Multi-objective optimization in architectural design

Abstract

The challenge of the architect is to create a high-performing building design that is the result of often competing objectives. There are programmatic requirements, aesthetic objectives, and structural criteria which must all be carefully balanced. This paper describes the creation of an automated workflow using parametric modeling, links to structural analysis and a multi-objective optimization engine to act as a tool for the exploration of a wide design space, and as an aid in the decision making process. The design of our custom software CatBot for the linking of Catia and Robot is described, and the further challenge of generalizing the structural inputs, as a set of Catia parameters, to be accessible by students while still providing rigorous structural results is also described. The defining characteristic of this workflow, the ability to trigger topological variation of the model as part of the optimization, is exemplified by Living Light in Seoul, South Korea, by the Living Architecture Lab at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. This project is presented as a case study.