Altair > Case Studies > Revolutionizing Architectural Design with IoT: A Case Study on Peter Macapia's LabDORA

Revolutionizing Architectural Design with IoT: A Case Study on Peter Macapia's LabDORA

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Technology Category
  • Robots - Cartesian Robots
  • Sensors - Temperature Sensors
Applicable Industries
  • Buildings
  • Construction & Infrastructure
Applicable Functions
  • Product Research & Development
  • Quality Assurance
Use Cases
  • Experimentation Automation
  • Structural Health Monitoring
Services
  • Testing & Certification
About The Customer
Peter Macapia is an acclaimed architect who is known for exploring new frontiers in architectural design. He has a unique approach to design, which involves simultaneously employing principles of architecture and engineering to produce new insights and types of structures. Macapia has been involved in research that dates back to the 1960s and 70s in Japan, which produced genetic-type algorithms for structural morphology. He is also a teacher, having prepared a course for the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) in Los Angeles. His work is characterized by a desire to change perceptions about how buildings can look and how they impact their environment.
The Challenge
Acclaimed Architect Peter Macapia was seeking to change perceptions and convictions about how buildings could look and how they impact their environment. He was exploring new frontiers in architectural design that simultaneously employed principles of architecture and engineering to produce totally new insights and types of structures. Macapia initially worked independently to carry through research started in the 1960s and ‘70s in Japan, efforts that had produced genetic-type algorithms for structural morphology. However, these early computational methods were primitive in their applicability by today’s standards. Macapia’s perception of what was possible in his field changed significantly in 2010 when he was preparing a course for the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) in Los Angeles.
The Solution
The solution came in the form of solidThinking Inspire, a software that allowed Macapia to embark on imaginative engineering and architecture projects, integrating design and testing in the same space. This software transformed forces into a design that offered alternatives for shapes, sizes, and materials all at once. Traditionally in architecture, analysis has been completely separated from design, but solidThinking Inspire showed Macapia how designers could integrate an analytical capacity into the design space. This integration of design and testing in the same space was a revolutionary approach in the field of architecture. Using solidThinking Inspire, Macapia was able to introduce a new function into a cultural and linguistic environment that he was already familiar with, leading to the invention of a new language in architectural design.
Operational Impact
  • The use of solidThinking Inspire has revolutionized the way Macapia approaches architectural design. It has allowed him to integrate design and testing in the same space, a concept that was previously unheard of in the field of architecture. This has resulted in the creation of a new language of structures that are designed by deforming surfaces and going beyond the rigid limits of Cartesian grids. The software has also brought structural computation into the design activity, making it a more interactive process. Furthermore, it has supported Macapia's research and made it easier for him to work with students, thereby enhancing the educational aspect of his work.
Quantitative Benefit
  • The creation of a new language of structures that are designed by deforming surfaces and go beyond the rigid limits of Cartesian grids
  • Inspire presented the design choices and showed the options, with tremendous flexibility in altering the forces
  • Unique interactivity brings structural computation into the design activity

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