A framework for generating and evolving building designs

Abstract

This paper describes a comprehensive framework for generative evolutionary design. The key problem that is identified is generating alternative designs with an appropriate level of variability. Within the proposed framework, the design process is split into two phases: in the first phase, the design team develops and encodes the essential and identifiable character of the designs to be generated and evolved; in the second phase, the design team uses an evolutionary system to generate and evolve designs that embody this character. This approach allows design variability to be carefully controlled. In order to verify the feasibility of the proposed framework, a generative process capable of generating controlled variability is implemented and demonstrated.