UID Planning
Urban Integrative Design is a planning methodology that utilises the potential of data science, algorithmic design and informed decision-making procedures to disrupt and rethink the methodologies in which we design, analyse and envisage our cities in the 21st century.
Shaga Architects’s “UID” is a unique design methodology that was developed and honed in our offices in recent years by an interdisciplinary team of planners and code developers.
UID allows us to exceed traditional best practice estimations and subjective discussions over city design by transforming master planning into a transparent scenario-based process that balances the different interests of stakeholders within the urban environment. We use analysis, simulation, and form-finding as part of a seamless workflow yielding thousands of city scenarios that can be quantified, evaluated, optimised and selected.
With advances in data generation, collection and storage on an urban scale, an overwhelming gap emerges between the amount of data stored and the amount of information that is critically used for analysis and design. UID focuses on the way we as designers can consider multi domain recommendations to synthesise a holistic design approach that ultimately results in a coherent city masterplan. Some of the different aspects include comfort, daylight, visual interest, sustainability, building efficiency, access to transit/amenities/green spaces, connectivity, density metrics, built form typology, street profiles and more.
UID Planning Projects
UID Advantages
1. Project-specific algorithmic tools
We develop and build unique algorithmic tools which target the diverse challenges we encounter on each masterplan we develop. The core of our insights and the driving force of our projects relies on fusing design know-how and performance-based coding. Our projects are shaped with flexibility, resilience, and control, demonstrating a new approach in comparison to the shortcomings associated with traditional design procedures.
2. Integration of disciplines on a singular measuring base
Aiming to compute and fuse knowledge in a quantitative and a relational manner within one systemic digital twin model, we integrate our work process with experts from diverse fields and disciplines. This integration allows us as planners to reach a wider cross-disciplinary understanding of the work including density, typology, usage, zoning, height, 3d massing, parcelling, financial, microclimatic, hydraulic, connectivity, walkability and proximity based design among others.
3. Dynamic and real-time decision making
Traditional workflow usually limits designers to a single solution design, and any changes needed take longer periods of time to update and integrate. Our workflow provides thousands of scenarios in real time. Constant feedback helps us asses the most desirable solutions interactively. The scenario selection is transparent, quantifiable, and updated based on real time data flow.
4. Decision-making support tools for stakeholders
We provide quantifiable data related to our design that assist different stakeholders with the relevant data and its context according to the needed resolution and specificity of the situation. This information includes 3d knowledge, data sheets, analytical diagrams, and spatial interactive models (AR/VR).
Shaga Architects’ Urban-Integrative-Design (UID) is a unique data driven design methodology that was developed and honed in our offices in recent years by an interdisciplinary team of planners, data scientists and code developers.
Our methodology utilises the potential of data science, and informed decision-making to transform masterplanning into a transparent process with thousands of city scenarios balancing the different interests of stakeholders within the urban environment and complementing our own insights as city planners.