A multi-objective feedback approach for evaluating sequential conceptual building design decisions

• Designers receive sequential automated feedback for many building design decisions.
• Life cycle environmental impact and cost feedback are provided on building designs.
• Designers understand the degree to which each decision helps each objective.
• Carbon versus cost trade-offs arises for certain design decisions.
• Certain decisions filter out high- and low-performing designs for both objectives.

Conceptual design decision-making plays a critical role in determining life-cycle environmental impact and cost performance of buildings. Stakeholders often make these decisions without a quantitative understanding of how a particular decision will impact future choices or a project's ultimate performance. The proposed sequential decision support methodology provides stakeholders with quantitative information on the relative influence conceptual design stage decisions have on a project's life-cycle environmental impact and life-cycle cost. A case study is presented showing how the proposed methodology may be used by designers considering these performance criteria. Sensitivity analysis is performed on thousands of computationally generated building alternatives. Results are presented in the form of probabilistic distributions showing the degree to which each decision helps in achieving a given performance criterion. The method provides environmental impact and cost feedback throughout the sequential building design process, thereby guiding designers in creating low-carbon, low-cost buildings at the conceptual design phase.