Architecture Engineers Award

Material-led design has emerged as a pivotal strategy in contemporary architectural research, emphasizing how the intrinsic properties of materials can shape both form and function. Hybrid structures, combining multiple natural materials, offer unique opportunities to expand the architectural design repertoire. This paper investigates a bamboo-wood hybrid pavilion that integrates the robustness of forked wood with the flexibility of bamboo poles, demonstrating the potential of hybrid material systems for sustainable and adaptive architectural solutions. Rationale for Bamboo-Wood Hybrid Systems Natural bamboo and wood possess complementary structural characteristics: bamboo provides lightweight flexibility and tensile strength, while forked wood offers load-bearing capacity and robustness. By strategically combining these materials, the hybrid system addresses limitations of individual materials, enabling complex spatial forms, improved resilience, and higher construction tolerance, pa...

With the growing integration of artificial intelligence in architectural practice, machine learning (ML) has emerged as a promising tool for enhancing design efficiency and decision-making. While ML techniques are well known for identifying complex patterns within large datasets, their application in predicting architectural design parameters—particularly for form generation—remains relatively underexplored. This study investigates the feasibility of a machine learning–based framework capable of predicting numerical design parameters to support the generation of architectural form in a controlled, human-centered design context. Complexity of Architectural Form Generation Architectural form generation is influenced by multiple interdependent factors, including spatial logic, functional requirements, and human-centered considerations. These factors introduce a high level of complexity that challenges conventional rule-based or deterministic design approaches. This section discusses ho...