Good design demands digital tools to augment human intelligence

A number of comments following the story suggested that the architect, Rafael Vi?oly, should have foreseen this problem. Further comments suggested that the problem would have been avoided if only Vi?oly had hired an engineer. However, both of these notions reflect a profound misunderstanding of the design process. 

Let’s address both issues. Firstly, that the architect should have foreseen the problem. Design is both an art and a science. It is based upon experience and analytical rigor. Architects, like in many other professions, learn from experience. In addition to using science-based analytical models, they apply heuristics and rules of thumb based on past experience – their own and that of others. Many architects do not reach their prime until around the age of 50. This is because it takes that long to accumulate the needed experience for many building situations. 

What this means for architects is that they should model the building in a computer and simulate it to help them see and understand how it will perform. It will also give them the opportunity to see unintended problems and prevent them before the building is built.

Secondly, an engineer would have prevented the problem. Well, a building of this scale would have had multiple engineers involved. The challenge is that engineers often work in isolation from each other in their particular area of expertise – structural, mechanical, acoustics, lighting, fire protection, and so on. The analytical models they use to determine building performance are based upon past experience and – as all models do – simplify the problem to only its essential elements. An engineer may see and understand the systems for which he or she is responsible, but within the envelope defined by the architect. 

Once again, digital tools can help here by creating representations that can be shared among all members of the design team, helping them integrate their work and see the whole picture. This might allow the engineers and architects to notice the problem that resulted with the concentrated light and, once again, prevent the mistake.

Digital tools can help address this by modelling and simulating the building before it is built. An additional benefit of these tools lies in integrating all professionals working on the building so they understand the whole rather than just their piece of the puzzle. Design is both an art – based upon judgement and experience – and a science – based upon rigorous analytical models. Digital tools help meld art and science by creating prototypes that can be observed and discussed as well as analysed. 

Digital design tools can augment human intelligence and give designers a chance to be innovative while mitigating the risks of trying something new and unpredictable. That beats relying on historically-based rule of thumb!

 

Jon Pittman is vice president of corporate strategy at Autodesk.