Table Of ContentEvolutionary Computation and Parametric
Pattern Generation for Airport Terminal Design
Ioannis Chatzikonstantinou
Thesis Supervisors:
Dr. Ir. Michael Bittermann
Prof. Dr. Ing. Patrick Teuffel
Ioannis Chatzikonstantinou
Evolutionary Computation and Parametric Pattern Generation
for Airport Terminal Design
Graduation Thesis for the MSc Building Technology at TU Delft.
June 2011
Thesis Supervisors:
Dr. Ir. Michael Bittermann
Prof. Dr. Ing. Patrick Teuffel
To my sister, Anastasia
Ioannis Chatzikonstantinou
/ Contents
Introduction 8
1. Research Methodology 10
1.1. Passenger Terminal Typology 10
1.2. Parametric Model 10
1.3. Delveopment of the Evolutionart Algorithm Component 11
1.4 Testing and Case Studies 11
2. The Design of the Passenger Terminal 12
2.1. Passenger Terminal Positioning 12
2.2. Functional Organization 14
2.3. Operational Efficiency and Movement 15
2.4. Retailing and Commercial Activity 16
2.5. The Level Of Service (LOS) Standards 17
2.6. Energy Performance 17
3. Defining a Design Model 19
3.1. The Airport Terminal Model 19
3.1.1. Generative Principles 19
3.1.2. Design Parameters 21
3.2. Performance Criteria 21
3.2.1. Cost 22
3.2.2. Accessibility 24
3.2.3. Energy Performance 26
3.2.4. Retail Suitability 28
3.3. Constraints 29
3.3.1. Self Intersenction 29
3.3.2. Aircraft Circulation 30
3.3.3. Capacity 30
3.3.4. Fuzzifying Goals 31
3.3.5. Combining Hard and Soft Constraints 32
4. Optimizing Solutions 38
4.1. Evolutionary Computation 38
4.1.1. Structure and Function of EAs 38
4.1.2. Single and Multi-Objective EAs 39
4.1.3. Objective Functions and Constraints 40
4.2. The NSGA-II 40
4.2.1. Process 40
4.2.2. Elitism 42
4.3. The Implemented Algorithm 43
5. Testing and Case Study 44
5.1. The ZDT-1 Test 44
5.2. Model Testing 44
5.2.1. Preparation 44
5.2.2. Testing 46
5.2.3. Discussion 46
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Evolutionary Computation and Parametric Pattern Generation for Airport Terminal Design
5.3. Case Study 47
5.3.1. Site Conditions 47
5.3.2. Adapting the Parametric Model 48
5.4. Moving on to Detail 51
5.4.1. The Parametric Definition of the Envelope 51
5.4.2. Optimizing Solutions 53
6. Conclusions 62
7. References 63
Appendix A1 66
Appendix A2 70
Appendix A3 76
Appendix A4 84
Appendix A5 90
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Ioannis Chatzikonstantinou
Fig. 1
Overview of the final
case study that has
been designed using the
proposed computational
optimization method,
both regarding the layout
as well as the facade
development.
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Evolutionary Computation and Parametric Pattern Generation for Airport Terminal Design
/ Introduction
It is without doubt that airport terminals are some of the most complex building types in
existence. Their scale, the nature of their functions, the strict security measures as well as the
function-specific components and building equipment that is present in such buildings are all
factors that increase their level of complexity as a building type.
In a real design situation, dealing with the variety of design parameters that the design of an
airport terminal incorporates can be a difficult task to manage and may sometimes become
an impediment to the design process. Furthermore, solely because of the enormous amount of
possible design solutions that exists even for a relatively small set of design parameters1, the
discovery of optimal or near optimal solutions through a traditional design approach is not
guaranteed to happen. Standardization is the traditional remedy to this kind of complexity-
induced problems and it’s results are clearly evident in buildings such as airport terminals.
However, the existence of a wide range of different design contexts, goals and requirements,
as well as arbitrarily defined case-specific issues, gives birth to a “design space” that is wide
enough to be worthwhile of exploration.
Given these assumptions, it is proposed within the context of this thesis that the design of
layouts for airport terminals be addressed by the use of computation-based design methods.
Specifically, the method outlined in this report is centered around the design of a Parametric
Model that represents a spectrum of airport terminal designs and an Evolutionary Algorithm
to search for solutions within this spectrum that are optimal according to predefined effi-
ciency and sustainability related criteria.
The method will be evaluated by applying it to a case study, which will be the investigation of
an alternate proposal for the New Doha International Airport in Qatar.
1 This situation is commonly referred to in literature as “Combinatorial Explosion”. It occurs
when a huge number of possible combinations are created by increasing the number of entities
which can be combined--forcing us to consider a constrained set of possibilities when we con-
sider related problems. It outlines vividly the enormous design domains that are encountered
even in relatively simple problems, let alone in complex design fields such as architecture.
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Ioannis Chatzikonstantinou
1 / Research Methodology
The methodology that the thesis is based on can be broadly divided into four different parts:
1. Research on the Passenger Terminal Typology
2. Design of a Parametric Model that is able to generate a range of Airline Passenger Ter-
minal layouts
3. Implementation and development of an Evolutionary Algorithm (NSGA-II) into a com-
ponent for the Grasshopper Parametric Design Environment
4. Testing of the coupled Parametric Model with the EA; investigation of a case study using
the proposed design method. Advancement of one picked solution to a greater level of
detail.
1.1. Passenger Terminal Typology
This stage includes all literature study that has been done to identify the particular charac-
teristics and priorities that take part in the design of airport terminals. Topics that will be
covered range from the study of movement within terminals to the climate design and suit-
ability for retail use.
A detailed overview of this stage and the findings regarding the design of airport passenger
terminals are discussed in the 2rd section of this report.
1.2. Parametric Model
This stage includes the work done on the generation of the parametric model of the airport
terminal, the implementation of the design objectives into parametric functions related to the
input parameters of the model and finally the development of the EA itself into a component
for the Grasshopper Parametric Modelling Environment.
The development of the parametric model of the airport terminal is discussed in section 3 of
the report.
Fig. 2
Computer rendering of
a generated solution.
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Description:layouts for airport terminals be addressed by the use of computation-based design methods. Specifically, the method outlined in this report is centered
