Generative Design for Architectural Space Planning: The Case of the Autodesk University 2017 Layout

Generative design is the process of defining high-level goals and constraints and using the power of computation to automatically explore a wide design space and identify the best design options. While generative design applied for manufacturing is gaining more and more attention, its use for architectural space planning has been fairly explored. The layout for this year's Autodesk University exhibit hall was designed through the application of generative design, letting the main stakeholders discover a novel and high-performing design strategy. The class is an overview of the process behind the design of the exhibit hall, with technical and theoretical in-depth overviews of the generative design steps- generating the design space through a bespoke geometry system; evaluating each design through design goals; and evolving generations of designs through evolutionary computation. This session will feature Dynamo software, O2 (a custom optimization software), and Explorer-a web-based design space navigation tool.