Free-form geometries in contemporary architecture – dimensional rules of Folded, Blob and Formlessness architecture

Abstract

Abstract The style of Free-form Geometry (FFG) has emerged in contemporary architecture within the last three decades around the world through the progress of digital design tools and the development of constructive materials. FFG is considered as the hard efforts of several contemporary architects to release their products from familiar restrictions to discover new and unfamiliar styles under the perspective of innovation. Many contemporary architects seek to recognize their forms and facilitate dealing with according to specific dimensional rules. The main research problem is the lack of knowledge, in the field of architecture, in previous literature about the formation processes in achieving FFG in contemporary architecture as a response to the new requirements that make architecture more flexible in the final expression and breaking away from regularity. Thus, this paper aims to establish a theoretical framework to determine dimensional rules as formation techniques and utilize them as tools in designing processes, to finally benefit to attain several free-form geometries in architecture now and in the future. The research results confirm the importance of dimensional rules in the designing processes as an effective contribution to achieving FFGs in contemporary architecture.