Least cost design of green buildings by genetic algorithms

In order to keep pace with the trend of "sustainable development", "green building" has become an important design concept in the construction industry. However, the envelope forms and materials of a green building are usually chosen based merely on the architects\´ experiences instead of on a systematic assessment method. This study employs genetic algorithms to find the least-cost designs for building shells which meet the requirements of a daily energy conservation index. The results show that genetic algorithms can successfully optimize the shell designs, and may be a useful tool for green building designs.