Building Design Guidelines Research Articles

Design Guidelines for Building and Infrastructure Integrated Photovoltaic Modules

The demand for renewable energy is increasing as efforts to decarbonize energy sources continue. Photovoltaic (PV) generation systems are the main contributor to the growth of renewable energy, but limited land availability in countries such as Belgium and Netherlands poses a challenge to their deployment. Integrated PV (IPV) can be a promising solution, but requires special consideration regarding electrical and fire safety, efficiency, durability, cost, and environmental impact in the design process. This study seeks to assist designers of IPV products by guiding the selection of materials, technologies, mechanical designs, and production methods for PV semifabricates (SF). It provides a comprehensive list of general design criteria, each offering various options in terms of bill of materials and production technologies. These options come with their own set of advantages and disadvantages, which are enumerated and quantified wherever feasible. The general design guidelines are validated based on the building‐integrated PV and infrastructure‐integrated PV demonstrators (in this case a noise barrier) being developed in the Solar Energy Made Regional (SolarEMR) project.

Optimal design guidelines for net zero energy residential buildings in cooling-dominated climates: Case study of Ghana

Net zero energy buildings (NZEBs) are regarded as an achievable solution for reducing energy use and carbon emissions in the built environment and addressing climate change. However, the ultimate objective of NZEBs is to enhance the energy performance of buildings by changing how they are designed and constructed. Consequently, identifying cost-effective energy efficiency strategies at the early design stages of buildings has become imperative and often required in several countries. This study describes a systematic analysis approach to optimize the design of residential facilities considering both energy efficiency and renewable energy systems. The design optimization is based on life cycle cost (LCC) analysis, which considers capital and energy costs over the lifecycle of the building. The analysis consistently shows that LCC-based optimal designs significantly reduced the building's annual energy consumption, achieving 34–35% energy-saving across the various climates compared to the baseline case. The most cost-effective energy efficiency measures that proved effective across all the climate zones include north orientation of the building at 180 azimuth degrees, natural ventilation, adequate window-to-wall ratio, minimal façade air leakage (i.e., about 5-7 ACH @50 Pa), and high efficient fans, air conditioning, and dehumidification. The integration of the PV system indicates that the net zero energy (NZE) design for the building is technically feasible and cost-effective across the climate zones considered. The sensitivity analysis further shows that the cost of integrating PV systems is even more cost-effective over a more extended period of the building's lifecycle. The study provides an optimal path for designing NZEBs and offers guidelines to achieve NZE across the building's lifecycle.

An architectural taxonomic proposal for passive design strategies used in traditional architecture of areas with hot and dry climates

Global environmental problems are one of the most critical problems of humankind. Increasing energy consumption and CO2 emissions are among the most important causes of global environmental problems. The existing building sector is vital in increasing energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Buildings are responsible for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions and about 40% of energy consumption. Energy used for heating and cooling is one of the most important causes of energy consumption in the building sector. Reducing the energy used for heating and cooling is possible with sustainable building design. One of the most essential criteria of sustainable building design is using passive air conditioning strategies. Traditional architecture is a crucial guide for using passive air conditioning elements. This paper presents an architectural taxonomic proposal for passive cooling strategies used in traditional architecture in hot and dry climate areas of the globe. The aim is to facilitate and simplify access to all cooling strategies and provide a guide for their adaptation to modern architecture. A total of 55 passive cooling strategies were identified in the research. Within the taxonomic proposal's scope, the strategy was first divided into four groups: settlement scale, building scale, space scale, and building environment scale, depending on the usage criteria. Then, this grouping was split into 16 subgroups. A taxonomic proposal was created by considering the intended use of the identified strategies. The findings indicate that although traditional architecture in hot and dry climates primarily focuses on heat protection and heat dissipation is also highly utilized. It has been determined that thermal insulation, shading and natural ventilation cooling strategies come to the fore. In addition, it has been determined that approximately 50% of the strategies used for cooling purposes are related to thermal insulation, shading, and natural ventilation. The taxonomic proposal guides modern adaptations in the built environment by combining traditional passive design strategies and simplifying their use. It can also be adapted to different climates and contribute to creating new modern building design guidelines.

Bioclimatic zoning for building performance using tailored clustering method and high-resolution climate data

Building environments are specific and complex bioclimatic systems. Thus, well-suited climate classification methods for buildings are essentially needed to develop building design guidelines and standards. To address it, the present research introduces a novel fit-for-purpose clustering method for bioclimatic zoning based on the hygrothermal and energy performance of buildings. This bioclimatic zoning was developed to update the Brazilian standard and has been validated across various climates and building typologies (residential and commercial) in Brazil. In a preliminary analysis, three classification methods were developed using K-means and Decision Tree to classify climates according to building performance. Subsequently, a final bioclimatic zoning method was developed using a tailored version of the best method designed for real-world applications (Decision Tree) in the Brazilian context. The performance of the bioclimatic zoning achieved was compared with three existing climate classifications: Köppen-Geiger, ASHRAE 169-2020, and ABNT-NBR 15220-3 (Brazilian Standard). The results showed that the new bioclimatic zoning method outperformed the existing ones to cluster the building performance indicators. Moreover, high-resolution spatial climate databases, such as NASA-POWER, CRU, and ERA5-Land, were processed and analyzed to be employed in locations without properly measured data. Three metamodels of climate indicators were developed and compared with these databases to select the most accurate climate data sources. Finally, these databases were employed to classify all 5570 Brazilian municipalities according to the final bioclimatic zoning, which enabled the development of an accurate and high-resolution map.

Spatial distribution of CO2 Impact on the indoor air quality of classrooms within a University

Indoor air quality (IAQ) remains a public and global concern. While CO2 does not pose health risks to occupants, high CO2 levels indicate insufficient ventilation, potentially accumulating pollutant concentrations. In buildings, occupants are identified as the main source of indoor carbon dioxide (CO2) through exhalation. Standard classrooms may have occupant density between 1.8 and 2.4m2/person. Therefore, the IAQ of classrooms and lecture theatres remain a concern. This study investigated airflow and contaminant (using CO2 as a proxy) distribution in two classrooms modelled using CFX a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software, verified against experimental measurements. The model provides the visualization of flow patterns so that the effects of external and internal flow fields in the classroom can be studied. The results show that there are large differences in classroom indoor ventilation performance due to the effects of wind direction and wind speed on building surface wind pressure from outdoor wind speeds. Windward high-pressure surfaces and leeward vortices created by building shading promote indoor air quality in buildings with windcatcher openings. The concentration distribution of CO in the classrooms showed an upward convergence with the thermal plume generated by the respiratory differences of the personnel and the temperature of the lighting equipment. The results of this study have important implications for improving classroom design guidelines for school buildings, especially in terms of ventilation strategies and air quality monitoring.

Kano Model for Apartment-Unit Specialized Planning Guidelines to Prevent Infectious Diseases

Owing to the continued occurrence of infectious diseases, proactive prevention and management plans are required. This study aimed to develop design guidelines to effectively respond to infectious diseases based on the needs of apartment residents, which focused on a South Korean setting. The research method included a literature review to identify apartment planning concepts for preventing and managing infectious diseases, a survey of 300 participants using the Kano model, and an analysis of the quality attributes (QAs) of the survey results to prioritize design guidelines. After reviewing 20 studies, 65 items related to apartment-unit planning for infectious disease prevention, including 108 keywords, were identified. Using thematic analysis, the keywords converged into three planning concepts: hygiene, convenience, and comfort. Based on the literature review, 27 survey questions were derived, and a Kano model QA analysis was performed. As a result, 17 attractive QAs, two one-dimensional QAs, seven indifferent QAs, and one reverse QA were identified. Among these, 13 items that had a significant impact on residents’ satisfaction were classified as essential requirements, and the remaining 14 items were classified as recommended design guidelines. The results of this study provide insights into an evidence-based framework for complex building design guidelines to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

Agile FPGA Computing at the 5G Edge: Joint Management of Accelerated and Software Functions for Open Radio Access Technologies

This paper presents ReproRun, a flexible and extensible run-time framework for the reconfiguration of functions in field programmable gate array (FPGA) devices used in popular software-defined radio (SDR) platforms. The FPGA devices embed a hardwired or soft processing system (PS) which communicates with the programmable logic (PL) using a standard embedded bus interface. In order to apply a seamless run-time partial reconfiguration, we made use of all the related building blocks, design guidelines, and tools offered by AMD-Xilinx. In ReproRun, each partial bitstream targeting a reconfigurable region (RR) of the PL area comes with its respective firmware (i.e., software functions) that runs on the PS side. Our work guarantees run-time updates of the firmware without interrupting the functionality of other software processes running in the PS or PL, by employing a specialized controller, denoted as Run-timE firmWare reconfIguration contRollEr (REWIRE). The latter leverages the open asymmetric multiprocessing framework (OpenAMP). The partial bitstreams and respective firmware are fetched from a remote location using the trivial file transfer protocol (TFTP). ReproRun can be applied in different FPGA accelerators residing in disaggregated open radio access network (RAN) equipment, adaptive radio access technologies, and Edge servers hosting virtualized functions.

Bioclimatic design recommendations for novel cluster analysis-based mapping for humid climates with altitudinal gradient variations

Proper planning of urban environments in construction projects requires an accurate understanding of the prevailing climates in an area. However, the need for sufficient climate records in the Global South countries can make this characterization difficult. This study proposes using satellite information and cluster analysis to define the climatic behavior in Colombia, specifically in areas with intertropical climates with altitudinal gradient impact. The methodology used the statistical analysis of hourly temperature and relative humidity data for recent typical meteorological year (TMY) files. These data were obtained from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Subsequently, cluster analysis was applied to group regions with similar climatic characteristics. Standardization of the climatic variables ensured that all contributed equally to the research. The study results present an atlas with nine different climatic strategy zones, turning Colombia's climate into eight main clusters, each with specific characteristics and recommendations for the passive design of buildings. Identifying these zones made it possible to define the distribution of bioclimatic strategies in the different thermal floors of the region studied. This approach provides a framework for urban planners and city officials to develop climate-responsive building design guidelines adapted to the specific climatic conditions of each zone.

Improving wayfinding in hospitals for people with diverse needs and abilities: An exploratory approach based on multi-criteria decision making

Hospital wayfinding systems that are based solely on signage do not provide adequate solutions for wayfinding needs, especially for users with impairments. Moreover, the interaction between user characteristics and the inner space of the building also determines wayfinding efficiency. The aims of this study, therefore, were to identify architectural features that affect spatial orientation and wayfinding behaviors; demonstrate the implementation of a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach for improving wayfinding in a diverse range of users; and produce a set of quantitative values (i.e., weights) for each selected architectural feature, based on the individual's preferences. Doing so could enable the formulating of practical design guidelines for hospital buildings, tailored to the needs and abilities of the users, to minimize disorientation and confusion – as demonstrated in this paper through a case study. The MCDM approach was chosen as it is based on observations whereby wayfinding resembles a continuous decision-making process, throughout which, users continuously select those architectural features that they perceive as having the greatest wayfinding value.

Vibration-based temporary monitoring of a 253 m tall skew-plan building in Istanbul

A 253 m tall office building in Istanbul with a parallelogram footprint, which has 62 stories in total, 54 tower stories above and 8 podium stories below grade, was monitored using 92 channels of accelerometers deployed on 20 different floors for about 4 days. The structural system of the building consists of reinforced concrete (RC) core shear walls with peripheral composite columns and two-story tall RC outriggers between floors 29 and 31. First 12 natural vibration periods and mode shapes of the building together with the modal directions for the translational modes were identified from the ambient vibration records. These dynamic properties were reproduced with the three-dimensional finite element model developed using gross section properties for all structural members without a need for model updating. The fundamental period of the building at the time of testing, 5.3 s, is expected to lengthen to 5.9 s and 7.8 s upon cracking in structural members for the prescribed service-level and design-level evaluations, respectively, in line with the recent performance-based design guidelines for tall buildings. Damping ratios for the first six vibration modes, with median values of 0.6% and coefficients of variation in the order of 0.3–0.4, were identified through statistical analysis using the random decrement technique. The simulated peak floor accelerations, when the building was subjected to the 2019 Mw 5.8 Marmara Sea earthquake ground motions recorded in the vicinity of the building, showed that ASCE 7-16 in-structure floor acceleration amplifications are exceeded at the lower floors but not reached at the upper floors.

Cyclic Behavior of T-Shaped Composite Plate Shear Walls–Concrete Filled

This paper presents findings from experiments conducted on four large-scale T-shaped concrete filled composite plate shear walls (C-PSW/CF) specimens subjected to axial force and flexure. A C-PSW/CF is a sandwich type of construction by which concrete (without rebars) is enclosed between steel plates connected by tie bars. One of the walls was subjected to a cyclic wind loading protocol and the other walls were cycled with a seismic loading protocol. Their dimensions were identical, but different axial loads (up to 30% of the crushing load of the infill concrete, Acfc′) were applied. The plastic hinge development was investigated along with the composite behavior and compared with the calculated plastic moment of the corresponding cross section. These tests along with the results on C-shaped wall tests were conducted to establish the development of design guidelines for high-rise core-wall steel buildings having C-PSW/CF as the primary lateral force resisting system.

Energy retrofit alternatives for three apartment buildings in Kosovo

AbstractThe need to decrease energy use represents a challenge particularly in developing countries, including Kosovo, considering the unsustainable, insufficient, and inconsistent energy supply. This contribution presents a simplified yet comprehensive approach to evaluate the energy performance improvement potential of three selected multi-family residential buildings using building energy models generated from calibrated and simplified input parameters. To this end, alternative retrofit measures were tested via a simulation-based parametric study. The energy benefit of each retrofit alternative was estimated and analyzed. Results are expected to provide valuable information towards outlining design guidelines for energy-efficient residential buildings in Kosovo.

Analysis of urban streets and surface thermal characteristics using thermal imaging camera in residential streets of Gurugram City, India.

The thermal properties of the urban landscape are significantly affected by various human activities such as changing land use patterns, the construction of buildings and other impervious surfaces, and the development of transport systems. Urbanization often leads to the replacement of natural landscapes with impervious surfaces such as concrete and asphalt, which have a higher heat absorption capacity and lower emissivity. The continuous displacement of urban landscapes by impermeable surfaces therefore leads to an increase in urban temperatures, ultimately causing the development of the urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon. The study aims to analyze the thermal properties of physical elements in residential streets of Gurugram City using a thermal imaging camera to investigate the relationship between ambient air temperature and thermal behavior of surface materials. The study shows that the compact streets are 2-4 °C cooler than the open streets due to mutual shading of the buildings. Similarly, the temperature in the light-colored buildings is 1.5-4 °C lower than the dark buildings in the streets. In addition, a simple coat of paint over a plastered wall is much cooler than granite stone wall cladding. The study also showed how shading, whether by mutual shading or vegetative shading, can lower the surface temperature of urban materials. Building codes and design guidelines can therefore use such studies to make urban exteriors more pleasant by recommending lighter colors, plants, and local materials.

Experimental Behavior of L-Shaped and T-Shaped Cross-Laminated Timber to Evaluate Shear Walls with Openings

There is increasing interest in using cross-laminated timber (CLT) in buildings because of its high strength and stiffness. In Japan, structural design guidelines for CLT buildings were established in 2016 and construction of mid-rise buildings is increasing. Wide-panel walls can exceed widths of 10 m and integrate cut-outs for window and door openings. However, under lateral loads, corner cracks at the openings have been the most prevalent failure mechanism. To investigate the initiation and propagation of corner cracks, a series of bendings are undertaken on L- and T-shape specimens extracted from the CLT panels. In addition, three-point bending and shear tests are also carried out on beam sections extracted from the CLT panels. Three types of brittle failure were observed: bending failure of the beam or column, and rolling shear failure.

A Guideline for Developing Resilient Office Buildings using Nanotechnology Applications

Resilient buildings have become a widely researched topic in the engineering discipline. A building has enabled connectivity between building systems, including air conditioning, ventilation, safety and security system. They are even more important with growing pandemic risks and the spread of airborne viruses such as Covid-19. The literature indicates that nanotechnology applications can have a great role in the designing resilient office buildings. Nanotechnologies play a major role in architectural design; building materials combined with nanotechnology became smaller, lighter, and more efficient than conventional materials. Thus, this research aims to develop design guidelines for resilient office buildings in Egypt using nanotechnology applications. The methodology applied includes a review on nanotechnology and resilient office buildings key design features, following a simulation using design builder program where conducted to modify the nanomaterials in resilient office buildings recorded through quantified data. After applying the nanotechnology concept on walls, the roof and glazing types by inserting nanomaterials. The research concluded that the use of vacuum insulation panel, Nano-gel glass and Nano-painting had the highest impact on decreasing the total energy consumption by 14.5% and carbon dioxide emissions by 42%.

Embedded carbon assessment of an office building with comparison of different design solutions

Embodied carbon assessment of an office building with comparison of different design solutions. Aspirations for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and related EU regulations require the building sector, which is responsible for approx. 40% of global emissions, to deepen understanding of their sources and find ways to reduce them. It is necessary to collect firm data from different projects (both completed and ongoing) in order to help designers develop more sustainable solutions and prepare the building industry for a “netZero” future. Our case study presents a life cycle analysis of an office building designed as the headquarters for SYLVA DREWNO. Assessment of the embedded carbon footprint and comparison of alternative design solutions for the building were the key goal of the study. The paper highlights areas of the design with the greatest potential for reduction of the carbon footprint. The conclusions drawn from the study may serve as a basis for developing building design guidelines for reducing the carbon footprint of future buildings.

Towards Developing the Renovation Design Guidelines for Aging Low-Cost Residential Buildings in Thailand: A Case Study of 5-Story Baan Eua Arthorn Condominium

Towards Developing the Renovation Design Guidelines for Aging Low-Cost Residential Buildings in Thailand: A Case Study of 5-Story Baan Eua Arthorn Condominium

Effect of indoor environmental quality on visual comfort and productivity in office buildings

PurposeThe Purpose of this paper is to identify statistical relationships between visual environment and occupant productivity. Visual environment is one of the most important indoor environmental quality (IEQ) parameters, and it directly impacts occupant productivity in offices. The literature outlines the significance of the impact. Still, there is a lack of investigation, statistical analysis and inter-relationships between the independent variables (IEQ factors), especially in the hot and arid climate.Design/methodology/approachThis study presents a research study investigating the effects and shows statistical relationships between IEQ on occupant comfort and productivity. The study was conducted in the Middle East, and data was collected for 12 months. It used the response surface analysis to perform analysis.FindingsThis study outlined seven unique relationships highlighting the recommended range, inter-dependencies. Results include that illumination has maximum effect on visual comfort and temperature, daylight having direct influence and relative humidity, wall type next to the seat and kind of workspace also impact visual comfort and productivity. These findings would help to improve occupant comfort and productivity in office buildings. It is recommended to include results and recommendations on design guidelines for office buildings.Originality/valueThis study presents the unique effects of non-visual IEQ parameters on visual comfort and productivity. This investigation also provides a unique method to develop the statistical relationship between various indoor environmental factors and productivity in different contexts and buildings.

Legal instruments for the design of sustainable buildings

Currently the building sector is under high pressure: the lack of affordable housing in conurbations and the need to implement environmental performance strategies require concepts that incorporate user needs with planetary boundaries. Against the background of global population growth and a rising demand for resources, urban densification is regarded as a major global trend. The pressure on cities is already recognizable today and studies predict a growing tendency for the next three decades. This is a sensitive situation which provides not only the chance but also the urgent necessity to implement strategies to reduce climate change effects. Regulations are necessary to guide this process in the building sector. Timber construction as well as reused and recycled material show potential to be part of the solution. Against this background, the research deals with the status-quo of current legal instruments to design and construct sustainable buildings. This article provides an overview of the legal instruments in relation to sustainable building processes in the German construction industry with a focus on timber buildings. The relevant standards and guidelines for sustainable building design are investigated by literature review. This includes German Model Building Code (MBO), parts of the DIN standards, the German Building Code (BauGB) and the Building Usage Ordinance (BauNVO) as well as the Model Timber Construction Directive (M-HFHHolzR). The regulations are applied on a multi-residential building in Cologne and discussed whether regulations are enabler or obstacle for this specific project. The results of the study show the urgent need for more flexibility within current inner-city projects to pursue an environmentally friendly design and construction.

Empirical evaluation of kinematic soil-structure interaction effects in structures with large footprints and embedment depths

Kinematic soil-structure interaction (SSI) effects cause foundation-level motions to deviate from free-field motions. Simplified procedures to account for kinematic SSI effects are available in design guidelines for regular buildings and have been calibrated for regular buildings with limited foundation size and depth of embedment. As a result, their application to structures with much larger foundation footprints and deeper embedment depths is questionable. Kinematic interaction effects can be used to reduce foundation-level ground motions relative to those specified in the free-field, and this can be cost-effective especially for structures with larger footprints and embedment depths. The objective of this study is to quantify the extent of deviations between the use of available simplified procedures and empirical data for a select group of structures with larger footprints and embedment depths. In this study, a dataset of earthquake motions recorded at the instrumented structures in Japan is used to evaluate kinematic SSI effects, which are quantified in terms of the transfer function and the ratio of response spectra between foundation motions and corresponding free-field motions. Transfer functions represent the ratio between the free-field and the foundation level of a structure motion in the frequency domain and can be obtained by dividing Power Spectral Density functions of foundation motion and corresponding free-field motion. Finally, these empirical functions are compared to the available simplified formulations such as the semi-empirical transfer function and the ASCE/SEI 41–17 recommended ratio of response spectra, and the results are presented in terms of residuals. The overall trends of residuals indicate that the current simplified procedures tend to overestimate the foundation motions in structures with large footprints and embedment depths, and the extent of overestimation is higher for the ratio of response spectra compared to transfer functions. Thus, in future studies, these simplified procedures should be revised for applications in structures with large footprints and embedment depths.