Editorial

This edition of the International Journal of Architectural Computing is the first in the expanded format following the decision to allow the volume size to double from its target size in recent years. This is a pleasing outcome of the popularity of the Journal with authors, who are submitting papers to the journal in increasing numbers. It is also a good point to acknowledge the excellent work of the reviewers for the journal and those coordinating special issues.

There continues to be the policy that each of the four major organisations contributing to the journal will take the lead in a special issue in rotation. The four organisations are Education and Research in Computer-aided Architectural Design in Europe (eCAADe), Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture: North America (ACADIA), Computer Aided Architectural design in Asia (CAADRIA) and Sociedad Iberoamericana de Gráfica Digital: South America (SIGRADI). Interstitial issues between the issues coordinated by the organisations have become increasingly popular with authors. This is reflected in the fact that we now have 13 papers on this particular issue.

Given the increase in the submission of papers there has been, alongside this, an increasing the need for high quality international review; so this is an opportunity to express sincere thanks from the Editor-in-Chief, to the Editorial Board members, and all of those who have contributed to the reviewing of papers for the journal. An essential element in maintaining and increasing the quality of the journal, and the rigour that we exercise in acceptance of papers, determines the quality of our review processes. It has been extremely refreshing to see the thoughtful and knowledgeable comments and close scrutiny that colleagues have been applying to papers in their field.

This particular issue is split into three sections, that somewhat reflects the nature of the research being undertaken at the moment in computer-aided architectural design internationally.

In the first section, Evolving Creative Computational Design, we have a group of articles that reflect the role of the computer as an increasingly sophisticated partner in the development of the creative design process. The section begins with an extremely interesting paper that charts some of the development of computer mediated design in the early years. The particular focus is the narratives that relate to women working in the field at SOM, as computational design evolved in the practice. The research and the reporting of significant developments in computer mediated design has been extraordinarily dominated by the male figures who have become well known for their work in establishing new paradigms. It is excellent to see balance and recognition being shown here so that the story is more reflective of what was actually happening in innovative practice.

The second section of articles, City, Culture and Digital Heritage: Practical implementations, reflects the important current interest in applying computational design and analysis tools to the development of urban areas. We have two papers in this section, one dealing with the development and application of digital tools to aid our city evolution processes. The second one has a stronger focus on the issue of digital heritage.

The final section, Pragmatic and Practical: the Computer as a Smart Tool and Aid, has a set of articles that address practical issues that prevail in the design and construction process and focuses on applying novel development and techniques to address those issues more effectively and efficiently.

As a set of articles collected together, these research contributions reflect the nature of our research area at this time. At different scales, and with different approaches, the application of innovation in design computing continues to present us with interesting and rewarding challenges that lead to outcomes that have a wide range of benefits, both practically and intellectually.