Architectural Science Review

The interest in building performance simulations has been growing due to their effectiveness in creating energy-efficient and healthier building designs. Various energy and lighting simulation tools for designers have been developed accordingly, while not many studies on airflow simulation tools are available. Moreover, building research using airflow simulations typically focuses on a single domain of design. Responding to these issues, the present study introduces airflow simulation tools and strategies for holistic architectural design processes and establishes a framework for utilizing the simulations in the early stages of design. An architectural project was selected for the investigation, and various types of simulations were conducted to find how airflow simulations interact with design processes. Based on this, a framework recommending simulation tools and strategies was proposed that may help designers understand the different characteristics of the tools and how to properly use the simulations based on the needs of each design stage.

This study investigated the impact of various energy conservation measures (ECMs) on total annual electricity consumption on a single level, two-bedroom residential building in an arid climate and in a very remote area of Australia. Base case scenario of annual energy consumption profiles of the building and its existing systems were modelled and simulated using DesignBuilder software, and the results were validated by on-site measured electricity data. Two categories of ECMs (major intervention and minor intervention) were investigated and analysed. The findings show that the total annual energy consumption of the case study building can be reduced by up to 44% (2 kWh/m 2 ·yr) when compared against the base model and measured data if selected ECMs are implemented. Significant savings from implementing selected ECMs can help alleviate the cost-of-living pressure and stress currently experienced by many households on low incomes especially for residents of very remote communities in Australia.

The implementation of Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings (NZEB) renovation packages in Europe needs to beaccelerated to meet the current decarbonization goals. To achieve this level of performance, buildingrenovation strategies should shift towards solutions that incorporate a multitude of passive and activecomponents, increasing the complexity and costs of the execution. Moreover, it requires the involvementof different stakeholders of the building supply-chain, resulting in additional difficulties in communicationand coordination processes. To address this challenge, the present study aims at mapping the renovationprocess in digital platforms and addressing the respective bottlenecks. In terms of renovation process, sev-eral digital platforms were analysed to identify the type of information that the stakeholders require duringthe different renovation phases. By structuring the information along the renovation process phases, thedifferent stakeholders can identify when the information can be provided and how the different type ofinformation links to each other.

Integrating deep generative models into urban form generation is an innovative and promising approach to support the urban design process. However, most deep generative urban form models are based on image representations that do not explicitly consider topological relationships among urban form elements. Toward developing an urban form generation framework aided by deep generative models and considering topological information, this paper reviews urban form generation, deep generative models/deep graph generation, and the state of the art of deep generative models in architectural and urban form generation. Based on the literature review, a topology-based urban form generation framework aided by deep generative models is proposed. The hypotheses of street network generation by deep generative models for graph generation and plot/building configuration generation by deep generative models/space syntax and the feasibility of the proposed framework require validation in future research.

The goal of this study is maintained as the process of establishing and validating an evidence-based approach for assessing the quality of hospital’s wayfinding from an environmental standpoint and creating an evaluation tool for the building’s wayfinding performance (WP). To do this, the integrated Multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM) technique was utilized to examine the independent linkages between users’ movement dynamics based on Factor Analysis and the D-ANP (Decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) based Analytical Network Process (ANP)) method. In this regard, experts gave each model’s variable a weight and a significant value. Thus, findings show that experts classified sixteen indicators into three dimensions in the proposed model: physical data (with 50% influence on building wayfinding (BW)), environmental representation data (with 33% influence on BW), and symbolic data of the environment (17% influence on BW). In validating the scheme, the findings met the case criteria, demonstrating tool’s practical feasibility.

Smart thermostats differ significantly from traditional devices and are quickly becoming commonplace in homes. Literature demonstrates that thermostat interfaces greatly influence user interaction and related energy outcomes. Moreover, how users imagine their device to work appears to have a greater impact on usage than how the system functions. Previous work investigated manual and programmable thermostats in this context, employing user mental models (UMMs) to analyse user understanding. Since then, thermostats have developed significantly. This paper presents a novel investigation of smart thermostat UMMs. It employs contemporary methods to construct ten UMM diagrams, and three detailed case studies, contextualized with previous findings. All participants demonstrated feedback theory. Case studies highlight common misconceptions. Overall, smart thermostat UMMs appear to enable effective usage; however, some users are overwhelmed by the complexity, limiting engagement and use of features (e.g. programming).

The purpose of this study was to assess the safety of interactive stairway designs by comparing the user's behaviour and the incidence of unsafe stair use on two interactive stairways with a stairway made of conventional material. The Stairway Observation Checklist (SOC) for recording observations of stair users was developed. Observations were conducted in two museum buildings with interactive stairways and in one university building with a conventional stairway. Cautionary behaviours and incidents on the interactive stairways and the conventional stairway were documented and compared. On the interactive stairways, more users glanced down at the treads; fewer users diverted their gaze away from the stairs; and handrail use was higher. Incident rates were similar across the stairways. The research suggests that interactivity increases the risk of stair use but also can promote increased attention to the stair climbing task. More specifically, interactive stairways encourage more cautious behaviours than conventional stairways.

This paper introduces the timber gridshell designed and fabricated as smooth poly-hypar surface structure, a new type of doubly curved freeform shell which is combined smoothly (G¹ degree) from hyperbolic paraboloids (hypars). It is locally ruled, while globally appears to be a doubly curved freeform. Compared to the elastic timber gridshell designed through form-finding method, smooth poly-hypar timber gridshells have more advantages in terms of structural behaviour and construction method. Structurally, smooth poly-hypar gridshells are able to resist different loading cases with mainly membrane actions. In terms of construction, as a locally ruled surface, it can be prefabricated in modules with straight components, which effectively reduces the construction cost. In this paper, an open theatre, Hypar Wave, is presented as a case study to show the structural and constructional advantages of smooth poly-hypar gridshell in timber. Advances made in this research have added to the knowledge of gridshell behaviour and construction, thereby making the design and construction of future timber gridshells a more viable option.

Corona Virus (COVID-19) is forcing us to re-examine our current travel patterns in order to adapt to social distancing. For this purpose, simulation of pedestrian mobility remains relevant and can facilitate the design of buildings and urban spaces in this newly emerging context. Under COVID-19, a university campus in Algeria has been selected to demonstrate digital simulation for the study of pedestrian mobility. Infraworks software founded on multi-agent simulation is used. Based on the establishment and comparison of various scenarios, we are able to confirm the effects of the anti-pandemic measures on pedestrian behavior in the studied area, such as social distance and the decline in student population, and the implementation of new traffic plans to enhance working conditions on the university campus. The results show that this tool enables the readjustment of space and people’s behavior so that the university activities carry on with a minimum health risk. KEYWORDS: Numerical simulationpedestrian mobilitysocial distanceCOVID-19University campusinfraworks

3D printing and additive manufacturing have been established in several industrial fields with an unprecedented increase in the building sector during the last decade. Several companies’ applications of 3D construction printing and numerous scientific works demonstrate the potential of this technology. Recently, researchers are investigating both the specific 3D printing performances and the global trend of additive manufacturing production. However, the existing applications and literature reviews focused on specific issues. The present work proposes an in-depth review on the current progress of 3D construction printing by emphasizing for the first time the similarities and differences between advancements in research and in industrial applications. This comparison allows reaching a comprehensive overview of how academic and technical worlds are working differently, including a broad-spectrum vision from an environmental, structural and functional point of view. As a result, the investigation highlights the existing gap and future interest of academic world and companies.

The recent convergence of earth construction with technology focuses on additive manufacturing using extrudable earth-based materials. The printability of these materials can be defined by their pumpability, extrudability, and buildability. We present a field-oriented methodology for the design of printable local mixtures suitable for various printers. Three tests were defined to characterize the flowability, pumpability and extrudability, and buildability of such materials in their fresh or 'green' state, and used to optimize the workability of a sample material for printability. Based on the outcomes, two indices are proposed for the classification and control of the printability of earthen mixtures: flowability and green strength. Our results demonstrate that adjusting water content for consistency and adjusting plasticity for cohesive-ness are both vital for tuning printability, although the necessary modifications can negatively affect the material's strength in its hardened state; incorporating cellulose microfibres can counter this by increasing flowability, plasticity, and compressive strength. ARTICLE HISTORY

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to reduce its spread, education in Jordan was urgently forced in March 2020 to switch from physical education to distance one. Architecture, accordingly, transitioned suddenly from face-to-face to remote design studio education. Recently, many questions have been raised about the competency of teaching architecture remotely due to its practical nature. This study aimed at investigating the effect of applying a distance studio teaching approach in the first year of architectural education on students' skill acquisition, performance, and achievement. The study used a mixed-method approach to assess students' ‘perceived usefulness’ and ‘perceived ease of use’ of online teaching of the Basic Design course in addition to its effect on the perceivers themselves by applying the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The findings indicate that it can be beneficial in terms of enhancing students' performance, motivation, and interaction and enriching course goals, content, and teaching process.

To limit the spread of Coronavirus, educational institutions had to suddenly shift to remote learning during the Spring of 2020. This study aims to evaluate the adopted remote-learning practices among architectural students and their instructors. To this end, the authors implemented a descriptive cross-sectional approach to highlight the aligned and opposing perceptions, respectively. The work adopts the following four-step methodology: (1) Interviews; (2) identification of findings; (3) online surveys; and (4) comparative analysis. Results from 139 respondents were collected from 15 Egyptian universities and 6 non-Egyptian universities. Findings demonstrate the potential advantages of reduced commuting costs, besides going paperless. Nevertheless, a crucial need for a well-established infrastructure and increased self-motivation has been raised. Furthermore, the study sheds the light on the future potential of integrating hybrid-learning models, virtual reality, and other practices to embrace learning strategies. This research contributes to architectural education practices by providing guidelines for enhancing online-learning experiences.

An editorial for a special issue on designing for dementia.

This editorial is intended to introduce The Dignity Manifesto of Design and request meaningful commentary on this guide for environments for people living with dementia, so that design will support values of dignity, autonomy, independence, equality of opportunity, and non-discrimination. The two-part manifesto – a short list of values followed by ten design principles - follows Recommendation 1 of the Alzheimer’s Disease International World Alzheimer’s Report 2020.

There is a growing demand for electricity in homes in Indonesia. In this study, traditional Javanese houses were analyzed and redesigned to suit Indonesian modern lifestyles. The new modern Javanese houses are used as benchmarks for evaluating energy-efficient designs in Jakarta, Indonesia. It was compared to several rumah type 36’s models in order to analyze it. The results show that a modern Javanese house can reduce its total electricity consumption by 31%. There is a high consumption of electricity in home appliances related to cooking and miscellaneous appliances. Heat can be faster transferred from these cooking appliances by designing an open layout and atrium. These design can lowered the nighttime heat temperature by about 5°C compared to the daytime temperature, and by about 1.6 °C compared to the temperature outdoors. Energy consumption in urban areas can be reduced by adapting a traditional house concept to modern homes.

The ‘visual attractiveness’ of a building façade refers to the extent to which it provokes an immediate or ‘pre-attentive’ physiological response. Two factors that can shape this response are ‘visual complexity’ and ‘strength of attraction’. The former refers to the innate capacity of a façade to draw the viewer's eye, and the latter to its capacity to hold the viewer's gaze. In this article two computational methods – fractal dimension analysis and visual attention simulation – are explored for their capacity to measure these attractive properties and to predict immediate physiological responses to architectural façades. This article describes the application and limits of these methods, along with the ways they simulate key visual properties. The methods are demonstrated using an analysis of three styles of façade designs: Modernism, Postmodernism and Neo-modernism. This research contributes foundational knowledge to the computational assessment of aesthetic and environmental preference theory relating to buildings and cities.

The photo-based immersive virtual environment (IVE) has become an increasingly popular method to deliver spatial experiences because it provides users with a high sense of presence and interactivity. However, there is still a lack of empirical evidence on the degree of realism of spatial experiences. Thus, the present study aims to investigate the reality of photo-based IVE spatial experience. We recruited 74 participants and conducted surveys to compare a photo-based IVE, conventional methods, and actual visit in terms of the spatial information and appraisal of the space. The results indicated that the users’ impression of the space in the photo-based IVE was similar to that in the real space because of a high sense of presence, but they less accurately recall the specific physical characteristics of the space owing to high cognitive load. The findings of the present study contribute to the understanding of spatial experiences via photo-based IVE.

Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) machines, as one of the digital fabrication technologies, can create various textures as milled surfaces. The geometrical properties of these textures depend on various parameters set by the designer. This paper focuses on CNC cutting tools, tool paths, and cut depth to understand their roles in generating different surface textures on a (12.7 × 12.7)cm² panel surface. 3D Rhinoceros, and other plugins were used to study the texture created by two distinct CNC tools (ball and vee bits), two tool paths (plunge roughing and parallel), and various tool stepovers. The simulation studies focused on the solar radiation received by the panel surfaces and self-shadow cast by the surface texture. The results showed that each tool, tool path, and tool stepover had different effects on the panel surface solar control. Using vee-type bits increased the amount of radiation by 17% compared to the flat panel and using ball-type bits decreased it by 32%.

Solar design will be reshaping the architecture as one way to address the global climate crisis and the reduction of fossil fuel consumption. This paper analyses the current definition of Positive Energy Building (PEB) and a selection of both NZEB and PEB built projects with real monitored data, discussing their design features and potential for achieving positive energy balance. The research aims to assess an optimal ratio between PV area in both roof and façade, net floor building area and achieved self-sufficiency ratios in office buildings. The study shows that most of the buildings’ PV systems have an area equal to 10-20% of the total building’s net floor area. Buildings that have PV to area ratio from 13 to 20% are self-sufficient from 100 to 150%. PV installation in the façades results decisive for reaching positive energy balance. The relation of the PV system installed on the façade to PV system on the roof is from 50 to 57 % for the studied buildings. Buildings located in sites with higher GHI tend to have lower PV area ratios and a ratio of 20% or more is valid for all the studied sites to achieve electrical energy self-sufficiency.

The detached double-shell dome comprises the outer shell, inner shell, drum, and usually stiffeners. This article closely examines a kind of stiffener, called 'khashkhāshī ,' within two main discussions. (I) By comparing various examples, eight cases representative of all the khashkhāshī types are selected and studied morphologically to introduce a grounded definition for khashkhāshī , encompassing twelve types assorted in three distinct structural forms. (II) By implementing a base model with variations of khashkhāshī , their different structural effects on the overall structural behaviour of the dome are analyzed using linear Finite-Element modeling subject to dead and seismic loads. Although beneficial in redirecting the force flow and decreasing the stress and span increase at the expense of added weight, khashkhāshī might cause localized inefficiencies in some cases. The obtained results are solely for a better understanding of the behaviour of the khashkhāshī , and shall not be directly used for studying individual cases.

The overarching goal of this project is to enable pre-occupancy evaluation in architecture. This project uses computational techniques and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies to develop and test an innovative method for decision-making enabled by collaborative multi-sensory pre-occupation of designs. A gaming engine was used to develop an immersive VR environment that allowed users to explore architectural spaces within a range of time-specific spatial conditions. This paper presents comparative user studies between VR and paper-based evaluation approaches. Two experimental streams were carried out including architecture professionals and students. This manuscript presents background studies, proposed methods, and results of user testing. Significant differences in responses between architecture practitioners and architecture students were identified, including satisfaction levels of visual and acoustic qualities of architectural spaces; and the ease of using VR for pre-occupancy assessments. The professional population was also more likely to change their original choice after being immersed in the VR experience.

eat can evoke a strong sensory perception and convey socio-cultural meanings as thermal pleasure. In this study, the researchers applied the grounded theory approach to explore how people perceive thermal pleasure in Yazd. The common aspects that emerged from the analysis of people’s experiences were categorized to form a conceptual framework. It was found that ‘socio-cultural background’, ‘spatial situations’, and ‘thermal sources’ are the three categories that, as the hidden layers, provide the conditions for perceiving thermal pleasure. ‘Distinction’ was identified to be the core category that influenced thermal pleasure. ‘Distinction’ here refers to a clear difference in social, thermal, and sensory aspects. The association between these four categories leads to physiological, psychological, behavioural, and axiological thermal pleasure as a consequence. This conceptual framework provides a broader perspective on the qualitative factors influencing thermal pleasure. This information can be useful for architects, and researchers in comfort sciences.

Heat can evoke a strong sensory perception and convey socio-cultural meanings as thermal pleasure. In this study, the researchers applied the grounded theory approach to explore how people perceive thermal pleasure in Yazd. The common aspects that emerged from the analysis of people’s experiences were categorized to form a conceptual framework. It was found that ‘socio-cultural background’, ‘spatial situations’, and ‘thermal sources’ are the three categories that, as the hidden layers, provide the conditions for perceiving thermal pleasure. ‘Distinction’ was identified to be the core category that influenced thermal pleasure. ‘Distinction’ here refers to a clear difference in social, thermal, and sensory aspects. The association between these four categories leads to physiological, psychological, behavioral, and axiological thermal pleasure as a consequence. This conceptual framework provides a broader perspective on the qualitative factors influencing thermal pleasure. This information can be useful for architects, and researchers in comfort sciences.

Tall buildings are seen as iconic landmarks because of their bold effect on the city silhouette. To control this bold effect in an aesthetically desired manner, designers search for intriguing forms such as twisted buildings. There are two main approaches for designing the structural system of a twisted tall building. In the first approach, the twisted form of the building is obtained only by the rotation of the floors, and the structural system is maintained in a conventional, perpendicular way. Alternatively, the structural system and the floors of the building twist together. This study designates these as non-adaptive and adaptive, respectively. With different heights and angles of twist, non-adaptive and adaptive tall building models are created and analysed under the combined effect of wind and gravity loads. The dynamic properties, drift, moment, and torsion demands are compared to scrutinize and assess the potentials and limitations of these alternative approaches.

This study investigates the influence of window system configurations on the energy use/cost, access to daylight and view, visual comfort and environmental performance in a one-bed hospital patient room located in a temperate climate. The methodology combines dynamic energy simulations, visual comfort and daylight analysis in a life cycle assessment study of window systems, covering a wide range of environmental indicators. In this study, multi-criteria evaluation approach is used to analyse the different design alternatives. A graphical optimization method was elaborated to filter the solutions and select the most appropriate window design based on project objectives and architectural preferences. The results show that glazing with ‘0.30 < g-values≤0.50’ and ‘0.50 < Tvis < 0.75’ have lower energy use and/or cost, lower environmental impacts while maintaining sufficient daylight levels (sDA > 55%) and showing higher quality for visual comfort. These type of glazing allows for using bigger windows which leads to a higher percentage of the outside view.

The paper discusses the importance of greenery in cities. It considers the presence of green elements inside a typical urban perimeter block and deliberates about their impact on the solar radiation level on the facades and the yard. A series of computer simulations have been done using six combinations of surface reflectance (façade/yard) for six perimeter block configurations. The simulations were performed with DIVA, a plug-in for Rhino for Oslo (59.91273, 10.74609). The results confirm that a modest amount of greenery causes only a small reduction of the radiation, up to 11% in the yard and up to 13% in the lower parts of facades. Surface reflectances are important. The increase of façade reflectance from 22% to 66% is more than enough to compensate for adding green elements, e.g. one large birch and three smaller ever-green conifers.

Dwellings on hillsides require complex design and construction techniques, resulting in low productivity and high cost. Urban hillsides often feature low-density individual houses with private gardens or high-density informal settlement with lack of green spaces and compromised liveability. By contrast, densely built historic hill-towns are admired in the context of tourism for their setting and spatial coherence. This article proposes a design process, which combines design knowledge and parametric design. The research employs a mixed methodology, combining design research, computer simulation, and case study. Based on dwelling design and aspects of fabrication/installation, a shape grammar of dwelling modules is developed, which are set-out and combined with a rule-based, generative design algorithm. The process allows for the design of high-density settlements, comprising low-rise dwellings, with topography and principles of serial construction as design generators. The resulting two-stage parametric design tool is tested and refined on a case-study site in Wellington (NZ).

Light Transmitting Building Block (LTBB) is a building block with transparent rods embedded in it that allows transmission of light. It was recently granted a patent in 2020 in India and so, there is no further information available on its light-transmitting performance. The paper analyzes the data generated from the experiment performed in Patna, India on its light transmitting capacity for daylighting. Many factors are involved that have an impact on the light transmitting capacity of the LTBB (Model 1). Experiment for light transmittance were also carried out for the block without embedded transparent rods (Model 2) and compared with Model 1. It is found that light transmitting performance of Model 1 was significantly better than Model 2. Further, the requirement of the number of blocks of Model 1 was calculated for generating the recommended level of illumination for specific indoor activities through a software simulation using DIALux.

Due to the increasing amount of time that people are spending indoors, the need to ensure adequate ventilation has become a priority. The confirmed airborne transmission of COVID-19 highlights the necessity to consider the effect of ventilation on the reduction of the infection risk. In naturally ventilated buildings, the ventilation rate is not easy to determine, and it is difficult to estimate the risk to implement preventive measures. This paper presents a method to estimate the infection probability from CO2 concentration monitoring, which was applied to university classrooms. The effects of people’s activity, classroom characteristics, occupancy and protective masks were also investigated. From the method, it is possible to calculate the infection probability using CO2 dataloggers that can be adopted as ‘alarm’ systems to keep the infection probability below a critical value. The method will enhance healthy conditions indoors and reduce the risk of infectious diseases in the future.

Achieving indoor thermal comfort is essential for productivity, especially in educational environments, and hence has recently attracted considerable attention. Phase change materials (PCMs) integrated into various building components have been used to improve the indoor temperature. In this study, the effectiveness of integrating macro-encapsulated BioPCMs into the walls and ceilings of lecture halls in an educational building was determined via simulation. The simulations considered a hot climate coupled with controlled night ventilation of 15 air change per hour for enhancing the indoor temperature. Using the EnergyPlus software, simulations were performed for different PCM melting temperatures (25, 27 and 29°C) and thicknesses. The PCM with a melting temperature of 27°C yielded a notable reduction (0.5-3.3°C) in the indoor temperature. Furthermore, increasing the layer thickness to 3.75 cm had little effect on the temperature, as indicated by the incomplete charging process during the night.

The paper examines how emotional reactions (spiritual sense) to colour within religious architectural like mosque can be empirically measured and the best colour palette for mosques proposed. First, the concept of colour and its status in the Nasir Al-Molk mosque is defined based on a descriptive-analytical approach. Then, an experiment has been performed using quantitative electroencephalography waves (brain map), between the statistical population with 18 people sample size. The analysis of the data extracted showed a significant difference between the two conditions (Normal) and (Test) in the frequency of beta, theta and alpha. ‘The highest increase in alpha’ and ‘the highest decrease in the theta/beta parameter’ (Two criteria for promoting spirituality) belong to the ‘North Porch’ image. Other priorities, respectively, are South Porch, Eastern Corridor, Eastern Shabestan and Western Shabestan. So ‘turquoise’, ‘green’ and ‘blue’ colours (colour spectra of image ‘North Porch’) increase the spiritual sense.

Dynamic solar screens are operable façade shading systems with perforations that are designed using parametric processes. Architects and facade designers have continually applied design patterns of aesthetically and culturally significant vernacular solar screens for creating contemporary facades in their static-fixed or dynamic-operable states. The purpose of this investigation is to review previous work on dynamic screens and related façade shading, identify research gaps, highlight methodological limitations, and propose future investigation of their unexplored impacts. Solar screens investigated in previous studies were categorized into different types for meta-analysis of their building energy and indoor environmental performance in tropical climates. Several gaps related to the influence of dynamic screens on occupant’s comfort in the indoor environment were identified. Realizing the importance of keeping occupant wellness at the top priority in building design, the authors have proposed a set of hypotheses that describe approaches to investigate and design dynamic screens for occupant well-being.

Within architecture, microalgae are employed to address sustainability issues and mitigate the impacts of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This study proposes digital fabrication of ceramic ‘living’ building components as an investigative tool for design conditions. The health of the chlorophyte (green) microalga Chlorella vulgaris was monitored over two-week periods when immobilized in kappa carrageenan and clay binder-based hydrogels, and grown on a range of digitally fabricated ceramic components. The use of 3D printing is presented in relation to laboratory testing of controlled substrate variables including the impact of ceramic firing temperature, component wall thickness, three types of geometry for exploring cell growth, surface patterns to investigate cell migration, internal chamber subdivisions and clay type. The experiments reveal the benefits and limitations of creating micro-ecologies for algae growth through the introduction of geometry variation. In this study, the natural organismal sensing abilities are explored as a means for cell distribution.

This study seeks to evaluate the efficacy of several passive design strategies to reduce the risk of overheating in a Compressed Stabilized Earth Brick (CSEB) house situated in Johannesburg. The roof features CSEB masonry vaults and the walls were built from dry-stack (mortarless) masonry. The vaults were initially coated with maroon paint, which resulted in uncomfortably high temperatures during summer months. Several passive design strategies were considered to improve the thermal performance, and the effectiveness of each were assessed against the CIBSE TM52: 2013 overheating criteria. Surface shading and painting external surfaces white were especially effective at reducing the potential of overheating in the first-floor vaults. Ventilating the space in the late afternoon and evening reduced the period during which indoor operative temperatures exceeded Tmax. An insulated ceiling proved effective at reducing the indoor temperature in early- and late-summer but had little impact on the severity of overheating during mid-summer.

This study suggests a natural language processing framework for collecting, analyzing, and, visualizing online natural language data, consisting of a web crawler for data collection, tokenizer for text preprocessing, Word2vec for word embedding, and deep-learning long short-term memory networks for sentiment classification. The framework was exemplified on online brokerage platforms in New York City and Seoul. The visualized framework-driven results showed regional similarities and differences between the cities. The proposed approach provides a way to gather big data, not through surveys or interviews. The framework-driven analysis may provide descriptive precursors to explore how laypersons experience built environments and city spaces.

COVID-19 has caused public health and economic crises in many countries including the United States. Engineering control strategies are cited by leading agencies as the second effective recommendation after virus elimination to safer reopen buildings during the pandemic. This paper systematically surveyed and synthesized highly cited architectural guidelines in the U.S. published by leading agencies. As reviewed in this paper, all reviewed architectural strategies agreed on the importance of increasing outdoor air ventilation and maintaining social distancing, without specific consideration of the potential impact of these strategies on other aspects of buildings and occupants. Thus, this paper provides foundational knowledge for future studies around safer buildings during future pandemics and suggests conducting more pre/post-occupancy evaluations that incorporate human-centered studies and building performance analysis, using qualitative and quantitative methods to support various building stakeholders in making more informed decisions around recommendations to positively and holistically impact occupants and buildings.

Limited by the climate, economic level and energy-saving awareness of rural residents in the western China, rural houses are still in a stage of high energy consumption (EC) and low comfort. The passive design strategies should be given priority to provide an optimal design mode. The challenge is to find the best combination of design parameters. In this paper, rural single-storey detached houses are taken as the research objects. Three conflicted indicators are set as the objective function, namely building EC, thermal comfort and economy. The investigated design variables include building orientation, insulating layer thickness, window width & type, and indoor design temperature. A methodology of combining EnergyPlus and MOBO is used for multi-objective optimization, thus getting the Pareto solutions and using the weighted sum method to obtain the optimum parameter combinations. The proposed methodology for simulation-based multi-objective optimization is a useful tool to facilitate decision-making in building design. Highlights • An automated optimization method of combining EnergyPlus simulation software and MOBO optimization engine is proposed. • The multi-objective method optimizes the building orientation, envelope and winter indoor temperature. • Pareto non-dominated solutions for three conflict objective functions are obtained. • The final optimum combination is determined by a weighted sum method.

This study focuses on the effects of the independent spatial variables of volumetric visibility, natural light, and the infinity index value on both perceived openness and spaciousness, and on the concept of familiarity, using computer-generated images of sixteen nodes of a university building. Ninety participants in three groups from two universities were selected to examine the effects of familiarity on the dependent variables of openness and spaciousness. These dependent variables of perception were explored through a semantic evaluation test, where the participants experienced the sixteen spatial nodes in a virtual environment derived from fixed vantage points on two floors of the case study campus building. The results revealed that the perceived spaciousness is significantly correlated to the independent physical aspects of space, such as the volumetric visibility, the natural light, and the infinity value, while familiarity with space indicated a higher ratio of perceived openness.

Open residential neighbourhood (ORN) and vertical greening system (VGS) are two emerging urban design strategies in Southern Chinese cities. This paper numerically analysed the potential in thermal comfort improvement of these strategies. The strength and limitations of the ENVI-met model is understood through a validation against field-measured data. Then we conducted parameterized numerical simulation on the combined impacts of four types of building layout and six types of vertical greening on outdoor microclimate in a traditional urban block under renovation in Shanghai. Results indicate that the semi-enclosed layout with small building height difference and the enclosed layout are relatively beneficial; For different combinations of layout and greenery, the south-oriented vertical greening scenario yields the best thermal benefit per unit installed area, followed by the east-orientated scenario; overall, south-facing green facade allocated in semi-enclosed building layout with small height difference and enclosed building layout are recommended for optimizing pedestrian thermal comfort.

Developments in cognitive neuroscience and brain imaging technologies make it possible to interface directly with the human brain using sensors. Brain activity during the navigation of built space is influenced by user perception and cognition in interaction with visual stimuli. This paper has a fourfold aim: (a) to elucidate the concept of design evaluation for human well-being; (b) to investigate the principal available methodologies for non-invasive human neurological response monitoring; (c) to explain the visual simulator specification used for virtual environments; (d) to review systematically the existing literature that employed empirical methodology for the integration of an immersive visual virtual system with biometric data collection used in architecture design evaluation for pre-or post-occupancy. The paper concludes with considerations for implementing a comprehensive approach that uses biometric response as a method of design evaluation for future research.

In this article, we present the rationale, development and preliminary evaluation of a novel set of materials to encourage and improve the consideration of users and their needs during the process of architectural design. Our focus is specifically on two areas: user-centred design principles and spatial cognition research. To this end, we developed two decks of flash-cards, termed the Architectural Strategies Cards (72 cards) and the Spatial Cognition Cards (111 cards). We conducted preliminary evaluations of the cards in the design studio and in design thinking workshops with multidisciplinary groups of students and with architectural practitioners. Our results suggest that the cards improve designers’ immersion into the perspective of building-users in a playful way and introduce scientific concepts effectively. In conclusion, we argue that serious-games and card-based methods should be part of the multiple approaches necessary to encourage and improve user-centred thinking, and integrate research findings into evidence-based design at large.

Designing through the use of complex forms is becoming increasingly widespread. However, when designing macro-scale projects with complex forms, urban constants should be included in the design process. In this study, to begin, urban morphology constants were identified through a literature survey, which revealed constants such as road networks and topography. Next, a swarm intelligence-based model that included urban morphology constants in the swarm algorithm as constraints was developed. Development of this model entailed the use of a visual programming language. Conceptual forms produced as a result of swarm simulation were evaluated through a case study on a section of the Italian city of Genoa.