{"id":13283,"date":"2018-09-05T11:00:04","date_gmt":"2018-09-05T19:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/2018\/09\/05\/news-7050\/"},"modified":"2018-09-05T11:00:04","modified_gmt":"2018-09-05T19:00:04","slug":"news-7050","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/2018\/09\/05\/news-7050\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s the Role for Building and Electrical System Consulting Engineers and Specifiers in an Age of Computational Design?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Credit to Author: Asha Devasia| Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2018 12:00:28 +0000<\/strong><\/p>\n

Great design and engineering used to take equal parts of science, smarts and hard work, with a good dose of inspiration. Certainly, technology \u2013 from slide rules to today\u2019s advance CAD and 3D modeling tools – were there to make the grunt work of calculations, and drafting endless design tweaks and changes easier, faster and more precise. But at the center of the design process were always people \u2013 the designers, engineers and specifiers working to solve real-life challenges that affect people\u2019s work and lives. Over the years as we\u2019ve moved from \u201ctraditional\u201d design methods (design to spec with high quality<\/em>) to \u201cdesign thinking\u201d approaches (user-centric and empathetic design<\/em>), to emerging \u201ccomputational design\u201d technologies (a computer language-like approach to harnessing massive data and computing capacity to create millions of iterative solutions<\/em>) \u2013 yet at each stage the role of \u201chuman\u201d insight and creativity has shifted.<\/p>\n

Computational Design \u2013 Evolutionary or Revolutionary?<\/h2>\n

The field of computational design is both relatively new and diverse. Computational design can mean different things depending on its application and can employ of both established and evolving technologies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A range of technologies fall under computational design concept from current parametric and emerging \u201calgorithmic\u201d design where parameters or rules are readily manipulated, to new data and computing-intensive tools such qualified experience design (QED), generative design and AI-powered tools<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Others describe computational design in terms that parallel software coding – creating (or encoding) powerful rules-based methodology for defining, refining and manipulating design parameters.<\/p>\n

But common to all approaches and technologies is the use of massive data and computational capacity<\/a>, linked to \u201cinstruction\u201d approaches (e.g., algorithms, code-like rules, etc.) and 3D modeling and visualization tools. These approaches automate and generate hundreds, or even thousands, of design interactions and create new, faster and, perhaps, more innovative, insightful and personal design.<\/p>\n

Changing Roles and New Opportunities<\/h2>\n

If computational design is churning out new \u201cideas and options,\u201d what is the role for, and creative value of, building and electrical system designers and consulting specifying engineers<\/a>? How will computational design shape the strategic directions in our industry over the next 10 to 15 years?<\/p>\n