1,720,962 research outputs found
The shape and size of urban blocks
No full textTwo measures of shape compactness and fragmentation are coupled together into a plot that is defined as a two-dimensionalmatrix for classifying boundary shapes. Block shapes in a large sample of cities result in a swallowtail distribution in the matrix, which exposes two fundamental ways of transforming the basic compact block: by dissection, corresponding to large blocks with internal dendritic streets, and by stretching and bending, corresponding to serpentine blocks in hilly terrains and edge blocks along highways, railroads, and canals. The density of cases in each matrix zone reveals the realization of actual blocks out of the probable shape combinations as a manifestation of the social logic of urban form. The observed affinity between the shape and size of non-basic blocks in cities is used to formulate a model that explains them according to the constraints of arranging plots along the streets combined with the requirements for the intelligibility of navigation and the minimization of travel distance. Considering blocks as intra-street cells, the proposed block classification reveals important links between topological and geometric aspects of the street networks thus contributing to urban modeling, morphological classification, and comparative studies
Transformation of urban form in Shkodër during the Ottoman period
Get PDFUrban form in Shkodër is studied according to six stages during the period 1479-1913, which are reconstructed based on historical descriptions, maps, photographs, and the spatial interpretation of the Venetian cadastral registry in 1416. Like other Ottoman cities in the Balkans, the old quarters in Shkodër evolved by preserving the original medieval street network, while the new part of the city grew by expanding suburbs with dendritic street patterns and large plots along existing intercity arterial roads. The unique location of the city confined by hilly ranges and surrounded by three rivers and a lake produced a distinctive urban form due to the position of the external bazaar and the crisscrossing of arterial roads. The comparative space syntax analysis of the street network for each stage reveals a gradual transformation in the spatial structure of the city broken by two stark changes: during the early Ottoman period when the bazaar became distinctively more central in comparison to the living quarters, and after the opening of new boulevards during the late Ottoman period when the new urban center that emerged in the new city drew the spatial integration away from the historical bazaar
Daylighting in Buildings: Sustainable Design Strategies for Building Floorplates
No full textAbstract
Daylighting in Buildings: Investigating the Relationship between Daylight Levels and Building Compactness in Apartment Housing Types.
Sustainable design and maintenance of buildings is a key issue facing our generation and generations to come since building material production, construction, operation, and maintenance — are responsible for more than 55% of global energy use. Our goal within this project is to discover building typologies that will lead us to achieve a more sustainable balance between the built and natural environments by employing the use of daylighting. Strategic design considering window arrangement, shading applications, and interior dimensioning is key in ensuring a building is properly lit while remaining cost-efficient. The problem with daylighting in most buildings is that the many building types are based on floorplates that are far too wide which hinders widescale daylighting. Meanwhile, the more we design buildings that are less compact and elongated the more we increase the overall construction cost due to the larger share of the envelope and the heat gain/loss through the envelope. The goal of the project is to find an optimal balance between nature and the built environment to exist in accordance with one another. Sufficient data collection relating to the benefits of certain typologies over others has been collected using AutoCAD files that have been scaled and measured and then put into graphical form in order to better display our findings. Comparative studies were conducted between the findings of my own along with my peers. The results proved telling first on the structure occupying our own campus, and subsequently sourced from Key Urban Housing of the Twentieth Century: ‘Plans, Sections and Elevations’ by author Hilary French. The proposed shape classification has consequently contributed an array of typological solutions, detailed shape analysis, and comparative studies
Understanding the Effect of Intercity Roads on the Evolution of Urban Form
Get PDFCities are key to sustainability, social cohesion, public health, and energy use. Successful urban planning relies on understanding the effect of the roads that connect the city with the neighboring settlements, which act as a scaffold for urban growth. The project develops representations and analytical tools for understanding urban evolution.
The research is based on the following analytical methods: 1) Digitally drawing the arterial roads for twenty Adriatic coastal cities in Italy based on historical maps surveyed in 1819; 2) Categorizing the cities into two main groups: those whose arterials have remained mostly unchanged and those whose arterials have been fundamentally altered due to the addition of gridiron streets in the 19th century; 3) Investigating the geographical context around the cities, which has affected their overall shape during urban growth.
The gridiron accretions are found in Pescara and Brindisi but are missing in a few cases, such as Rodi and Otranto. While in Brindisi, and Rimini, the gridirons entirely replace most of the historical arterials, in Termoli and Barletta, the gridirons are added as patches aligned to the historical arterials. In addition, given the straight configuration of most of Puglia coast and the coastal plain, cities like Bari and Trani, and have grown as half circles covering about 180 degrees. Where the coast bends into capes, the cities have grown as wedges covering 90-110 degrees, while in Brindisi, the town has grown around the bay, covering about 270 degrees.
The study shows the evolution of street networks over time is influenced by the physiographic context of the cities coupled with the configuration of inter-city arterial roads over and above the accretion with certain street patterns. The study shows the need for considering both these factors to understand urban evolution and inform the planning and design of cities in the future
The City Aetherus An Urban Design Methodology For Energy Use
Get PDFIn the last few decades, there has been a growing awareness about the relationship between building design and energy use, environmental impact, and sustainability in general. Now, environmental design is a well-established field of architectural studies and practices. By contrast, it is only recently that the relationship between urban design and energy use has started to get due attention by the designer and planning communities. Due to our increasing energy needs and imminent global urbanization, humanity needs a solution to tackle the largest energy consumer: the city. This thesis is situated within the newly emerging discourse on the relationship between urban morphology and energy use in cities. It proposes that morphological design can possibly improve energy efficiency in cities by means of designing urban morphologies, and the interactions between, street network, urban tissue, and block design. This thesis proposes a design methodology to develop and study various urban morphologies in 4 world cities as representatives of 4 climatic conditions. The thesis conducts thorough research on the link between building and urban morphologies to energy use focusing on solar radiation and airflow and ventilation. It proposes methods that can extend beyond the four climates considered to tackle other climatic and micro-climatic conditions around the globe. While the energy use has been used as a yardstick to filter appropriate solutions, the thesis develops innovative urban design solutions that prioritize human activities and social functions of the city
Model for Analyzing Floorplate Morphology That Optimizes Daylighting and Cost
No full textOne of the key ways of improving the energy efficiency of a building is to enhance the daylight levels and reduce the need for artificial lighting. Good daylight levels are also associated with increased productivity and well-being of buildings occupants. Daylight levels are directly linked to the building floorplate depth, whereas shallow floorplate and elongated buildings are usually related to higher daylight levels. However, creating buildings that have more natural light comes with a greater construction cost due to larger envelope areas as well as greater operating costs due to the energy loss through the envelope. This research addresses the question of identifying basic design strategies for buildings that optimize between two opposing trends: enhancing daylighting in buildings while also reducing the amount of building envelope and energy transfer loss. We analyze a sample of fifty floorplates of key buildings of the 20th century considered best practice examples of architectural precedents. We inquire about the effect of building size on the complex relationship between natural lighting and building compactness, which is linked to cost. First, all the buildings are scaled and brought to the same floorplate size in order to evaluate the effect of building formal typology on daylighting. Second, the shapes of building floorplates are analyzed and categorized according to their shape compactness and fragmentation. The statistical analysis of the sample enables the identification of the cases that perform best regarding both daylight levels and the extent of the outer envelope. The findings can be used to inform the design of buildings in the future with important implications for the sustainability of the built environment
Daylighting in Buildings: Investigating the Relationship between Daylight Levels and Building Compactness in Various Contemporary Architectural Types. [Efficient Typology classification]
Get PDFOne of the key ways of improving the energy efficiency of a building is to enhance the daylight levels and reduce the need for artificial lighting. Good daylight levels are also associated with increased productivity and the well-being of a building\u27s occupants. Daylight levels are often a direct function of the floorplate depth, where locations near the windows receive more daylight, and those deep inside the buildings receive less. As a result, shallow floorplates and elongated buildings are usually related to higher daylight levels. However, shallow buildings that have more natural light are also associated with greater construction costs due to larger envelope areas, as well as greater operating costs due to the energy loss through the envelope. This research addresses the question of identifying basic design strategies for buildings that optimize between two opposing trends: enhancing daylighting in buildings while also reducing the amount of building envelope and energy transfer loss. We analyze a sample of fifty floorplates of key buildings of the 20th century, considering best practice examples of architectural precedents, and inquire about the effect of building size on the complex relationship between natural lighting and building compactness, which is linked to cost. First, all the buildings are scaled and brought to the same floorplate size in order to evaluate the effect of the building\u27s formal typology on daylighting. Second, the shapes of building floorplates are analyzed and categorized according to their shape, compactness, and fragmentation. The statistical analysis of the sample enables the identification of the cases that perform best regarding both daylight levels and the extent of the outer envelope. The findings can be used to propose architectural design guidelines that highlight the importance of daylighting with implications for the sustainability of the built environment, well-being, and feasibility
Daylighting in Buildings: Investigating the Relationship between Daylight Levels and Building Compactness in Various Contemporary Architectural Types.
Get PDFAmong the most substantial ways to improve the energy efficiency of a building is to manipulate the floorplate in ways that lets more natural light in while reducing the energy loss or gain through the envelope area. However, creating buildings that have more natural light comes with a greater construction cost due to larger envelope areas. The goal of this research is to determine what aspects of floorplate design maximize the natural light entering a building and minimize the construction costs associated with the building. In the first phase of research last year, we analyzed a sample of floorplates from Richard Weston’s, Key Buildings of the 20th Century from which we determined that the scaling of the building has the greatest impact on the natural lighting entering a given building. In the current phase of research this year, we inquire about the effect of building size on the complex relationship between natural lighting and building compactness linked to cost. First, all the buildings are scaled and brought to the same floorplate size in order to evaluate the effect of building typology on daylighting, while the plot between daylighting and compactness is studied according to body condition index, which is translated from comparative studies in life sciences. The residual of each case to the trendline in the plot is quantified as an index of daylighting, similar to the body condition. In addition, we test the effect of floorplate shape (compactness and fragmentation) on building’s daylighting and efficiency
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