Computerbasierte Methoden und KI für die Planung klimaneutraler Gebäude

Investigation of social and technical potentials and challenges of the application of computer based planning methods in the Building Design Practice

The progressive digitization of planning and construction practice offers software solutions for various problems and tasks such as 3D modeling, resource minimization, trade coordination or project documentation. Such methods include, for example, Building Information Modeling, generative design, energy simulations, optimization and artificial intelligence (AI) approaches. These are being developed and tested in research and in individual architectural firms for various applications. Computer-based methods can contribute in many ways to the design of carbon-neutral building (retrofits). However, their application in practice, especially in the early design phases that are important for climate neutrality, falls short of expectations of their potential. Existing studies mainly focus on the potentials for improving and increasing the efficiency of specific design and construction processes. Studies on whether and how these computer-based methods are used and to what extent they actually contribute to an improved carbon footprint of the built environment are missing so far.

The research project sheds light on decision-making backgrounds for computer-based methods and their conditions of use for planning climate-neutral building (renovation) and building development. An interdisciplinary research team consisting of architects and social scientists will determine the social and technical preconditions for a successful use of computational design methods in practice. The aim of the project is to identify the potentials and challenges of the use of computer-based planning methods and AI for climate-neutral building in practice, in order to  derive necessary support measures for planners in Germany.

ICD Institute for Computational Design and Construction, Chair for Computing in Architecture, University of Stuttgart

Max Zorn, Tenure-Track Prof. T. Wortmann, Prof. A. Menges

SOWI V Institute for Social Sciences, Chair of Sociology of Technology, Risk and Environment, University of Stuttgart

Dr. Yana Boeva, Prof. Dr. C. Kropp

Wortmann, T., Cichocka, J., Waibel, C.: 2022: Simulation-based optimization in architecture and building engineering—Results from an international user survey in practice and research. Energy and Buildings 259. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2022.111863)