Parametric Methods for Beginners Architecture Applications

This book introduces architectural applications of parametric methods in design, drawing direct connections between each phase of the architectural design process with relevant parametric approaches. Readers will find applications of parametric methods with straightforward explanations of concepts, commands as well as applicable examples for each phase of the architectural design process. In addition to learning about the historical and conceptual background of parametric design, readers can use this book as a go-to source during their day-to-day design practice. Chapters are organized according to different phases of the architectural design process, such as site analysis, spatial organization, skin systems, and environmental performance analyses. Together, they deliver concepts, applications, and examples utilizing in-depth visual guides that explain commands, their outcomes, and their interrelationships. With over 350 images, this book includes examples from the author’s own design studio and parametric design teaching in elective classes. Based on the Rhinoceros and Grasshopper platforms, this book is an accessible, yet in-depth, resource for architecture students and early professionals who are considering integrating parametric applications into their design processes.

1. Introduction to Parametric Design: Basics in Relation to Architectural Design Process Phases 2. History and ConceptualFramework of Parametric Design in Architecture 3. Site Analysis: Understanding the Site and Its ContextUsing Parametric Methods 4. Conceptual and Preliminary Development: Formal Explorations and Iterations with Parametric Methods 5. Spatial Organization: Spatial Configuration and Visibility AnalysisUsing Parametric Methods 6. Skin Systems: Repetition, Subdividing Geometries and Paneling Approaches 7. Evolutionary Applications: Using Parametric Applications to Generate, Analyze and Select Design Iterations 8. Parametric Methods for Introductory Environmental Performance Analyses 9. Practical Matters: Parametric Methods and Digital Fabricationfor Architectural Model Making 10. Recontextualizing Parametric Methods in Architecture: Routes for Further Development

Umut Toker is a Professor of Architecture in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Umut received his PhD from North Carolina State University School of Architecture, College of Design. He holds Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Urban Design degrees from Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. Umut’s research and scholarship has been published in journals such as the Journal of Architectural and Planning Research, Research Policy, and METU Journal of the Faculty of Architecture. In 2012, his book on community design methods, Making Community Design Work, was published.