Wolfram Science

Thomas Speller: "A Study within the Nanosystem Architecture Domain: Self-Assembly of Graphene"

Thomas Speller discussed a combination of shape grammars and cellular automata.  Shape grammars are apparently specifications of 2- or 3-dimensional forms, and are commonly used used in architectural schools. I wasn't familiar with the concept of shape grammars, but they appear to be a natural way to symbolically specify shapes.

He is interested in a domain study of graphene, a common structure in all biotic systems and many inanimate ones, which is becoming a popular subject of study among condensed matter physicists. He was generating shape grammars for graphene by using cellular automata to model the possible transitions between states.

He showed comparisons of different the results from different CAs pre-selected to model different physics processes, and showed that in each one, graphene-like structures were created. The difficulty in translating these processes to reality appears to be limiting the number of atoms that combine into separate aggregations before bonding with each other.

Ferda Kolatan, "Responsive Architecture through Parametric Design"

Ferda Kolatan began by remarking that architecture not usually considered an area for research. He works for a research-oriented architectural firm where they deploy tools that create systems that then design. They look for three basic features of systems they design:

• Diversity
• Adaptability
• Responsiveness to Feedback

He introduced the conceit of intelligent skins: surfaces plus structure and gave as examples a dragonfly's wing, the plating on an armadillo, and a crocodile's skin.

He then showed how they had designed a tile system based on dragonfly wings that could be used as a roof structure and discussed the various features that emerged from this kind of design.