In this study, we conceived a roof structure as a free form shell aimed at optimizing the shape using a Genetic Algorithm (GA) and a Dynamic Relaxation (DR) Algorithm.
To this aim, the need to meet various requirements (structural, functional, formal) involving a team of architects and engineers can be interpreted as a matter of structural optimization. The main aim of this work is to explore different modelling approaches for form-finding that can be built from the use of numerical simulations based on algorithms. The proposed hypothesis solution was studied by using an optimization procedure through algorithms in the software Rhinoceros3D®/Grasshopper®. The preliminary design of the roof structure can be formulated as a shape optimization problem, involving functional needs and constraints at different scales of the structure. The design approach is applied to a realistic roof structure of an ecological island (waste collection centre) and has been completely redesigned with the aid of a Genetic Algorithm and a Dynamic Relaxation Algorithm. In this paper, an optimization strategy for a canopy, based on computational modelling approaches is presented.
