on people in longitude spatial-temporal contexts, and employ analytical information for further professional interpretation and spatial data output for planning and design. Our GIS team are now working on spatial humanities, geodesign, big data, spatial activities, built environment, urban and landscape history, cultural landscape, landscape ecology, leisure and green infrastructure, visual recourse management, etc. under various subjects in urban planning and design, landscape architecture, architectural history, archaeology, historical geography, environmental sciences, and relevant areas.
Fig 16:Campus daily activities connected to water landscapes before 1980s (left) and now (right) in Tianjin University
Fig 17:Cognitive emotion map of Chang’an city from text mining of the novel The Tale of Liwa in Tang Dynasty
Fig 18:Landscape and heritage changes of cultural landscape of Medieval Earthern Walled City of Lo Manthang in the Lumbini-Mustang Route of South Asian Silk Roads through RS archaeology
Fig 19:Students’ work of GIS software course for undergraduates: integrated living pressure/attractive index of Beijing metro station regions by big data analysis
Fig 20:Students’ work of GIS software course for undergraduates: evaluation of the smart growth initiatives in Portland, OR
Fig 21:Student’s work of the spatial information technologies course for PhD students: CA based rainstorm simulation system for landscape architecture in urban scale
(8)Computer-aided Architectural Representation
As the connection of software using and architectural design, the course of Computer-aided Architectural Representation is set up for sophomore with a heuristic and practical teaching method, in order to stimulate students’ interests of spatial design representation, and establish a sustainable experience sharing platform, through crushing one by one the drawing problems of plan, modeling, rendering, collage, axonometric, diagram and composing.
This course attempts to bridge the existing gap between software and design teaching. Students will not only preliminarily manage the basic operating of different computer graphical software, but also make a comprehensive use of software, and proficiently finish all kinds of architectural drawings with certain attitudes and styles.
The class-ending work is tight coupling with their design work. Besides submitting the design course drawings, students are also required to select his/her favorite single drawing and write an article of the representing process. Every year over 180 articles are collected, and become an unceasingly accumulating resource stimulating both students and teachers0 to explore more better design representing methods and techniques. This 12-week course has broken the limitation of semester and classroom, and will be available all the time on Wechat Platform.
Fig 22:Teaching structure of Computer-aided Architectural Representation
Fig 23:Student work of architectural drawings
Fig 24:Student work of architectural rendering and collage
Fig 25:Student work of architectural perspective section and exploded axonometric