Preliminary Architectural Design Research Articles

Stereotomic and Tectonic Architecture from Structural Point of View: Case of a Single 10-Story Perforated Shell Structure

This paper is part of a research on innovative structural systems techniques in tall buildings and starts from the collaboration between the Department of Scientific Research and the Department of Architecture and Engineering at Polis University. The objective of this paper is to emphasize the structural differences between tectonic and stereotomic architecture by analyzing the different structural behaviors of both languages. The initial hypothesis is that an interaction field can be found where these two languages can be combined to propose a design method for a preliminary design process. The methodology goes through the following steps: the first step, analysis and determination of tectonic and stereotomic modelling approach; the second step, analysis of a single 10 story perforated shell structure by changing the openings ratio from a structural point of view and the third step, interpretation of results stating these two different architectural and structural profiles are intertwined. The instruments used are presented by a multivariate visualization method, an easy-to-use and as a key concept for generating the perforated pattern of the shell structure. They describe a visual and interactive, performance informed tool-using software of Rhino Grasshopper, Karamba 3D plugin, indicating the designer's preferences and concluding with the structural control of the model build. It is expected that the results will introduce a generative design method for architecture grounded on the stereotomic and tectonic modelling approach that can contribute towards the integration of structural rationality into preliminary architectural design process of tall buildings.

A Study on Preliminary Architectural Orientation Design Methodologies for Sustainability

The objective of this study is to present and to analyze preliminary orientation design factors in the design stage of sustainable architecture in the viewpoint of technocentrism. Typically people interpret solar energy system architecture as simply being part of a mechanical system. Yet, even before considering energy-consuming physical systems in buildings, it is very important to consider the outer parameters of sustainable design factors and the design process itself for the effective and suitable energy-saving design methodology. By analyzing the evolving phases and history of technocentrism and solar energy systems in sustainable architecture through examples and case studies, this paper focuses on and proposes preliminary orientation design factors that should be considered when starting the architectural design process in the viewpoint of technocentrism.

Services in Digital Design: New Visions for AEC-Field Collaboration

The objective of this paper is to describe contemporary digital building design from a service provider aspect. The constrained framework of this work is digital architectural design practice. When design is seen in the context of the AEC field, a process oriented approach is commonly used in describing collaboration and evolutionary progress of the design work as a project. Design projects are scheduled chains of activities which result in design delivery or actual physical buildings as the end products of the project. Recently developments in building information modelling (BIM) have presented fundamentally new ways for collecting, exploring, and sharing design information. This study develops the novel digital approach: BIM as design services. The key finding of the study is that parts of the design domain can be described as services in the changing digital environment. The scientific contribution of this paper is in describing contemporary digital design practice with an alternative service approach. A framework for such services is also presented. This work will expand the authors' contribution to research on preliminary architectural design using building information models.

CHARACTERISTICS OF OPTIMAL DESIGNS OF PLANE BRACED STEEL FRAME MODELS WITH RESPECT TO BRACE PLACEMENT

In most cases, it's quite difficult for structural designers to perform many case studies when they plan a layout of earthquake resistant elements in a preliminary architectural design. So it would be helpful for them to know the characteristics of optimum designs, which can be regarded as standard design, with respect to the changes of numbers or layouts of earthquake resistant elements.In this paper we present characteristics of optimum designs of steel plane frames with respect to layouts of multi-story braces through an examination of optimum designs by examining optimum design solutions of multi-story frames with various layouts of braces.

Energy efficient building design using sensitivity analysis—A case study

A case-study of a public building is presented as an example of the adequacy of timely analyses of building performance, based on a preliminary architectural design. The final design of the case-study building benefited of the thorough analysis performed at this early stage, the main motivation being the willingness of a town government of an intelligent design, leading to a sustainable town-hall building, in a town in the centre region of Portugal. A virtuous combination of a receptive building owner and a multidisciplinary design team, allowed a systematic methodology to be used, providing the opportunity for the consideration of several options for each class of constructive element and the possibility of choosing among the options for each case, based on quantitative results on the expected performance of the building. The options were created and analysed with the help of the VisualDOE™ building simulation tool, aiming at a comfortable and energy efficient building. Several parameters were used for enabling the sensitivity analyses, namely relating to wall structure and materials, window frames, HVAC system, etc.

Building as Power Plant—BAPP

ABSTRACT The Building as Power Plant (BAPP) initiative seeks to integrate advanced energy-effective building technologies (ascending strategies) with innovative distributed energy generation systems (cascading strategies), such that most or all of the building's energy needs for heating, cooling, ventilating, and lighting are met on-site, under the premise of fulfilling all requirements concerning user comfort and control (visual, thermal, acoustic, spatial, and air quality). This will be pursued by integrating a “passive approach” with the use of renewable energies. In addition, the project will achieve unprecedented levels of organizational flexibility and technological adaptability. The project has progressed though preliminary architectural design and engineering and 5 workshops (Ascending Energy Strategies, Floor-by-Floor Infrastructures, Interior Systems, HVAC Systems, and Cascading Energy Strategies). BAPP is designed as a 6-story building, located in Pittsburgh (a cold climate with a moderate sola...

BUILDING AS P OWER P LANT—BAPP

The Building as Power Plant (BAPP) initiative seeks to integrateadvanced energy-effective building technologies (ascending strategies)with innovative distributed energy generation systems (cascading strat-egies), such that most or all of the building’s energy needs for heating,cooling, ventilating, and lighting are met on-site, under the premise offulfilling all requirements concerning user comfort and control (visual,thermal, acoustic, spatial, and air quality). This will be pursued by inte-grating a “passive approach” with the use of renewable energies. Inaddition, the project will achieve unprecedented levels of organizationalflexibility and technological adaptability. The project has progressedthough preliminary architectural design and engineering and 5 work-shops (Ascending Energy Strategies, Floor-by-Floor Infrastructures, Inte-rior Systems, HVAC Systems, and Cascading Energy Strategies). BAPP isdesigned as a 6-story building, located in Pittsburgh (a cold climate witha moderate solar potential), with a total area of about 6000 m 2 whichhouses classrooms, studios, laboratories, and administrative offices. Atpresent, the combined cooling, heating, and power generation optionthat is being considered for the demonstration building is a SiemensWestinghouse 250-kW solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). In this article, we willreport a number of integrated solution scenarios and their energy perfor-mance.

Automated design of prefabricated building

The paper describes a knowledge-based system for the detailed design of prefabricated building. The system employs a comprehensive approach which integrates different design aspects, architectural, structural and technological. The system receives, as an input, a preliminary architectural design of the building to be erected, adjusts it to a modular grid, indicates the location of structured supports, breaks down the floors and walls into elements to be prefabricated and finally produces detailed drawings of the elements and their cost estimate. The premise of the system, its operation and the structure of its knowledge are described.

Developing CAD techniques for preliminary architectural design

Theoretically the computer can offer the architect significant help during the preliminary design stages. To take full benefit of its capabilities it is necessary to use the computer for the design process itself. To this end, a program has been written that concentrates on ease of use so that the machine does not impede the creative process. The program works through the manipulation of design elements such as spaces and windows, not graphical ones. The result is a tool which offers improved efficiency, but is very different from current methods that use paper in preliminary design.