Knowledge Base Repository
In addition to research papers, the Design Society is developing several valuable resources for those interested in the study of design. These include a repository of PhD theses, a library of case studies and transcripts of design activities, and an archive of our newsletters. Please note that these resources are accessible exclusively to Design Society members.
URBAN MINING 1.0: DECOLONISING GENERATIVE DESIGN THROUGH BIOMIMETIC-CULTURAL SYNCRETIC ARCHITECTURE
Provides NGg (1,2); Baha ODAIBAT (3); Bumsuk KO (3)
Type:
Year:
2025
Editor:
Yong Se Kim; Yutaka Nomaguchi; Cees de Bont; Jianxi Luo; Xiaofang Yuan; Linna Hu; Meng Wang
Author:
Series:
Other endorsed
Institution:
1: Chinese University of Hong Kong, China; 2: University College London, United Kingdom; 3: Neutral Lab, Vietnam
Page(s):
388-396
Abstract:
Biomimicry architecture promises to synthesize ecological principles and computational efficiency, yet risks marginalising vernacular knowledge systems via universalist optimisation logics. Analysing precedents in Chinese and Jordanian scholarship reveals the imperative to embed both environmental and cultural contextual intelligence into computational workflows, countering colonial residues inherent in standardised design. Employing a Research-through-Design (RtD) methodology, the study develops a modular system, subsequently infused with traditional patterns (Phase I & II), and integrates physics simulations to foster structural emergence from cultural motifs (Phase III). This culminates in applying the refined pipeline to design an orthopaedic hospital in Jordan, synthesising algorithmic generation with indigenous geometric traditions. Crucially, the investigation proposes and applies a novel "roots-residue-resistance" (3R) framework, evaluating cultural rootedness, colonial residue, and community resistance as a decolonial audit tool for designer self-reflexivity. The findings advocate for a biomimetic-cultural synthesis that positions vernacular knowledge as vital resources ("urban mines") for sustainable architectural production, thereby challenging homogenisation and promoting epistemic justice within computational design praxis.
Keywords:
