In the early phases of skyscraper planning, the designer is faced with a large variety of aspects, and a complicated web of relationships between these aspects. There is a large but severely disjointed body of expert knowledge available about the aspects and their relationships to each other. Organized as an exploratory journey into the attempt to resolve some of the problems in the field of skyscraper design, this study is a description of an investigation into the development of a skyscraper design tool.
Knowledge about the design of skyscrapers is organized in an information system which is based on the argumentative structure of design. This information system, called an Issue-Based Information System (IBIS), is developed and implemented for use with a computer, and some conclusions are drawn about the possible advantages and disadvantages of such a system. Other significant elements in the itinerary of this exploratory journey include a brief discussion of some of the difficulties of the activity of designing, an indication of some of the current problems in skyscraper design, and an attempt to provide a working definition of the term skyscraper (including some recommendations for future researchers in this area).
The major purpose of the research is to gain knowledge about the development of a generic IBIS and to start to develop an argumentatively structured knowledge base in the field of skyscrapers as an aid in design.
There is some indication that the IBIS does serve to encourage the discovery of knowledge, as evidenced by specific examples, and that it therefore may be a useful tool for designers. The subjective influence of the developer of the IBIS is manifested both in the structure and the level of specificity of the information system. The structure of the generic IBIS is found to support the structure of the reasoning of designers as described by Rittel. The differences between generic and acute applications of IBIS are discussed. Other discoveries include the importance of information retrieval aids such as indices and graphic maps, the lack of logical starting and stopping rule in the development and use of IBIS, and the role of serendipity in systematic methods such as IBIS.
An edited series of papers on the subject of computers in architecture, the book contains six major groupings; the role of metaphor in computers and design, the mission of educators, method and reasoning, modeling for visualization, modeling, and generative systems. The papers represent a wide variety of exploration into the uses of computers in architecture.
Software for Architects: The Guide to Computer Applications for the Architecture Profession is intended to help architects with the selection of software products to support their professional activities. The guide describes over 400 software applications, including information about what activities the program supports, what is needed to run the program, input and output requirements, etc. The guidebook is indexed by company, function, and hardware platform. Software for Architects was among the first guidebooks available describing the variety of software available in architecture.
