Opossum - Introducing and Evaluating a Model-based Optimization Tool for Grasshopper

Abstract

This paper presents Opossum, a new optimization plug-in for Grasshopper, a visual data-flow modelling software popular among architects. Opossum is the first publicly available, model-based optimization tool aimed at architectural design optimization and especially applicable to problems that involve time-intensive simulations of for example day-lighting and building energy. The paper details Opossum's design and implementation and compares its performance to four single-objective and one multi-objective solver. The test problem is time-intensive and simulation-based: optimizing a screened façade for daylight and glare. Opossum outperforms the other single-objective solvers and finds the most accurate approximation of the Pareto front.