Facades Of Residential Buildings Research Articles

Generative Artificial Intelligence as a Source of Inspiration for a Modern and Authentic Architectural Identity of Residential Building Facades in Makkah City

Generative Artificial Intelligence as a Source of Inspiration for a Modern and Authentic Architectural Identity of Residential Building Facades in Makkah City

A Residential Building Extension Prototype to face Post-Pandemic Needs: Foreseen Challenges and Impacts

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of outdoor spaces for maintaining physical and mental well-being. However, many urban residents lack private outdoor areas, which led to harmful health consequences during lockdowns. The research project aims to address and solve this issue by developing a physical/digital prototype called “X-TEND” that extends living space outdoors by attaching it to existing multi-story residential building facades. This prototype intends to promote healthier lifestyles, improving the well-being of individuals and positively impacts the urban surroundings aesthetics. X-TEND prototype uses a light, modular, and prefabricated approach for cost-effectiveness and environmental sustainability. It incorporates generative processes for structural and bioclimatic optimisation complemented by green building strategies to reduce environmental impact while maximising thermal and energy performance. Ultimately, X-TEND prototype contributes to a more sustainable built environment, fostering healthier and more liveable cities for current and future generations.

The ways to improve the facade architecture of 1970s typical residential buildings

A significant part of the 1970s housing stock of large cities of the Russian Federation is in need of renovation. However, there is no renovation programme for the 9-storey panel housing stock, unlike the 5-storey housing stock, which is now being developed in Moscow. It is proposed to solve the problem of modernisation of facades of typical residential buildings without resettlement of tenants by minimal architectural means, which can contribute to the formation of a favourable modern urban environment in these old quarters. Possible solutions are offered on the basis of modern and historical world experience in panel house-building.

Graffiti in Irkutsk and the region

Regional projects “Open Air Museum” and “Area of Achievements” are youth projects in the Irkutsk region focused on painting facades of residential buildings with large-scale images.

An Overview of the Factors Influencing the Formation Transformations of Residential Building Facades in Riyadh

An Overview of the Factors Influencing the Formation Transformations of Residential Building Facades in Riyadh

Optimization of Exterior Wall Cladding Materials for Residential Buildings Using the Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGAII) Based on the Integration of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for Energy Consumption: A Case Study

In today’s construction industry, a topic of paramount importance is reducing energy consumption within buildings. This study endeavors to combine Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) through a multi-objective optimization algorithm to enhance the environmental efficiency of buildings. The core objective is the optimization of materials used in the building’s outer shell to effectively curtail operational energy consumption. To achieve this, we employed BIM modeling, parametric simulations with the Energy Plus engine, and Athena to assess the embodied energy in materials. The multi-objective optimization algorithm NSGAII was harnessed to determine the most suitable materials. The results derived from the LCA and BIM analyses illustrate that the selection of optimal materials for residential building facades in Iran can lead to a remarkable 40% reduction in annual average energy consumption. Furthermore, this approach contributes significantly to mitigating global warming potential (GWP). Experts and architects can apply this method to evaluate and select the best materials for various building components, especially in high-rise buildings.

Hygrothermal conditions in the facades of residential buildings in Nuuk and Sisimiut

The limited documentation of the performance of previous and present building techniques in Greenland confines the basis for optimal design decisions. This study presents hygrothermal data from nine houses in Nuuk and Sisimiut, representing constructions of half-timber, concrete, and cross-laminated timber, all designed with a ventilated air cavity. The temperatures and relative humidity are monitored on the wall's inner side, in the air cavities and on each side of possible implemented wind and vapour membranes. The data are subjected to intercomparisons and compared to simulations from the hygrothermal simulation tool, Delphin. Finally, the measured and simulated data are analysed for the risk of mould growth with the Viitanen model in the free software WUFI Mould Index VTT. It is found that all construction types can function adequately under Greenlandic conditions. It is, however, recommended to be critical when excluding building elements, such as wind barriers, due to the risk of reduced performance of the façade structure. Furthermore, it is found that the mould risk is minimal inside the constructions but to some extent critical in the air cavities; however, the consequences of mould there are limited. Finally, the results are compared to other similar studies.

FORMATION OF FACADES THROUGH THE PRISM OF VISUAL ECOLOGY

Modernity is characterized by very rapid changes in the environment in which a person lives. The human body has evolved to adapt to the natural environment for thousands of years, and to living in an urban environment relatively recently. Therefore, the urban influence is "aggressive" for the human psyche, as it differs significantly from the natural conditions of habitation. The article attempts to analyze the peculiarities of the formation of building facades through the prism of human emotions and similarity to the natural environment. This made it possible to identify the main trends and methods of forming the facades of residential and public buildings that have developed in recent decades. Recently, scientists of various fields have been actively studying the issue of human psychological health, which is largely formed by a certain emotional influence of the external environment and enters (80%) through the visual channel. Constant visual perception of the environment (especially urban), its saturation with visual elements has a significant impact on the psychological state of a person. The article examines the characteristics of homogeneous and aggressive fields in urban architecture and methods of their elimination. The traditional vertical division of the facade into 3 parts (1-2 floor "lower tier", the following floors until completion "middle tier" and "upper tier" itself is considered), design of the entrance, windows and summer rooms. The basic requirements for the architectural solution of each tier and the elements that fill it are formulated. Attention was paid to the recommendations of specialists in visual ecology and the basic requirements for the formation of facades of residential and public facilities were formulated, which will allow creating a comfortable environment for residents of cities and towns.

Composition Patterns of Contemporary Polish Residential Building Facades

Composition Patterns of Contemporary Polish Residential Building Facades

Design Code of the urban Environment along the main Avenue of Yekaterinburg

The strategy for the development of modern cities includes an analysis of a comfortable urban space, with the subsequent goal of improving the quality of life of the city's population. The main transit type of public space is the streets and avenues of cities. The study provides an analysis of the modern use of public space in city streets, as well as recommendations for the development and formation of a comfortable territory of Yekaterinburg streets for city residents. Recommendations after the analysis, when implemented, will allow the main city avenue to be not only comfortable for residents of Yekaterinburg, as well as visitors from other regions and foreign students, the avenue will attract domestic and foreign tourists even more. The subject of the study. Features of the current state of urban space and prospects for further modernization of urban areas and restoration of residential and public buildings. For the first time, the analysis of the current state of Lenin Avenue was carried out, the missing positions in the design code of the Yekaterinburg landscaping concept were identified and the points of recommendations for further implementation in architectural subject-spatial characteristics were indicated, taking into account sociological factors. To improve the organization of the public space of Lenin Avenue, it is proposed: 1. Exclude the presence of "visual noise" outside the points of attraction; 2. To restore the facades of residential and public buildings facing the avenue, including objects of historical and cultural heritage; 3. To give in general terms a unified design to small architectural forms; 4. Highlight an additional "image of the city"; 5. Creation of a full-fledged lighting line in a single style, along the entire avenue; 6. Organize linear landscaping along the roadway and pedestrian zone, plant perennial herbaceous plants; 7. Create a separate path for the bike infrastructure, additional bike parking; 8. Select a surface street pedestrian crossing instead of an underground one, with priority for pedestrians; 9. Exclude sidewalk fencing, which is not appropriate in this case.

The Photovoltaic Facade and its Impact on the Energy Economy of Buildings Located in Semi-arid Areas

This article presents the application of a complete methodology to predict the photovoltaic potential using solar panels on the facades of residential buildings in Biskra (Algeria). A theoretical study conducted on a representative urban residential area in Biskra as an example of the applicability of the methodology.It is based on the determination of the PV installations for the typical facade of the buildings, taking into account the architectural and technical aspects, the solar radiation on each facade is calculated by simulating the path of the sun throughout the year.The proposed solutions are then evaluated using a dynamic energy simulation to determine the most efficient ones, resulting in the potential to exploit PV and solar energy generation. The finding is the gap between the architectural availability and the overall solar suitability of the facade surfaces, and this difference is based on the following main factors: the high density of the built environment composed of high-rise street canyons and aspect ratio, the changing direction of buildings, and finally classified buildings, with complex geometry. The aim of this work is to discuss the potential of facades and other vertical elements for the photovoltaic potential of solar panels on buildings located in semi-arid regions.

Towards window state detection using image processing in residential and office building facades

Although building energy simulation is an essential tool for designers, numerous studies have proven the existence of a performance gap between the estimated and measured energy use. In response, researchers are exploring ways to collect authentic behavioural data to improve existing inaccurate data-driven occupancy behaviour models. An important occupant behaviour currently being studied is window operation behaviour as it results in large consequences on heating/cooling loads and ventilation rates of a building. Ex-situ camera-based window operation monitoring has been proposed as a solution. This study used image processing technologies that automatically identified windows on a façade and determined their individual state (i.e. open, partially open, or closed). The algorithm developed through this study yielded an 89% accuracy rate over all the windows tested. This algorithm was developed to specifically target punched façades with awning windows. Factors that affected the accuracy of ex-situ camera-based window operation monitoring included environmental conditions such as lighting, obstructions, and reflections. Furthermore, there were challenges in determining threshold values used to isolate important image data that defined the window state and location and identifying the significant peaks for window angle image data. The next steps for this research should determine appropriate threshold values that can be used universally through additional testing and to explore new image processing techniques for other window types.

Sensitivity Analysis for Carbon Emissions of Prefabricated Residential Buildings with Window Design Elements

Owing to the advantages of high construction efficiency, prefabricated residential buildings have been of increasing interest in recent years. Against the background of global heating, designing low-carbon facades for prefabricated residential buildings has become a focus. The main challenge for this research is in designing windows for prefabricated residential buildings that can lead to the best performance in carbon emissions. The purpose of this paper is to summarize window design advice for prefabricated residential building facades with low-carbon goals. This paper adopts the single control variable research method. Building energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions under different conditions comprise the primary data used in the study. In the process of achieving the research aim, this study firstly extracts the window design elements of prefabricated residential facades. Secondly, objective function formulas are established and a basic model is built for obtaining data. Thirdly, data results are analyzed and window design advice is put forward under the condition of a low-carbon goal. This paper discusses that the optimal window-to-wall ratio (WWR) with a low-carbon orientation is around 0.15, and compares it innovatively with the optimal WWR under an energy-saving orientation at around 0.38. The research results of this paper can deepen the understanding of architectural low-carbon design and play a guiding role for architects.

The Aesthetical Perception of Residences in the North and South of the City regarding Residential Building Facades

Nowadays, paying attention to the facade and facade design has considerable importance. The facade of the buildings and constructions is an important part of the urban landscape, and thereupon it plays a great role in urban quality. One of the important factors in forming the urban landscapes is employing aesthetic measures as touchstones in the design process. The goal of this study is to reach a set of aesthetic measures from the viewpoint of people in the same society according to the perceptual differences of citizens in the northern and southern regions of Tehran. There are several measures that by relying on them we can arrive at an ideal facade design from the viewpoint of people and the building users; designers can also be used to help designers cooperate with the idea and viewpoints of people, their approval in their designs. The following research is done in an applied-analytic method and gathering the data was done by library and field research and by designing questionnaires for the users. By scrutinizing and analyzing the data, it is concluded that the objective criteria are in priority for specifying the beauty in the facade of residential.

Integrating Novel Microchannel-Based Solar Collectors with a Water-to-Water Heat Pump for Cold-Climate Domestic Hot Water Supply, Including Related Solar Systems Comparisons

In Canada, more than 80% of energy in the residential sector is used for space heating and domestic hot water (DHW) production. This study aimed to model and compare the performance of four different systems, using solar energy as a renewable energy source for DHW production. A novel microchannel (MC) solar thermal collector and a microchannel-based hybrid photovoltaic/thermal collector (PVT) were fabricated (utilizing a microchannel heat exchanger in both cases), mathematical models were created, and performance was simulated in TRNSYS software. A water-to-water heat pump (HP) was integrated with these two collector-based solar systems, namely MCPVT-HP and MCST-HP, to improve the total solar fraction. System performance was then compared with that of a conventional solar-thermal-collector-based system and that of a PV-resistance (PV-R) system, using a monocrystalline PV collector. The heat pump was added to the systems to improve the systems’ efficiency and provide the required DHW temperatures when solar irradiance was insufficient. Comparisons were performed based on the temperature of the preheated water storage tank, the PV panel efficiency, overall system efficiency, and the achieved solar fraction. The microchannel PVT-heat pump (MCPVT-HP) system has the highest annual solar fraction among all the compared systems, at 76.7%. It was observed that this system had 10% to 35% higher solar fraction than the conventional single-tank solar-thermal-collector-based system during the wintertime in a cold climate. The performance of the two proposed MC-based systems is less sensitive than the two conventional systems to collector tilt angle in the range of 45 degrees to 90 degrees. If roof space is limited, the MCPVT-HP system is the best choice, as the MCPVT collector can perform effectively when mounted vertically on the facades of high-rise residential and commercial buildings. A comparison among five Canadian cities was also performed, and we found that direct beam radiation has a great effect on overall system solar faction.

Acoustic retrofit strategies of windows in facades of residential buildings: Requirements and recommendations to reduce exposure to environmental noise

Achieving an adequate indoor acoustic comfort environment is one of the main priorities to avoid adverse effects caused by noise. Façades are the constructive elements most likely to be retrofitted due to their delimiting function between indoor and outdoor space. This study compares the acoustic façade requirements established for new and existing buildings in current national building regulations. The assessment of regulations and the analysis of a comparison model, examining different techniques for improving sound insulation, conclude that on a global scale there is a lack of consensus on external noise insulation and acoustic requirements worldwide. It is not possible to merely summarize all requirements into a single number as the sound insulation required depends on the performance of the building element, the outdoor noise level or the indoor noise level. Therefore, there is an in-depth discussion on the harmonization of external sound insulation requirements in acoustic regulations. This study also analyses façade wall solutions of existing housing stock and compliance with current regulations, with results showing that upgrading interventions focused on windows can be sufficient to propose suitable constructive systems in compliance with requirements established worldwide when external noise amounts to 60 dB(A) measured 2 m from the façade.

Residential building facade segmentation in the urban environment

Building retrofit is an important facet in the drive to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. However, delivering building retrofit at scale is a significant challenge, especially in how to automate the process of building surveying. On-site survey by expert surveyors is the main approach in the industry. This can lead to a high workload if planning retrofit at a large-scale. An advanced vehicle-mounted data capturing system has been built to collect urban environmental multi-spectral data. The data contains substantial information that is essential in identifying building retrofit needs. Although the data capturing system is able to collect data in a highly-efficient manner, the data analysis is still a big data challenge to apply the system into delivering building retrofit plans. In this paper, a street-view building facade image segmentation model is designed as the foundation of the holistic data analysis framework. The model is developed on the deep learning-based semantic segmentation technology and uses an ensemble learning strategy. The object detection technology is fused into the model as an magnifier to improve the model performance on small objects and boundary predictions. The model has achieved state-of-the-art levels of accuracy on a built street-view building facade image dataset.

Optimising Window Design on Residential Building Facades by Considering Heat Transfer and Natural Lighting in Nontropical Regions of Australia

Windows account for a significant proportion of the total energy lost in buildings. The interaction of window type, Window-to-Wall Ratio (WWR) scheduled and window placement height influence natural lighting and heat transfer through windows. This is a pressing issue for nontropical regions considering their high emissions and distinct climatic characteristics. A limitation exists in the adoption of common simulation-based optimisation approaches in the literature, which are hardly accessible to practitioners. This article develops a numerical-based window design optimisation model using a common Building Information Modelling (BIM) platform adopted throughout the industry, focusing on nontropical regions of Australia. Three objective functions are proposed; the first objective is to maximise the available daylight, and the other two emphasize undesirable heat transfer through windows in summer and winter. The developed model is tested on a case study located in Sydney, Australia, and a set of Pareto-optimum solutions is obtained. Through the use of the proposed model, energy savings of up to 8.57% are achieved.

Historical and architectural monuments of wooden architecture in the territory of historical settlements in Belgorod region

The study analyzes the origin and development of wooden architecture in Belgorod region in connection with the development of the Wild Field on the southern borders of Russia. Volumetric-planning and architectural and compositional features of the preserved wooden heritage buildings were considered: church buildings and residential buildings in large settlements both for poor population and for more prosperous one. The study describes the architectural and compositional construction of temples and residential buildings of different centuries. The authors analyzed the construction periods and the impact of architectural styles that were embodied in the space-planning solution and the design of facades of both wooden churches and residential buildings. Particular attention was paid to cultural heritage sites of regional significance – architectural monuments located in cities of Belgorod and Stary Oskol and villages of Belgorod region. The article presents the research work related to the conversion of a cultural heritage site into a hotel and a museum.

Assessment of engineering equipment noise impact of agricultural enterprise on the adjacent residential building

A significant source of increased noise in cities is the engineering and technological equipment of enterprises located in immediate vicinity of standardized objects. The expected noise levels from technological and ventilation equipment of an agricultural enterprise located in the city are estimated. A computer model of the territory under consideration is built using the software package “ARM Acoustics”. As the initial data, the results of field measurements were used. The calculation of the expected noise levels near the facades of residential buildings showed the excess of regulatory levels. It is shown the necessity to install noise screens not only near equipment located on the ground, but also near equipment installed on the roof of the industrial building. The calculation was carried out taking into account the location of the U - shaped screens, which provided effective protection against noise. To illustrate the effect obtained, maps of the spatial distribution of noise are constructed.