Rationalization methods in computer aided fabrication: A critical review

Rationalization is widely recognized as an important design strategy in contemporary architectural projects, especially in projects with complex geometries, built using digital fabrication processes. However, an up to date review of the rationalization strategies used in these projects, their place in the design sequence and their relation to digital fabrication processes has not been conducted. The purpose of this review is to identify the rationalization strategies used in architectural projects in the practice and the academia. This paper presents the results of a systematic review of over 500 papers describing rationalization and digital fabrication in contemporary architecture. Using the data gathered in the review, we show that the capabilities of the fabrication machinery used are the most frequently encountered rationalization constraint in realized architectural projects. Additionally, we describe a new taxonomy for rationalization strategies, which incorporates functional information with the temporal information described by traditional classifications. Using this taxonomy, we identify trends within the industry and the academia and point to the growing popularity of parametric co-rationalization approaches. We conclude by discussing promising rationalization approaches for future research.