Bogota’s Zoning
A CGA script to produce zoning form for the city of Bogotá.
Bogota’s Zoning is a script for CityEngine written in CGA. The script procedurally creates the building envelopes for lots near the upcoming subway stations.
The zoning code can be found here.
Project Specs:
Duration: 1 month
Development Stage: In Production
Tools:
CityEngine
CGA
BIM
Deliverables
City Engine Code Base
Roles
CGA Developer
BIM Coordinator
Overview
The project is a crucial resource for anyone seeking to comprehend the implications of the zoning changes around the city's upcoming subway stations. By documenting and visualizing these changes in CityEngine, the project serves as a bridge between complex zoning regulations and stakeholders who need to work with and adapt to them.
This project empowered urban planners, developers, and the community to make informed decisions and navigate the evolving urban landscape. It was developed in coordination with the Universidad de los Andes - Department of Architecture and Esri Colombia. My solution enhanced transparency, encouraged collaboration, and promoted a shared understanding of the city's development vision. The project helped build a bridge between visualizing zoning and using that information for design in BIM, aligning zoning regulations with the city's goals and vision for a sustainable and well-connected future.
Problems
1. Universidad Los Andes needed a way to mockup their new zoning code for lots near subway stations so they cou
Solution
2. Translate a portion of Bogota’s zoning to CityEngine’s CGA code and create a pipeline to export the lot envelope to a BIM environment.
An explanation of how I coded Bogota’s Zoning in CityEngine CGA language.
Research & Development
In the process of developing the Bogota CGA code, thorough research served as the cornerstone of our endeavor. I embarked on an extensive journey of studying zoning regulations, delving deep into the intricacies of Bogota's urban planning. I began by reading the existing zoning codes for the region and meticulously scrutinizing the newly enacted zoning overlays for the upcoming subway lines. To ensure a comprehensive understanding of the legal framework, I pored over the regulatory documentation and immersed myself in the legalese.
In collaboration with Arq. Juan Pablo Parada, Arq. Daniel Ronderos, and Arq. Manuela Guzman, we crafted detailed diagrams to visualize the logic and relationships between various zoning parameters. These diagrams were invaluable in breaking down the complex zoning rules into a logical sequence that our algorithm could interpret effectively. This meticulous research and visualization process laid the foundation for the development of our powerful CGA code, enabling us to navigate and adapt to Bogota's zoning with precision and finesse.
Bogota’s General Zoning was captured as a series of flow rules.
I collaborated with Arq. Juan Pablo Parada, an expert at interpreting Bogota’s zoning code:
Limiting the scope to only the areas around the subway was key to limit the amount of code written.
Presenting the Solution
I participated in a session where we explained how we tackled the problem of creating a script for representing Bogota’s Zoning and creating a pipeline to export the models to a BIM environment.
Code Base
In a collaborative effort, I developed the Bogota CGA code in partnership with experienced architects from Bogota who possessed a deep understanding of the city's intricate zoning code. Drawing on their invaluable insights and expertise, we meticulously crafted the CGA code to intricately navigate and interpret the complex zoning regulations that govern the city. By combining their firsthand knowledge with my coding skills, we created a powerful tool that streamlined the process of zoning interpretation and 3D modeling, ultimately facilitating innovative urban design solutions that seamlessly aligned with Bogota's unique urban landscape.
Competition
In a collaborative effort, I developed the Bogota CGA code in partnership with experienced architects from Bogota who possessed a deep understanding of the city's intricate zoning code. Drawing on their invaluable insights and expertise, especially the crucial input of Arq. Juan Pablo Parada, we meticulously crafted the CGA code to intricately navigate and interpret the complex zoning regulations that govern the city. Arq. Parada's insights were pivotal in deciphering the zoning code's legal intricacies and in strategically limiting the scope of our code to ensure it aligned seamlessly with the city's regulations. By combining their firsthand knowledge with my coding skills, we created a powerful tool that streamlined the process of zoning interpretation and 3D modeling, ultimately facilitating innovative urban design solutions that seamlessly aligned with Bogota's unique urban landscape.
Summary
The development of the Bogota CGA code was a collaborative effort with seasoned architects and involved extensive research and regulatory analysis. We studied both existing zoning regulations and new overlays for the subway expansion, breaking down the complex zoning parameters with the aid of detailed diagrams. Our CGA code, developed in partnership with Arq. Juan Pablo Parada, streamlined zoning interpretation and facilitated 3D modeling for innovative urban designs.
Lessons
Collaboration Enhances Expertise: Collaborating with local experts allowed me to leverage their in-depth knowledge of zoning codes. This collaboration was invaluable in deciphering intricate legal language and refining the code's scope to ensure it aligned seamlessly with regulatory requirements.
Research and Visualization Are Key: The research process, including reading zoning documents and creating detailed diagrams, is a critical first step in any complex coding project. It not only aids in better understanding the regulatory landscape but also assists in breaking down intricate logic into a more manageable form for algorithm development.