The Parametric and Building Information Modeling upon Architectural Design Practice

Abstract

The Parametric and BIM have become two popular words often mentioned by architects. It was only about five years ago when few actually understood what they were, but nowadays almost every one can talk about them. Whereas, the Parametric has been regarded as the representative of complex form, meanwhile, there are many versions of BIM interpretation in China. Some even stacking up the Parametric and BIM, as well as many other popular words such as Non-linear, and Algorithmic, somehow exposing the significant malposition of the purposes and the processes of applying the digital technologies. In order to comprehend what is the Parametric, BIM, and their relationships, we must discuss them in the context of architectural design practice. This article starts from investigating the comprehensive meaning of the Parametric and BIM based upon the understanding of generalized design activities. Then, it employs the Four Quadrants framework by Ken Wilber to elaborate the relationships between BIM and design, between the Parametric and design, and between the Parametric and BIM, before looking forward into the future directions. In the end, the conclusion was summarized as that no matter the Parametric or BIM, they are all the vehicles but not the destinations, processes but not the purposes. Only when we understand their relationships upon architectural design practice, can we improve the collective efficiency and the work qualities of the design team without constraining individual designers’ intuitive and heuristic creativity.