Encoded Images

In this paper, we explore conditional generative adversarial networks (cGANs) as a new way of bridging the gap between design and analysis in contemporary architectural practice. By substituting analytical finite element analysis (FEA) modeling with cGAN predictions during the iterative design phase, we develop novel workflows that support iterative computational design and digital fabrication processes in new ways. This paper reports two case studies of increasing complexity that utilize cGANs for structural analysis. Central to both experiments is the representation of information within the data set the cGAN is trained on. We contribute a prototypical representational technique to encode multiple layers of geometric and performative description into false color images, which we then use to train a Pix2Pix neural network architecture on entirely digital generated data sets as a proxy for the performance of physically fabricated elements. The paper describes the representational workflow and reports the process and results of training and their integration into the design experiments. Last, we identify potentials and limits of this approach within the design processes.