Parametric Integration of Multiple Criteria from a Cultural Heritage Perspective

Abstract

Parametric design is a versatile decision-making methodology that allows multi-criteria optimization. However, it is not as common for addressing aspects such as the cultural heritage of a given community. In this context, qualitative research proposes linking a cultural heritage classification with parametric design algorithms that include a stage of “design thinking” methodology, which culminates in community validation. This paper aims to demonstrate the potential of parametric and low-tech design as a multi-criteria decision strategy. Algorithms were developed with the mechanical properties of a given material, with meteorological information as input data, geometry as response, and with a simultaneously integrated multi-criteria decision-making process to improve the design. Most algorithms take as input variables such as size, function, or geometry and, as output, the structural material that best fits them, but not the opposite. This methodology was tested on a case study with the Misak community in Colombia, using Guadua (Guadua angustifolia), a subfamily of the bamboo, but which is little used. These criteria provided multiple design alternatives that were constantly debated to adjust and test the parameters of the prototype. The principal outcome is that an existing cultural heritage classification allows for the parametric model’s generalization ability.