Generative Trees

Abstract

The research integrates the study of trees with the sciences of representation, in order to investigate the relationship between morphology and light interception in a tree, starting from the case study of an olive, modeled without using automation in survey. The representation of canopy architecture, manipulated for agricultural purposes by men, describes the action of sunlight in the tree, testing the potential of advanced digital design tools, especially the generative modeling. Through the design of a specific algorithm, the tree is interpreted like a fragmented photovoltaic panel, analyzed using 14,000 control points, corresponding to each leaves. The possibility of selecting these classes of elements becomes the instrument in interpreting the canopy structure, by finding categories describing and simulating the annual radiance and illuminance.