Continuous to discrete: computational performative design and search of shell structures

This research assesses structural and daylighting performance of perforated shell structures. By employing computational design tools and performance assessment methodologies, an array of generated topologies of perforated shell structures spanning the two extremes is studied. These generated topologies are coupled with structural and daylighting performance criteria to allow a performance-oriented exploration of the design space. ParaGen is used to automate the cycle of generation and evaluation. ParaGen is a method that uses a genetic algorithm (GA) to search for well performing geometric solutions to architectural engineering problems. By using ParaGen, the quantitative performance results are stored in a SQL database, accessible through an online website. The significance of this study is twofold: first, it studies a spectrum of generated forms of well-established structural typologies with perforations; and second, it couples structural and daylighting performance with geometry towards computational performance-based design and search of well performing alternatives. The results of the study contribute to the area of computational design, multi-objective design exploration as well as shell structures.