A Performance-Based Design Approach for Early Tall Building Form Development

This paper presents a methodological interactive design approach within which structure is integrated into tall building form development. The approach establishes a synergy between generative and analytical tools to allow for parallel interaction of the formal and structural design considerations during the conceptual design phase. An integration of the associative modeling system, Grasshopper, and the structural analysis tool, ETABS was established, and a bi-directional feedback link between the two tools was initiated to guide the iterative from generation process. A design scenario is presented in this paper to demonstrate how the parametric generation and alteration of architectural form can be carried out based on instant feedback on the structural performance. Utilizing such a tool, architects can not only develop improved understanding of structural needs, but also realize their formal ideas structurally and materially.