Articulation of design processes, computing, Cybernetics, and BIM: A retrospective

Abstract

This article explores the historical and theoretical developments of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and the associated design processes. The study stems from ongoing doctoral research and aims to build an expanded understanding of the informatization process of architectural thought that led to BIM, considering contributions from the Cybernetics and Computing fields. The paper looks into the historical context of the 20^th century and highlights the parallel and interdependent developments in Architecture, Cybernetics, and Computer Science. Based on a bibliographic review, retrospective, and theoretical analysis, this article emphasizes the contributions of works that systematized design processes and introduced systemic methodological approaches. Those works acknowledge the value of declaration and structuring of design information and contribute to incorporating computing into design processes and their development. The work presents the contributions of research institutions from the United Kingdom and the United States in developing computer programs for architecture, emphasizing that the geographical diversity of advancements in the field goes beyond these two lines. These computer programs were influenced by cybernetic theories, which were crucial for BIM development, and were created to produce models and systems to describe information. Finally, the importance of translating architectural thought into structured data that might be processable through computer programs, including BIM software, is highlighted, concluding that although BIM and developments of the current digital design processes followed the goal of assisting the production of North Atlantic architectural models, they originated from a broad and diverse historical and geopolitical context of the 20^th century, involving theoretical, military, and professional research.