Media interaction and design process: establishing a knowledge base

Integrating computers in architectural design means to negotiate between ce nturies-old analog design methods and the new digital systems of production . Analog systems of architectural production use tracing paper, vellum, gra phite and ink, clipboard, clay, balsa wood, plastic, metal, etc. Analog sys tems have also been termed "handmade", "manual", "material" or "physical". Digital systems of architectural production use scanning, image manipulatio n, visualization, solid modeling, computer aided drafting, animation, rende ring, etc. Digital systems have also been called "electronic", "computer-ai ded", "virtual", etc. The difficulty lies in the underdeveloped state of the necessary methods, t echniques, and theories to relate traditional and new media. Recent investi gations on the use of multiple iterations between manual and electronic sys tems to advance architectural work show promising results. However, these e xperiments have not been sufficiently codified, cross-referenced and third party tested to conform a reliable knowledge base. This paper addresses thi s shortcoming by bringing together reported experiences from diverse resear chers over the past decade. This summary is informed by more than three yea rs of continuous investigation in the impacts of analog-digital conversatio ns in the design process. The goal is to establish a state-of-the-art commo n foundation that permits instructors, researchers and practitioners to ref er to, utilize, test, criticize and develop. An appendix is included provid ing support for the paper's arguments.