Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Design, Analysis and Manufacturing

Table of Contents - May 2012 - Volume 26, Special Issue 02 (Design Computing and Cognition (DCC'10))  

Special Issue Articles

Hierarchical structuring of layout problems in an interactive evolutionary layout system

Reinhard Koeniga1 c1 and Sven Schneidera1

a1 Department of Computer Science in Architecture, Bauhaus-University Weimar, Weimar, Germany

Abstract

This paper focuses on computer-based generative methods for layout problems in architecture and urban planning with special regard for the hierarchical structuring of layout elements. The generation of layouts takes place using evolutionary algorithms, which are used to optimize the arrangement of elements in terms of overlapping within a given boundary and the topological relations between them. In this paper, the approach is extended by a data structure that facilitates the hierarchical organization of layout elements making it possible to structure and organize larger layout problems into subsets that can be solved in parallel. An important aspect for the applicability of such a system in the design process is an appropriate means of user interaction. This depends largely on the calculation speed of the system and the variety of viable solutions. These properties are evaluated for hierarchical as well as for nonhierarchical structured layout problems.

(Received March 03 2011)

(Accepted October 15 2011)

Keywords

  • Automated Layout Design;
  • Evolutionary Algorithms;
  • Hierarchical Structuring

Correspondence:

c1 Reprint requests to: Reinhard Koenig, Department of Computer Science in Architecture, Bauhaus-University Weimar, Belvederer Allee 1, Weimar 99423, Germany. E-mail: reinhard.koenig@uni-weimar.de

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