as: the number of hours of sunlight falling into the main rooms and the area of sky visible at each point in the room; the degree to which balconies or terraces were overlooked; and the space between the dwelling and its neighbours.
Coupled with this data, the com- puter was to be fed a grid of levels for a selected area of the island. The computer then could fit a multi-layer space frame over the area concerned, calculating the minimum amount of cut and fill required at support points. Following this the computer would be able to place combinations of one, two, three or four housing units at a random location in the frame.
Repeating the process, the com- puter would select at random, locations and villa combinations, until the re- quired density was obtained. The co- ordinates of the locations could then be printed out by the computer, and new design combinations calculated until there were up to 12 alternative designs for each area.
In the second stage of the com- puter design, all the coordinates ob- tained from the different designs for one area, could be fed back into the computer which printed out a per-
spective view of each design on a graph plotter. This technique allows tne architect to select the design which he prefers, using his judgement of factors not related in the computer program and his appreciation of aesthetic design. The architect can then make any modifications he requires to the de- sign, and the computer will print out a new perspective of the final design.
A new era
Although the abandonment of the Isola Dino development has prevented Boyd Auger from implementing his proposed design system, the initial study has demonstrated the feasibility of this exciting technique. His pre- sentation included a perspective outline of a section of the island's housing layout produced by the computer which had eliminated all the unneces- sary space frame members.
According to Boyd Auger the coupling of an architect's artistic and professional skill with the fast and accurate methods of computer aided design forms a new art in itself. It is the beginning of a new era in architec- ture, which will eventually become an accepted part of the profession.
Auger maintains the need for versa-
tility in such computer techniques. Only by using all the information which has been stored in the com- puter, throughout the whole design process, can such techniques be made really effective. This means that from the basic design, the computer should be used to follow through other essen- tial architectural considerations such as structural design and analysis, and costing.
As part of a move to strengthen and increase the use of computers in the whole field of building, Britain's Ministry of Public Building and Works have set up a committee and sub-com- mittees to investigate the use of com- puters in the industry. The areas covered are structural design, coding as a means for building communication, architectural design and contractors' activities. The RIBA are also investi- gating the use of computer aided design in architecture.
The decision to implement such investigations demonstrates that the computer is no longer just a tool for accountants and scientists. The com- puter is taking a recognised place in more and more everyday industries and professions. It is a tool of the future available today.
Builder
1969 DIRECTORY
For over thirty years the BUILDER DIRECTORY has been recognised as a standard work of reference among architects, contractors, builders and suppliers of building materials in Hong Kong. From the 1969 edition, the coverage of this Directory is being extended to Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand.
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Available in June/July 1969
Far East BUILDER, April 1969
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