Dennis Häusler, Matthias Vollmer, Martina Voser, Pia Fricker
2026
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This paper focuses on how, in the wake of shifting hydro-topographic regimes in Switzerland, digital design methods can be combined with tactile modeling methods to support the overall design process and output. Bridging crucial gaps in the workflow from geodata to physical modeling the paper proposes a design process which iterates between the realms of the digital and the analog.
This approach combines the precision and objectivity of geospatial data with the intuitive working modes and tactile interaction with materiality by introducing a custom Grasshopper plug-in. The paper presents methods tested by students of architecture and landscape architecture, allowing to show different levels of complexity within the method from the digital model to the physical and back to the digital for fully circular iterations.
Paper published in: Journal of Digital Landscape Architecture, 11-2026