Representing Architectural Design Using Virtual Computers

摘要

The concept of the virtual computer is one of the most significant ideas to emerge in the field of computing. Computational models of architectural design, including state models and process models, have been based in the past on the von Neumann model of computer systems. Von Neumann systems are characterized by stored programs and data, and sequential processing on a single processor. The concept of the virtual computer enables us to break away from the von Neumann model in the representation of architectural design. Virtual computers can now be used to represent architectural design using concepts of parallel or networked systems. One of the limitations of modelling architectural design processes on the computer has been the representation of the processes as serial processes. Virtual computers can eliminate that bottleneck. This paper introduces the concept of representing architectural design using virtual computers. The application of the concept in an auditorium design system developed by the author is briefly examined.