Optimizing Spatial Adjacencies Using Evolutionary Parametric Tools

Optimizing Spatial Adjacencies Using Evolutionary Parametric Tools: Using Grasshopper and Galapagos to Analyze, Visualize, and Improve Complex Architectural Programming

This article documents the use of Grasshopper and Galapagos (Rhino plugins) as analytical tools to graphically represent and optimize the adjacency requirements in programmatic spaces. The resulting three-dimensional spatial diagrams are evaluated based on evolutionary fitness, which within this research context is defined as minimizing the numerical value of the total distance of all interconnected programmatic elements. This article uses a three-story hospital on a sloping site with fifty program elements to demonstrate the efficacy of this approach.

keywords: space layout planning, parametric design, genetic algorithms