Schoch Dienstleistungen für Architektur GmbH
Shifting Scales
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© 2011 Schoch Dienstleistungen für Architektur GmbH

Shifting Scales

The design of the built environment is an activity that

  • connects different scales
  • focuses on specific goals

Both the scales and the goals (as well called ‘qualities’). Based on sound analyse, the impact of different scale on a project can be handled, although a ‘total control’ of processes in building in urban design is not possible. Tools such as ‘systems engineering’ and ‘process mapping’ support the decision making processes.

What sounds rigid and pre-defined are actually tools that allow an easy adoption to personal and project related activities. This works for projects in various sizes and cultural locations.

Once the complexity of ‘shifting scales’ is partly structured, the integration of existing analogue and digital tools is eased. This allows a gradual increase of specifications such as building positions, forms, materials and local flow of people and goods.

Regional Cloud

The terminology of ‘regional cloud’ expands the contemporary understanding of ‘grids’. In particular the metabolistic understanding of infrastructure is currently using the grid as a model to create a flexible yet controllable system. The power of modular and scalable systems show up, when going beyond a rigid structure such as an equality dense grid,. Best comparison is the set up of the Internet, which has only a few elements that are difficult to exchange – but millions of components that are easily exchangeable.

In practise, this understanding helps to interact with existing resources. It is strongly influenced by Ken Yeangs diagrammatic approach in urban planning. By knowing the local resources on themes such as climate, soil, building stocks, people and energy, the design can react directly to it. By focusing on the region, a self containing approach underlines achievements on sustainability. This means for example the prevention of import of distant resources such as oil, construction materials or building types.

Mapping and diagramming helps as well as digital tools. The processes formulated in GIS and agent based systems support the decision making through simulation.

Local Qualities

When considering urban stock as a service provider for people, it seems easiert to understand the diversity of the built environment. Our work focuses on these urban stocks:

  • finances, energy, people, knowledge, flora, fauna, water, culture 

The demands of these stocks are changing over time – daily and throughout the life of its elements. Therefore a building and a city is never finished. Their adjustment is strongly parametric and contextual.

Our research works therefore on the integration of non-rigid values into digital systems. Non-rigid values are e.g. beauty, spatial atmosphere or cultural traditions. Current main stream software for design and planning can not handle the impact of these non-rigid values, but are optimized on rigid values, such as energy demand, stocks of construction material or financial value of a building.

Non-rigid values for digital simulation tools

Our research works therefore on the integration of non-rigid values into digital systems. Non-rigid values are e.g. beauty, spatial atmosphere or cultural traditions. Current main stream software for design and planning can not handle the impact of these non-rigid values, but are optimized on rigid values, such as energy demand, stocks of construction material or financial value of a building.