Architectural Design Research Articles

A historical and geometrical analysis of the Sansalvador villa by SfM-MVS photogrammetry

Delving into the essence of the Sansalvador villa requires a meticulous juxtaposition of its original architectural blueprints with a newly formulated planimetry. Conceived by Josep Maria Jujol, this architectural work in Barcelona serves as a prime example to explore his conceptual framework. Its unfinished state, scarcity of planimetric archives of the construction process, and the amalgamation of modernist and organic architectural forms and styles, give this project a distinctive character, exemplifying the architect's singular way of working. This paper undertakes a comprehensive examination of its historical evolution and conceptualization through an exhaustive analysis of primary source materials alongside the realization of a new detailed photogrammetric survey of the existing construction. By overlaying the emergent planimetry, derived from precise point cloud data collected on-site, onto the original hand-drawings, this meticulous comparative analysis unveils nuanced insights into the project's fundamental principles and the evolutionary trajectory of Jujol within the context of Catalan architectural discourse.

Classification of artificial intelligence techniques for early architectural design stages

Classification of artificial intelligence techniques for early architectural design stages

Managing Design Changes through Integrating Concurrent Engineering into the Architectural Design Process

Managing Design Changes through Integrating Concurrent Engineering into the Architectural Design Process

The Urban Soundscapes of a Studentified Neighbourhood in the City of Tshwane, South Africa

AbstractUrban environments produce distinctive and diverse soundscapes. The challenge of noise in particular impacts city dwellers and urban livability. There is an abundance of research focused on noise pollution with a limited but growing research interest in urban soundscapes. Few studies, however, explore the unique soundscapes and challenges of noise in neighbourhoods that have undergone studentification. Indeed, the development of student housing, the concentration of a student population, and the clustering of activities related to spaces of student consumption produce unique and often polluted soundscapes. Using three ethnographic soundwalks and a survey with students from the University of Pretoria, this paper explores the soundscapes of Hatfield, a neighbourhood that has undergone studentification. This paper seeks to understand the challenges related to urban noise and how this impacts students. It was found that noise has unique spatio-temporal characteristics impacting student’s ability to manage noise. Indeed, noise emanating from traffic and entertainment establishments is perceived to be the most disruptive. It is recommended that urban planners, property developers, architects, and urban managers need to be aware of the unique and often polluted soundscapes that are associated with a studentified neighbourhood. This awareness could inform better urban planning, architectural and urban design, and policies on the management of noise levels within these types of neighbourhoods.

Implementation of Children's Architectural Design Principles in Child-Friendly School Buildings (Case Study: Fuji Kindergarten, Japan & Farming Kindergarten, Vietnam)

Implementation of Children's Architectural Design Principles in Child-Friendly School Buildings (Case Study: Fuji Kindergarten, Japan & Farming Kindergarten, Vietnam)

Voxel-based modular architectural design strategy toward autonomous architecture

Voxel-based modular architectural design strategy toward autonomous architecture

Visualizing a Sustainable Future in Rural Romania: Agrotourism and Vernacular Architecture

In Romania, rural communities grapple with decades of depopulation and economic decline, endangering the natural and cultural richness of their landscapes. The implementation of Romania’s 2030 sustainable development plan presents an opportunity to reverse these trends by merging economic and community development with cultural preservation. This paper examines the potential for creating new livelihood opportunities through a program that integrates sustainable agrotourism with culturally appropriate vernacular architecture in Romania’s distinct rural regions. Focusing on two such regions characterized by significant rural population decline yet endowed with ecological services capable of supporting a diverse rural economy, we collaborated with an architect and landscape engineer to devise three specific and detailed agritourist housing scenarios. These scenarios draw upon local architectural forms harmonious with the vernacular landscape, providing accommodations for agrotourism guests and facilitating craft workshops for visitors interested in rural crafts and traditions. We evaluated the cultural appropriateness of the architectural designs through a social survey and assessed the broader social utility of the development plan via an expansive cost–benefit analysis, treating the project’s sustainability features as quasi-public goods. Such interdisciplinary endeavours are essential for effectively bridging conceptually driven social analysis with pragmatic design and planning strategies, essential for achieving sustainable futures for rural communities and landscapes, as exemplified by rural Romania.

Green urban transition: interdisciplinary insights on green façades design in hot climates as one of crucial strategies for low-carbon development

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to present interdisciplinary insights on vertical green systems (VGS) design in hot climate zones. The approach to the VGS design proposed in this article combines architectural design, structural systems, green building and township development with sustainable urban farming, circularity, waste and water management. On the basis of in-depth study on green façade performance in hot climates, the authors identified methods derived from various fields of science which, when correctly combined, enable effective protection of plants against excessive solar radiation. The main finding of the research is the identification of the most effective combination of methods supporting healthy growth of the VGS. This set of solutions includes orientation of the façade to cardinal directions correlated with appropriate plants selection, shading strategies, such as passive and kinetic shields and organic fertilizers supporting plants’ resilience. The authors presented key challenges and opportunities of VGS application and discussed their role in the decarbonization process of the building sector. The multidisciplinary analysis of the state of knowledge highlighted areas that require further investigation, such as the practical implementation of proposed strategies and their effectiveness in real-world scenarios. Graphical abstract

Effectiveness of housing design features in malaria prevention: architects’ perspective

Introduction: This research aimed to assess housing design consideration features and architects’ perceptions of their effectiveness in malaria prevention. Previous studies have highlighted various architectural design elements that can reduce mosquito entry into homes, thus contributing to malaria prevention. This study aims to build on these insights by evaluating specific design features and gathering professional opinions on their effectiveness.Methods: The methodological approach adopted was quantitative, with data collected using a structured questionnaire containing closed-ended questions and a checklist. The observation checklist was used to ascertain mosquito entry reduction features incorporated in 208 systematically selected houses in Garneton East, Kitwe, Zambia. Additionally, a structured questionnaire containing fourteen key design features identified from the literature was administered to 76 architects purposively sampled to establish their perceptions of the effectiveness of these design factors in malaria prevention. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis.Results: The findings revealed that most houses needed to incorporate design features to reduce mosquito entry. The common features incorporated were ceilings (86.80%), screened air ventilation (59.80%), and window screens (54.40%). The use of window and door screens, as well as mosquito-repellent paint, were perceived as the most effective measures by the architects.Discussion: The results suggest a keen awareness among architects regarding the efficacy of certain design features in malaria prevention. Despite this awareness, the implementation of these features in actual housing designs needs to be improved. This indicates a need for greater effort and adaptation in building regulations to promote the use of mosquito entry reduction features. Enhancing housing designs with these features can significantly reduce malaria morbidity and mortality. Therefore, it is recommended that building regulations be updated to support and encourage the incorporation of mosquito entry reduction features in housing designs.

A Pedagogic Approach Serving Inclusive Design

This paper presents an architecture teaching approach intended to final year architecture students, which is based on a human-centered design perspective, while respecting environment in all its compounds. The present work claims, as a hypothesis, that to design inclusive projects, it is worthy to develop in future architects’ capacity to analyze and reconcile both environment requirements and users’ needs as well. The large array of environment key elements and the complexity of users’ global apprehension, make it crucial for the future architects and urban planners to control the appropriate set of analysis methodologies and put to contribution the most efficient design tools. The pedagogical approach we deal with in this article, educates students in empathy, listening, and developing an open-mindedness that according to this study, allows them design better inclusive spaces. I am adopting such a vision for several years now, and I am experimenting pedagogical strategies and tools accordingly, either within the final year Architectural Design Studio I share with other colleagues, or during the Seminar I offer to the same audience. In trying to subscribe to a perspective of action research and reflexivity, I chose to present in this paper the analysis of four architectural dissertations addressing inclusive design concerns. This analysis aims to fathom how experienced analysis tools, such as SWOT grid, urban transect and qualitative social survey, as well as design tools, such as sequential approach of space, functional analysis and value creation tools, may help final year architecture students better analyze and design inclusive projects.

Adding Green to Architectures: Empirical Research Based on Indoor Vertical Greening of the Emotional Promotion on Adolescents

Good architectural space design can bring positive emotional stimulation and relaxation to users, but few studies have investigated the quantitative indicators in architectural space design and their impact on user emotions. This study takes the right-angle sandwich interface system in architecture as an example to guide the next vertical greening simulation experiment by comparing the spatial quantitative differences in connection value, integration degree, and population agglomeration. Eighty adolescent volunteers were recruited into a control (artificial decorative wall) and experimental (green wall) group based on wall type. We compared their physiological and psychological indicators, including blood pressure and blood oxygen, and psychological indicators, including POMS and SIAI-S scales. Then, we made predictive factor judgements on vertical green elements. The quantification of the interior space of the building showed consistency in parameter changes, with the central area being the area of connectivity, integration, and crowd aggregation values. After the experiment, the experimental group showed a significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, and heart rate (p = 0.00) and a significant decrease in tension, anger, fatigue, depression, and panic (p = 0.00). The quantitative relationship between vertical greening elements and emotional promotion using stepwise linear exploration shows that the “vine” element is a significant predictive factor for diastolic blood pressure, T-A emotion, and SIAI-S values. The results enrich the indoor optimization and creation expansion paths of interface systems for various spatial experiences and further provide guidance for urban indoor green construction plans and green landscape facility planning via the emotional influence of indoor vertical space greening on young people.

Evolving Perspectives: the resurgence of wood in Quebec architecture

Over the past two decades, Quebec has undergone a radical transformation in its approach to using wood in architecture, spurred by trade constraints on wood exports to the United States. This evolution is the outcome of synergistic efforts that have facilitated a transition resulting in significant technological and architectural advancements. Historically, Quebec’s vast forest resources have played a pivotal role in the development of local timber construction, particularly through traditional timber frame techniques. However, the 19th century witnessed a shift towards light-frame construction methods like the Balloon Frame, driven by industrialisation and urbanisation. By the mid-20th century, concrete gained dominance, the fruit of prioritising aesthetics over ideology in architectural design, especially in Montreal, where concrete structures flourished. The 1980s trade dispute with the United States marked a turning point, fostering innovation and a paradigm shift in wood use. Collaboration between industry and academia, exemplified by the Krüger Pavilion and the founding of FP Innovations, has propelled large-scale wood construction forward. Cecobois further supports this trend by facilitating access to technological innovations. This era of change highlights both the potential and limitations of wood in architecture, showcasing its role as a versatile and eco-friendly material that can enhance architectural design while facing technical challenges that sometimes limit its visibility and application.

Energy-efficient design of quaternary logic gates and arithmetic circuits using hybrid CNTFET-RRAM technology

Multi-valued logic (MVL) extends binary logic by providing a framework to represent complex systems with more than two truth values. MVL was introduced to confront the enormous interconnect issue associated with the binary logic in implementing the presnt day complex nanoelectronic architectures. This paper delves into the circuit design, computational aspects, and practical applications of the quaternary logic system, which is a type of MVL with four truth values. The multi-threshold property of carbon nanotube field-effect-transistors (CNTFETs), combined with the ability of resistive random-access memory (RRAM) to store multiple resistance values, has enabled the design of quaternary logic gates and arithmetic circuits. A new CNTFET-based design architecture has been proposed to implement the quaternary logic compatible with the existing technologies. Quaternary logic gates such as inverter, NAND, and NOR, and quaternary arithmetic circuits including decoder, half adder, and multiplier have been designed. The power-delay-product (PDP) of the proposed quaternary inverter, NAND, NOR, half adder, and multiplier is 62.38%, 93.4%, 80.29%, 14.79%, and 20% less than the least PDP of the quaternary designs under consideration. The static power reduction due to the effecciency of the design architecture and high OFF state resistance offered by integrating RRAM into the logic design was explored.The proposed circuits have been subject to various types of parameter variations to validate thir proper functionality in presence of these variations.

Epitaxial Core/Shell Nanocrystals of (Europium-Doped) Zirconia and Hafnia.

A careful design of the nanocrystal architecture can strongly enhance the nanocrystal function. So far, this strategy has faced a synthetic bottleneck in the case of refractory oxides. Here we demonstrate the epitaxial growth of hafnia shells onto zirconia cores and pure zirconia shells onto europium-doped zirconia cores. The core/shell structures are fully crystalline. Upon shelling, the optical properties of the europium dopant are dramatically improved (featuring a more uniform coordination and a longer photoluminescence lifetime), indicating the suppression of nonradiative pathways. These results launch the stable zirconium and hafnium oxide hosts as alternatives for the established NaYF4 systems.

Integrated Wearable System for Monitoring Skeletal Muscle Force of Lower Extremities.

Continuous monitoring of lower extremity muscles is necessary, as the muscles support many human daily activities, such as maintaining balance, standing, walking, running, and jumping. However, conventional electromyography and physiological cross-sectional area methods inherently encounter obstacles when acquiring precise and real-time data pertaining to human bodies, with a notable lack of consideration for user comfort. Benefitting from the fast development of various fabric-based sensors, this paper addresses these current issues by designing an integrated smart compression stocking system, which includes compression garments, fabric-embedded capacitive pressure sensors, an edge control unit, a user mobile application, and cloud backend. The pipeline architecture design and component selection are discussed in detail to illustrate a comprehensive user-centered STIMES design. Twelve healthy young individuals were recruited for clinical experiments to perform maximum voluntary isometric ankle plantarflexion contractions. All data were simultaneously collected through the integrated smart compression stocking system and a muscle force measurement system (Humac NORM, software version HUMAC2015). The obtained correlation coefficients above 0.92 indicated high linear relationships between the muscle torque and the proposed system readout. Two-way ANOVA analysis further stressed that different ankle angles (p = 0.055) had more important effects on the results than different subjects (p = 0.290). Hence, the integrated smart compression stocking system can be used to monitor the muscle force of the lower extremities in isometric mode.

TransUNet: Rethinking the U-Net architecture design for medical image segmentation through the lens of transformers

Medical image segmentation is crucial for healthcare, yet convolution-based methods like U-Net face limitations in modeling long-range dependencies. To address this, Transformers designed for sequence-to-sequence predictions have been integrated into medical image segmentation. However, a comprehensive understanding of Transformers’ self-attention in U-Net components is lacking. TransUNet, first introduced in 2021, is widely recognized as one of the first models to integrate Transformer into medical image analysis. In this study, we present the versatile framework of TransUNet that encapsulates Transformers’ self-attention into two key modules: (1) a Transformer encoder tokenizing image patches from a convolution neural network (CNN) feature map, facilitating global context extraction, and (2) a Transformer decoder refining candidate regions through cross-attention between proposals and U-Net features. These modules can be flexibly inserted into the U-Net backbone, resulting in three configurations: Encoder-only, Decoder-only, and Encoder+Decoder. TransUNet provides a library encompassing both 2D and 3D implementations, enabling users to easily tailor the chosen architecture. Our findings highlight the encoder’s efficacy in modeling interactions among multiple abdominal organs and the decoder’s strength in handling small targets like tumors. It excels in diverse medical applications, such as multi-organ segmentation, pancreatic tumor segmentation, and hepatic vessel segmentation. Notably, our TransUNet achieves a significant average Dice improvement of 1.06% and 4.30% for multi-organ segmentation and pancreatic tumor segmentation, respectively, when compared to the highly competitive nn-UNet, and surpasses the top-1 solution in the BrasTS2021 challenge. 2D/3D Code and models are available at https://github.com/Beckschen/TransUNet and https://github.com/Beckschen/TransUNet-3D, respectively.

Real-Time Spatial Mapping in Architectural Visualization: A Comparison among Mixed Reality Devices.

Recent advancements in communication technology have catalyzed the widespread adoption of realistic content, with augmented reality (AR) emerging as a pivotal tool for seamlessly integrating virtual elements into real-world environments. In construction, architecture, and urban design, the integration of mixed reality (MR) technology enables rapid interior spatial mapping, providing clients with immersive experiences to envision their desires. The rapid advancement of MR devices, or devices that integrate MR capabilities, offers users numerous opportunities for enhanced entertainment experiences. However, to support designers at a high level of expertise, it is crucial to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data provided by these devices. This study explored the potential of utilizing spatial mapping within various methodologies for surveying architectural interiors. The objective was to identify optimized spatial mapping procedures and determine the most effective applications for their use. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the interior survey performance, using HoloLens 2, an iPhone 13 Pro for spatial mapping, and photogrammetry. The findings indicate that HoloLens 2 is most suited for the tasks examined in the scope of these experiments. Nonetheless, based on the acquired parameters, the author also proposes approaches to apply the other technologies in specific real-world scenarios.

XR Experience in Architectural Design Studio Education: A Systematic Literature Review

Pursuing innovative methods in architectural education continually evolves in response to the profession's dynamic and changing demands. Today, Extended Reality (XR) technologies are emerging as powerful tools with the potential to transform design studio education fundamentally. Focusing on "Extended Reality (XR)" rather than individual terms like VR, AR, and MR is due to XR's encompassing nature. Using all realities collectively allows for a comprehensive evaluation of their synergies. Each reality has distinctive capabilities, and their combined use may offer a richer educational experience than focusing on them individually. This study examines the use and impact of XR technologies in architectural design studio education (ADSE), exploring how conventional components can evolve with XR from 2019 to 2024. It highlights XR's influence on design studio education and experiential learning, guiding students, educators, and researchers at the intersection of XR and ADSE. The authors conducted a systematic literature review following the PRISMA (2020) checklist (Page M.J.et al.,2021). Searches in three primary databases resulted in 183 articles. After identifying and removing duplicates, 178 abstracts were reviewed, and full texts were examined. Ultimately, three articles related to “XR Experiences in ADSE" were subjected to detailed analysis. The research found limited studies with the “the impact of the XR in architectural education" keyword. Following the systematic review, three articles remained. These articles were assessed to investigate the use of XR technologies in design studio education. The reviewed articles generally indicated positive outcomes from using XR technologies in one or more components of design studio education.

A New Experience for Integration of Section and Model: A Case Report

Architectural education inherently requires continuity. The transformative power of the world, which people have experienced in the last 5 years with crises such as pandemics and earthquakes, has changed and forced the form, style and tools of this continuity. Architectural design education, which was shaped on the axis of a studio culture, had to cope with the ruptures and transitions of a new phase. This case report aims to convey an experience that brought together the adaptation of face-to-face education of the students after the online education and the section-model practice that the studio tutors have experienced before. Since the study tries to repair the correlations between the continuity, ruptures and transitions of architectural design education, integration of section and model has been re-engaged in the studio. The study group consists of architecture students who switched to online education after the February 2023 earthquakes and started face-to-face education again in the fall semester of 2023/2024. As a result, well-thought models, few experiments on the models and quick transfers to digital programs were revealed as three main tendencies in the studio. In conclusion, the adaptation of the student on the axis of continuity and to reinforce the design productivity, design problem-solving skills and the habit of doing design research tried to provide.

From virtual reality to virtual safaris: new form of participatory design in an architectural design project

ABSTRACT Virtual models have the potential to transform architectural design processes by introducing a novel form of participation of project stakeholders. With the concepts of material participation and digital materiality, this research shows how virtual models in meetings called ‘virtual safaris’ set up a space for participation by providing a tangible architectural demonstration. In virtual safaris, virtual models allow participants to imagine and co-design their experience in the future space instead of trying to interpret architectural plans, resulting in more detailed and concrete feedback. Based on observed virtual safaris and interviews, we categorised the participatory aspects of virtual models and safaris into technical features of the virtual models, experiential features of virtual safaris, and organising and arranging virtual safaris. We consider these categories as intertwined, specifying aspects of material participation. They highlight both the complexities of actual usage of virtual reality in co-design and the additional value of virtual safaris as a participatory setting. We conclude that ways of organising and arranging virtual safaris are central for achieving the transformation potential of virtual reality. We also highlight crucial aspects of meetings utilising virtual reality for practitioners and researchers in construction projects.