The ECOLOPES Voxel model: multi-domain data integration for ontology-aided generative computational design of ecological building envelopes

The research portrayed in this article is part of a collective research effort that focuses on a multi-species design framework aimed at strengthening urban ecosystems to enable human–nature interaction within the building enclosure. In this context, the development of a multi-domain, data-driven computational design approach for early-stage design of ecological building envelopes is presented. This article focuses on the development of a key component of a generative computational approach in which initial designs are computationally initiated, generated, and analyzed. This component entails a voxel model that contains and correlates multi-domain spatialized data for the design process and its interactions with other components of the ontology-aided generative computational design process for ecological building envelopes. The described voxel model is implemented in a database system, enabling real-time interaction with the ontology and 3D CAD environment. This allows designers to evaluate complex spatial constraints and work with multi-dimensional data in multiple scales, as demonstrated in an exemplary urban site.