The present review paper focuses on the exploration and qualitative evaluation of hybrid optimization methods applied to architectural design, computational morphogenesis and energy consumption problems. After introducing the computational morphogenesis notion and the novel institutional framework of nZEB labeling, we define here computational morphogenesis as a design procedure where the environmental qualities of the envelope and especially thermal storage and load shifting have the potential to guide an automation process of shape creation in the building scale. For this reason we focus on reviewing the well-cited literature on scale that introduced novel hybrid optimization tools especially developed for thermal load, energy consumption optimization and/or computational morphogenesis optimization issues. Different approaches and methods are reported in this review paper, while at the end of the paper an exhaustive list of conclusions and potential perspectives of these approaches is explicitly presented. Inexorably, we seek to review here hybrid optimization tools that are (or could be) applied on computational morphogenesis problems with the aim to optimize, facilitate and encourage a creative architectural design in relation to innovative envelope conception to promote interdisciplinary research coupling the fields of architectural design and building physics. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.