Advanced Computational Design

The main research question addressed by the SFB Advanced Computational Design is how to advance design tools and processes through multi- and interdisciplinary basic research, exemplified in the domain of Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC). The fundamental goal is to improve current design processes and quality through advanced computational design methods. AEC shapes our built environment, thus exerting substantial environmental, cultural and economic influence on our society. However, it is among the least digitized industries, still caught in silo-thinking and sequential planning processes. Due to a lack of basic research, it is unable to respond to increasingly complex design requirements - through increasing project sizes, requirements for sustainability and the rising complexity of geometry in contemporary architectural language. The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) field, on the other hand, is highly innovative, creating digital design tools well-founded in basic research. However, they often lack relevant domain knowledge, thus hardly meeting designers needs, and often fail to find broad acceptance. With a strong multi- and interdisciplinary team, we will bridge this gap by connecting architecture, engineering, mathematics and computer science in order to develop intelligent computational design tools guided by existing problems (multi-disciplinary part), and to extend the knowledge and level of digitization in AEC (inter-disciplinary part). It consists of 8 scientific subprojects bringing together the Center for Geometry and Computational Design at TU with researchers from University of Innsbruck and TU Graz. Through this unique collaborative research with strong theoretical foundations, we aim to bring radical innovation in computational design by providing a more precise understanding and definition of the problem space, by allowing immediate design feedback already in the early design stage. The fundamental computational tools and methods to be developed will be applicable in AEC and other fields of the creative industries. Subprojects, principal investigators and associate researchers: Projektkoordinator: Michael Wimmer, TU Wien Integrating AEC Domain Knowledge - Synthesis 2.0: Iva Kovacic; Michael Hensel, Peter Ferschin (TU Wien) Computational Immediacy: Kristina Schinegger; Stefan Rutzinger, Tobias Hell (Universität Innsbruck), Florian Rist (TU Wien) Lighting Simulation for Architectural Design: Michael Wimmer; Georg Suter (TU Wien) Large-Scale Haptic Feedback in Virtual Reality: Hannes Kaufmann; Christian Kern (TU Wien) Higher Order Paneling of Architectural Freeform Surfaces: Martin Kilian; Udo-Hertrich Jeromin, Christian Müller (TU Wien) Flexible Quad-Surfaces for Transformable Design: Ivan Izmestiev; Georg Nawratil (TU Wien) Linking Mechanics to Form-Finding of Plant-Based Bio-Composite Structures: Josef Füssl (TU Wien) Material- and Structurally Informed Freeform Structures: Milena Stavric (TU Graz)