09.25.2013

Computational Research + Design

Design and fabrication are undergoing rapid transformation and are becoming much more closely linked than at any time in history, making a rapid convergence of the designer and the fabricator. To further its commitment to innovative design and to lead in the convergence of design and fabrication, Viñoly’s Computational Research + Design (CR+D) – a collective initiative composed of members of the firm with strong technical backgrounds – works to optimize the workflow among the different disciplines within the firm by introducing software exchange standards and through applied research in avant-garde digital design and fabrication techniques – with focus on: complex geometries, digital fabrication, performance-based design, building information management, and advanced visualization.

Members of CR+D team participate in the global community of the field by advancing design practices and technology, organizing lectures, and participating in state-of-the-art workshops and conferences, which is imparted across the workflow to the benefit of the firm and its projects.

Recent work using the CR+D process include: the automatic panelization and documentation of construction details of 6,510 unique roof panels, 85,500 unique ceiling panels, and thousands of uniquely dimensioned structural components for an airport with a striking double curvature roof; and real-time shading analysis of a mixed-use waterfront development’s perfectly circular roof to minimize solar convergence.