Testing and Defining a Complex Design Through Digital and Physical Models

This paper presents the methodology adopted in an application of shape optimisation and digital fabrication conducted in the field of wooden furniture design. Experience has allowed the authors to define the models that support the creative process, identifying their respective peculiarities and their contribution to the design process as a process of experimentation, which takes place between digital and physical, not only defining the form of the idea but also correctly representing the tested model and its use, and allowing a dialogue between the stylistic requirements of the designed shape and the technical needs of the built one. The phases of the methodology are applied to the project of furnishing the lounge bar and restaurant area of the Oasis Skyview hotel in Doha (Qatar). The coordinated dialogue between the different models allows the definition of the design project, creating a workflow that significantly reduces the distance between the project and construction.