The Utilization of Environmental Simulation Tools in Architectural Design Education

Abstract

In architecture pedagogy, the architectural design process is a creative one. It relies on the ingenuity of the student to use all key issues of a building problem and interpret them as spatial elements, which are incorporated within the building design. The emphasis on the environmental design of buildings is a significant step due to the increasing awareness of the use of passive systems and strategies. Thus, students face increased pressure to design buildings with solutions toward environment. This paper presents a descriptive study that investigates the utilization of simulation tools in the design process to enhance the learning outcomes and allow students to become sensitive contributors to the strong link between environment and architecture. The study focuses on the tools deployed by students from studio-VIII, in the college of architecture and design at Effat University, to embed passive performance techniques during design problem solving. The paper identifies the tools students used, and the impact of using them on selective projects. Moreover, the paper applies a questionnaire among the targeted students to investigate how simulation could inform their design through different stages of the design process starting from the pre-design studies to the final feedback on their design. The findings illustrate how simulation tools were used integrative to building design. The selected projects identified some of the challenges faced by students to incorporate simulation methodologies during a routine design studio process and it advocate considering the design problem-solving patterns and preferences in the improvement of environmental design.