Integrating simulation into design: an experiment in pedagogical environments

With the growing complexity of design technology and the emergence of intelligent design assistance, architectural studio classes are facing a new pedagogical paradigm. The digital literacy of younger generations and availability of scientific simulation have the potential to transform the traditional master–apprentice model. In our experiment, we had students perform a museum layout task and observed their behaviors from three perspectives: (1) how students utilize an assistance tool and whether we can group their behavior, (2) how the new simulation-aided design process is different from a traditional one, particularly in terms of the evolution of solution over iteration, and (3) whether students' behavior is affected by the type of design problem given. Protocol analysis on design processes and interviews revealed that individual’s characteristic design processes in terms of iteration ranged from distinct iterations guided by simulation to monotonous progress with little simulation. When comparing between an instructor and software, it was not the given environment but the designer’s subjectivity that determined their attitudes toward either type of feedback. Lastly, the challenge of integrating design concepts with performance requirements stemmed from a misalignment between their true evaluative measures. We propose that a versatile design platform implement real-time, non-intrusive mechanisms for performance reporting and solution branching, and include social and psychological measures as well as physical ones in order to expand designers’ concept choices.