Generative design is something where you throw a whole bunch of constructs at the machine, and the machine bounces through a whole lot of iterations, and presents you the best possible scenarios, says Andy Cunningham, the senior regional director of Australia and New Zealand at Autodesk.

One of the earliest works in the context of generative design that Autodesk did was for Airbus where they had to design a lightweight panel. It has since grown from there, says Cunningham, starting with manufacturing and progressing to structural shapes where one can achieve earthy, natural looking forms rather than rigid or geometric structures when things are designed. Generative design is limitless in its options, he adds.

However, the construction sector has also been one of the biggest laggards in the adoption of technology, which could deliver the sustainability, safety and cost elements that are demanded in the industry today. The recent Design & Make study conducted by Autodesk found that only 36% of Australian companies see themselves as more digitally mature than their competitors. “That means two-thirds feel they're actually behind the eight ball,” says Cunningham.

The digitisation of construction and design is where the industry is at today. By digitally capturing all projects, it is possible to have a holistic view of the rights and wrongs, get forward-looking intelligence and design options, and make better design decisions based on the successes and failures of the past.

Generative design has gone from focussing on aspects such as manufacturing stresses and loads to 3D forms. Similarly, in the built environment, it has evolved from exploring the exterior design elements or the pretty parts of the building – the organic forms and features that are pleasing to the eye, to incorporating iterative design into things such as building plate design, optimising office or apartment layouts not just for cost, but also for sunlight, energy usage and traffic flow among other elements.

Autodesk collaborated with Dutch construction company Van Wijnen, which wanted to generate an actual urban landscape at the scale of a city. Using the generative design framework, the firm sought to explore the possibilities of multiple elements such as the placement of the shopping centre vis-à-vis the residential areas, as well as streets, parking, and traffic flow among other considerations.

Similarly, GHD, an Australian architecture, engineering and construction firm, which is working on historical sites in Abu Dhabi, is applying generative design to incorporate an urban design plan using the best elements of the sites.

“Generative design – that's where we're seeing urban planning go as we put the constraints in and we let the options come,” says Cunningham. “But the human will still make the decision as far as what we do and where we go from there.”

Construction and buildings account for 30% of the world's greenhouse gases and waste. However, according to Autodesk’s Design & Make study, only 13% of Australian Design and Make firms have clear goals for sustainability, while 6% have a commitment based on activities or memberships in associations.

Now consider a traditional construction site where we bring materials to the site on a truck running on fossil fuel. We then mix the materials onsite, pour the concrete, and have the waste taken away. If there’s an error, more waste is generated in correcting it.

The design aspect can be optimised in smarter ways by managing energy utilisation, lighting, heating, cooling, etc., to drive sustainability.

But it’s in construction where huge reductions can be made in waste generation while ensuring sustainability at the same time. Designing and building smarter is the way forward, says Cunningham, with solutions such as modularised construction and fabrication, for instance, where elements are built off-site and shipped in and assembled again to reduce waste; using materials that are less carbon heavy; and sequencing the design and construction process to reduce wastage onsite.

“We're trying to bring the manufacturing thinking into the built environment where we've got more control,” he concludes.

Image: https://bdaa.com.au/generative-design-generates-results/

Branko Miletic

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