ABSTRACT
Chapter 26 explores the interplay between design and computing in architecture, highlighting the permeable boundary that once existed and the historical prevalence of designer-aided computation. It traces the progression of digital operations in architecture, from early forms of human-computer interaction to the advent of electrical computers, and the shift from visual to symbolic programming. The chapter posits that discrete-state thinking, which involves calculating with discrete units, has influenced architectural design. This suggests that not only is architectural design computable, but also that the way architects perceive architectural problems can be programmable. The first section reflects upon the dawn of algorithmic design reasoning during the Renaissance. The second section discusses the implications of Alan Turing’s vision of his universal discrete-states machine on computer-aided design. The third section examines the limitations of digital thinking by contrasting the ways in which machines and humans compute design, both in their differences and similarities. It prompts a critical reflection on the distinct perspectives and capabilities of machines and human designers in the context of architectural computation.
