Structural SketcherA Tool for Supporting Architects

in Early Design

Slava Pranovich

Technische Universiteit Eindhoven

Dept. Math. and Computer Science

Architectural design process•Definitive design phase

•Final design phase

•Sketch design phase

•Preliminary design phase

Current drawing systems

Specificity

Versatility

Basic primitives

Primitives tailored to the architecture

Paint

AutoCAD

Photoshop

ArchiCAD

Home design

Pen&Paper

Cocktail NapkinArch StudioDDDoolz

Pro/E

SketchUp

low

high

MicroStation

Challenge

• How to support architects with a computer tool in the early stages of design?

Requirements

• Design elements suitable for early design

• Fast and efficient

• Short learning time

• Fun to use

Graphic Units

A well defined form of graphic representation is a graphic unit (H.Achten, 1998)

•Grid

•Contour•Axial system

•Etc.

•Zone

High level knowledge

Mirroring = Axial system

DeclarationAction

Geometry Engine

• Design = Graphic Units + Relations• Propagation of geometrical transformations• Properties for graphic units and relations• The KITE manipulator

User interface

Depth + layout geometry = relations

Demo…

Evaluation

Results

System\ Criterion

Suitability in early design

Learnability Ease of manipulation

Appearance Subjective satisfaction

Efficiency & speed

Pen and paper worse worse better worse worse

AutoCAD better better better better better better

PhotoShop better better better better better

3D Studio VIZ better better better better better better

ArchiCAD better better better better better

PowerPoint better better better better better better

Comparison of Structural Sketcher with other systems

Conclusions

• The use of graphic units is natural for architects• Geometry engine provides the flexibility in

exploring design variants• User interface simplifies the use of the system

such it can be used in early design• The KITE manipulator provides fast geometry

manipulations