The Use of Metaphors as Parametric Design Teaching Model: A Case Study

Abstract

Teaching methodologies for parametric design are being searched all over the world, since there is a growing demand for computer programming logic and its fabrication process in architectural education. The computer programming workshops in architectural education are usually being done in a very short period of time, and students have no chance to create their own designs. This paper describes a workshop in which metaphors are used as a teaching methodology in parametric design, in order to let students to create their own designs and learn basics of parametric programming language in a short period of time.

Introduction

Kolarevic[1] states that “architects have always looked beyond the boundaries of their discipline, appropriating materials, methods and processes from other industries as needed”. Parametric operations which is based on a computer programming language, is actually about modifying the declared values of constraints and parameters without transformation in the geometry or topology and relations between them[2]. This operation helps architects to generate a set of forms which are mostly complex forms, curvilinear surfaces and non-Euclidean geometry that are difficult to manage via conventional methods[3].

Lakoff and Johnson[4] claim that one of the aspects of imagination is seeing something in terms of another thing, and metaphorical thinking is understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another. Our perceptions can be differed by metaphors with altering our sense of reality. In other words the reality goes through phases of metamorphosis through metaphors[5]. The use of metaphors in architectural design process is not a new methodology as it can be seen in many architects’ work through the history. The workshop aims to apply methodology of the use of metaphors to parametric design progress which helps architects to generate a set of forms.

Methodological Procedures

The parametric design workshop was performed in April 2014 at the architecture faculty of the university over the duration of five days. It is worthwhile to discuss the teaching methodology of this workshop which is mostly based on the use of metaphors in parametric design, since the students created qualified projects in a collabrative working environment despite the time was limited.

Although most of the students were familiar with the use of some softwares before, they didn’t know how to use Rhinoceros and Grasshopper which were the main softwares that would be used in the workshop. First day, from morning to the afternoon, basics of Rhinoceros which will be base for parametric design platform with Grasshopper has been lectured.  The students quickly learned the basics of Rhinoceros, since most of the students had experienced other 3D modelling environments like SketchUp or 3DsMax before. After lunch, basics of parametric design and basics of how to use Grasshopper have been lectured. The students who had no experience with this type of computer programming language, were anxious because of seeing a new type of modelling environment.

Second day, a Grasshopper scripts have been lectured. Although the students were anxious about the new working environment, they started to like the program when they saw the outcomes of the scripts. Followingly, they began to play with the script by changing sliders and adding different components. At that point, they actually started to make digital sketches.

The script that the students are supposed to use, had morphing components. Third day, they were asked to find an inspiring object for the morphing components or for their form of entire design, and continue to design in architectural scale. At this stage, the use of metaphors in designing process has been started. This process lets students to manage formfinding progress faster. The methodology quite worked well and the students continued to work in an interactive environment during the third and forth days of the workshop.

The last day of the workshop, the preparatory work for 3Dprinting has been done, since the objects (to be printed) needed more configurations. Some of the projects were 3D-printed while the students were preparing their final boards. The workshop ended up with an exhibition in the galery of the university.

Results

The students found metaphors that can lead to develop their designs in architectural scale. Parametric design provided them many  forming options that they could choose one among them, however the use of metaphor methodology leads them to limit the parameters. Therefore, the students used metaphors mostly at the formfinding process of their designs. Since they focus on the shape or the concept of their metaphors, they started to neglect some parameters that parametric design tools offer. This process led students to define their forms in a short time. Therefore the methodology could be helpful for limited time workshops.

Some of the products of the students from the workshop can be seen in images 1-6. In the image 1, the student took a snake as a metaphor. This metaphor helped the student in the formfinding process of his design while thinking and observing its morphology, skin and positioning according to its environment.  In the image 2, the student took the body movements of Sufi whirling which is physically active meditation method as a metaphor for his minaret design, and thought about the shapes that the body movements make.  In the image 3, the student thought about flames as a metaphor for her design. After modelling the form of flames, she started to aggregate the prototypes together in order to create multi-function port. In the image 4, the student took Chidori toys as metaphor, and developed the idea in an architectural scale with the parametric design tools. He created non-standard spaces inspiring from Chidori toys which are actually in Euclidean geometries. The student took DNA helix as a metaphor in order to create a bridge in the image 5, and the student took erythrocyte as a metaphor in order to create a façade of a skyscraper in the image 6.

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3

Image 4

Image 5

Image 6

Discussion

The teaching methodology that described above, lets the students to create their own designs in a short period of time. Also, the methodology limits some parameters that programming language offers, so that the students’ creation process time can be reduced. Although this methodology seems beneficial for short period of time workshops since it lets students to learn basics of computer programming language and also lets them to create forms at the same time, it may not be benefial for long term designing progress since students need to consider other parameters for creating a project. However, for formfinding processes in a short period of time, the use of metaphors in parametric design  can be useful and can be considered as an additional parameter to the script that limits forming options.