An evolutionary approach for topology finding in flexible and modular housing

Today, the living environment is much more complex due to rapid urbanization and cities hardly can bear increasing crowds. This evolving environment together with the change in living habits, put a strain on the shoulders of architects and engineers to find faster and more effective solutions towards flexible and responsive design in future city scenarios. Modular design is one of the most suitable solutions since it is based on interchangeable components that facilitate different combinations and activities responding to emerging needs and demands without demolishing a whole edifice. There are many available algorithms defining rules for the automated generation of modular building units but mainly designed for top-down solutions. This paper proposes an evolutionary approach aiming to find topological relations among the units based on a specific architectural program concerning environmental performance. Environmental conditions define the rules for the growth of units on site. The algorithm produces an automatic layout through a set of positioning rules for units organized around a core depending on a branching system. In this sense, this paper contributes to showing how rule-based modular growth on-site is shaped with environmental and architectural concerns for future city scenarios.