VAS is a collaborative research platform focusing on systems and their applications in design. Established in 2012, it has explored a variety of systems as strategic references to identify optimal solutions for design challenges encountered in architectural, landscape, and urban design practices.
Computational Design, as an emerging design paradigm, has opened up a world of infinite possibilities across a range of design disciplines. Through its inherent ability to process data, computation acts as a bridge between disciplines, allowing us to take the world as a place of multivalence. With the use of computation, the world can be approached as a space teeming with diverse values and perspectives. It is this interdisciplinary characteristic of computation that emphatically makes systems indispensable to the new design paradigm, enabling a holistic and integrated approach to design challenges.
Since the advent of this new paradigm, designers have incorporated smart properties from various systems as foundational principles in their work. These properties lend varying degrees of intelligence and practicality to design elements such as form, planning, structure, and materiality. A system is formally defined as a set of components that collectively shape a whole, and its properties have been observed across a broad spectrum of fields, including nature, culture, and society. The range of disciplines drawn upon is vast, encompassing mathematics, chemistry, computer science, geography, sociology, and more. Nature, in particular, has consistently served as a profound source of inspiration for architects and plays a significant role in computational design. For instance, the application of computational technologies in natural science has facilitated the emergence of biomimetic design, establishing it as a distinct branch within the architectural field.
In our research, we begin by studying various instances of systems and extracting their properties to serve as the foundational elements of rule-based components aimed at achieving specific design goals. Our objective is to offer readers a comprehensive view of computational approaches, bridging conceptual development and the construction process. At any stage of design, the process involves a series of problem-solving steps, where the choice of strategy fundamentally shapes the final outcome. We hope that this collaborative research will assist others in finding alternative strategies for addressing design challenges and in structuring their process more effectively.
VAS Achievements
Our VAS research was compiled as a series of lectures and computational design workshops held in Beijing in the year 2015 to 2019.
2025.04-2025.07
University Course: Computational Design; Lecturer (Information Technology for Architecture I), Kogakuin University, Tokyo, Japan
2024.04-2024.07
University Course: Computational Design; Lecturer, Kogakuin University, Tokyo, Japan
2023.09-2024.01
University Course: Computational Design (Information Technology for Architecture I), Lecturer, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
2023.04-2023.07
University Course: Computational Design (Information Technology for Architecture I), Lecturer, Kogakuin University, Tokyo, Japan
2023.03
Lecture at Tsinghua Architectural Design and Research Institute (THAD): COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN – A New Paradigm in Architecture
2019.08
Lecture at Turenscape Academy “To Be” Salon Series DIGITAL LANDSCAPE at Roca Beijing Gallery : COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN – A New Paradigm in Architecture
2019.06
Lecture at Hongshi Design
COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN – As an emerging paradigm more than just a technological advancement
2019.01
Turenscape Academy Winter Computational Design Workshop: Introduction to Computational Design
2018.12
CAFA Computational Design Workshop Mediated Resonance : Computational design studio for public art and space design
2018.07-08
Turenscape Academy Summer Computational Design Workshop: Design Fundamentals 1
2017.02
Turenscape Academy Workshop Series First Installment: Variable Territories: Computational design studio for landscape design and urban design; conceived by Tom Verebes
2016-2017
5 Installments of Computational Design Workshop Variations of Applied System (VAS) Vol.1-5: Computational design studio for architecture, landscape design, and interior design ;Collaborated with gooood.hk, AntiStatics
2015.11
Lecture at Tsinghua University Academy of Art: Parametric Design – System
Who WE Are
VAS is operated by Tuning Synesthesia (tSynsth), an interdisciplinary team of designers and engineers—or "designeers"—committed to computational design across architecture, landscape design, and urban planning, with a strong focus on sustainable identity in design and its evolution. The VAS research initiative was launched by Chie Fuyuki (冬木千枝) and has been supported by all members of tSynsth as well as her students from past design courses and a series of workshops.
The research, initially a blog, transformed into a series of lectures and workshops on computational design (VAS) starting in 2015. By 2017, it expanded to include collaborative workshops with universities in Beijing, China. This led to a comprehensive curriculum now part of design studio programs in universities across Japan and China. The evolving curriculum, enriched by ongoing research, focuses on advancing AI to create prototype design patterns, marking significant progress in the integration of computational design in both practice and education.
Last but not least, our website aims to serve as a conduit between technology, design, real life, and individuals from various fields. We greatly appreciate any support you can offer. In exchange, we will strive to keep our site as engaging as possible, ensuring that your contributions benefit both you and the wider community.
For any inquiries, please contact us at tsynsth@gmail.com or visit our our website.