Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / This research aims at developing a different kind of virtual world that is dynamically designed and implemented as needed. Currently, most virtual world designs are considered static. Similar to the physical world, these worlds are pre-defined prior to their use. The resultant environments serve certain purposes but do not take into consideration possible changes to the purposes during their use, changes which often occur when the occupants interact with the environments and with each other. Virtual worlds as networked environments can be flexibly configured and programmed. This flexibility makes it possible to consider virtual world designs in terms of dynamics and autonomy, reflecting the changing needs of different moments. To achieve dynamic designs of virtual worlds, this study applies a computational approach using rational design agents. A Generative Design Agent (GDA) model is developed that specifies computational processes for reasoning and designing in virtual worlds. The GDAs serve as personal design agents to the virtual world occupants. Design formalisms for virtual worlds are also addressed. The design component of a GDA is supported by the application of a generative design grammar. On one hand, generative design grammars serve as the generative force to be applied by the GDAs for virtual world design automation. On the other hand, each grammar defines coherent stylistic characterisations shared by the virtual world designs it generates. The technical outcomes of the research consist of the GDA model and a generative design grammar framework. The framework provides guidelines and strategies to designers for developing generative design grammars that produce different design languages for virtual worlds, rather than predefine every detail of all possible virtual world designs. GDAs monitor the virtual worlds and the various activities that occur in the worlds, interpret the occupants’ needs in the virtual worlds and the state of the worlds based on these observations, hypothesise design goals in order to satisfy these needs, and finally apply generative design grammars to provide virtual world designs for the moment, or initiate other actions in the worlds, according to the current design goals, on behalf of the occupants. The development of the GDA model and the generative design grammar framework provides new perspectives for understanding and developing virtual worlds. The GDA model challenges the conventional way that virtual worlds are designed and implemented, and this leads to dynamic designs of virtual worlds. The generative design grammar framework provides a computational approach to formally defining design languages for virtual worlds.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / This research aims at developing a different kind of virtual world that is dynamically designed and implemented as needed. Currently, most virtual world designs are considered static. Similar to the physical world, these worlds are pre-defined prior to their use. The resultant environments serve certain purposes but do not take into consideration possible changes to the purposes during their use, changes which often occur when the occupants interact with the environments and with each other. Virtual worlds as networked environments can be flexibly configured and programmed. This flexibility makes it possible to consider virtual world designs in terms of dynamics and autonomy, reflecting the changing needs of different moments. To achieve dynamic designs of virtual worlds, this study applies a computational approach using rational design agents. A Generative Design Agent (GDA) model is developed that specifies computational processes for reasoning and designing in virtual worlds. The GDAs serve as personal design agents to the virtual world occupants. Design formalisms for virtual worlds are also addressed. The design component of a GDA is supported by the application of a generative design grammar. On one hand, generative design grammars serve as the generative force to be applied by the GDAs for virtual world design automation. On the other hand, each grammar defines coherent stylistic characterisations shared by the virtual world designs it generates. The technical outcomes of the research consist of the GDA model and a generative design grammar framework. The framework provides guidelines and strategies to designers for developing generative design grammars that produce different design languages for virtual worlds, rather than predefine every detail of all possible virtual world designs. GDAs monitor the virtual worlds and the various activities that occur in the worlds, interpret the occupants’ needs in the virtual worlds and the state of the worlds based on these observations, hypothesise design goals in order to satisfy these needs, and finally apply generative design grammars to provide virtual world designs for the moment, or initiate other actions in the worlds, according to the current design goals, on behalf of the occupants. The development of the GDA model and the generative design grammar framework provides new perspectives for understanding and developing virtual worlds. The GDA model challenges the conventional way that virtual worlds are designed and implemented, and this leads to dynamic designs of virtual worlds. The generative design grammar framework provides a computational approach to formally defining design languages for virtual worlds.

A presente tese propõe um modelo geométrico paramétrico para a geração, baseada em regras, da geometria do projetos de Habitação de Interesse Social, HIS, adequada à realidade socioeconômica brasileira. A definição do modelo partiu da análise dos padrões existentes na morfologia dos projetos arquitetônicos de uma amostra da produção de HIS de Porto Alegre (Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil) e Região Metropolitana. A identificação destes padrões serviu para acessar os limites de variação e qualificação do projeto da HIS. Foram utilizadas representações adimensionais associadas a grafos de adjacência para descrição das relações espaciais mais freqüentes em dois níveis distintos porém relacionados - para o equipamento e para os compartimentos. O modelo de Gramáticas da Forma serviu à descrição das regras de composição e configuração do espaço e seus componentes. A análise comparativa do corpus e das necessidades programáticas forneceu a variação admissível dos parâmetros dimensionais. A implementação computacional do modelo geométrico resultante permitiu a exploração das variações paramétricas das alternativas de configuração de projeto. Os resultados permitiram verificar uma homogeneidade da estrutura sintática do corpus que ultrapassa os limites tipológicos. Parte das diferenças existentes entre os elementos da amostra podem ser atribuídas a variações paramétricas das partes e a sua influência mútua na composição da área total e da forma da unidade habitacional. Variações paramétricas de uma configuração podem servir para adaptar a inserção da unidade habitacional no lote ou no edifício. A aplicabilidade do modelo geométrico paramétrico pode ser vista sob dois aspectos interrelacionados: como matriz generativa para o desenvolvimento de projetos mais adequados a problemas específicos e, conseqüentemente, e como uma alternativa a padronização da produção habitacional. / This thesis proposes a parametric geometrical model for the rule-based generation of the configurational geometry of social housing architectural designs, suitable to the Brazilian socioeconomic context. The model was based on analysis of existing patterns identified in the morphology of architectural designs from a sample of the social housing production in Porto Alegre and Metropolitan Area. The identification of these patterns was intended to access the limits of variation and qualification of social housing designs. The association between dimensionless representations and adjacency graphs was used for the description of spatial relations in two distinguished but related levels: for the furniture and the rooms. The shape grammars model was used to describe the geometrical rules governing the composition and configuration of the space and its components. The comparative analysis of the corpus and functional needs enabled to identify the admissible variation of the dimensional parameters. The computational implementation of the resulting geometrical model allowed the exploration of the parametric variations in the design configuration alternatives. The results showed homogeneity of syntactic structure of the corpus, which overcomes the typological limits.! Part of the differences between the elements of the sample may be attributed to the parametric variations in rooms and their mutual influence on the composition of the total area and the shape of the housing unit. The parametric variations in a design can also enable setting the location of the housing unit on a plot or in a building. The application of the parametric geometrical model can be seen in two interrelated aspects: as a generative matrix for the development of projects best suited to specific problems, and consequently, as an alternative to the standardization of housing production.

A presente tese propõe um modelo geométrico paramétrico para a geração, baseada em regras, da geometria do projetos de Habitação de Interesse Social, HIS, adequada à realidade socioeconômica brasileira. A definição do modelo partiu da análise dos padrões existentes na morfologia dos projetos arquitetônicos de uma amostra da produção de HIS de Porto Alegre (Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil) e Região Metropolitana. A identificação destes padrões serviu para acessar os limites de variação e qualificação do projeto da HIS. Foram utilizadas representações adimensionais associadas a grafos de adjacência para descrição das relações espaciais mais freqüentes em dois níveis distintos porém relacionados - para o equipamento e para os compartimentos. O modelo de Gramáticas da Forma serviu à descrição das regras de composição e configuração do espaço e seus componentes. A análise comparativa do corpus e das necessidades programáticas forneceu a variação admissível dos parâmetros dimensionais. A implementação computacional do modelo geométrico resultante permitiu a exploração das variações paramétricas das alternativas de configuração de projeto. Os resultados permitiram verificar uma homogeneidade da estrutura sintática do corpus que ultrapassa os limites tipológicos. Parte das diferenças existentes entre os elementos da amostra podem ser atribuídas a variações paramétricas das partes e a sua influência mútua na composição da área total e da forma da unidade habitacional. Variações paramétricas de uma configuração podem servir para adaptar a inserção da unidade habitacional no lote ou no edifício. A aplicabilidade do modelo geométrico paramétrico pode ser vista sob dois aspectos interrelacionados: como matriz generativa para o desenvolvimento de projetos mais adequados a problemas específicos e, conseqüentemente, e como uma alternativa a padronização da produção habitacional. / This thesis proposes a parametric geometrical model for the rule-based generation of the configurational geometry of social housing architectural designs, suitable to the Brazilian socioeconomic context. The model was based on analysis of existing patterns identified in the morphology of architectural designs from a sample of the social housing production in Porto Alegre and Metropolitan Area. The identification of these patterns was intended to access the limits of variation and qualification of social housing designs. The association between dimensionless representations and adjacency graphs was used for the description of spatial relations in two distinguished but related levels: for the furniture and the rooms. The shape grammars model was used to describe the geometrical rules governing the composition and configuration of the space and its components. The comparative analysis of the corpus and functional needs enabled to identify the admissible variation of the dimensional parameters. The computational implementation of the resulting geometrical model allowed the exploration of the parametric variations in the design configuration alternatives. The results showed homogeneity of syntactic structure of the corpus, which overcomes the typological limits.! Part of the differences between the elements of the sample may be attributed to the parametric variations in rooms and their mutual influence on the composition of the total area and the shape of the housing unit. The parametric variations in a design can also enable setting the location of the housing unit on a plot or in a building. The application of the parametric geometrical model can be seen in two interrelated aspects: as a generative matrix for the development of projects best suited to specific problems, and consequently, as an alternative to the standardization of housing production.

A presente tese propõe um modelo geométrico paramétrico para a geração, baseada em regras, da geometria do projetos de Habitação de Interesse Social, HIS, adequada à realidade socioeconômica brasileira. A definição do modelo partiu da análise dos padrões existentes na morfologia dos projetos arquitetônicos de uma amostra da produção de HIS de Porto Alegre (Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil) e Região Metropolitana. A identificação destes padrões serviu para acessar os limites de variação e qualificação do projeto da HIS. Foram utilizadas representações adimensionais associadas a grafos de adjacência para descrição das relações espaciais mais freqüentes em dois níveis distintos porém relacionados - para o equipamento e para os compartimentos. O modelo de Gramáticas da Forma serviu à descrição das regras de composição e configuração do espaço e seus componentes. A análise comparativa do corpus e das necessidades programáticas forneceu a variação admissível dos parâmetros dimensionais. A implementação computacional do modelo geométrico resultante permitiu a exploração das variações paramétricas das alternativas de configuração de projeto. Os resultados permitiram verificar uma homogeneidade da estrutura sintática do corpus que ultrapassa os limites tipológicos. Parte das diferenças existentes entre os elementos da amostra podem ser atribuídas a variações paramétricas das partes e a sua influência mútua na composição da área total e da forma da unidade habitacional. Variações paramétricas de uma configuração podem servir para adaptar a inserção da unidade habitacional no lote ou no edifício. A aplicabilidade do modelo geométrico paramétrico pode ser vista sob dois aspectos interrelacionados: como matriz generativa para o desenvolvimento de projetos mais adequados a problemas específicos e, conseqüentemente, e como uma alternativa a padronização da produção habitacional. / This thesis proposes a parametric geometrical model for the rule-based generation of the configurational geometry of social housing architectural designs, suitable to the Brazilian socioeconomic context. The model was based on analysis of existing patterns identified in the morphology of architectural designs from a sample of the social housing production in Porto Alegre and Metropolitan Area. The identification of these patterns was intended to access the limits of variation and qualification of social housing designs. The association between dimensionless representations and adjacency graphs was used for the description of spatial relations in two distinguished but related levels: for the furniture and the rooms. The shape grammars model was used to describe the geometrical rules governing the composition and configuration of the space and its components. The comparative analysis of the corpus and functional needs enabled to identify the admissible variation of the dimensional parameters. The computational implementation of the resulting geometrical model allowed the exploration of the parametric variations in the design configuration alternatives. The results showed homogeneity of syntactic structure of the corpus, which overcomes the typological limits.! Part of the differences between the elements of the sample may be attributed to the parametric variations in rooms and their mutual influence on the composition of the total area and the shape of the housing unit. The parametric variations in a design can also enable setting the location of the housing unit on a plot or in a building. The application of the parametric geometrical model can be seen in two interrelated aspects: as a generative matrix for the development of projects best suited to specific problems, and consequently, as an alternative to the standardization of housing production.