Embodied energy optimization tool

About 40-50% of global raw materials are currently used in the building industry in the assembly/construction phase and in the use phase of the building and are responsible for 40-45% of total worldwide anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions (Huovila [5]). These problems have led to the development of legislative policies, regulations and...

StructuralComponents 6: An early-stage design tool for flexible topologies of mid-rise concrete buildings

This paper discusses the project StructuralComponents 6, a continuation of the ongoing project StructuralComponents which focuses on the development of computational tools for conceptual building design beginning with Breider [1]. The goal of StructuralComponents 6 is to develop a tool for the conceptual design of mid-rise concrete buildings...

A Sound Working Environment: Optimizing the Acoustic Properties of Open Plan Workspaces Using Parametric Models

Optimizing the acoustic environment of open plan offices is a complex task due to the large number of design parameters that must be considered. In current practice, acoustic analysis – even in a simplified form – is not naturally integrated into the design process of office spaces. Applying digital acoustic simulation in architectural design...

Integrating simulation and measurement techniques to model outdoor noise and heat in airport neighbourhoods with varying urban geometries

This study aims to evaluate the impact of different urban building geometries (six courtyards, two canyons, two slabs) on heat mitigation and aircraft noise attenuation, in order to support an evidence-based retrofit plan for future airport neighborhoods. Using ’Pachyderm + ENVI-met simulations + field measurements’, we found that the slanted...

Finding Membrane Shells Subjected to Horizontal Body Forces with Radial Basis Functions

Membrane shells, which have minimized bending moments under certain load conditions, are regarded as ideal structural forms in terms of material efficiency. Most of the existing numerical form-finding methods are based on discretizing membranes into finite panels or funicular networks and focusing on gravitational loading only. In order to...