Henry Nistler

Step 1 - Generative Design Framework

Design Decision 1: Optimize retractable canopy in stadium to provide shade on court

Objective: Optimize design and shape of a retractable tennis stadium roof/canopy to block the sun when it reaches too low of an angle that would interfere with gameplay. This would prevent players from being able to take advantage of situations where the opponent must visually adjust between the sun and shade, as shown below.

image

  • Design Variables
    • Elevation of the base of the canopy off the ground
    • Angle of the canopy
    • Length of the canopy when fully extended
    • If canopy shape is shaped like a semicircle, the radius of the shape
    • Sun angle and motion
    • Location of court/players
  • Evaluators
    • Surface area of the canopy, can be used to calculate cost
    • Amount of sunlight exposed to the court. This can be used to calculate a shade ability ratio.
    • Obstruction to spectators, based on line of sight calculations
  • Most Important Tradeoffs to Consider
    • Cost vs shade ability
    • Obstruction to spectators vs shade ability

Design Decision 2: Optimize upper-deck view in baseball stadium

Objective: Baseball stadiums are traditionally built so the seats face a city skyline or prominent landscape in the backdrop of the field. Considering a new stadium for the Oakland A’s that is located next to the Bay, the view from the upper deck seats to the Bay and San Francisco skyline can be optimized to produce the best view to create a better game atmosphere and bring in more ticket-sales.

image
  • Design Variables
    • Radius of seating curve
    • Incline of seating
    • Base height of upper deck seating
    • Top height of upper deck seating, where the uppermost row is
    • Locations of home plate and specific viewpoints beyond the field
  • Evaluators
    • Minimize total height of seating while maximizing quality of view beyond the stadium and view of home plate
    • Cost based on total height of seating and area that the upper deck makes up
    • Ticket sales / potential profit based on number of seats and quality of views
  • Most Important Tradeoffs to Consider
    • Cost vs ticket sales
    • Quality of view vs ticket price

Design Decision 3: Optimize seating in soccer stadium based on various factors

Objective: Optimize the number of seats located in the most desired areas of a stadium based on where the best view is found and how ticket profit can be maximized.

image
  • Design Variables
    • Number of rows in different sections of the stadium
    • Incline of seating
    • Number of entry and exit areas around the stadium
    • Field orientation
    • Total number of seats
  • Evaluators
    • Ticket sales based on weighted locations of where the best seats are
    • Visibility to field and quality of view
    • Ratio of obstruction caused by columns or other spectators
  • Most Important Tradeoffs to Consider
    • Quality of view vs ticket price
    • Ratio of obstructions vs ticket price

Step 2 - Generative Design Study

The design that I chose to run a Generative Design Study with was Decision #2, where the objective is to optimize the upper deck of a new baseball stadium to have seats with the best views of home plate and viewpoints beyond the field to provide a good experience to attendees and increase ticket sales.

The Dynamo study graph was set up beginning with the inputs that were to be modified in the study. These parameters included the elevation of the base of the stadium’s upper deck, along with the length of seating and the number of rows that the upper deck will have. Other parameters that can be modified include the incline angle of the upper deck, and the curvature of the upper deck relative to home plate.

image

The geometry of the Dynamo model was created using the amphitheater seating starter model. Additional points to symbolize specific viewpoints beyond the field were added and included in the directness calculations of the workflow.

For the design study, the elevation of the base of the upper deck, curvature, and length of seating were held constant. This was done to give the upper deck its initial shape, which could then be modified by varying combinations of incline angle, number of rows, and total number of seats.

Step 3 - Generative Design Study Results

Below is a scatter plot of tradeoffs that were modeled, showing how the results can be evaluated. The y-axis is the incline of the rows expressed as a percentage and the x-axis is the number of seats in the stadium. The size of the plot points is the average obstruction ratio for all of the seats and the color of the points correlates to the average visibility of the viewpoints from the upper deck. The more blue the color is, the better the view of home plate and of the designated viewpoints beyond the field, while the red and green colors mean the view is poorer and more obstructed.

For this study, the curvature and length of the bottom row of seats were held constant to maintain a uniform size for the stadium’s upper deck. The base elevation of the upper deck was also held constant to reflect the upper deck being above lower sections of seats.

image

A second plot can be made where the y-axis is the average distance to the home plate, the x-axis is the number of seats, the size of the points is the number of rows, and the color of the points is the ratio of obstructed views. For this color gradient, a bluer color is less obstructions while a red or greener color is a more obstructed view of home plate and of the viewpoints beyond the field.

image

With this scatter plot, an ideal design can be created for the stadium to maximize the number of seats and provide the best view for the most seats while also minimizing the amount of obstructions and minimizing cost. From the study, the best design is going to have an incline between 30 degrees and 40 degrees. In addition, the most optimized design would have between 600 and 1,000 seats in the upper deck portion surrounding home plate. This combination of design parameters creates seats that provide the best view of home plate and surrounding viewpoints, which would create a better atmosphere in the stadium and therefore increase ticket sales and overall profit.

Lastly, an overall image of the Dynamo study graph showing all nodes and connecting logic is shown below.

image