| Concept | 1994 | Rebirth 2026 | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| The acronym 'Generic' in some summaries was a transcription slip (D022). |
GAAD = Genetic Aided Architectural Design | GAAD = Genetic Aided Architectural Design | Identity |
| Project / thesis name The 2026 revival of the 1994 thesis. |
Digital Evolutions (MSc thesis) | GAAD Rebirth | Identity |
| Author | Miles Walker | Miles Walker | Identity |
| Institution / supervisor Recorded in JSON origin block. |
University of East London · Paul Coates | University of East London · Paul Coates | Identity |
| Platform Blender chosen for rapid prototyping (D002). |
AutoCAD · AutoLISP · DOS 486 | Blender · Python · JSON | Identity |
| Capitalisation D032. |
GAAD | GAAD (always uppercase in prose); lowercase gaad_ in code | Identity |
| Language contract New in Rebirth. v0.005 (09 Jul 2026); first agreed v0.003 (D140), all three seats. Spec/GALF. |
(no equivalent) | GALF - GAAD Architectural Language Framework: the contract every Architectural Language implements | Identity |
| Acid test language New in Rebirth. Filed v0.002. knowledge seed / platform unintegrated. D140. |
(no equivalent) | FWAL - Fallingwater Architectural Language: the acid-test language for site response and composition | Identity |
| Architectural Language New in Rebirth. Design-school sense of 'architectural language' (e.g. the architectural language of Fallingwater), formalised. Capitalised when naming the term. |
Architectural Language - a grammar of parts and rules that GAAD grows form inside; the defined platform term for a GALF-conforming language | Architectural Languages, framework & connector - new in Rebirth | |
| The framework New in Rebirth. See also 'Language contract' (Identity). Names no engine (GALF s10). Kept as GALF; ALF was considered and rejected (see decision). |
GALF - GAAD Architectural Language Framework: the contract every Architectural Language conforms to | Architectural Languages, framework & connector - new in Rebirth | |
| Language: primitives New in Rebirth. knowledge seed / platform active. |
PRAL - Primitive Architectural Language: five geometric primitives; the language the Generator runs today | Architectural Languages, framework & connector - new in Rebirth | |
| Language: garden room New in Rebirth. Resolution axis Stage Depth. platform unintegrated. |
GRAL - Garden Room Architectural Language: derived from a real, built garden room | Architectural Languages, framework & connector - new in Rebirth | |
| Language: Manhattan New in Rebirth. Resolution axis Scale. platform unintegrated. Always MHAL (never MAHL). |
MHAL - Manhattan Architectural Language: urban-scale city / district / block / parcel / building | Architectural Languages, framework & connector - new in Rebirth | |
| Language: Fallingwater New in Rebirth. See also 'Acid test language' (Identity). Resolution axis Site Response. |
FWAL - Fallingwater Architectural Language: the acid-test language for site response and composition | Architectural Languages, framework & connector - new in Rebirth | |
| Language: tower New in Rebirth. Resolution axis Height Class. platform unintegrated. |
TWAL - Tower Architectural Language (said 'twahl'): the smallest language, towers on a grid; built to prove the connector | Architectural Languages, framework & connector - new in Rebirth | |
| The Connector New in Rebirth. Shown on the website as "The Connector". References GALF, not part of GALF. T021. Distinct from the lineage "Connector line" (History). |
GAAD Language Connector - the engine-neutral runtime contract (the socket) that drives a language through world, stages and lineage | Architectural Languages, framework & connector - new in Rebirth | |
| The Engine New in Rebirth. Shown on the website as "The Engine (swappable)". The only engine-aware layer; keeps GALF and the languages engine-free. P054. |
The Engine - the swappable layer (adapter) where a renderer lives; Blender today, a browser or desktop renderer later | Architectural Languages, framework & connector - new in Rebirth | |
| Genotype expression New in Rebirth framing. Genome -> build() -> phenotype; build is pure, so stages replay exactly. |
Phenotype - the built form a Genome expresses into on a Stage via build() | Architectural Languages, framework & connector - new in Rebirth | |
| System structure (website) New in Rebirth. Two senses kept apart: 'The Architecture' (capitalised page/section) = system structure; 'architectural language' (prose) = design grammar. See decision. |
The Architecture - the website name for GAAD's system structure (framework, languages, connector, engine) | Architectural Languages, framework & connector - new in Rebirth | |
| Genetic encoding Renamed for designers and AI clarity (D005). |
Genome / Gene | Design Parameters / Design Parameter | Genetics |
| Encoding structure Per-object record in the JSON. |
8-gene string (cell type, XY movement, XYZ scale factors, rotation) | design_parameters per object (shape_type, width/depth/height, rotation, offset_x/y, colour) | Genetics |
| Genotype to phenotype | Genotype / phenotype split | Conceptually retained; expressed via Design Parameters to built geometry | Genetics |
| Small building block One form on a Stage. |
Micro phenotype (cell) | Object / shape | Genetics |
| Assembled form | Macro phenotype | Variant (the population of objects on a Stage) | Genetics |
| Evolution method Designer is the fitness function. |
Cumulative selection (Dawkins' Biomorphs) | Cumulative selection | Genetics |
| Selector Future: a measured score runs alongside, not replacing, human selection. |
Designer as fitness function | Designer as fitness function | Genetics |
| Change operator Per-object tweaks to size, rotation, position; chance to add/remove/switch shape. |
Mutation | Mutation | Genetics |
| Type-specific growth rules dome = circular hemisphere; cylinder = XY-locked; cube/pyramid/wedge = free. |
Per-type constraints (e.g. columns grow Z only, domes equal XYZ) | Per-cell scaling rules (D021) | Genetics |
| Starting forms | Progenitors | Generation 1 random variants | Genetics |
| Offspring | Progeny | Variants / children | Genetics |
| Top-level environment Contains Stages (D006-era terminology). |
(design environment) | World | Spatial |
| Single design cell on screen The presentation / evaluation area within a World. |
Quadrant / cell (2x2) | Stage | Spatial |
| One design candidate id format G001_S006 (D024). |
Alternative / variant | Variant | Spatial |
| Grid layout (original) Preserved (D006). |
2x2 quadrant | GAAD Classic (2x2) | Spatial |
| Grid layout (scaled) New in Rebirth (D007). |
GAAD Expanded (NxN, e.g. 3x3, 12x12) | Spatial | |
| Spacing between cells New in Rebirth; reversed the original zero-gap layout for legibility. |
Gutters / footprint constraint | Spatial | |
| On-stage identifier New in Rebirth (D024); label = the JSON id. |
Variant-id label G001_S006 | Spatial | |
| A breeding round Unchanged term. |
Generation | Generation | Selection |
| Starting point Rebirth renumbers from 1 (D004). |
Generation Zero (produced four variants) | Generation 1 | Selection |
| Selected parent Anchored in the same Stage location across generations. |
Selected variant / parent | Champion / parent | Selection |
| Parent highlight One colour, one meaning: gold = champion (D042, F028). |
Champion gold - the selected Stage turns CHAMPION_GOLD | Selection | |
| Recorded choice selected_stage, selected_variant_id, selected_at. |
Selection | selection_event in the JSON | Selection |
| Remembered design (circle) Navigator circle. Expresses into cells/shapes. Square = Stage. D139. |
one .CEL lineage entry | Genome - the full genetic makeup of one remembered design at a generation | Selection |
| Design history as data JSON is GAAD's memory. |
The 4th dimension (store every state, replay, branch) | JSON replay / Generations data | History |
| History data folder Renamed; sits beside the .blend (D031). |
(file system) | Generations/ (was 'Replay') | History |
| Forward exploration | Forward Search | The generate to select loop | History |
| Backtracking Two-context operator + replay engine, runtime-proven (P050, D133). |
Backward / Forward Tracking (Coyne backward chaining) | Backtrack (F006) - built and runtime-proven | History |
| Directed acceleration The exploration-vs-optimisation tension. |
Genetic Engineering (direct gene injection) | not built | History |
| Hill-climbing flaw Why backtracking matters. |
Dead end | concept noted | History |
| Chosen-parent path The Navigator marks selected Genomes gold along each string (F028). |
Genetic path (Figs 3.14 / 3.25) | The gold path in the Navigator (selected Genomes per string) | History |
| Lineage as 3D array Circular discs, tangent pitch, strings as columns (D134). |
Genetic array (Fig 3.29) | Lineage array in the Navigator - strings as columns of circular discs | History |
| Path line on the tree Pivot east point to child north point, trimmed at both rims, geometry white. |
Connector line (Fig 3.25) | Navigator connector - pivot east point to child north point, trimmed at rims | History |
| Compact path encoding Store seed + genome_version (D030, not built). |
Unique numbering / file-naming scheme (Figs 3.23/3.25) | Seed-based storage ('recipe not cake') | History |
| Reproducibility contract New in Rebirth; lets old seeds rebuild faithfully (D030). |
genome_version stamp | History | |
| Variant reproducibility seed Stored per variant in the JSON. |
(implicit) | variant_seed | History |
| Combinatorial explosion Why pruning by eye is the tractable route. |
Astronomical numbers (Figs 3.31/3.32) | motivates seed storage at NxN | History |
| Documented experiments Shaped the dome and shape-rule decisions. |
Experiment 3.6A (tall-spike to enveloping domes), 3.6B (long to wide wedges) | referenced as faithfulness tests | History |
| One vertical run of selections First-class record in lineage.json: id, parent, pivot, status (D132). |
Genetic string | Generative string | History |
| The branch point The stage a new string grows from; pivot_generation + pivot_variant_id recorded. |
Pivot progeny (Fig 3.16) | Pivot | History |
| The whole branched structure All strings + pivots; lineage.json is the master record, the 1994 tree-replay file reborn. |
Genetic array (Fig 3.29) | Lineage array | History |
| Abandoned work Nothing is ever destroyed; every stage stays replayable (Q024). |
Dead end (ignored as data) | Preserved string | History |
| Revisit identity Concept only; no visit logic in the platform yet. |
Visit counter in filename (7_2_BL.CEL) | Not built - no visit counting in Rebirth yet | History |
| The working position In lineage.json; the only thing Backtrack moves (D133). |
(current position in genetic space) | current_position | History |
| Creation order The honest timeline across all strings; next_creation_index in lineage.json. |
Running index 1-32 (Fig 3.29) | Global creation index | History |
| Stage file One per string per generation, flat in Generations/; lexical sort IS the array (D132). |
.CEL gene bank file (4 per visit) | sN_gNN.json | History |
| slab | (dropped) | — | Shapes |
| box | cube | free per-axis (XYZ) | Shapes |
| column | cylinder | XY-locked (round column), height free | Shapes |
| dome | dome | circular hemisphere (width = depth = diameter, height = radius) | Shapes |
| pyramid | pyramid | free per-axis (spikes possible - 3.6A) | Shapes |
| wedge | wedge | free per-axis (long/wide - 3.6B) | Shapes |
| Decisions log record system. |
Decisions (D###) - JSON source, Markdown view, newest-first | Records | |
| Pivotal Moments log Conceptual turning points. |
Pivotal Moments (P###) | Records | |
| Records as data D008. |
'Decisions become data' principle extended to the project's own history | Records | |
| Project background Canonical identity record. |
gaad_project_background.json | Records | |
| Roadmap Near-term + beyond-1.0 vision (D027). |
gaad_roadmap.md | Records | |
| Change report Written by tree_report v0_9; panel button 'Navigator Report'. |
Navigator Report (evolution summary HTML) | Records | |
| Tree captions Labels inherit stage visibility and answer Show/Hide Labels. |
Navigator stage labels - 3D text on discs, answer Show/Hide Labels | Records | |
| Scene management D034. |
Scene hygiene (purge orphans, isolate tree scene, auto-frame) | Records | |
| The tool itself D033/D035. |
GAAD Blender add-on ('GAAD' sidebar tab, one-click buttons) | Records | |
| Future fitness The next horizon (roadmap). |
Scoring (objective vs goal-directed; absolute vs relative; told vs learned) | Records | |
| Long-term vision Across architecture, BIM, product, urban, education, AI. |
Design Memory / AI learns from design evolution | Records | |
| Public storytelling Public framing; private records stay 'Week 1/2'. |
Episode (Episode 1, 2 ...) | Records | |
| Terminology record This record (D037). |
gaad_terminology.json + .md | Records |
Design Memory PlatformTerminology
84 terms · the 1994 ↔ 2026 vocabulary