Computational design

Added value computational design

Computational design, including parametric design, is a design method that uses a combination of algorithms and parameters to solve design problems with advanced computer processing. That does not mean that the computer makes the design. The 'computation' is the recipe and the designer determines the ingredients and preparation method: the parameters and the algorithms.

While there is little room in a traditional design process to quickly create multiple variants, this is possible with computational design. This not only gives the designer a lot of freedom and possibilities, but also has major advantages for our clients, the builders and the people who use our projects.

Making the seemingly impossible possible

Using computational design we can make the seemingly impossible possible. Methods such as computational design have now become commonplace, but at the time of the design of the Lightrail station in The Hague, ZJA was breaking new ground. It is one of the first projects we have completed entirely using this technology. And with that we came up with more logical, beautiful and material-saving solutions, which we would never have been able to find otherwise.

Reborn as Capital C Amsterdam, ZJA has made the former Diamond Exchange sparkle again as a monument that reflects both the present and the past. We designed the crowning achievement, in the form of a transparent dome of steel and glass, completely parametrically designed. The more than 200 panels, some with integrated PV cells, are made of flat glass, and only a quarter of them are the same.

View our papers and the design process of our projects for more innovative projects realised with computational design.

Computational design appeals to me because of the great freedom of form it provides, allowing to better accommodate the spatial wishes of clients and users.

Kiana Aryan Kia - Computational & generative designer at ZJA

In the ever-evolving world of architecture, where innovation and design intertwine, a new frontier is emerging. ZJA stands at the forefront of this transformative journey, as we embark on a research and development (R&D) venture into virtual spaces and the profound implications they hold for the future internet and the architecture.

Arav Kumar - 3 D Specialist at ZJA