LAMBDA

EVALUATING THE EDGE OF CHAOS

MArch Design Research Lab - AADRL

London/UK | 2013

Research :: Exploring Cellular Automata in Architectural Design

The Lambda Project, developed at the Architectural Association’s Design Research Lab (AADRL), focused on an in-depth exploration of cellular automata to devise algorithmic strategies for generating, evaluating, and controlling complex growth systems. The project aimed to uncover architectural possibilities through generative strategies implemented within the Processing software environment.

Using the foundational principles of Conway's Game of Life, the research established initial conditions for system growth, first in a 2D grid and subsequently extending into 3D space. Data retrieved from these experiments informed iterative improvements in design. A significant innovation was the application of cellular automata to spaces tessellated into truncated octahedrons, moving beyond traditional cubic voxel frameworks and contributing novel insights to cellular automata research.

The project sought to develop an adaptive algorithm capable of analyzing the system’s behavior, utilizing statistical data to adjust input parameters—such as growth rules or initial configurations—to achieve specific design objectives. These adjustments allowed for dynamic modifications to the system's geometric structure, enabling strategies like frame searching and clustering to emerge naturally from the process.

The research was conducted in four distinct phases:

  1. Input Testing and Rule Generation: Experimenting with various initial conditions and growth rules to observe system behaviors.

  2. Data Collection: Extracting numerical data from the complex systems generated.

  3. Interpretation and Application: Analyzing and applying the data to inform and refine architectural strategies.

  4. Morphological Adaptation and Physical Modeling: Modifying the morphology of the generative field, producing a catalog of physical variations, and graphically representing the search tree for the desired results.

The Lambda Project culminated in a comprehensive exploration of cellular automata’s potential in architectural design. By combining algorithmic rigor with physical modeling, the project demonstrated how self-organizing systems could inform innovative architectural solutions and redefine the possibilities of computational design workflows.

TAGS : Self-organizing, self-assembly systems, cellular automata, game of life

PUBLICATIONS: Suckerpunchdaily, Evolo

TEAM: Flavia Ghirotto Santos [Brazil], Dmytro Aranchii [Ukraine], Paul Bart [Germany], Yuqiu Jiang [China]

TUTOR: Mostafa El Sayed

STUDIO: Theodore Spyropoulos Studio