Prototypical architecture Design research method with full-scale models

Abstract

This paper will discuss the role of the prototype in the design process, in the context of adaptive principles and iterative procedures. The starting point of this study will be the analysis of several recent projects from THEVERYMANY (TM) and their concept of "prototypical architecture". This paper aims to give an insight into both a different conception of architecture and the specific ways of research-oriented work which have redefined the role of the prototype in the design process. In the analysis presented here, the role of computer-aided architectural design is seen as fundamental in the development and further improvement of the iterative design process through faster and more affordable construction of prototypes.