Does Nature Optimise?

Does Nature Optimise?

One common misconception is the idea that evolution is a problem-solving or optimising mechanism. It is essential to clarify that nature doesn’t optimise in the way we often assume. Evolution is not an engineering process, iterating toward perfection. Instead, it operates through redundancy, variation, and survival. Success in nature isn’t about finding the ‘perfect’ solution; it’s about finding a solution that works well enough to survive, adapt, and pass on genes to the next generation.

In this light, evolutionary algorithms (EAs) aren’t inherently about finding optimal outcomes either. Rather, they’re powerful tools for exploration - they help designers uncover a broader landscape of viable possibilities, not necessarily the ‘best’ one. And that might be their greatest strength. EAs don’t provide the answer - they help us understand what kinds of answers might be possible.

For example, in the Symbiotic Towers project, evolutionary design was used not to ‘solve’ for the most efficient tower form, but to explore how architecture might respond to environmental feedback loops - like light exposure, thermal performance, and spatial distribution. We asked: What kinds of architectural diversity can emerge when buildings are treated as living participants in their environments? The process was less about convergence and more about diversity: generating a family of forms that could adapt to different ecological or cultural contexts. This project reminds us that evolution - biological or digital - is not a linear march toward perfection. It’s a rich, branching search through possibility, adaptation, and context. And in a world of shifting climates, materials, and social needs, this open-ended way of thinking might be far more valuable than any single optimised solution.