Step 1 - Generative Design Framework
- Design Decision 1: Museum Building
A detailed description of the design is explained in step 2 and the shape of the building is shown above.
- Design Variables
- X Radius of an ellipse (length of the building)
- Y Radius of an Ellipse (height of the building)
- Width of the building
- Evaluators
- Total floor area
- Number of panels needed for the surface
- Solar Insulation
- Most Important Tradeoffs to Consider
- Total floor area vs Solar insulation
- Design Decision 2: Residential Building
A residential building made of reinforced concrete with solar panels on the roof.
- Design Variables
- Width and Length of the building
- Height
- Roof Angle (where solar panels will be located)
- Evaluators
- Construction Cost
- Total Rent Cost
- Carbon Footprint
- Solar Insulation
- Most Important Tradeoffs to Consider
- Construction Cost vs Rental Cost
- Carbon Footprint vs Solar Insulation
- Design Decision 3: Tennis Stadium
A stadium will be built around a center court and will consist of stands, found court areas, and lounges. It will have a roof over the seats to create a shade for the fans.
- Design Variables
- Perimeter parameters of the stadium structure around the court
- Height of the stands
- Length of the roof to provide shade over the seats
- Number of entrances/exits
- Evaluators
- Total number of seats in the stadium
- The directness of the view to the court
- Most Important Tradeoffs to Consider
- Total number of seats vs Number of Exits
- Height of the stands vs Directness of the view
Step 2 - Generative Design Study
Inspiration:
The geometry of the structure
My Generative Design Study inspiration was the Museum of the Future in Dubai. My inputs that control the design were chosen as X and Y radiuses for a center ellipse, radiuses of other ellipses are dependent on the parameters of the center one, and width, which is the distance between the center ellipse and side ones.
I decided to make a shape of the structure out of four ellipses. Two center ellipses control the main shapes and an opening in the structure, and two other ones (identical to each other) are made to create a volume. Since the radiuses and center points of all the ellipses are connected to the center one, I only needed three inputs to control the design.
My next step was creating a surface and solid out of the ellipses and penalizing the surface. I also added adaptive panels for a nice Revit model.
Design Evaluators
- Total floor area
I decided that the most important parameter that I should study is the total floor area of the building. Since it is used as a museum, I will need as much open space as possible. To do that, I divided the solid of the building into the floors and found a sum of all the floor areas.
2. Number of panels needed for the surface of the building
As can be seen in the inspiration photo of the museum, the panels covering the surface of the building play an important role in its appearance. Since custom panels made of steel and glass should be used for the project, it is important to keep their number as low as possible due to the high cost. To find the number of panels, I find the number of U and V points by dividing the total surface by a constant value and then calculating the number of panels.
- Solar Analysis
Since the panels on the surface allow natural light to easily enter the building, my third evaluator analyses the solar potential. The higher solar potential can be achieved, the more natural light will be in the building. I set it up by defining the location of the building by coordinates and setting up a time interval for a study.
The outputs of the study were the total floor area (the goal is to achieve maximum), the total number of panels needed (the goal is to achieve minimum), and solar potential (the goal is to achieve maximum)
Step 3 - Generative Design Study Results
For the study, I had the same inputs and outputs activated as described earlier. I set the goal of the study to minimize the total number of panels needed and maximize total floor area and solar insulation.
It can be seen from the results that the number of panels and solar insulation both increase with an increase in the total surface area of the building. Some of the cases that satisfy the requirement of increasing floor area and solar insulation don’t have a beneficial ratio between them. It is possible to satisfy one of the goals (let’s say achieve maximum floor area), but it will not allow us to get the best out of the other two goals (solar insulation will be relatively low). The case I found the most beneficial has all three goals connected in a straight line which means that both floor area and solar insulation are high, while the number of panels is as low as it can be to achieve this ratio.
