Form Forge: Latent Space Exploration of Architectural Forms via Explicit Latent Variable Manipulation

TL;DR

Form Forge is an interactive system that enables detailed exploration of architectural form variations by directly manipulating latent variables in a generative model, supporting creative architectural design processes.

Contribution

It introduces a novel system for direct latent variable manipulation in architectural form generation, enhancing granular control over design exploration.

Findings

Enables granular control of architectural form variations

Facilitates interactive exploration of high-dimensional latent spaces

Supports creative architectural design processes

Abstract

This paper presents 'Form Forge,' a prototype of a creative system for interactively exploring the latent space of architectural forms, inspired by Franois Blanciak's SITELESS: 1001 Building Forms via direct manipulation of latent variables. Utilizing a fine-tuned StyleGAN2-ADA model, the system allows users to navigate an array of possible building forms derived from Blanciak's sketches. Distinct from common latent space exploration tools that often rely on projected navigation landmarks, Form Forge provides direct access to manipulate each latent variable, aiming to offer a more granular exploration of the model's capabilities. Form Forge's design is intended to simplify the interaction with a complex, high-dimensional space and to serve as a preliminary investigation into how such tools might support creative processes in architectural design.