Dr Sambit Datta makes the architect's faithful old pencil redundant

Dr Sambit Datta and his team at Deakin University’s Digital Design Laboratory at the School of Architecture and Building are well and truly rendering redundant one of the profession’s great traditions – hand drawn and written plans.

They are doing this by creating the next generation of “file to factory” design tools - Computer Aided Architectural Design (CAAD).

“Traditionally architects, as we well know, worked in two dimensions with their old hand-drawings,” Dr Datta said. “The computer is the new pencil and it is a much more effective and versatile tool for design.

“We are not just designing a building, but generating a class of buildings that best fits the performance that is being sought from the new construction. We are then able to narrow down into an efficient form through structural, material and performance optimisation.

“Our computer generated designs allow architects to work not only in three dimensions, which is an enormous advantage, but also virtually test the design before it is even built.

“We are able to create a “virtual” building prototype and to test and optimise its performance on the computer before its taken to the construction phase, leading to significant cost and time savings.

“The power and flexibility of our digital design tools allow us to test new geometries, structural systems and materials for example, different sorts of panelisation systems for cladding, in this way.

“There is a great capacity within design to do more with less, to reduce the amount of materials used in construction because we can optimise the whole file to factory process, eliminating a lot of on-site trial and error.

“A new and exciting direction in our research is to virtually test and optimise the building’s performance against new green building codes.

“It is really amazing and exciting what can be done.

“Basically, what is happening in computer-aided architectural design is much the same as what Boeing did with the new 777.

“It was the first aeroplane designed completely on a computer.”

Dr Datta’s research takes a particular interest in the use of advanced geometry in architecture.

“A lot of design in the past has been about producing something that is pretty much a box,” Dr Datta said. “But we find now in architecture we are getting away from the rectangular. This is happening because we are letting environmental forces such as the sun and wind dictate the form.

“I am looking at how different shapes can make the performance of a building more efficient.

“And again, an important part of this work is about creating the next generation of architects well versed in computer-aided design tools.”

Dr Datta comes to Deakin with outstanding qualifications.

He graduated from India’s most prestigious architectural institution, the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology University (CEPT).

He undertook postgraduate studies in Singapore before completing his PhD at the University of Adelaide.

Realising that Australia was going to be his permanent home, he took Australian citizenship six years ago.

He now lives in Geelong with his wife Sonal and children Sagar and Srija.

And like all of India, he is very keen on cricket.

“I am an Australian citizen now, but I do have to keep my loyalties a secret when India plays Australia in cricket,” he smiles.

And he laughs at the idea that he has ruined things for Australia’s most famous, and probably only, cricketing architect – former Test bowler Max Walker.

Walker has insisted on sticking with his handwriting, whether it is in building design or writing his best-selling books.

“He was a very good cricketer and I do remember some of his books, so I guess we will just have let Max Walker stick with the old ways if that’s what he wants,” Dr Datta laughs.

“But here at Deakin we are really enjoying being at the cutting edge of building design through computers.

“It’s a very exciting and reward place to be, with not a pencil in sight!”

< BACK