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Digital Design Techniques to Assist in the Composition of Traditional Urban Buildings

The design process of traditional urban fabric historically relied entirely on manual drawing techniques. Recent advances in digital design technology, including 3D modelling and light ray tracing, have unlocked several useful new techniques that can be harnessed to augment specific aspects of the design process of traditional urban building types. The paper examines 3 primary methods: 1. Seamless movement between orthographic and perspective views. Traditional designs strive for logical plan arrangements which, once built, are experienced in three-dimensions. Advances in digital modelling technology now allow designs to be quickly modelled and then easily viewed from a variety of angles, for improved evaluation of proposed forms during the iterative development of design ideas. 2. Accurate simulation of shadow shapes and light effects. Traditional urban architecture depends on careful composition of shadow shapes to expressively subdivide and articulate building masses. Digital 3D modelling and light ray tracing software allow building mouldings, projections and other sculptural forms to be quickly and efficiently modelled and instantly tested accurately in a variety of simulated lighting conditions, improving visual feedback in the design process to facilitate more rapid and effective design iterations. 3. Visualization of design proposals at a variety of distances. Traditional urban buildings are specifically designed to be viewed from a number of different distances. Smaller order compositions are nested within larger order compositions. Larger order compositions are designed to be viewed from greater distances, smaller order compositions from closer distances. Advances in digital 3D modelling and light ray tracing software allow views of designs to be accurately simulated at a variety of distances, thus helping to facilitate well-composed nested compositions. The paper then examines a variety of potential disadvantages of current digital design platforms in the design of traditional urban buildings and concludes with suggestions for how they can be rectified to improve future outcomes.