CAAD as Computer-Activated Architectural Design

In a brief sketch, drawing on a general philosophical conception of human interaction with the world, the architectural design process is analysed in terms of two kinds of human action: interpretation and production. Both of these are seen as establishing a link between mental and material entities. On this background two alternative roles of computers in computer-aided architectural design (CAAD) are distinguished: a passive and a more active role, where in the latter case, the computer’s capacity for symbol manipulation is utilized to influence design thinking actively. The analysis offered in this paper may serve at least two purposes: to provide a conceptual machinery for research and reflection on CAAD, and to clarify the notion of ‘artificial intelligence’ in the light of architectural design.