Building Space Research Articles

The Windcatcher: A Renewable-Energy-Powered Device for Natural Ventilation—The Impact of Upper Wing Walls

In recent years, there has been increased interest in natural ventilation solutions as a means to achieve sustainable and energy-efficient building design. Windcatchers, ancient Middle Eastern architectural elements, have surfaced as viable passive cooling devices in modern architecture, thereby enhancing interior air quality and reducing the reliance on mechanical ventilation systems. Integrating upper wing walls (UWWs) is hypothesized to augment a windcatcher’s effectiveness by optimizing wind capture, air circulation, and thermal regulation. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the influence of incorporating a two-sided windcatcher with UWWs, with a particular emphasis on the effect of the UWW angle on ventilation performance within building spaces. To achieve this aim, a series of numerical simulations were conducted to assess the synergy between the windcatcher and the wing wall configuration with varying UWW angles and under varying wind speed conditions. As the first step of the research methodology, the CFD model was validated through a comparison between the numerical results and the experimental data. The findings showed good agreement between these methods. In the next phase, windcatchers with different UWW angles spanning the range of 0° to 90° were subjected to rigorous evaluation. The results revealed that the configuration with a 30° angle exhibited the optimal performance concerning critical ventilation parameters encompassing the airflow rate, air change rate, and mean age of air. Finally, the selected configuration underwent an evaluation under diverse wind speed conditions, which affirmed that even under low-wind-speed conditions, the windcatcher provides ventilation levels that align with the standard requirements.

Proposing the combination of spatial components to build residential buildings at levels of details in 3D space

In the long historical development of urban architecture is always diverse in terms of type, style, and color. This is a major challenge for GIS researchers of 0-1-2-2.5-3-3.75-4D space. How can they perform residential buildings in a 2D computer screen? This great challenge is reflected in such aspects as shapes of buildings, storage of space of buildings, update the space of buildings, and query the space of buildings. This article systematizes the related researches, classifies existing GIS models, reviews and recommends the combination of spatial components for the construction of residential buildings at the detailed level (LODs) in three-dimensional (3D) space, so receivable result is a GIS new data model, this new model is called IOLODs. The paper installs experimental combinations of spatial components to become residential buildings. This experimental setup is deployed on Oracle 11G and C#, resulting in a visual representation of residential buildings at LODs in 3D space. The empirical results show that integrating spatial components into the construction of residential buildings in new urban planning is a practical and correct work.

Seismic Performance Assessment of Composite Frame–High-Strength Steel Plate Wall Core Tube Resilient Structural System

Against the backdrop of China’s continuous promotion of green and low-carbon transformation and the development of construction industrialization, high-strength composite structural systems have significant development prospects. However, their research and application in the field of construction are insufficient. In response to this issue, the study proposes a new high-performance structural system, namely the composite frame–high-strength steel plate wall core tube resilient structural system, which includes a core tube composed of double steel plate concrete composite shear walls and replaceable energy dissipation coupling beams, as well as composite frames. The highest strength grades of the steel plate and concrete used in the composite walls of the core tube are Q550 and C100, respectively. Using a 200 m building as an example, this study designs and establishes models for this high-performance structure and a conventional reinforced concrete frame–core tube structure. Subsequently, the dynamic elastoplastic time history analysis and seismic resilience assessment of structures are conducted under design basis earthquakes (DBEs), maximum considered earthquakes (MCEs), and extremely rare earthquakes (EREs). Research has shown that, compared to conventional structures, the thickness of shear walls of new high-performance structures can be effectively reduced, which helps decrease the self-weight of the structure and improve the available space in buildings. Additionally, high-performance structures exhibit a better performance in controlling the story drift ratio, lower plastic damage and overall stiffness degradation of the structure, and better seismic performance. The seismic resilience of the high-performance structure has been significantly enhanced, especially in terms of minimizing casualties, thereby better ensuring the safety of people’s lives and property.

Exploring urban building space provision and inequality: A three-dimensional perspective on Chinese cities toward sustainable development goals

Accelerated urbanization and population expansion present substantial pressures on the built environment, particularly in terms of inadequate space and pronounced inequality of building provision. A comprehensive understanding of building space provision and inequality of city remains constrained. This study utilizes high-quality building structure data and fine-scale gridded population product to investigate the building space provision and inequality across 67 Chinese cities from a three-dimensional (3-D) perspective. We integrate both dimensions of building space provision and inequality to facilitate a more nuanced understanding of the built environment. With an overall average building volume per capita (perBV: 517.67 m3 /person) and Gini measures (BV-Gini: 0.497), our study reveals that tier-1 cities suffer shortage of building space, while rapidly developing tier-2 cities are confronted with high degree of inequality. The results indicate that urban areas are characterized by a more limited building space provision (perBV: 1,074.52m3/person for rural, and 500.83 m3/person for urban) and higher inequality (BV-Gini: 0.494 for urban, and 0.427 for rural) compared to rural areas. This study provides valuable insights into comprehension of the built environment from 3-D building perspective toward achieving adequate and equitable building space, consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the principles of New Urban Agenda.

Review of Building Integrated Photovoltaics System for Electric Vehicle Charging.

The transition to sustainable transportation has fueled the need for innovative electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions. Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) systems have emerged as a promising technology that combines renewable energy generation with the infra-structure of buildings. This paper comprehensively reviews the BIPV system for EV charging, focusing on its technology, application, and performance. The review identifies the gaps in the existing literature, emphasizing the need for a thorough examination of BIPV systems in the context of EV charging. A detailed review of BIPV technology and its application in EV charging is presented, covering aspects such as the generation of solar cell technology, BIPV system installation, design options and influencing factors. Furthermore, the review examines the performance of BIPV systems for EV charging, focusing on energy, economic, and environmental parameters and their comparison with previous studies. Additionally, the paper explores current trends in energy management for BIPV and EV charging, highlighting the need for effective integration and recommending strategies to optimize energy utilization. Combining BIPV with EV charging provides a promising approach to power EV chargers, enhances building energy efficiency, optimizes the building space, reduces energy losses, and decreases grid dependence. Utilizing BIPV-generated electricity for EV charging provides electricity and fuel savings, offers financial incentives, and increases the market value of the building infrastructure. It significantly lowers greenhouse gas emissions associated with grid and vehicle emissions. It creates a closed-loop circular economic system where energy is produced, consumed, and stored within the building. The paper underscores the importance of effective integration between Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) and Electric Vehicle (EV) charging, emphasizing the necessity of innovative grid technologies, energy storage solutions, and demand-response energy management strategies to overcome diverse challenges. Overall, the study contributes to the knowledge of BIPV systems for EV charging by presenting practical energy management, effectiveness and sustainability implications. It serves as a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers working towards sustainable transportation and energy systems.

Planning for bicycle parking: Predicting demand using stated preference and count data

Predicting bicycle parking demand is critical to optimizing parking facilities and thereby promoting cycling. Unfortunately, previous studies have not considered facility type and location when predicting bicycle parking demand, which is critical to meeting user needs, especially in scenarios with multiple parking options, such as on university campuses, as in our case study. The paper presents a predictive model for bicycle parking demand using a synthetic population derived from building space utilization data, a mobility survey, parking facility data, and results from a stated preference experiment on bicycle parking preferences. We evaluate the model’s quality using count data from 2022 and 2023 and the influence of including facility types (front wheel racks, u-racks, bicycle parking stations) and whether they are covered. We also analyze the influence of beeline-based distances to reach a facility and to get from the facility to the destination and examine how to weigh them.Incorporating facility types and coverage substantially improves the model’s predictive accuracy, but only if the model’s sensitivity to walking distances between facilities and buildings is increased. This suggests that stated preference experiments on bicycle parking choice behavior may underestimate cyclists’ sensitivity to walking distances. In contrast, accounting for cycling detours to reach a facility does not contribute to prediction quality. Thus, when cyclists have multiple parking options, it is crucial to consider walking distances for realistic predictions. Furthermore, user-centered planning requires careful consideration of parking facility attributes and the specific preferences of target cyclist groups when determining the size and location of parking facilities.

A Real Option Analysis of the “Flats for Land” System - an Idiosyncratic Equity Financing Mechanism on Real Estate Investments

A typical real estate development project encounters an entrée capital expense for land purchase that is not immediately recovered until the allocated capital for the land acquisition is replaced with new capital that converts the land to a rentable building space. This article presents an idiosyncratic equity financing scheme that eliminates the sunk cost for a land purchase over a real estate development, within a real options framework. The study provides a model solution, numerical results of the option value, and the optimal investment threshold of a real estate development that is initiated through the “flats for land” scheme.

Construction and application of a simulation optimization model of auxiliary guidance signs in enclosed public places

Many enclosed public spaces with multiple destinations often feature obstacles, such as columns within the building space and dense crowds, which adversely affect the recognition and guidance of pedestrian sign. To mitigate this issue, enhancing traffic efficiency necessitates the implementation of auxiliary guidance signs. However, experience-based schemes for positioning these signs often require iterative adjustments to achieve the desired effect. Thus, this paper endeavors to address this challenge by analyzing the relationship between obstacles and pedestrians’ visual blind areas. It establishes a mathematical model to describe pedestrian visual perception and its correlation with crowd density and individual visual field function. The model employs the effective aggregation area of the population exceeding a certain density threshold as its primary variable and enhances this variable’s function. Subsequently, it formulates an effect function that yields a substantial improvement in various combinations and permutations of auxiliary guidance signs. To exemplify this research, a large subway transfer hall with multiple destinations serves as a simulation model. The study calculates the optimal combination of auxiliary guidance sign placements that align with the enhancement effect function. Based on this combination, an optimized layout plan is derived, resulting in a significant improvement. The results demonstrate that the auxiliary guidance sign layout scheme proposed in this study markedly enhances traffic efficiency in enclosed public spaces. This research serves as a valuable reference for decision-makers seeking to optimize traffic flow in such spaces.

Electron-donating functional groups strengthen ligand-induced chiral imprinting on CsPbBr3 quantum dots

Chiral perovskite nanoparticles and films are promising for integration in emerging spintronic and optoelectronic technologies, yet few design rules exist to guide the development of chiral material properties. The chemical space of potential building blocks for these nanostructures is vast, and the mechanisms through which organic ligands can impart chirality to the inorganic perovskite lattice are not well understood. In this work, we investigate how the properties of chiral ammonium ligands, the most common organic ligand type used with perovskites, affect the circular dichroism of strongly quantum confined CsPbBr3 nanocrystals. We show that aromatic ammonium ligands with stronger electron-donating groups lead to higher-intensity circular dichroism associated with the lowest-energy excitonic transition of the perovskite nanocrystal. We argue that this behavior is best explained by a modulation of the exciton wavefunction overlap between the nanocrystal and the organic ligand, as the functional groups on the ligand can shift electron density toward the organic species-perovskite lattice interface to increase the imprinting.

Numerical investigation of the deep borehole heat exchanger in medium-depth geothermal heat pump system for building space heating

The deep borehole heat exchanger (DBHE) is a vital part in medium-depth geothermal heat pump system (MD-GHPs). In comparison to other forms of heat exchangers, the DBHE has the following outstanding advantages: the small footprints, the little damage to rock as well as the high efficiency. However, numerous DBHE models were fixed variable values such as flow rate or inlet fluid temperature and there were few studies combining the user heating load variation with the temperature fluctuation on the DBHE side. In order to fill this gap, a DBHE heat transfer model with dynamic building heating load constraint is developed. In this heat transfer model, the load boundary condition is the hourly flow rate and the difference in inlet and outlet water temperature, and the outlet water temperature is obtained through iteration. In addition, this model is validated by a building space heating experiment data in Harbin and guaranteed its correctness. The average heat exchange per meter at the coldest heating moment also ensures the viability of MD-GHPs, which is 141.5 W/m. A series of typical coordinates are used to analyze the effect of DBHE on the surrounding rock, and the concept of DBHE recommended insulation length are proposed. One single DBHE with 2000 m burial depth possesses a temperature effect radius of 13.0 m for one heating period. Besides, some critical conclusions are as follows: For the structural parameter, the recommended insulation length is 178 m. For the operating parameter, there is a minimum value for the total power consumption and 18 m3·h−1 is the recommended optimal flow rate in this situation. For the geological parameter, raising the geothermal gradient can dramatically improve inlet fluid temperature (IFT) and outlet fluid temperature (OFT), and enhance the ability of DBHE to carry the building heating load. When maintaining the same IFT at the coldest moment, the geothermal gradient of 0.04℃·m−1 is 1.33 times more capable of carrying loads than the 0.03℃·m−1. This paper can provide basis for a series of DBHE thermal performance in practical space heating engineering applications of MD-GHPs.

Recent Developments on Open Thermochemical Energy Storage towards Decarbonized Building Space Heating and Cooling

Recent Developments on Open Thermochemical Energy Storage towards Decarbonized Building Space Heating and Cooling

Landscape sightline analysis on height control of land around architectural heritage sites: Nanshan Temple and Nanping Academy in Zhangzhou, China

Geospatial technology has been extensively researched and applied in the urban spatial planning field. However, mountainous urban planning needs to consider not only the complex terrain but also the accessibility of the landscape to landmark buildings. Therefore, geospatial techniques and landscape sight analysis play important roles in formulating effective urban building height control measures. This article uses the Nanshan Temple and Nanping Academy of Classical Learning and its surrounding architectural planning as the research objects, constructs a digital elevation model through geospatial technology combined with Grasshopper parameterization, and calculates the visible area when viewed from different positions. To maintain the accessibility of the landscape to the landmark buildings, the layout, building height and location of the planning area are determined. The research shows that (1) through geospatial technology, landscape sightline analysis, linear projection and collision detection methods can be used to accurately calculate landscape sightline interruption points and occlusion areas around historical and cultural buildings. We concluded that the optimal viewshed protection range is a radius of 2000 m. (2) Compared with a design based on a surrounding height of 60 m, the method in this study increased the number of visible viewpoints by approximately 123.84%, while the number of invisible viewpoints decreased by approximately 21.03%. (3) Based on the sightline protection scope, the heights of the blocks in the protection zone are further calculated. Within a radius of 1000 m, a 52.78 m height limit of planned plots is recommended. Within a radius of 1500 m, a 40.87 m height limit of the planned plot is recommended. Within a radius of 2000 m, the height of the planned plot should be controlled at 24.79 m. Based on this, the specific building space arrangement can be reasonably formulated. (4) After optimizing the existing visual corridors in the reserve, the area of the viewsheds expanded from 13.0% to 19.1%. (5) Finally, this study also considered plant factors. The recommended height for plant landscapes is as follows. Woodland on hillsides should be reduced from the original 10–12 to 4.74–8.51 m. Garden land in flat areas should be reduced from the original 9 to 6.38–3.36 m. This study uses the geospatial technology landscape sight analysis method to reveal the impact of landscape sight on the spatial distribution of mountainous cities with cultural landmarks and, at the same time, provides a new method and strategy for the spatial planning of mountainous cities.

Discussion on the spatial design of elderly care buildings under the concept of ageing-friendly concept

With the development of China's economy, the aging of the population is becoming more and more prominent, and China will enter a stage of deep aging. With the development of social economy and social progress, China's urban residents have put forward higher requirements for social and economic development. Judging from the survey results in recent years, the currently designed buildings are not suitable for the elderly to live in, which is not conducive to improving the quality of life of the elderly. This paper firstly introduces the influencing factors of modern pension building space design, then states the principles of pension building space design, and finally describes the problems and solutions existing in the current design of pension buildings under the concept of ageing.

An Approach to Using Shape Memory Alloys in Kinetic Facades to Improve the Thermal Performance of Office Building Spaces

An Approach to Using Shape Memory Alloys in Kinetic Facades to Improve the Thermal Performance of Office Building Spaces

딥러닝을 이용한 도심지침수 위기관리방안에 대한 연구

Recently, climate change has caused a lot of damage worldwide. Existing rainfall patterns on the Korean Peninsula could predict long-term rainfall patterns and periods, but changes in rainfall patterns due to climate change made crisis response measures useless. Due to heavy rain in August 2022, 10 local governments, including Seoul, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, and Chungnam, were declared as special disaster areas for the first time. As the impermeable area increases due to urbanization and the use of the underground space of buildings increases, the design capacity of sewage pipes is often exceeded, and the scope is local but the damage scale is increasing. Urban floods require rapid situational awareness and crisis response. To this end, it is necessary to establish a system that can monitor the flood situation at all times using CCTV distributed across the country through AI-based image analysis technology, and a new type of urban flood monitoring technology that analyzes and links it based on standardized IoT unstructured data such as real-time measurement sensor data and CCTV images is required.

A Real Option Analysis of the “Flats for Land” System - an Idiosyncratic Equity Financing Mechanism on Real Estate Investments

A typical real estate development project encounters an entrée capital expense for land purchase that is not immediately recovered until the allocated capital for the land acquisition is replaced with new capital that converts the land to a rentable building space. This article presents an idiosyncratic equity financing scheme that eliminates the sunk cost for a land purchase over a real estate development, within a real options framework. The study provides a model solution, numerical results of the option value, and the optimal investment threshold of a real estate development that is initiated through the “flats for land” scheme.

Pengembangan Bahan Ajar Etnomatematika Bernuansa Rumah Adat Provinsi Banten Pada Sekolah Dasar

In the era of globalization, education is required to keep up with the times. Where many outside cultures have entered Indonesia and our culture will become extinct. The purpose of making this teaching material is to expand and develop teaching materials with ethnomathematics nuances of Banten's typical traditional houses on building space material in elementary schools. The method used in this research is Research and Development (R&D) which has the steps of Define, Design and Develop. Elementary school located in Tangerang is the subject of this research and with a combination of data collection techniques as follows: using scores from verifiers, teachers, and peers. The development of this educational material follows the 4-D model, namely identifying, designing and developing. At each step, the definition requires a context about the importance of ethnomathematics mathematics teaching materials nuanced with typical Banten traditional houses that need to be applied in contextual learning. The design stage carries out educational document design activities starting from the cover page, content and conclusion. The development stage is to revise the raw draft to achieve the best validity score of 4.55 in the validity category and can be used academically

High-efficiency heating and cooling technology with embedded pipes in buildings and underground structures: A review

The thermally activated system utilizes heat exchange pipes embedded in buildings and underground structures to efficiently and stably regulate thermal and humidity environment of building and underground spaces by fully utilizing low-grade energy and heat storage characteristics of the embedded pipe structure. In this review, a comprehensive summary and analysis of the research on embedded pipe heat exchange system are provided, including TABS classification, influencing factors, enhancement strategies, system integration and optimization, application potential, and development trends. The three forms of embedded pipe structures in building enclosures, namely floors, walls, and ceilings, are thoroughly explored. Specifically, to address the demand for environmental regulation in underground spaces, embedding pipes within underground infrastructures is proposed to cater to heating needs in cold region tunnels, cooling requirements in urban tunnels, and deicing/snow melting on road pavements. Various enhancement methods for TABS are suggested to improve operational effectiveness, including utilizing phase change materials, implementing reasonable and effective intermittent operation schemes and control strategies, and integrating with auxiliary air conditioning and dehumidification systems. Future research directions are identified, such as strengthening the prefabrication of embedded pipe thermal activation systems, introducing machine learning algorithms to enhance system intelligence, and combining new technologies to improve system integration as well as integrating the thermo-active system into the fifth-generation district heating and cooling networks. This review work of thermal activation systems with embedded heat transfer pipes will be of some significance in guiding future research and application of embedded pipes heating and cooling of buildings and underground spaces.

Geometry Pop-Up Book Learning Media in Increasing Understanding of the Concept of Building Space in Students

Media use in the learning process helps teaching and learning activities. Using media in the learning process makes it easier for students to understand the learning provided. However, if they do not utilize media in the learning process, students will become less active in learning activities because the material presented is less attractive. This research aims to analyze the effect of using the Pop-Up Book of Geometry learning media on class students' understanding of building space. A quantitative approach with quasi-experimental methods was used in this research. The population was all class IV ICC Pahang students, totaling 18. The data analysis technique uses the related sample t-test to test the hypothesis. The analysis of learning completeness showed an average pretest score of 43.61 and a posttest of 77.78. This research showed that based on the hypothesis test results, it was found that Pop Up Book learning media influenced the learning outcomes of class IV students. It was concluded that Pop Up Book learning media can improve the learning outcomes of fourth-grade elementary school students.

A Study of Strategies for the Conservation and Reuse of Historic Building Spaces

Today there are many ancient buildings from the ancients, these buildings are not only the buildings themselves they carry the human civilization of each different era, so in modern times protecting these ancient buildings is particularly important. The protection of historical buildings is complex, and in this process, there are three important principles, the principle of comprehensive protection, the principle of maintaining the status quo as far as possible, and the principle of historical authenticity, which play a key role in the protection of ancient buildings, so that more ancient buildings with a long history can be preserved. At the same time, due to the limited nature of the earth's resources, the reuse of resources is particularly important nowadays, which can make the limited resources expand their usefulness, and the redevelopment of buildings is also the same. In terms of historical sites this not only does a good job of preservation but also economically promotes the economic development of today's society, so that society can be sustainable development.