Keynotes

Kostas Terzidis

Kostas Terzidis is an Associate Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. His current GSD courses are Kinetic Architecture, Algorithmic Architecture, Digital Media I & II, Cinematic Architecture, and Design Research Methods. He holds a PhD in Architecture from the University of Michigan (1994), a Masters of Architecture from Ohio State University (1989) and a Diploma of Engineering from the Aristotelion University in Thessaloniki, Greece (1986). He is a registered architect in Europe where he has designed and built several commercial and residential buildings.

Keynote speech: Open Source CAD

In the last twenty years, computer modeling and animation systems have become an essential part of the architect’s education and practice.  Recent advancements in building technology have necessitated their use as instrumental that enable architects to address, resolve, and control the increasing complexity expressed in the form and function of buildings, structures, and urban developments. As a consequence, a number of software companies have been competing over the last twenty years to establish each one’s software as the predominant tool to be used in both education and practice. While the process of design in architecture has not changed significantly in the last twenty years, the software packages that address that process change constantly. The reason for this discrepancy is that most software systems used in architecture today were not conceived originally for architectural practice but instead were adapted from other practices such as aeronautical, automotive, naval, or product design. As a consequence, the capabilities, behavior, organization, or price differ significantly amongst software applications creating confusion over which software is to be used where, when, how, and at what price. Further, this problem carries over into the pedagogy of architecture where students are expected to learn as many CAD applications as possible many of which may become obsolete by the time that they graduate.

Terry Knight

Her 1994 book, Transformations in Design, is the best known introduction to the field of shape grammars. Her current work focuses on the use of shape grammars and other computational systems for design exploration. She is examining characteristics of computational systems--for example, their expressive power, predictability, representational constraints, and emergent properties--and the consequences of these for design.

She has served on the editorial boards of Languages of Design and Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, and has published extensively in these and other design research journals. She holds a BFA (1975) from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, and an MA (1982) and PhD (1986) in architecture from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Keynote speech: Visual-Physical Design Grammars

This paper introduces new visual-physical design grammars for the design and manufacture of building assembly systems that provide visually rich, culturally resonant design variations for housing. The building systems are intended to be tailored for particular cultures and communities by incorporating vernacular, decorative design into the assembly design. Two complementary areas of computational design research are brought together in this work: shape grammars and digital fabrication. The visual or graphic aspects of the research are explored through shape grammars. The physical design and manufacturing aspects are explored through advanced digital design and fabrication technologies and, in particular, build on recent work on mono-material assemblies with interlocking components that can be fabricated with CNC machines and assembled easily by hand on-site.