Digital Transformation and computing in Architecture and Urban Planning

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a huge growth in the world of smart devices, machines and systems. They can assist us to shorten the time, reduce cost, improve flexibility and achieve optimum efficiency of the production process. This could lead to an increase in data processing capacity and artificial intelligence. In that sense, Digital transformation in Architecture has its roots back into the 1950s when computer models and information systems were first introduced in Architecture and Urban Planning. Recently, the ability of these models to analyze and solve problems has increased dramatically due to the ability of hardware and software to manage large amounts of data. Nowadays, digital transformation is using in the design and processing of complex urban systems. Urban design is often seen by architects as special formal typologies and floor area ratios, whereas important elements such as human behaviours, forms of life, diversity, the topology of the movement networks and many others are usually neglected. This paper aims to focus on the space syntax techniques as important tools for analyzing internal and external spaces. Space Syntax theory is a method for describing and analyzing the relationships between spaces of urban areas and buildings. In space syntax, the spaces are understood as voids such as streets, squares, rooms and fields, between walls, fences and other aspects that restrain pedestrian movement or the visual field.