Optimization-Based Design Exploration of the Mutual Influence Between Building Massing and Façade Design

In architectural design, the design processes of building massings and facades are typically separated, which hinders the synergy of the two elements in sustainable building design. In response, this paper proposes an integrated design optimization workflow that can evolve design incorporating building massings with different formal characteristics and various façade schemes. With the proposed workflow, a case study is presented to demonstrate how the two design elements mutually influence one another and how the two-element can complement one another to maximize their potential for performance enhancement. The result indicates that different combinations of building massings and façade schemes can effectively drive the optimization toward different design directions, which significantly impacts the optimization result and the revealed architectural design implications related to performance improvement. As a result, the proposed design workflow can help architects better understand the performance implications of building massing and façade design and make more informed design decisions.