New Forms That Function Better

Design software helps architects create grand projects with fanciful forms. Its time to put the technology to better use.

Since the unveiling of Frank Gehrys titanium-skinnedGuggenheim Museum Bilbaoin 1997, weve grown accustomed toeye-popping architectural statements, whether in the complex geometry of Herzog & de MeuronsBeijing National Stadium(also known as the Birds Nest) or in the precarious cantilevering of Zaha Hadids MAXXINational Museumin Rome. If it seems theres some immensely complicated system being used to engineer these gravity-defying arcs, ramps, and curves, thats because there is. But that technology, known as parametric modeling, can do much more than facilitate the fantastic creations of Gehry, Hadid, and their ilk. Increasingly, parametric design is being used not just to make buildings more visually compelling but to precisely tune nearly every aspect of their performance, from acoustics to energy efficiency. Its not as sexy an application, but it will become far more valuable to architecture and the way we live and work.