Implementing “Metabolism Theory” in Chinese residential area through digital methods

Abstract

With the high speed urbanization in most Chinese City, a huge amount of population swarm in to Chinese cities. In residence area of a city where the change happened most dramatically, to deal with high density of population, new context of high-rise residential building has been implemented to a old context which composed by collective residential unit from 80s to 90s last century. In some area the old context and the high rise buildings are co-exists. This developing pattern tears the residential area and lack of continuity and resilience when confront environment changes.

This thesis proposes that to incorporate the principle of Metabolism Movement with parametric design framework could provide an alternative develop pattern as well as a brand new residential form for Chinese city. It argues that under a digital design framework, through observation, analysis and simulation of the natural logic, the form finding process would finally allow the residential area to grow as a nature process. Those beneficial features of nature (resilience, continuity and aesthetics) will also be brought into the urbanization process.

The conclusion of the thesis is based on the design outcome. Through the design experiment it illustrated a framework of parametric design process under metabolism theory.