Artificial Intelligence in Performance-Driven Design

1Augmented Computational Design

Pirouz Nourian¹, Shervin Azadi², Roy Uijtendaal³ and Nan Bai⁴

¹ University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands

² Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

³ Nieman Raadgevende Ingenieurs, Utrecht, The Netherlands

⁴ Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands

Introduction

The core of the performance‐driven computational design is to trace the sensitivity of variations of some performance indicators to the differences between design alternatives. Therefore, any argument about the utility of artificial intelligence (AI) for performance‐based design must necessarily discuss the representation of such differences, as explicitly as possible. The existing data models and data representations in the field of architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC), such as computer aided design (CAD) and building information modelling (BIM), are primarily focused on geometrical representations of building elements and facilitating the process of construction management. Unfortunately, the field of AEC does not currently have a structured discourse based on an explicit representation of decision variables and desired outcomes. Specifically, the notion of design representation and the idea of data modeling for representing “what needs to be attained from buildings” is rather absent in the existing literature.

This treatise proposes a systematic view of the differences between design alternatives in terms of decision variables, ...