Nexus Network Journal最新文献

Many commentators ascribe a ‘Gothic feeling’ to the London churches of Nicholas Hawksmoor (1661–1736), despite their very different appearance. This study tests the hypothesis that Hawksmoor made conscious and deliberate use of the design principles and procedures of medieval Gothic architecture. New surveys were undertaken of the church interiors at three early Hawksmoor churches: St Alfege, Greenwich; St George-in-the-East; St Anne, Limehouse. The proportional relationships identified there suggest that the design process involved generating a series of squares and rectangles, based initially on the nave width, that established the principal plan dimensions. The nave width generated the nave height, which then set other significant vertical dimensions in the elevation. Hawksmoor used the medieval procedures of triangulation at St Anne and the ‘rotation of squares’ at St Alfege and St George-in-the-East. Taken together, these processes probably account for the perceived ‘Gothic feeling’.

The article delves into the integration of a typological discourse within contemporary design practice, offering insights into a generative system aimed at processing design scenarios from typological analyses. By identifying architectural types within the context of Bogota’s periphery, this research showcases the potential of computational methods to formalize typological principles in design. It also explores the possibilities of digital design to facilitate the production of customized housing solutions on a mass scale. This study contributes to the debate about the role of typology in design practice, highlighting the possibilities inherent in leveraging computational tools to enhance architectural synthesis. Additionally, it investigates the potential of a digital design framework to offer alternative solutions to the housing crisis, addressing the growing demand for affordable, high-quality housing in Latin America.

This study investigates the development of the Hat monotile, a singular tile designed by David Smith and his team, capable of covering surfaces with unique, non-repeating, aperiodic patterns. We enhance this tiling concept by integrating diverse motifs into the Hat monotile, improving its attractiveness and adaptability. Utilizing computational tools, we experiment with these tiles to assess their potential in architecture, specifically focusing on their ability to innovate facade designs through simplified fabrication processes, cost reduction, and greater design flexibility. Our research demonstrates the practical applications of these distinctive patterns, bridging the gap between mathematical theories and architectural implementation. The objective is to encourage further exploration and innovation in applying aperiodic patterns, underlining their potential to discover the beauty in asymmetrical forms.

This paper describes a revision of so-called Monge surfaces through using digital graphic tools, based on the synthetic conception exposed by Gaspard Monge in the 18th and 19th centuries, through their geometric relation with polar surface. As a starting point, we propose a graphical system that integrally solves the generation of these kind of surfaces, their rationalization and discretization, with the objective of their specific application in architecture. The geometric system described allows the generation of a type of surface in which the pair of curves -generatrix and directrix- give rise to the network of principal lines of curvature (LCP) of the final surface. In this way, we propose a process that follows a bottom-up generative system based on Monge surfaces, which offers wide possibilities of formal exploration, while imposing geometrical-constructive properties that are very useful in fabrication and assembly processes.

Liaoning terminal and Beijing railway station are significant architectural heritage sites along the Peking–Mukden Railway. Their architectural styles do not only embody their cultural value but also serve as their carriers. This study explores the relationship between the architectural styles of these two stations and their geometric characteristics to uncover the origins and underlying principles of their styles, thereby contributing to their preservation and renovation. By analyzing the geometric systems, order of plans and elevations, and the visual complexity of their elevations, the study provides valuable insights. The classical attributes of these stations are manifested through the use of geometric proportion systems with a considerable fractal dimension, demonstrating continuity across different scales. Conversely, their modernity and national style are reflected in the intricate elevation elements, which exhibit varying fractal dimensions across different elevation layers.

Nexus Network Journal guest editor Roberta Spallone introduces papers selected from the Nexus Conference 2023 in Turin for detailed review, expansion and development. These papers identify close links between architecture, mathematics, and specific areas of interest related to historical periods, architectural cultures, typological elements, and analysis tools.

The construction of gunpowder magazines, undertaken by military engineers in Spain throughout the eighteenth century bears testament to the Enlightenment’s construction ethos in the different domains forming the Hispanic Monarchy. In the study on the typological classification that we have performed on 271 projects involving these magazines, 31 designed using gothic vaults have been unearthed. The geometric study into this constructive system unveils that 68.97% of these pointed arches feature centres placed below the impost, suggesting that the angle of incidence on the vertical faces is below 90º, thus sharing this property with catenary vaults. Viewing the appraisals given in La théorie et la pratique de la coupe de pierres (1738) by Frézier on the structural coherence of these figures, it can be concluded that this pointed system employed by Hispanic military engineers is a simplified attempt to standardise the gothic vault in line with the catenary model.

In non-Muslim countries with an Islamic historical background, Islamic geometric patterns (IGPs) are significant for reflecting the history, identity, and culture of the local Muslim communities. However, effectively communicating these patterns with local cultures remains a pressing issue. This study focuses on Donglianhua Village, a Muslim community in Weishan County, Yunnan Province, China, employing the Grasshopper plugin in Rhino software, principles of shape grammar, and digital technologies, including Stable Diffusion and ControlNet, for the design of IGPs. A subsequent satisfaction survey conducted with 219 villagers yielded an average satisfaction score of 3.583, indicating the design’s success and broad acceptance. This study demonstrates the potential of parametric design and digital technology interventions in facilitating cultural dialogue and integration.

Historical buildings in the Eastern world of architecture host many Islamic geometric patterns which are known as mathematically sophisticated patterns regarding their period of creation. This study focuses on the preparation of a model that can be helpful for the analysis and restoration/maintenance of these patterns. For this, a deep learning model to detect and classify star types in Islamic geometric patterns has been proposed, and the trials were evaluated. Accordingly, this study presents a database containing 5-pointed, 6-pointed, 8-pointed and 12-pointed star types. The database consists of 600 Islamic geometric patterns. A mask RCNN algorithm was trained to detect and classify star types using the prepared database. The results of the training indicate that the loss value is 0.90 and the validation loss value is 0.85. The algorithm was tested using images that it had not seen before and the results were evaluated. This paper presents a discussion on the pros and cons of the trained algorithm.

This contribution explores the application of the BIM methodology in the context of built heritage (HBIM). Specifically, it investigates how this methodology has evolved in terms of modeling techniques, viewed through the lens of Drawing as a critical aspect of its implementation. By considering these perspectives together, the paper aims to identify the primary advantages and limitations of HBIM, highlighting the need for defined workflows to effectively manage and deconstruct the intricate architectural elements found in the Palazzo del Collegio dei Nobili, which represents Turin's brick buildings from the Savoy Baroque period.