Instructors: Laila Koubaa Turki, Abdelkader BEN SACI

The digital advent has improved design approach by allowing faster and more efficient exploration of different solutions. Even the technology evolution, digital tools have something in common that they all require somebody to operate them. The design process is a nonstop iterative process between the anticipated objectives and the result achieved. During this procedure, designers produce and evaluate their designs until they're satisfied. Generative design is using algorithms to synthesize geometry and all it needs from user to generate options is to define his constraints and objectives. Generative design can be used to automate calculations and quickly test design assumptions using explicit performance criteria.

The workshop “Generative design by solar approach” involves presenting visual programming, Generative Design and BIM. This workshop presents the basics of generative design in a BIM environment. It provides hands-on experience on how to create visual scripts and run a generative design process. Revit, Dynamo and Generative Design are used to study the massing of a building through an iterative process that generated outputs to meet certain constraints. During this workshop, participants learned how to build geometry generators and evaluators using visual programming in Dynamo; how to use these generators and evaluators to drive multi-objective optimization towards specific goals through generative design; and discuss using Generative Design tools to evaluate the optimal solutions produced and integrating some of these designs into Revit.

In conclusion, despite the automation of calculations, the role of human beings is still important in this process. The designer is responsible for parametrizing, setting up the inputs, and choosing the performance criteria to consider. Additionally, the designer has an important role in evaluating the end results and deciding if the solutions meet their needs and expectations. This workshop provides hands-on experience to understand how human-centered generative design can be used to design buildings that are optimal in terms of energy efficiency and environmental performance.

Workshop Schedule
Date: 19th & 20th March
Duration: 2hours/day
Time: 11:00 am - 01:00 pm Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Mode of Teaching: Online