7th Symposium “Formal methods in Architecture”

The 7th Symposium on Formal Methods in Architecture (7FMA) aims to contribute to the discussion in architecture and urbanism on the application of new formal methods to emerging social and technical issues. The focus will be on methodological advances based on recent developments in collaboration with mathematics and computer science, applied to architecture and urbanism at different levels of abstraction and formalization.

2024’s FMA will focus on the connection between formal methods and architectural practice. With the proliferation of digital technologies, which every day allow increasingly intelligent tasks to be delegated to automated tools and have immense potential to increase productivity, it is urgent to examine the gap that often exists between scientific endeavors and practical applications in everyday architectural work.

Each Symposium edition has showcased complex methods and exciting advancements in the various fields under the FMA umbrella: we have witnessed how artificial intelligence, generative grammar, and other forms of design automation can be implemented into the design process; we have also explored how spatial analysis methodologies can provide a systematic understanding of large-scale social processes and can be applied to comprehend the social outcomes of architectural interventions; we have observed GIS, photogrammetry, and other methods for collecting and organizing data become simultaneously more sophisticated and user-friendly every year and see how virtual and augmented reality not only facilitate visualization but also enhance our understanding of designs and can be incorporated into interactive design environments; we have examined how this myriad of formal methods can be used for the development of smart buildings and cities and to facilitate participatory processes. Simultaneously, and in parallel, we have witnessed the growing pressure put by the construction industry on architecture offices to implement CAD and BIM technology. It is in this context that, with this edition of the Symposium, we wish to discuss, disseminate, and promote the use of formal methods in the creation of new explicit languages for the solution of architectural and urban problems.

Recognizing that architecture and urbanism requires both technological and artistic approaches, the 7th Symposium will address current challenges in these fields, including production, sustainability, design, representation, communication, and heritage. The potential and limitations of using formal methods to address these challenges will also be explored. Researchers, professionals, and students in the fields of architecture, urbanism, landscape design, civil engineering, and computer science are invited to attend. The event will cover the following topics:

– Collection of information: including tracking and mapping methods (video, GPS, WiFi, ISP, IoT, cellular phones); biometric sensing; surveying; photogrammetry and 3d scanning through drones, photography, or laser; machine learning; computer vision.

– Semantic organisation of information: including Geographic Information Systems – GIS; Building Information Models – BIM; Industry Foundation Classes – IFC; Ontologies for the built environment.

– Formal theories and methodologies of spatial analysis: including Space Syntax; visibility graph analysis; Space Configuration, Accessibility and Visibility Analysis (SCAVA); agent-based analysis; rule checkers.

– Representation, visualisation and interaction: including CAD; renderings and animated motion; mixed realities (virtual, augmented); human-computer interaction.

– Automation of architectural design: including parametricism; generative design; shape grammars; processing; advanced reasoning artificial intelligence tools.

– Active management of the built environment: including participatory architecture and urbanism; smart buildings and cities; life cycle management; 6-7d BIM; facilities management; flow and crowd management.

– Computer aided production: including CAM, Scale models, 3-4-5D BIM and automated manufacturing.

– Formal Methods in teaching architecture: including teaching methodologies; learning experiences and digital training; spatial reasoning through visual programming and coding.

We invite the submission of research proposals that enhance and advance these and related themes using novel or established methodologies, case studies, theoretical and historical perspectives, analytical experiments, and other methods. We encourage contributions from a diverse range of fields, including proposals that explore non-traditional formats (e.g., artistic, performative, demonstrative, etc.). In proposing a topic as broad as formal methods in architecture, we aim to facilitate the exchange and generation of knowledge through interdisciplinary communication.

The Symposium’s proceedings will be published by Springer in book format.

All information  about 7FMA: https://formalmethodsinarchitecture2024.com/

All information about the series of Symposia (2011-2024): http://archformalmethods.eu/pages/P01.aspx

Headquarters of Northern Regional Section of  Order of Architects – Rua Álvares Cabral nº 144, 4050-040 Porto PORTUGAL