Studies On The Evolution Of Architectural Design Tools

Architectural design tools are key factors of the architectural design technologies. In the cybernetic age, the digital tools are holding more and more weight in design process. Meanwhile, the influence of non-digital tools in that sphere is sliding down rapidly. The situation thus have brought about some confusion and misunderstanding to the users of the tools, the architects. The main purpose of this dissertation is to reveal some disciplines in the development of design tools which might lead to a better understanding of them both in the history and of today.Diagrams are used as a medium in the studies. By identifying the three different historical stages of the development of the diagrams' media, which are the on-site materials, the physical media and the digital media, the development of design tools are divided into three stages accordingly. In the first two stages (before 1980s), the non-digital tools share many features in common. In the third stage (after 1980s), however, the digital ones form a category apart.In the studies of the non-digital design tools before 1980s, the formal structure of diagram helps to identify five categories of the tools, which are lining, coloring, modeling, locating/orientating and measuring, each contributing to a different aspect of the structure. Then the threads provided by diagrams through out the history before 1980s are used to specify the development of some typical tools in each category. The impacts caused by certain cultural factors rather than the scientific ones are especially emphasized in the elaboration.When it comes to the third stage, namely after 1980s, the newly emerged digital tools are categorized into three types according to the modes in which the digital diagram are created. Each typical tool of the three types, which are animation mode, parametric mode and design + manufacturing mode, has been given an in-depth analysis. A comparison between the digital and non-digital tools in the third stage is also carried out in this part to better reveal the roles they are taking, in addressing the new demands of architectural design in the new age.The studies culminate in a series of disciplines. For architectural design tools, there are two types of developing modes, which are inventing/improving (manufacturing-system) and importing/manipulating (using-system). There also lies an important "anticipatory articulation" between the two systems above which means the using of existing tools as a quick response to a certain new demand always foresees a specific invention of tool to address it. Also the creative using of existing tools will have a revolutionary impact on the development of architectural design. The conclusion draws that the development of architectural design tools are mainly affected by their users, the architects, rather than the manufacturers through out the history and this may also apply to both the digital and non-digital tools of today.