META-MODULE. Contemporary modularity as generative tool for Smart Architecture.

Abstract The complexity of the contemporary era challenges traditional methods and processes in architecture, exacerbated by diverse specializations, global production, and recent cultural, social, and technological shifts. Consequently, contemporary architecture responds to societal demands through innovative methods and tools. To maintain coherence in design objectives, explicit information on addressing contemporary concerns is essential. Systematizing informational flows becomes the language of Smart Architecture, utilizing informative patterns and design variations to address these challenges effectively. Starting with an analysis of the inherent characteristics of the modular system, considered both as a regulator of complexity and in its evolution within the architectural panorama influenced by significant socio-cultural and ideological transformations, this contribution introduces the concept of the meta-module. In the era of smart architecture, the module tends to evolve into a meta-module, serving as a generative tool for Smart Architecture. The meta-module integrates interconnected information to organize contemporary complexity, employing innovative design components across multiple scales to address various concerns. The originality of this contribution lies in a process of abstraction that transforms the concept of the module into that of a ‘meta-module’, as a multi-level support matrix for design, compatible with cutting-edge computer tools, ensuring coherence between design considerations and corresponding construction choices.