A Modular and Dynamic Evolutionary Algorithm For Architectural Design

As we move away from well-defined problem domains, and get closer to more open-ended domains like planning and design, an increase in the complexity of the problems compel the problem-solving behavior to change in a qualitative sense. Consequently, dynamic problem solving strategies appear as one of the requirements for computational design studies. This paper presents a novel multi-objective Evolutionary Algorithm (EA) called the Interleaved EA (IEA) as a problem-solving tool, which incorporates dynamic aspects. It is specific to IEA that one of the objectives leads the evolution until its fitness progression stagnates. As such, IEA enables the use of different settings and operators for each of its objectives, which would be the same for all objectives in a regular EA. This enables the IEA to dynamically adapt its problem setting throughout its progression. We present the specificities of the IEA with an application on a design problem. As the IEA has been developed to assist in design problems, it is examined through the “Architectural Layout Design” problem studied through library buildings, exemplifying an ill-defined, multi-modal, and multi-objective problem. We compare the functioning of the algorithm with regard to, first, a regular rank-based version, for demonstrating the effect of the leading objective approach; secondly, with a popular multi-objective EA (i.e., NSGA2). We discuss how and why IEA can be used and developed further to incorporate domain specific understanding for multi-modal and dynamic design problems.

Mimari Tasarım İçin Modüler ve Dinamik Bir Evrimsel Algoritma

İyi tariflenmiş problem alanlarından planlama ve tasarım gibi kötü-tarifli alanlara doğru geçtiğimizde karşılaştığımız problemlerin karmaşıklığı problem çözme yaklaşımında niteliksel değişiklikler dayatır. Bunun sonucu olarak dinamik problem çözme stratejileri hesaplamalı tasarım çalışmaları için bir gereklilik olarak açığa çıkar. Bu çalışma İçiçe Evrimsel Algoritma (IEA) adında yeni bir çoklu-objektifli Evrimsel Algoritmayı (EA) dinamik yönlere sahip bir problem çözme aracı olarak sunmaktadır. IEA’nın diğer EA’lardan farkı, kullanılan objektiflerden birinin zindelik ilerlemesi duraklayana kadar süreci çeşitli açılardan yönlendirmesi ve daha sonra yönlendirme işlevini bir diğer objektife devretmesidir. Bu şekilde IEA’nın farklı objektifler için farklı ayar ve operatörler kullanması mümkün olmaktadır. Bu sayede IEA problem tanımını işleyişi boyunca dinamik biçimde uyarlayabilmektedir. IEA özel olarak tasarım problemlerinin çizgisel-olmayan, karmaşık karakterine dönük olarak geliştirildiği için bu makalede IEA’nın kendine has özelliklerini kötü-tanımlı, çoklu-modlu ve çoklu objektifli bir problem olan Mimari Plan Düzenlemesi Problemi üzerinden ve kütüphane binaları özelinde sunuyoruz. İlk olarak, IEA’nın işleyiş karakteristiklerini ve başarımını bir sıralama-tabanlı EA versiyonuyla kıyaslayarak yukarıda anlattığımız yönlendirici objektif yaklaşımının sonuçlarını ortaya koyuyoruz. Ardından, işleyiş karakteristiklerini daha derinlemesine yorumlamak üzere IEA’yı popüler bir çoklu-objektifli EA olan NSGA2 ile kıyaslıyoruz. Son olarak spesifik tasarım alanlarına ait bilgiyi işe koşmanın gerekçelerini ve yollarını tartışarak IEA’nın nasıl kullanımlarının olabileceğini ve nasıl daha öte geliştirilebileceğini tartışıyoruz.

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