GENERATIVE DESIGN FOR A SUSTAINABLE URBAN MORPHOLOGY

Abstract

The present work concerns the applications of generative design for sustainable urban fabric. This represents an iterative process that involves an algorithm for the generation of solar envelopes to satisfy solar and density constraints. We propose in this paper to explore a meta-universe of human-machine interaction. It aims to design urban forms that offer solar access. This being to minimize heating energy expenditure and provide solar well-being. We propose to study the impact of the solar strategy of building morphosis on energy exposure. It consists of determining the layout and shape of the constructions based on the shading cut-off time. This is a period of desirable solar access. We propose to define it as a balance between the solar irradiation received in winter and that received in summer. We rely on the concept of the solar envelope defined since the 1970s by Knowles and its many derivatives (Koubaa Turki & al., 2020). We propose a parametric model to generate solar envelopes at the scale of an urban block. The generative design makes it possible to create a digital model of the different density solutions by varying the solar access duration. The virtual environment created allows exploring urban morphologies resilient both to urban densification and better use of the context’s resources. The seasonal energy balance, between overexposure in summer and access to the sun in winter, allows reaching high energy and environmental efficiency of the buildings. We have developed an algorithm on Dynamo for the generation of the solar envelope by shading exchange. The program makes it possible to detect the boundaries of the parcels imported from Revit, establish the layout of the building, and generate the solar envelopes for each variation of the shading cut-off time. It also calculates the FAR[1] and the FSI[2] from the variation of the shading cut-off time for each parcel of the island. We compare the solutions generated according to the urban density coefficients and the solar access duration. Once the optimal solution has been determined, we export the results back into Revit environment to complete the BIM modelling for solar study. This article proposes a method for designing buildings and neighbourhoods in a virtual environment. The latter acts upstream of the design process and can be extended to the different phases of the building life cycle: detailed design, construction, and use.