DesignScript in ProcessMay 2-July 31, 2012 Frankfurt-based architect Thorsten Strathaus visited the IDEA Studio to put Autodesk® DesignScript—a new programming language developed by a team led by Dr. Robert Aish—through its paces. Exploring Options TodayDeveloped for use with AutoCAD® software, DesignScript will perform associative, parametric, and computational modeling, enabling users to generate multiple iterations of varying designs based on user-defined logic and formulas. Strathaus, experienced in handling complex geometries and custom scripting at the interface between architecture and engineering, came to explore the new language and provide feedback on potential new workflows. Specifically, he wanted to assess the feasibility of combining Autodesk® Ecotect® Analysis and Autodesk® Robot® Structural Analysis software with DesignScript to create an interdisciplinary workflow. He used Ecotect Analysis to analyze the chosen design elements for thermal performance and Robot Structural Analysis for structural integrity and behavior. What a Computation Workflow Means for the FutureThe resulting workflow options enable designers to incorporate multiple design criteria from disciplines such as structural engineering and sustainable design at the outset. This allows designers to redefine and optimize the design earlier in the process. For projects that integrate complex geometries and structures with thousands of elements, a computation workflow greatly enhances the ability to quickly analyze a set of designs based on multiple criteria and is critical to success. The work of Thorsten Strathaus in the IDEA Studio has made an important contribution toward redefining and calibrating DesignScript as a general design toolset applicable to a wide range of architectural and engineering projects where geometry, structure, analysis, and simulation can be integrated into a single computational design process. ResidentThorsten Strathaus received his degree in architecture from the University of Kassel, Germany, in 2005. Since joining Frankfurt engineering firm B+G Ingenieure, Bollinger + Grohmann GmbH in 2006, Strathaus has worked in the Performative Building Group, creating intricate designs for competitions and lending his expertise to those projects involving complex geometries and structures presenting unique challenges at the confluence of architecture and engineering. His experience includes architectural and structural design work on high-rises, public buildings, sports facilities, and bridges across all phases of design.
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