The Hybrid High Street Retail Store –An Optimisation Method for Retail Store Conversion to Community Use

ABSTRACT The research addresses the decline of UK high street retail by providing a methodology for themulti-objective optimisation of existing retail stores to generate the most effi cient layout fora new hybrid community-use model. The work involves a live test case in Wigan, converted into aseries of diverse hybridised community spaces. A unique Grasshopper and Rhino defi nition testedfi tness values including cost, shelf space and effi ciency of retail area in parallel with optimisedconversion layouts for a diverse range of community uses in the same space, including as a cookingschool baby room and art gallery. The work goes on to evaluate the success of diff erent communityuse cases and demonstrates the viability of the method through the testing of a unique 1:1 multi-adaptable modular furniture system. Keywords: optimisation, retail, high street, grasshopper, Rhino, automated, algorithm, community