“Seeing is Believing” - Examples of Computational Design

Computational design can be pretty much anything that’s aided by computer instructions. However, when we say “computational design,” we generally refer to some sort of pattern or algorithm that produces a visual. A great example for this is fractals. Fractals can be generated completely via mathematics and algorithms, creating pleasing visual designs in the process. When looking for examples of computational design, we begin by looking for patterns, because these imply a regularity that can be replicated with computer instructions. In this post, I will go through several examples of computational design in both nature and human creations.

Computational Design in Nature

Botanical World: Pinecones

Pinecones are an example of a consistent pattern that can be found in nature. They are formed by conifers, trees that produce cone structures surrounding the seeds. The common pinecone is an example of this with an overall ellipsoid or egg shape that eventually spreads open upon maturation during the warmer seasons. The opened form of the pinecone allows the protected seeds to be released and germinate.

A variety of pinecones from different conifers. Image courtesy of the University of California Berkeley Botanical Garden.

The intricate, often diamond-shaped protrusion pattern of pinecones is what makes it appear computational in design. While the pinecone grows on a branch, it gradually increases in size while producing the interlocking pattern of scales that protects seeds inside. It’s quite fascinating that this brilliant structural function was able to evolve in nature.

A showcase of the aging process of pinecones on a branch. Image courtesy of the University of California Berkeley Botanical Garden.

Zoological World: Peacocks

While most birds have interesting feather patterns that can illustrate computational-esque design in nature, none are as flashy as the peacock. The peacock’s tail pattern features metallic green feathers that are tipped with a vibrant eye spot. During courtship displays or for intimidating predators, the peacock will fan out its feathers as shown in the below image. The repeated pattern of feathers and eye spots appears is very reminiscent of computational design. Additionally, if you look closely, you can see a multitude of short, layered, yellow-green feathers just on the peacock’s back. These newer feathers show a shift from small to large as you go from the body to the outside of its tail.

Indian peacock. Image courtesy of Mihail Egorov and the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Environment Built by Organisms: Crown Shyness

Crown shyness is a phenomenon wherein some species of trees have canopies naturally shy away from each other, leaving gaps when looking from below. This is believed to be caused by abrasion of the tree limbs during storms and windy weather, resulting in the characteristic gaps, but there is also evidence that for some species crown shyness can emerge the same regardless of weather patterns. One hypothesis is that sunlight plays a role, but scientists have proposed other possibilities such as symbiosis with other plant species on the forest floor.

Malay camphor tree displaying crown shyness. Image courtesy of Mike Norton via Wikimedia Commons and the Natural History Museum.

Computational Design in Human Environments

Architecture: Tokyo National Art Center

While I was studying abroad in Japan, I had the pleasure to visit the Roppongi district in Tokyo. The district was sort of a modern art hub within the city, and it featured many interesting architectural designs, many of which appeared to have been done computationally. The video from the Tokyo National Art Center below shows one such case, with the building itself appearing to be a parametric surface comprised of glass. Other geometries such as cones and circles are built into the structure, no doubt designed and fabricated completely with the help of mathematical computations.

Below you can see some of the pictures I took of the building.

Textiles: Glitch Textiles by Phillip David Stearns

Glitch Textiles is a company that was founded in 2012 by designer Stearns with the mission to fabricate textiles with the appearance of computer glitches. Various methods were used for the designs, but originally, circuit bent digital cameras were used to generate the glitch effect. The blankets were then woven with the design on computerized Jacquard looms.

Example Glitch Textiles design.

Engineering: Airplanes, Jets, and Rockets

With this example, I’m definitely being more general, but I did find a “spaceship” to show for reference. Although initial conceptions of airplanes in the 20th century were designed through a mix of theory and empirical studies, modern aerospace engineering has definitely reached a point where extensive computation can be valuable. Modern aircraft designs are likely passed through fluid dynamic simulations to determine optimal structures for increasing lift and thrust. Spaceflight is even a step above, and some rather eccentric designs such as the SpaceShip III from Virgin Galactic have emerged as a result, and I believe that these were vetted against many computer simulations beforehand, resulting in the computational design you see now.

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShip III.

Computational Designers

In this section, I will highlight a couple computational researchers or designers whose work interests me.

Anja Kunic

I find Kunic’s work in reconfigurable robotic timber construction quite interesting due to the human-computer interaction component brought in with mixed reality. With computers and AI becoming increasingly ubiquitous, it’s inevitable that we will want to see ways for humans to cooperate with robots in various tasks, like construction in this case.

Below is an example of her work, which involves the repurposing of leftover timber from construction efforts. The various wood blocks are robotically fabricated and assigned individual QR codes that give them a unique material “dataset,” allowing tracking of individual pieces from one structure to another throughout reconfiguration. The assembly of the structures are done through human-robot collaboration in mixed reality.

Human-robot collaboration in mixed reality. Image courtesy of the CREATE Group.

Reconfigured timber structure. Image courtesy of the CREATE Group.

You can read her publications here or find more of her work on the CREATE Group’s website.

Jenny Sabin

Sabin and her team’s work is much more on the artistic side of computational fabrication in architecture. Her team’s sculptures are often inspired by biology and fibrous tissues in particular, and since I’ve always been quite drawn to bio-inspired designs, that was where my interest drew me in.

LightWeb is the name of the particular mural shown below, and it was fabricated entirely with steel. Slight variations in the machining process were used to play with reflections of light off the cut steel. Altogether, the architectural design was inspired by local organic growth systems.

LightWeb mural. Image courtesy of the Jenny Sabin Studio.

You can find more of her work on her studio’s website.