Computational design techniques for generating specific Girih patterns: A particular focus on algorithmic design and graph theory

Abstract

Girih patterns, prominent in Islamic art and architecture, exhibit complexity and adherence to specific mathematical rules. Understanding and preserving these patterns requires knowledge of their design processes and underlying rules which require transferable knowledge of computation. This paper aims to generate three prominent Girih patterns in Islamic architecture, namely ‘ Hasht-Chahar-Lengeh’, ‘ Hasht-Panj’, and ‘ Hasht-Bazoubandi’, gaining insights from graph theory definitions and algorithmic design within the Grasshopper program. Employing the graph theory, it pioneers a novel approach to pattern generation. The approach facilitates the faithful reproduction of existing patterns and enables the generation of entirely new designs with a comprehensive comparison of both computational methodologies.