ArchWeek - Wiki Design Studio - Part One

[Kevin Matthews]

Discussion related this ArchitectureWeek story:

[Wael Abdelhameed]

Dear Kevin Matthews and David Owen,

I will start with explaining the term Wiki Design that professor Kobayashi (College of Design, Arizona State University, USA) and I have been developing since more than two years. We introduced this term in order for online users of our Wiki Design system to search, visualize, modify, and then add designs in an online map. On conceptual level, we use the famous Wiki concept associated with two other concepts through one system for designing.

The first concept is explained as a design map (DesignMap); a map for visual designs of 2d and 3d. These designs are classified based on their formal properties of object relationships, and presented through the system through nodes. The map shows these designs as nodes, and the links between them as lines. The following example will explain how the links are formed; a design is considered a parent design when it is unique while a child design is a modified design from a parent one (based on formal properties). Thus when a user of our wiki design modifies an existed design in the design map, and saves what s/he made. The system checks out the formal proporaties of the modified design in order to be considered a child. If yes, the modified design will be linked to its parent through nodes and links.

The second concept is a modeling tool in the easiest possible way (KISS modeling or Keep It Simple Stupid modeling). Just three buttons are used to add, modify, and delete. Any one can understand and use this modeling system at one glance.

Combining the three concepts of KISS modeling, DesignMap, and Wiki Design, in one system allows various applications in areas of architecture and urban planning, e.g. design process, design studio, design education, design projects execution, project management, etc. However, generating a huge number of 2D/3D designs in an online map of visual database is the most distinguished application, for example, a designer can make 1000 patterns of residential houses, but for creating 100,000 patterns, it seems unfeasible task for one person. All users around the world share to do this task. And as what happens in any wiki application, good designs will survive while bad designs may be deleted.

Consequently, what you presented in your article can be described as employing wiki concept in design drawings and images. While, what we presented and published in ASCAAD 2007 (KISS modeling), Sigradi 2007 (DesignMap), IJAC 9-2008 (Implementations and Applications of DesignMap), and another paper under evaluation (Design Wiki), can be considered employing wiki concept in designing itself and in a visual map of 2D/3D designs.

All the best and appreciation for you.

Wael Abdelhameed, Ph.D.
Asst Prof, Dept of Architecture,
University of Bahrain, Bahrain.
wabdelhameed@eng.uob.bh