Geographic LiDAR scan, edited. Original scan data, Available at: https://hoydedata.no/LaserInnsyn/ [Accessed April 14, 2021].
1. WELCOME
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Architects work with new and existing buildings. They are now perhaps working with existing situations and buildings more than ever before. There are several reasons for this trend; cities are expanding and space within the cities is scarce. There is a need to reconstruct what is previously built in order for the buildings to meet newer technical requirements. As a workforce, the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry strives to build a good environment that meets climate goals, as well as all societal goals. To be able to meet the environmental goals we need to be able to make better use of the existing building mass.
In this master thesis I want to ask the question whether Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), as a source of technology, can help architects progress further and design buildings that incorporate what is good in the existing built environment and deduct what needs change for the better. Or, if not being better, perhaps different. The AEC industry generally consists of two generations of architects, ranging from the 2D designers with pen and paper to the Virtual Reality (VR) designers, taking new and advanced technology into use. The AEC industry seems however to be slow to adapt to new standards because of its mere size and technological competence. When introducing new technology, the architectural generations will have to work together to be able to embody the best from both generations - experience and technological competence.
To understand the built environment better and get quantitative and qualitative data faster, LiDAR can help to start the design process with a reference of the existing situation instead of a blank sheet of paper. This could lead the way for architects to understand the existing buildings better and interpret how the new design would enhance the architecture of the existing buildings. Good architecture is and always has been about shaping good spaces with a coherent and attractive sequence of spaces. Many older buildings have great spaces but lack the technical requirements to be able to survive in a world that is increasingly focused on sustainability.
LiDAR technology has recently become available on mobile phones. This presents the question whether it can be a game changer of how we can design, communicate and interact with one another. It could also potentially change the scope with which architects work, and more interestingly, how they work.
1.2 MOTIVATION
The inspiration for this master thesis comes from my experience of two years at Pratt Institute in New York, studying industrial design, and approaching five years of architecture studies at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. It became quite clear at both educational institutions that a specific practice was used. The practice utilises design thinking, which allows for many possible solutions which are then tested towards a set of criteria and narrowed down to a design solution. This format is often known as divergent thinking (brainstorming) and narrowing down using convergent thinking (solution oriented). After an initial solution is found, there is again an iterative process to reflect on the proposed design which ensures greater quality of the outcome, whether it be architecture or industrial design. What becomes apparent is that when the process is driven by price and efficiency, we typically lack the time to do enough iterations to find the most appropriate solution. A city developer might ask if a solution works once, why should it not work again? The reality tends to be that each and every situation is different and one particular solution may not be the best solution in a different scenario.
As such, I wanted to see how a design process could differ if one starts with a completely different approach. Namely, to have the existing environment well documented and being able to accurately extract key information to be used in a design process. As Fred R. Barnard (1921) said, "One look is worth a thousand words”. What would happen if we could constantly refer back to that look, only this time in 3 dimensions, and in scale? With experience from previous projects we could then understand what makes that particular situation unique and set the criteria for what we cannot change. Design thinking in this setting can help by retaining the uniqueness of the buildings that are from different eras, as the set criteria is based on the existing buildings themselves.
Within recent years there has been an increasing focus on architecture that meets technical and environmental goals. The United Nations sustainability goals for sustainable cities and communities set a premise for the goals we architects have to achieve. They state that cities contribute to about 60% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 70% of global carbon emissions and 60% of resource use (United Nations, 2021). We can evidently see that architecture and the way we develop and build our cities has a major impact on the world economy, the environment and it's resources, therefore directly impacting our lives.
Entrepreneurs can economically benefit greatly from a cost-efficient project. This leads to increasing pressure to produce and finish the architectural design quickly, in terms of the desired quality and financial constraints given. Producing architecture with price as the main criteria can limit the creativity. The problem becomes clearer when we see the repetition of designs done in recent years. My belief is that when you walk around in a city, it is the difference between the buildings that makes a city beautiful. If price is the driving force for design, it entails a risk for lack of creativity and diversity within designs as it is financially safer to design something that has been done before. What then happens with the diversity of design?
Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology could help to solve some of the issues mentioned above. The technology has the ability to capture what we see. We then can create an accurate reference from the built situation which in turn can make it easier to develop and transform existing structures. The efficiency in the start of the process might mean that we have more time to be creative and design better buildings for the future. Spaces are limited and as such it is even more vital than ever to make sure that both new and repurposed buildings maintain a high standard; structurally, economically and environmentally.
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Barnard, Fred, 1921. One look is worth a thousand words. Fred R. Barnard, in Printers' Ink, 8 Dec., 1921, p. 96
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United Nations, 2021. Cities – United Nations Sustainable Development. United Nations sustainable development. Available at: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/cities/ [Accessed April 30, 2021].
1.3 METHOD
My method for doing this thesis has been to look at a new kind of technology and see the utilisation of the technology in the eyes of the architect. I looked at how LiDAR can be used to further enhance the design process of architects. Since the technology is brand-new on mobile phones, I started off by researching and understanding how I could use the technology.
There are currently many LiDAR scanning applications that are being developed simultaneously. I therefore tested the most promising ones to see which one would work the best for my intended use, as described further in chapter 3.1 MOBILE APPLICATIONS.
My next point of enquiry was to further understand the technology and acknowledge how this technology could work in symbiosis with architecture and its design process. I talked with people in the architecture industry to discover ways the tool could be used. Through this, I could understand the potentials and limitations of the tool and how the tool can be used in an architectural practice.
1.4 SCOPE OF INVESTIGATION
Through my supervisor’s advice, I read the book "Why Greatness Cannot be Planned - The Myth of the Objective" by Kenneth O. Stanley and Joel Lehman (2015). The book gave great insight into how objectives often set limits on discovering novelty. Novelty can be explained as finding something new or undiscovered. As such, I decided to have a constraint led approach, constantly trying to discover and try new ideas with the technology as the focal point. The key aspect with every new discovery was to always be able to tie it back into architecture. As Kenneth O. Stanley so elegantly said:
"The point is that novelty can often act as a stepping stone detector because anything novel is a potential stepping stone to something even more novel. In other words, novelty is a rough shortcut for identifying interestingness: Interesting ideas are those that open up new possibilities.” (Stanley & Lehman, 2015, p.40)
This quote left its mark on how I wanted to conduct my thesis. By testing and making use of LiDAR and proceeding to discover new applications for the tool I could potentially stumble upon something that is interesting and therefore help with future discoveries that in the long run can be an important stepping stone. What I discover can be interesting, which in turn can unveil new possibilities. I believe it is within this process that we can make changes that become game-changing within the fields of architecture, engineering and construction (AEC).
The thesis results in an overview of my work through 20 weeks, spanning from January to May 2021, with my findings, testing, produced material and their respective reflections. LiDAR technology is at the centre-point for all the work I have done.
Stanley, Kenneth O & Lehman, Joel, 2015. Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned. 2015th ed., Cham: Springer International Publishing AG.
1.5 SUMMARY
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There is an increased need to reconstruct what has been built for the existing buildings to meet newer technical requirements.
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With experience from previous projects we can understand what makes that particular situation unique, and set the criteria for what we do not want to change.
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LiDAR technology has only recently become available on mobile phones which presents the question whether this can be a game changer for how we can design, communicate and interact with one another.
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I decided to have a constraint led approach, constantly trying to discover and try new ideas with the technology as the focal point.