Search

The Hutong neighbourhoods, composed of Chinese courtyard dwellings (Siheyuan), are historically and socially significant urban spaces that embody traditional Chinese philosophy. There is a global interest in these spaces many of which face oblivion, this study presents a formal grammar for parametrically generating Hutong neighbourhoods, which replicates the morphological characteristics of historic cases. This research investigates traditional principles of urban planning of ancient Beijing, based on examples on the historical map Qianlong Jingcheng Quantu, to derive the lost design rules. These rules are then used to build up a procedural modelling process, which reveals the development of Beijing urban structure from Yuan (1271-1368) to Qing (1368-1911) dynasty. The grammar presented in the procedural modelling process contributes to the understanding of the generation of Hutong neighbourhoods. In support of traditional Chinese urban design, the grammar will be translated into an algorithm to be implemented in a computational environment by visual scripting that will generate new instances of Hutong neighbourhoods.

This paper is examining the development of a design and fabrication framework aiming to increase the efficiency of the construction of concrete building components by introducing 3D concrete printing in the context of Saudi Arabia. In particular, we will present an algorithmic process focusing on the design and fabrication of a typical, mass customised, single-family house, which incorporates parametric modelling, topology optimisation, finite element (FE) analysis and robotic 3D printing techniques. We will test and verify our framework by designing and fabricating a loadbearing concrete column with structural and material properties defined by the Saudi Building Code of Construction. Our findings are highlighting the advantages and challenges of the proposed file-to-factory framework in comparison to the conventional construction methods currently applied in Saudi Arabia, or other similar sociopolitical contexts. By comparing the material usage in both conventional and optimised columns, the results have shown that material consumption has been reduced by 25%, the required labour in the construction site has been mitigated by 28 and the duration time has been reduced by 80% without the need for formwork.

In continuation of our previous work on the design principles of traditional Beijing Siheyuan courtyard housing and their implementation into computational algorithms, this paper investigates the impact of the Fengshui theory on the layout. In particular, we will present the development of a Grasshopper algorithm able to examine Siheyuan houses' fortune status according to their layout. We have verified the algorithm by using Siheyuan precedents from the ancient Beijing map and measured surveys of existing buildings. Our findings highlight that most Siheyuan houses were designed to be auspicious even though other forces were working against it

Many Beijing Siheyuan, a type of Chinese vernacular housing with significant cultural value, have been lost in recent years. Preserving the few remaining has become a necessity, but many contemporary architects lack an understanding of their design principles. Based on a historical analysis deriving from Fengshui theory, the Gongcheng Zuofa Zeli ancient construction manual, and craftsmen’s experience, this paper describes a parametric algorithm capable of producing Shiheyuan variants within a 4D CAD environment which by transforming the original design principles into an algorithm contributes to an understanding of Siheyuan typology and their preservation. This algorithm was implemented in a virtual scripting environment to generate accurate virtual counterparts of historical or extant Siheyuan houses revealing the tacit computational rules underlying traditional Chinese architecture.