Human-Centered Design and Co-design Methodologies for Mass Customization in Housing: A Case Study Using Cloud Computing Applications.

Abstract

This research paper presents Turing: an innovative tool that approaches mass-housing design and demonstrates how cloud computing and generative design can be conjointly used via an accessible webbased application to achieve a high level of user input and co-design integration. The technologies implemented are a Grasshopper cloud application with Rhino.Compute, linked to a web server and using Three.js as a visualisation engine on a website. This work explores the design, industrial and commercial opportunities of co-designed, platform-based processes for customisable collective residential developments through generative design and cloud computing from a human-centred perspective. The findings of this research explore an user integration approach in mass customisation using web tools. This paper also investigates the potential of generative design and cloud computing by examining how residential models can be co-designed by architects, developers, manufacturers and users through a novel workflow. This study addresses the following conference themes: smart products, services and product-service systems, open innovation, user co-creation, and data-driven approaches for mass customisation offering a novel approach developed in collaboration with an industry partner.