A prototype whole-life value optimization tool for facade design

Facade design is a cross-disciplinary multi-objective optimization process. The major barrier to devising an optimal facade solution is the evaluation of the true values of alternative facade design options. A simple approach is to focus on a limited number of design criteria that can be evaluated through mono-disciplinary commercial software, while overlooking other cross-disciplinary design criteria. This paper describes a prototype whole-life value optimization tool for facade design, which accounts for the functional, financial, and environmental sustainability of alternative facade options. The tool adopts an integrated approach involving accurate simulation, systematic parametric analysis, and automatic design optimization. The tool is trialled on a real-world facade design project, and it successfully identified optimal facade solutions that outperform the original solutions obtained from the conventional facade design process.