It is well known that parametric tools can help architects and engineers to iterate, generate and innovate building design. Interestingly, they can also support artists, such as weavers, to expand their practice. Both disciplines combine structure with creativity to process new ideas. 

While a weaver sets up a loom to control threads under tension, parametric modelling works similarly, by using computation to bring structure and order into one’s creation process. This method can complement the manual explorations of the artist with varied digital possibilities, blending technology with art.

Frei Otto, a visionary architect and engineer (1925–2015), pioneered the belief of thinking using physical models. He explored how materials, such as strings and soap films, could model complex forms. Today, parametric design expands on that intention, offering digital simulations that can precisely test environmental realities.

Merging the Analog and the Digital

Traditionally, weaving is a collaborative process that interlaces threads to form fabric in a rhythmic, repetitive motion. Parametric tools can add a new dimension to this art form, translating weaving into an architectural exploration.

In the analog world, the artist weaves the thread, embedding the process of making in every step as each iteration informs the next. In the digital world, rule-based workflows allow users to produce countless variations simultaneously, by adjusting the parameters and watching one’s design evolve in real time.

The interplay between these two worlds can unlock our creative potential. Artists may prototype using physical models, analyze their properties and then use parametric software to produce innumerable configurations and alternatives. Conversely, parametric models can inspire a hands-on approach with variations that deviate from common exploration techniques.

Interdisciplinary design

Parametric design has the ability to push boundaries in a non-prescriptive way. While woven fabrics have conventionally been limited by the physical constraints of a loom, data-driven modelling can facilitate interdisciplinary work by merging knowledge from different professions to reimagine the design process. In turn, large-scale adaptive constructions like woven structures could challenge the conventional relation between a building and its surroundings, softening the line between art and architecture.

An example of this interdisciplinary approach is the LivMatS Pavilion in Freiburg, Germany, designed by the Institute for Computational Design and Construction. In this project, natural linen fibers create a woven structure that is both visually compelling and structurally functional. The process began with manual explorations such as spatial winding and knotting techniques, which were then refined into digital simulations. The result is a building that immortalizes the making process, with each overlapping thread inviting visitors to experience material and form in new ways.

Collaboration and Iteration

Parametric technology fosters teamwork by creating a shared platform for exploration. For instance, an artist might start with a conceptual sketch, which a designer can then translate into a parametric model. An engineer could refine it further based on structural requirements, and return it to the artist… This iterative process enables an ongoing dialogue between disciplines, resulting in projects that are both technically robust and artistically compelling.

Art Meets Functionality?

Parametric design is not just about creating innovative forms — it is also about solving problems. It can optimize the density of a woven structure while maximizing strength and flexibility. By exploring several compositions, designers can discover solutions that are efficient, sustainable, and responsive to their environment.

As such, functionality can enhance the artistic value of a project. Whether applied to textiles, sculptures, pavilions, or buildings, computational form-finding highlights the benefits of integrative thinking.

Parametric Tools and The Future of Interdisciplinary Design

As parametric approaches continue to evolve, art and design come together. This empowers creatives to move beyond conventional approaches and combine the tactile immediacy of craftsmanship with the precision and scalability of digital strategies.

While this approach does not propose an alternative to rigid building structures per se, weaving of this type could subdivide interior spaces by creating semi-transparent partitions, or connect building facades with filamentary canopies. This interdisciplinary design can promote the engagement of people with the built environment, where a form comes into existence as the embodiment of a cumulative, motion design.

In the end, perhaps buildings can be woven like textiles - artists can code their creations and designers can draw inspiration from the rhythm of a loom. Parametric tools become a launching pad for innovation, offering new ways to imagine, create, and connect, where design and decision-making drive an additive, iterative process of making.