Digital Design Strategies in Curvilinear Glass Architecture

This article addresses the role of geometry in architecture throughout history as a language that supports and connects the domains of design and aesthetic expression. This study focuses on the analysis of contemporary curvilinear glass architecture, in which geometry becomes a fundamental tool for shaping both form and its visual perception. We define and investigate panelization strategies for freeform surfaces, adopting surface continuity as the primary criterion for their classification. Research is conducted through the confrontation of two complementary approaches: a descriptive one, based on case study analysis, and a generative one, employing parametric modeling of curvilinear surfaces. In the descriptive approach, selected architectural realizations are analyzed, in which panelization strategies and their impact on the aesthetic expression of glass façades are identified. In the generative approach, a digital surface analysis is conducted, enabling the assessment of relationships between geometry, panel typology, and visual continuity. The results provide a basis for developing theoretical and methodological frameworks for the analysis and design of curvilinear glass architecture. This study identifies interdependencies between geometry, material, and fabrication processes. The main contribution of this study is a method for analyzing curved surfaces based on digital analysis, enabling a systematic evaluation of the relationships between geometry, panelization typology, and surface continuity in the context of freeform architectural design. This method may support informed and conscious design decision-making.