INFORMATION STRUCTURES IN THE DESIGNING PROCESS.

Jadwiga C. Zarnowiecka
Faculty of Architecture TU of Bialystok
Krakowska 9, 15-875 Bialystok, Poland
tel./fax: 0 (85)422929, e-mail: zarnow@cksr.ac.bialystok.pl

Problems

Nowadays we deal with a real revolution in the computer science. Present times explorers no longer look for information in vast library files but rather they surf on Internet. The technological progress in the realm of computer studies made “the fathers unable to keep pace with their children”. That’s one of the reasons why it is so difficult to introduce new techniques into the routinized designing process. The problem is that some know “what” and the others “how”. At the times when drawing pens were ousted by rapidographs, communication between different generations of designers was easier. Both of these tools are, in fact very similar. It is the other way with the new computer science technique, which consists of complicated systems not so easy to access because of various economical, emotional, routine and habitual reasons. Changes in the designing process go step by step, in a much slower pace than the progress in computer hardware and software. It is difficult to accept the fact in professional environment that computer technique can assist the designer as a medium#1.

Usage

Until quite recently, the designer facing a design problem was limited in the amount of information he could have at his disposal. Comprehension of the whole issue depended on his knowledge and intuition. At present the computer technique assists the designer. It has happened, until now, mostly at the stage of technical documentation formation. A lot of manual activities were transferred to computers. People got the possibility of quick and easy introduction of corrections, but also the possibility of copying errors in easily duplicated solutions. However, one can expect in the nearest future, that due to the possibility of fast and precise getting and processing of the information, technology would also assist the intuition. The use of new technique can cause the unexpected inspirations to appear. They can be pre-programmed, for example by use of data bases concerning cultural environment. Up till now information about cultural values has been diffuse and difficult to access. A lot of additional options will arise in the process of conception formation. The choice of that one which is the most proper will become easy.

The characteristic feature of town and country planning is its expected flexibility of solutions. The more distant the period of time is concerned, the more flexible the scope of solutions should be. That is why the possibility of easy simulation of various solutions is of the greatest importance in the creation process of town-planing conception. In this way the results of location decisions taken can be checked earlier. Creation of models is the only possible experimental method in this domain, because it is impossible to experiment “on the live organism” of the city.

Interest in creating software used in architectural town and country planning is still growing. This is the result of not only the very fascination of the designers with a new tool, but rather growing awareness of huge advantages of its use.

Solution

The solution of program problems is the creation of some information structures and looking for relations between them. At a higher level it may be the creation of SYSTEM which will consist of integrated multimedia data bases. Then those data bases should be included directly or indirectly in programs functions which assist designing process.

The knowledge of interdisciplinary team is necessary in order to create information structures. Until now attempts of creation of such structures are still partially. Perhaps this problem can be solved by new designer generation “familiar” with computer technique. New restricted Polish legislation (Act about town and country planing -14.12.1994, Act: Building law - 7.07.1994) will affect looking for cheaper and more effective solutions connected with execution of for example the necessity of actualisation of town and country planing. Smaller, specialized teams equipped in SYSTEM technique will be able to cope entirely with employers' demands.

References

[1] Glanville R., Representations Fair, Honest and Truthful, [w:] Materialy Konferencji: “Komputer w projektowaniu architektonicznym i dydaktyce”, Bialystok, 1994;

[2] Proceedings of the ECAADE Conference, Glasgow 1994;

[3] Proceedings of the Conference “Computer in Architectural Design”, Bialystok, 1995;

[4] Proceedings of the Conference “Computer in Architectural Design”, Bialystok, 1996.