MArch Theses


2001

Smart Objects: Constraints and Behaviors in a Three-Dimensional Design Environment

  • Where: M.Arch thesis | University of Washington, Dept of Architecture | 2001
  • Abstract
    Each new design problem in architecture presents a new set of requirements. A designer must remain aware of these requirements and effectively communicate them to collaborators because the degree to which the requirements are met will determine the success of the solution. This thesis explores how design can be effectively presented in a medium that is both explorative of form and descriptive of the design problem's requirements. To facilitate this, we present Smart Objects, a constraint-based three-dimensional(3D) computer program. In Smart Objects, design intentions of an architectural problem are embedded as constraints into the modeled objects that compose a formal solution. A model is presented through a 3DVirtual Reality
    Modeling Language (VRML) viewer and constrained by a software program we wrote in the Java language. Both the VRML viewer and the Java program are contained within a single web page. In Smart Objectsd. A designer meets or violates constraints, objects behave in a manner that reflects the requirements of the problem and intentions of the designer. SmartObjects communicates the design principles and guidelines that inform an architectural design to the collaborators involved in the project. It ensures that these principles and guidelines are maintained as the design progresses.
  • Author: Dustin Eggink
  • Document: Link
  • Related Project: Smart Objects
Last modified: 12/12/2001 by Mark D Gross