Computational Planning Science

Design Research

This website is devoted to the topic Computational Planning Science. This term describes the synthesis of engineering, mathematics, and computer science. In the context of this website I use it to describe various methods to generate, analyze, and optimize spatial configurations. For the integration of optimisation techniques in design or planning processes, I build on a methodology which allows the combination of problem representation, generative mechanisms, evaluation mechanisms, and decision-making to form a design-oriented optimisation method. Similar concepts have been presented in other research fields, for example the concept of Design Synthesis in engineering. In this concept the evaluation provides information that can direct an automated search process to iteratively optimise spatial configurations concerning formulated criteria. We understand configurations as (two- or three-dimensional) arrangements of geometric elements which each represent different objects (rooms, buildings, plots, blocks, roads, etc.). The term mechanism denotes the abstraction of an algorithm to its essential function. On this website I present a selection of approaches and example applications for generative, evaluation, and optimisation methods. Some older articles are available in german only, but the forthcoming posts will be in english.


The web site Entwurfsforschung is continued as Computational Planning Science. The old Entwurfsforschung web site is still available here .