Design determinants of Discrete digital surfaces المحددات التصمیمیة للسطوح الرقمیة المتقطعة

Architecture The emergence of many free structures in contemporary architecture and the transformation in aesthetics toward complex curved and folded shapes has led to a search for computer-aided design and geometric manipulations using discrete surfaces, which contributed to the creation of complex architectural surfaces that are both simple and economical at the same time. However, it is difficult to achieve such surfaces because of the complexity of representing them in an applicable and executable engineering body , and the hardship of studying and representing them structurally for they need a set of special engineering programs to obtain the required structural strength. Further, There is aneed for other engineering programs To simplify those surfaces and turn them into applicable ones. Hence, the research problem emerged to shed light on the "lack of a theoretical perception describing discrete surfaces and their role in formation the structure of contemporary architecture." The research initially dealt with the general knowledge of the discrete surfaces, and then extracted the theoretical framework relying on our knowledge about those surfaces, through presenting and analyzing three architectural examples to clarify the nature of those discrete surfaces and submit the main conclusions, recommendations and sources.