An evaluation framework for AI powered generative concept design in the real estate site planning process

Due to the stricter sustainability requirements and associated governmental regulations, the real estate development process in the Netherlands is becoming increasingly complex, narrowing the real estate developer’s opportunity space and increasing the uncertainty regarding the feasibility of the real estate development project. Recently...

Optimization of complex-geometry high-rise buildings based on wind load analysis

As technology advances, architects often employ innovative, non-standard shapes in their designs for the fast-growing number of high-rise buildings. Conversely, climate change is bringing about an increasing number of dangerous wind events causing damage to buildings and their surroundings. These factors further complicate the already...

Optimum Design Framework for Environmental Cost Indicators in Multi Tenant Residential Building Structures

Buildings are responsible for 40% of the total global energy use and over 30% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. To minimize environmental impact, building designers are increasingly looking beyond traditional design methods to optimize building designs for low environmental impact. Despite the high variety of environmental impact...

Computed Density: Inner city housing using computational design and robotic fabrication

The current demand for living in cities necessitates architectural designers to reflect on how this densification is to be done. Based on analysis of a current densification project in Rotterdam (Rotta Nova) different problems with current densification designs are formulated. From these problems an alternative design for inner city dwellings is...

Data Exploration for Generative Design Research

The current work elaborates upon a Generative Data Exploration method, which is a design technique aiming at supporting designers in integrating data in their design activities. Digital data offers new opportunities in all sort of professional domains, yet existing approaches and tools to manipulate data are predominantly targeted at data...

Smart | Start

Hyperbody graduation project. Bottom-up, generative design of a start-up campus with an additional focus on a climatic value (power-to-gas process).

Urban vertical agriculture

The project is located in Kleipolder, Rotterdam. Kleinpolder is the largest 3D interchange of the Netherlands, and it was built in the 60’s. The project aims at, firstly, inserting a harmonious design that fits into the site, which can transform the interchange in a vertical green farm without losing the interchange’s characters; secondly,...

CityPortUnit Innovation through localisation: Reading, negotiating and altering existing conditions

CityPortUnit is an investigation into why and how architectural programs are created. Can our cities be seen as entities in synchrony, as nodes of decentralised networks and if so, how does this impact their response to changes in neighbouring or distant nodes? The project and research try to answer these question by proposing a link to...

Freeform Follows Functions

This research is twofold. Firstly it treats the complexity of design using a computational intelligent method to achieve, with regard to a limited set of goals, high performing designs. Secondly, an architectural and structural challenge to conceptually design a freeform roof framework, which integrates structural rigidity and non-standard...

Cloud-Based Design Analysis and Optimization Framework

Integration of analysis into early design phases in support of improved building performance has become increasingly important. It is considered a required response to demands on contemporary building design to meet environmental concerns. The goal is to assist designers in their decision making throughout the design of a building but with...

A Generative Approach to Robotic Fabrication

This paper studies computational methods for adaptive growth seen in human design processes through a relatively simple yet explicit example in the context of robotic fabrication. The proposed experiment uses an industrial robot arm to produce structures by stacking unit bricks without hard-coded instructions (“blueprints”) from the outset. The...

A Generative Approach towards Performance-Based Design

Due to a growing number of regulations and standards, building performance becomes equally important as traditional design drivers. Therefore, it is necessary to quickly explore design alternatives that meet these performance requirements. To support this complex design task, a rule-based design system is proposed that is founded on a shape...

Albertian Grammatical Transformations

This paper presents a research on the use of shape grammars as an analytical tool in the history of architecture. It evolves within a broader project called Digital Alberti, whose goal is to determine the influence of De re aedificatoria treatise on Portuguese Renaissance architecture, making use of a computational framework (Krüger et al., 2011...

Tableware Shape Grammar

Mass customization is pointed as a means of improving a company’s competitiveness, which is an essential trait in Europe’s economic situation of today. This paper reports a mockup implementation of the mass customization paradigm to ceramic tableware design, through the use of shape grammars, parametric modelling and rapid prototyping. Focus is...

Augmented Iterations: Integrating neural activity in evolutionary computation for design

The principle of Augmented Iterations is to create shapes of progressively higher complexity, thanks to a fast neuronal selection of shapes among several possible evolving designs. Such a process is made possible by the use of a brain signal known as P300, which appears when a user perceives a rare and relevant stimulus and can be used for...

Customized Cork Façade

The propose paper presents an ongoing research which main goal is to use cork in a customized modular façade system. Cork is used due to its ecological value, renewable characteristic, insulation properties and aesthetic value. The modular system design is bio-inspired in the microscopic cork pattern and the study aims at reproducing in the...