Subjective Evaluation of Sustainability and Attractiveness Criteria of Planned Buildings: A Case Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 887 ◽  
pp. 374-381
Author(s):  
Ulrich Pont ◽  
Ardeshir Mahdavi

Architectural competitions are regarded an important way to find close-to-optimal solutions for given building design tasks. In recent years, sustainability criteria within architectural competitions increased in importance. However, the question how to cleverly integrate sustainability criteria into the required deliverables that architects have to provide in competition entries remains widely unsolved. Even if energy calculations or tabular data are stipulated, both meaningfulness and impact on the jury decision seem to be highly doubtful. This might be due to a number of reasons: First of all, architectural competitions regularly address early design stages. In other words, large uncertainties regarding construction assemblies, glazing properties, and HVAC-systems (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) persist at this moment, thus energy evaluations come with a high level of inaccuracy. Moreover, juries that evaluate competition entries regularly consist of domain specialists for the later building usage and architects, but not necessarily encompass energy efficiency specialists. This is understandable, given the multitude of requirements within building design, where sustainability is only one out of many. Furthermore, there is no common understanding regarding clear decision criteria pertaining to sustainability. Even if certain scalar KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are demanded, these numbers can regularly not describe the overall performance of a building design. Another important aspect is that entries to architectural competitions regularly are checked onto formal issues, but not regarding the plausibility of their content. As such, it cannot be expected that the winning and running-up projects of competitions automatically resemble the most sustainable projects. Literally, any sustainability or energy performance description has to be taken for granted, but can rarely be validated. Commonly it is argued that the winning projects of competitions are regularly the competition entries that show the most balanced mix of different attributes. This, however, is difficult to evaluate. In the present contribution we illustrate the methodology and results of a recently conducted empirical experiment. Thereby, we asked undergraduate and graduate students of architecture to subjectively evaluate a set of competition entries of a recent architectural competition for a high-density, low-energy residential housing project. The project entries were the winning project as well as the five runner-up projects. The students were provided with principle information about the competition and its principle goals and then had to rank the projects regarding different criteria. The comparison of this subjective evaluation was then compared with the competition result. Some differences between the jury’s ranking and the subjective evaluation could be observed.

2013 ◽  
Vol 649 ◽  
pp. 159-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina Kiesel ◽  
Ulrich Pont ◽  
Ardeshir Mahdavi

The Architectural competition announcements in Austria, as well as in most other European countries, regularly mention sustainability as a fundamental factor for decision-making. The consideration of energy performance, environmental performance of materials (embodied energy, reuse or recycling potential, toxicity), natural ventilation, and daylight availability are typically mentioned in the list of project requirements. In this context, the present contribution considers three actual architectural competition cases. Thereby, we investigated the kinds and depth of sustainability-related criteria as included in the competition announcements (e.g., hard versus soft requirements, qualitative versus quantitative benchmarks) . Moreover, we explored the level to which competition entries actually responded to the sustainability-related competition criteria. Thus, the submission materials (project narratives, posters and simple calculations if existing) available to the jury were analysed in detail. Toward this end, two approaches were selected: A qualitative approach focused on the use of certain terminology within the documentation of the projects. The second approach took certain numeric indicators into consideration such as heating demand and OI3 Index (sustainability). In those cases where the indicator values were not submitted by the participants, they were calculated by the authors based on available documentation. The study implies the need for a reconsideration of the process of formulating architectural competitions and evaluating the related submissions. It appears that currently the sustainability-related requirements in competition documentations do not lead to entries, which provide sufficient information for accountable jury evaluation. Rather, alternative and/or additional comprehensive indicators of sustainability and ecological performance must be included in a clear and systematic fashion in architectural competition narratives.


Author(s):  
Roya Rezaee ◽  
Jason Brown ◽  
Godfried Augenbroe ◽  
Jinsol Kim

AbstractPerformance assessment at early stages of buildings design is complicated by an inherent lack of information on the design and the uncertainty in how a building design may evolve to a final design. This pilot study reports on an initial quantification of such uncertainty associated with building energy performance and develops a method for informing decision makers of the risks in early design decisions under this uncertainty. Two case studies of building design decision situations under this uncertainty are explored along with using two different energy modeling tools: a reduced-order model and a high-order model. The intended contribution is to identify if a decision can be made with confidence in early design given a high level of uncertainty in the evolution of a design and what models can support decisions of this sort. Integration of the proposed decision support approach with a computer-aided design model is shown as well.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 5201
Author(s):  
Kittisak Lohwanitchai ◽  
Daranee Jareemit

The concept of a zero energy building is a significant sustainable strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The challenges of zero energy building (ZEB) achievement in Thailand are that the design approach to reach ZEB in office buildings is unclear and inconsistent. In addition, its implementation requires a relatively high investment cost. This study proposes a guideline for cost-optimal design to achieve the ZEB for three representative six-story office buildings in hot and humid Thailand. The energy simulations of envelope designs incorporating high-efficiency systems are carried out using eQuest and daylighting simulation using DIALux evo. The final energy consumptions meet the national ZEB target but are higher than the rooftop PV generation. To reduce such an energy gap, the ratios of building height to width are proposed. The cost-benefit of investment in ZEB projects provides IRRs ranging from 10.73 to 13.85%, with payback periods of 7.2 to 8.5 years. The energy savings from the proposed designs account for 79.2 to 81.6% of the on-site energy use. The investment of high-performance glazed-windows in the small office buildings is unprofitable (NPVs = −14.77–−46.01). These research results could help architects and engineers identify the influential parameters and significant considerations for the ZEB design. Strategies and technical support to improve energy performance in large and mid-rise buildings towards ZEB goals associated with the high investment cost need future investigations.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1080
Author(s):  
Mamdooh Alwetaishi ◽  
Omrane Benjeddou

The concern regarding local responsive building design has gained more attention globally as of late. This is due to the issue of the rapid increase in energy consumption in buildings for the purpose of heating and cooling. This has become a crucial issue in educational buildings and especially in schools. The major issue in school buildings in Saudi Arabia is that they are a form of prototype school building design (PSBD). As a result, if there is any concern in the design stage and in relation to the selection of building materials, this will spread throughout the region. In addition to that, the design is repeated regardless of the climate variation within the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This research will focus on the influence of the window to wall ratio on the energy load in various orientations and different climatic regions. The research will use the energy computer tool TAS Environmental Design Solution Limited (EDSL) to calculate the energy load as well as solar gain. During the visit to the sample schools, a globe thermometer will be used to monitor the globe temperature in the classrooms. This research introduces a framework to assist architects and engineers in selecting the proper window to wall ratio (WWR) in each direction within the same building based on adequate natural light with a minimum reliance on energy load. For ultimate WWR for energy performance and daylight, the WWR should range from 20% to 30%, depending on orientation, in order to provide the optimal daylight factor combined with building energy efficiency. This ratio can be slightly greater in higher altitude locations.


2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Leatherbarrow ◽  
Richard Wesley

The sun control device has to be on the outside of the building, an element of the facade, an element of architecture. And because this device is so important a part of our open architecture, it may develop into as characteristic a form as the Doric column.Victor Olgyay (1910–1970), a Hungarian architect who came to the United States in 1947 with his twin brother and collaborator, Aladár (1910–1963), is best known today as the author of Design with Climate: Bioclimatic Approach to Architectural Regionalism (1963), an important book often referenced in the environmental building design field [1]. As leaders in research in bioclimatic architecture from the early 1950s to the late 1960s, the Olgyay brothers could be considered the ‘fathers’ of contemporary environmental building design. Their research and publications laid the foundation for much of the building simulation software in use today. Other than the difference between working on graph paper and using computer-generated graphics, there is little difference between Autodesk's Ecotect Analysis (simulation and building energy analysis software) and the Olgyays' techniques for the analysis of environmental factors and graphical representation of climate. The manner in which the Olgyays established connections between building design and the science of climate laid the foundation for the development of environmental simulation, one of contemporary architecture's leading methods of form generation. Victor Olgyay's teaching, however, represents another kind of thinking, a broader concern for architecture, beyond energy performance. ‘The primary task of architecture,’ Olgyay announced to his students, ‘is to act in man's favour; to interpose itself between man and his natural surroundings in order to remove the environmental load from his shoulders.


2021 ◽  
pp. 174425912110560
Author(s):  
Yassine Chbani Idrissi ◽  
Rafik Belarbi ◽  
Mohammed Yacine Ferroukhi ◽  
M’barek Feddaoui ◽  
Driss Agliz

Hygrothermal properties of building materials, climatic conditions and energy performance are interrelated and have to be considered simultaneously as part of an optimised building design. In this paper, a new approach to evaluate the energy consumption of residential buildings in Morocco is presented. This approach is based on the effect of coupled heat and moisture transfer in typical residential buildings and on their responses to the varied climatic conditions encountered in the country. This approach allows us to evaluate with better accuracy the response of building energy performance and the indoor comfort of building occupants. Annual energy consumption, cooling and heating energy requirements were estimated considering the six climatic zones of Morocco. Based on the results, terms related to coupled heat and moisture transfer can effectively correct the existing energy consumption calculations of the six zones of Morocco, which currently do not consider energy consumption due to coupled heat and moisture transfer.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 327
Author(s):  
Denny Agung Prasetyo ◽  
Jawas Dwijo Putro ◽  
Syaiful Muazir

One of the districts with the largest population, densest population activities, and supporting economy is Sintang District, West Kalimantan Province with a population of 413,369 people in 2018. The increase in the population of Sintang Regency every year results in a high level of work activity and affects the desire to go to entertainment, recreation and tourism places. Many places can be visited in Sintang Regency, one of which is the Bukit Kelam tour. In today's technological era, the cinema building is one of the solutions for entertainment venues, where the audience can devote all their attentions and feelings to the living picture being witnessed. Therefore, the design of the Cinema Building located in Sintang Regency is a solution to provide a forum for the community to enjoy film shows and provide a modern building concept that is inseparable from the cultural elements in Sintang Regency. The concept of layout outside and inside the building is needed as an attraction to the Cinema Building. The theater building has the appeal of a dynamic building with a rectangular shape that follows the concept of a projector with the use of wood colors to make it look more elegant. In the building, the designer added Dayak and Malay ornaments which were elements of the Cinema Building Design concept so that it was not separated from cultural elements.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Renas K.M. Sherko ◽  
Yusuf Arayici ◽  
Mike Kagioglou

A significant amount of energy is consumed by buildings due to ineffective design decisions with little consideration for energy efficiency. Yet, performance parameters should be considered during the early design phase, which is vital for improved energy performance and lower CO2 emissions. BIM, as a new way of working methodology, can help for performance-based design. However, it is still infancy in architectural practice about how BIM can be used to develop energy efficient design. Thus, the aim is to propose a strategic framework to guide architects about how to do performance-based design considering the local values and energy performance parameters. The research adopts a multi case study approach to gain qualitative and quantitative insights into the building energy performance considering the building design parameters. The outcome is a new design approach and protocol to assist designers to successfully use BIM for design optimization, PV technology use in design, rules-based design and performance assessment scheme reflecting local values.


Author(s):  
Sibo Li ◽  
Hongtao Qiao

Abstract Real-time or faster-than-real-time flow simulation is crucial for studying airflow and heat transfer in buildings, such as building design, building emergency management and building energy performance evaluation. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) with Pressure Implicit with Splitting of Operator (PISO) or Semi-Implicit Method for Pressure Linked Equations (SIMPLE) algorithm is accurate but requires great computational resources. Fast Fluid Dynamics (FFD) can reduce the computational effort but generally lack prediction accuracy due to simplification. This study developed a fast computational method based on FFD in combination with the PISO algorithm. Boussinesq approximation is adopted for simulating buoyancy effect. The proposed solver is tested in a two-dimensional case and a three-dimensional case with experimental data. The predicted results have good agreement with the experimental results. In the two test cases, the proposed solver generates lower Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) compared to the FFD and at the same time, the proposed method reduces computational cost by a factor of 10 and 13 in the two cases compared to CFD.


2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 137-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Chen ◽  
Lauren Kleinman ◽  
Aparna Dial

Many university campuses in the United States are working toward their sustainable goals by adopting energy or green building policies, which require Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification for new construction and major renovation projects. Because LEED certification heavily relies on whole building energy simulation to demonstrate building energy performance improvement, it is often assumed that the finished buildings will achieve the predicted level of energy efficiency. This paper presents a study that compares the energy model predictions with actual energy performance of three LEED buildings on a university campus. The study shows that one of the campus LEED buildings consumed twice the predicted energy usage while causing a high level of occupant dissatisfaction. Further investigation reveals a variety of contributing factors for these issues and provides insights to improve green building policy and practice. Not only are the research findings important for this particular campus (Ohio State University) on its way to sustainability, they also have widespread ramifications for other university campuses.


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