The workshop will explore Interactivity in Genetic Algorithms as an exploratory and an optimisation process and apply the developed method to design high-rise morphologies in a selected urban context. 

Genetic algorithms are based on simulated biological evolution as a problem-solving machine. They are well known for solving multi-objective optimisation problems. Additionally, they have also been adopted by other creative domains such as art, music, fashion, industrial design and architecture. They are of particular interest to architects as they operate on producing population of design solutions, rather than just a single design. They offer variational solutions related to the formulation of the design problem by each designer. As architectural design is inherently multi-objective that involves negotiation of huge number of often conflicting quantitative and qualitative objectives, architect’s intervention in the evolutionary loop became essential to guide such complexity beyond the mere optimisation and towards incorporating the designer’s subjective judgement.