Generative Modeling as an Alternative Analysis Tool for Cultural Heritage : the Case Study of Helicoidal Staircases

The study proposed sees the application of generative modeling as an
analysis tool applied to some artifacts from different eras, specifically stairs and
ramps, which have the helicoidal development of their intrados as their common
denominator. Algorithmic modeling or generative modeling in recent years is
arousing increasing interest within the world of architecture and design as a powerful
design tool capable of chaining changes and automating processes in a defined
non-destructive modeling. At the same time, it represents an extraordinary
tool of analysis and verification. Over the centuries, helicoidal surfaces have
characterized some complex formal configurations of different architectures, but
considering their complex geometric genesis, they are particularly complicated
to model in a digital environment. The study envisaged the modeling of ‘generative’
helicoids through the creation of specific algorithms which were then verified
and used as an analysis tools for the Cultural Heritage, applying them to the
identified case studies.