Agent-Based Principal Strips Modeling for Freeform Surfaces in Architecture

The principal curvature (PC) of a freeform surface, as an important indicator of its fundamental features, is frequently used to guide their rationalization in the field of architectural geometry. The division of a surface using its PC lines into principal strips (PSs) is an innovative way to break down a freeform surface for construction. However, the application of PC networks in architectural design is hindered by the difficulty to generate them and flexibly control their density. This paper introduces a method for PS-based reconstruction of freeform surfaces with different umbilical conditions in the early stages of design. An agent-based modeling approach is developed to find the umbilics and increase the degree of control over the spacing of PC lines. This research can effectively expand the application range of PS-based surface reconstruction methods for freeform architectures.