Examining The Use Of Voronoi Diagrams In Architecture On A Student Project

Inspiration from nature in the design process is a very widely used method. Architects and designers take advantages of aesthetic features and structural systems of the objects found in the nature. Voronoi diagrams also known as Voronoi tessellations emerge at different scales in nature’s cell structures, honeycomb and animals fur patterns. Architects and designers use this diagram to obtain a more organic looking design, rather than imitate directly from nature. The Voronoi diagram is a mathematical formula used in many scientific fields and use of that goes as far as Descartes. The Voronoi diagram is a system that divides the space into sub-spaces in an organic way. The diagram uses points to create cells that surround these points. Points can be placed as spontaneously or can be determined in the direction of a certain data and tessellation can be provided accordingly. Use of Voronoi diagram in fields such as architecture and urban design has increased with the widespread of use of parametric design in architecture. Architects use the Voronoi diagram especially to obtain an organic structure and natural pattern in facade designs. In the academic field, new possibilities that use of the Voronoi diagram can provide for urban design and spatial design are being evaluated. Use of the Voronoi diagram in architecture and its spatial possibilities were investigated in architectural project course. The subject of the project is to design culture street between two faculty buildings within their campus. The project aimed to design a street with a program consisting of 40 teacher rooms, 10 student club rooms, book sales place and seminar hall. The project theme has enabled this diagram to be used both in the urban space and in the architectural project. This study mainly focuses on the architectural uses of Voronoi diagrams and to explore new opportunities that this diagram can provide. In this context, entire design process which began with site analysis to space organization and facade design the Voronoi diagram is used will be presented. In this study, the use of Voronoi diagrams in the architectural design process has been evaluated through the experience of architectural project course.