Form-finding processes in building performance analyses

a literature review

Abstract

Form-finding processes address the geometric exploration of solutions to determine an optimal form based on its performance. This paper investigates these methods’ applications within computation design processes, focusing on performance simulation studies of naturally lit buildings. Specifically, this review deals with the building’s geometry, its envelopes, and the design of solar control elements. In this work, we carried out an integrative literature review, from which it was possible to understand the limits and applications of form-finding methods in modeling and simulation processes. We applied a methodology based on a flow that considers the stages of protocol, pre-selection, selection, exclusion, and results, driven by the combination of keywords “target”, “study case”, and “work criteria”. As a result, concepts and applicability of form-finding processes, five categories of work, configurations, and study methodologies that relate different perspectives on the topic are presented. This contribution synthesizes a new relationship between geometry, material, and structure, which could be verified by combining different analyses of the building’s performance. This perspective establishes an initial basis for future works on the topic.