GENERATIVE EVOLUTIONARY

TECHNIQUES IN ARCHITECTURAL
DESIGNING
AREA OF INTEREST: Contemporary architecture

KEY WORDS: Contemporary architecture, Digital architecture, shape grammar,

genetic algorithm

• In recent years, computational tools have introduced innovative form-finding

techniques, revolutionizing architectural design and production. These
techniques are often described by terms such as „generative design‟,
„parametric design‟ or „algorithmic design‟.

• These offer new design paths to architects by breaking with predictable

relationships between form and representation in favor of computationally
generated complexities, thus enabling the development of new topologies.

• Generative design methods such as geometric optimization, shape

grammars and genetic algorithms have been combined for achieving the
above purposes. The allocation of space has been achieved by geometric
optimization techniques, which allocate spaces by proliferation of a simple
shape unit.

RESEARCH BACKGROUND:
 At the end of the 20th century, there was “a shift of historic proportions
taking place and architecture is the premiere symbol of that
transformation…the Chinese, as well as many other Asians, tend to want
 buildings as tall as possible and in a pretentiously Modern
style”(Progressive Architecture 1995: 44, 66).
 According to New York architect Kohn Pederson Fox, the reason was to
“catch up with the West”.
 Asia did no longer want to be seen as the Third World countries.
 Buildings in China and India were chosen primarily for their impact on the
city‟s skyline.
 Energy efficiency and architectural identity were at that time not considered.
 Not long after that, the trend has expanded towards many other countries and
cities in Asia, developed or undeveloped, urban or semi-urban.
 The 20th century marked spectacular developments in building design and
technology, able to achieve indoor thermal comfort requirements regardless
of external climate conditions.
 Together with advancements in construction technology and materials, they
created a new style of architectural expression and aesthetics, often referred
to as the “International Style”, which was recognizable by glass dominated
geometric forms bounded by flattening, unornamented facades.
 At later stages of 20th century, this relentless technological progress raised
concerns amongst critics about the loss of identity and a key function of
buildings, as the building facade lost its role of a climatically adaptable
interface between an indoor and outdoor conditions.
 Neither variation in climate nor the cultural identity of a city was truly
considered.
 In Asia, the trilogy of nation-identity-modernity plays an important part in
the creation of many modern cities.
 Nation

Identity Modernity

 More recently, developments in Asia have shown a weak connection

between nation-identity and modernity-identity (Abel, 1982; Bernardo and
Palma-Oliveira, 2013; Levit,2008), which needs to be evaluated.
 In the modern building design in the Western world, the perception of the
appearance of contemporary architecture is primarily expressed through the
terms of industrialization.
 The arrival of contemporary architecture in Asia is considered merely as
another version of the West‟s architecture (Mand, 2013).

AIM:
The proposed study aims to research, develop and critically evaluate parametric
Generative design tools and strategies for kinetic facade shading systems, aimed at
contemporary design in India. They will be extracted from theoretical research and
implemented using generative design approaches based on the conjectural
constructs of shape grammar, building information modeling (BIM) integration,
building simulation and system optimization.

OBJECTIVE:

To achieve this aim, the following objectives have been identified:

 Decoding the origins, history and language of vernacular Indian cultural
patterns, motifs and ornaments and creation of novel rule-based generative
designs, validated through simulation and optimization of daylight levels
and building energy performance.
 To develop parametric strategies and propose original shape grammar
languages for the design of kinetic façade shading systems, inspired by the
research into origins and history of traditional patterns, motifs and
ornaments in India.
 To analyze and critically resolve novel theoretical approaches to adaptive
kinetic pattern design in relation to parametric generative design methods in
architecture.
 To develop and critically evaluate, via extensive thermodynamic
simulations, a novel prototype framework for adaptive and responsive
kinetic shading systems.
 To formulate a strategy for BIM integrated sustainable design analysis
(SDA) and optimization of kinetic façade shading systems, as a conceptual
framework for exploring the integration of building management systems
(BMS) into smart building environments (SBEs).
METHODOLOGY:

LITERATURE STUDY DESIGN METHOD

•Grammar based approach
•Traditional patterns •Shape emergence
•Observation and approach
collection •Geometric decomposition
•Analysis and approach
classification

Research
outcome

LITERATURE REVIEW STRUCTURE:

• History of traditional ornamentation

ORNAMENTATION • History of the Contemporary Ornaments

• Effects of culture in architecture

CULTURE AND
ARCHITECTURE • current trends

• Indian traditional ornamentation, motifs and geometry

• Shape classification
REFERENCES:
1. Nguyen, T., Ceranic, B., Callaghan, C., 2018. Shape grammar and kinetic
facade shading systems: A novel approach to climate adaptive building
design with, in: Geomapplica 2018 international conference. pp. 25–
29.
2. Nguyen, T., Ceranic, B., Callaghan, C., 2018. A shape grammar approach to
climatically adaptable facade systems with real-time performance
evaluation, in: Eco-Architecture VII: Harmonisation between Architecture
and Nature. pp. 127–138.
3. https://doi.org/10.2495/ARC180121
4. Nguyen, T., Ceranic, B., Callaghan, C., (2019), „Shape grammar and kinetic
facade shading systems: Conception, Development and Evaluation, Applied
Energy, submission Nov 2019.
5. Nguyen, T., Ceranic, B., Callaghan, C., (2019), „Climatic adaptable facade
systems: A shapegrammar approach with a real-time performance
evaluation, Energy and Buildings, submission Jan 2020
6. Jinu Louishidha Kitchley, Srivathsan A, „Combining shape grammar and
genetic algorithm for developing a housing layout: Capturing the complexity
of an organic fishing settlement’,
7. CAADRIA 2005 Proceedings, April 2005, Pg 259. Jinu Louishidha
Kitchley, „Generative Evolutionary design and evaluation of cluster
settlement patterns” CAADRIA 2006 Proceedings, March 31– Apr2 2006,
Pg637-640
8. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320244444_Building_skins_param
etric_design_tools_and_BIM_platforms
9. Generative Design, Asterios AGKATHIDIS Published in 2015 by Laurence
King Publishing Ltd.
10.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265033979_Shape_Grammars_for
_Architectural_Heritage

THESIS IDEA:
To design a building with kinetic shading system using the generative evolutionary
tools and computation designing.