Tools

Research approch

Practice experience shows that the representation of environments by digital methods is often a major language barrier for professionals and clients. Our approach favours the return to analog simulation methods in order to promote the iterative process of trial and error specific to the creative process. The long environmental tradition of the Laval University School of Architecture allows us to have access to a hydraulic canal and an artificial sky, unique facilities within a school of architecture in North America. Our research approach is therefore based on the importance of being able to read, visualize and represent physical ambiences. Indeed, if several means already exist to visualize light ambiences, it is still very difficult to visualize thermal or acoustic ambiences. In order to achieve an accurate representation of physical ambiences, an exploration approach using methods and tools for evaluating and predicting environments is proposed. The control of thermal, luminous and acoustic ambiences is thus approached simultaneously according to the degree of progress of the design process of a project at urban, architectural and detail scales.

The GRAP possesses unique analog and digital simulation equipment that provides a sensitive (qualitative) and technical (quantitative) view of a physical phenomenon. This hybrid approach therefore exploits the qualitative and speed of execution advantages of analog tools and the precision of digital tools.