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Digital and Intelligent Approaches for Sustainable Architectural Design

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A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Architectural Design, Urban Science, and Real Estate".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 March 2024) | Viewed by 36432

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yi-Kai Juan

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Guest Editor

Department of Architecture, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei City 106, Taiwan
Interests: behavioral analysis in built environments; building design quality; AI and big data techniques in design decision making

Dr. Tsung-Hsien Wang

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Guest Editor

School of Architecture, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
Interests: architectural geometry construction; building information modelling; computer-aided sustainable design

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Emphasizing the intelligence and sustainability of architectural design is an important design concept with practical value. Technological innovation has been driving the development of the construction industry for decades. These technologies include cloud computing, big data, the Internet of things, biometrics, artificial intelligence, and wearable technologies. At present, the application of these digital and intelligent approaches in architectural design can greatly improve the quality and efficiency of architectural design, and ensure that the architectural design results can fully meet the actual needs of users. Especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of digital and intelligent approaches in architectural design can not only fully consider the health, comfort and safety of residents, but also save building energy and construction costs.

This Special Issue aims to introduce the latest research findings and ideas on the topic of digital and intelligent approaches for sustainable architectural design to global readers. The Special Issue covers original research and review studies, including but not limited to:

Sustainable architecture design;
Digital and immersive technologies for architectural design;
Digital architecture and intelligent construction;
Intelligent, healthy and sustainable built environments;
Optimization of multi-objective architectural design decision;
Emerging technologies applied to architectural design;
Decision models for sustainable built environments;
Architectural geometry construction.

Prof. Dr. Yi-Kai Juan
Dr. Tsung-Hsien Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sustainable architecture design
digital and immersive technologies for architectural design
digital architecture and intelligent constructions
intelligent, healthy and sustainable built environments
optimization of multi-objective architectural design decision
emerging technologies applied to architectural design
decision models for sustainable built environments
architectural geometry construction

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 11612 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genetic Algorithm-Driven Optimization of Pattern for Parametric Facade Design Based on Support Position Data to Increase Visual Quality

by Mojgan Rezakhani and Sung-Ah Kim

Buildings 2024, 14(4), 1086; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14041086 - 13 Apr 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2274

Abstract

One of the most critical challenges for architects in façade design is providing an effective view from the indoors to the outdoors of a building for users, although the main role of the parametric façade is covering openings to control daylight and temperature. This study uses a genetic algorithm to optimize and evaluate the number and place of nodes and the position of supports required for a parametric façade based on the geometric patterns. Using the dataset with genetic algorithms is effective in reducing or replacing the nodes and supports of the façade. It also creates broader and irregular patterns just around the windows, which decreases the visual disturbance experienced by occupants. Accordingly, optimal building facade operation in terms of both building aesthetics and performance is important. The method used in this study, validated through three geometric grid patterns based on node positions, can be used to analyze dataset-incorporated patterns for potential irregular façade extensions. The nodes are considered by analyzing the cross-section optimization using the Galapagos program, and then data are obtained with Karamba based on reaction force, node force, and the deformation energy. The results show that among the three grid patterns, i.e., triangular, square, and hexagonal, the hexagonal grid is most efficient, exhibiting up to 60% lower reaction force, 40% lower node force, and 30% less deformation energy than the square grid pattern. The proposed GA also shows its effectiveness in enhancing the performance of parametric façades with patterns, thereby improving the occupants’ visual experience. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital and Intelligent Approaches for Sustainable Architectural Design)

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19 pages, 12959 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preserving Tradition through Evolution: Critical Review of 3D Printing for Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Identity

by Monica Moscatelli

Buildings 2024, 14(3), 697; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14030697 - 5 Mar 2024

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3497

Abstract

In a dynamic era of architectural innovation, Saudi Arabia is pioneering a unique approach to preserving its rich heritage. By integrating traditional Saudi architecture into 3D-printed structures, the nation is forging a path that harmoniously blends the past and the future. This paper aims to show the potential of 3D printing in incorporating aspects of the local culture into construction. Through an analysis of the literature review, this research selected three international case studies to analyze how cultural identity has been integrated and how it evolved into buildings through 3D printing technology. The results demonstrate that aligning 3D printing with authentic local cultural identity can significantly improve the built environment. This direction favors a synthesis between sustainability and cultural heritage, giving rise to the creation of innovative architectural structures that are rooted in the territory at the same time. This cultural reflection in innovative architecture aims to lead Saudi Arabia to reflect on the importance of its heritage while also ushering in a new era of sustainable construction, ensuring that the cultural fabric of the Kingdom remains vibrant for generations to come. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital and Intelligent Approaches for Sustainable Architectural Design)

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10 pages, 239 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Indoor Residential Environment Satisfaction among Social Housing Households in Seoul

by Sang-Hyun Chung and Jun Ha Kim

Buildings 2023, 13(11), 2761; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13112761 - 1 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1692

Abstract

Social housing in Seoul has been provided since 2015 via collaboration between the city and the private sector to address the increasing housing burden for single-person households and the younger generation. Despite the eight years since the implementation of this initiative, there remains a lack of research regarding the satisfaction of residents with respect to indoor social housing environments. The aim of this study is two-fold: (1) to explore household characteristics, such as floor area and living room, bathroom, and kitchen issues; and (2) to examine the factors that affect indoor residential environment satisfaction. In May and June of 2022, 57 households from 22 social housing projects participated in the survey, and data were analyzed using frequency and descriptive methods. The results indicated that the interior layout of the house affected and influenced residential satisfaction. This was followed by accessibility to major facilities, interactions with the community, accessibility to transportation, and facility maintenance. The implications of these findings were discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital and Intelligent Approaches for Sustainable Architectural Design)

12 pages, 6211 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Spatial Analysis and Enhancement of Social Housing in Seoul

by Sang-Hyun Chung and Jun Ha Kim

Buildings 2023, 13(10), 2643; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13102643 - 19 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2612

Abstract

Seoul is the first city in South Korea to provide affordable social housing, beginning in 2015. Despite the importance of studying its space, configuration, and functionality, which impact the residents’ quality of life, research on social housing in Seoul is sparse. The purpose of this study is twofold: (1) to analyze the spatial layout and utilization of social housing and (2) to compare it to the layout and utilization of public rental housing provided by Seoul Housing & Communities Corporation (SH). A total of 120 units from 30 social housing projects open to the public in Seoul were selected. This study found that social housing in Seoul primarily consists of compact housing units targeting young adults and newlywed couples, with a high proportion of diverse spatial configurations. In South Korea, while the SH specialized floor plan is commonly used as a standardized prototype in contemporary apartments, the floor plans for social housing exhibit a broader range of shapes and spatial configurations. Distinct criteria are employed for space separation in designing social housing. Separating bedrooms or kitchens may be the priority depending on the specific housing unit, resulting in multiple layouts. The results suggest that ongoing research could contribute to exploring improved approaches for region-specific social housing design and enhancing residential environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital and Intelligent Approaches for Sustainable Architectural Design)

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14 pages, 435 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Comparative Study on the Sustainable Evaluation of DGNB and G-SEED Focusing on IEQ Enhancement

by Aysenur Gültekin and Jihyun Park

Buildings 2023, 13(10), 2538; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13102538 - 7 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2029

Abstract

This paper aims to compare the sustainability assessment methods of DGNB and G-SEED, the two domestic green building rating systems, focusing on indoor environmental evaluation and reviewing recent laws, certifications systems, and guidelines from Germany and South Korea. According to existing studies, Korea’s green building certification has similar evaluation items, environmental (62.6%), social aspects (25.4%), and economic aspects (3.0%) compared with DGNB. Continuing research comparing DGNB and G-SEED, this paper will present an insight into the DGNB and G-SEED green building rating systems’ aspects and motives; furthermore, we intend to equate the sustainability assessment methods of the DGNB and G-SEED certification systems, in order to improve certification systems by comparing and finding solutions to differences, thereby making international systems more adaptable to each country. This analysis will unify property categorization systems and will promote green building and sustainable development globally. Findings: Regarding similarities and differences, the certification criteria for air, thermal, visual/light, and acoustic quality are based on domestic laws in both countries. DGNB and G-SEED are similar in terms of the requirements but differ in methods and domestic laws. Some findings regarding differences are that DGNB requires low VOC-emitting products, while G-SEED focuses on natural ventilation. Thermal comfort is measured through design-phase simulation in DGNB, while G-SEED lighting is evaluated on the basis of saving light energy. Finally, in G-SEED, acoustic quality is measured via indoor soundproofing performance, while DGNB takes room size into account. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital and Intelligent Approaches for Sustainable Architectural Design)

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14 pages, 2821 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-Agent Simulation on Staff Evacuation Behavior in Elderly Nursing Home Fire Emergencies

by Haewon Lim, Hyunsoo Lee and Ji-Hyoun Hwang

Buildings 2023, 13(2), 400; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13020400 - 1 Feb 2023

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2713

Abstract

Elderly nursing homes in South Korea are vulnerable to evacuation in emergency situations such as fires. There are many elderly residents with reduced self-walking ability, so if a disaster such as a fire occurs, it is very likely to lead to a large number of human injuries. In elderly nursing homes, it is impossible for many elderly people to evacuate voluntarily without the help of staff. Therefore, it is very important to guide the behavior of staff when evacuating. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of evacuation behavior of staff on evacuation time in a fire emergency in an elderly nursing home by adopting an agent-based simulation approach. The effect of staff evacuation behavior on the evacuation time was investigated based on the results of a new agent-based evacuation simulation model. In the simulation model, there are conditions for caregivers to designate and evacuate the elderly, as well as to set the evacuation priority for the elderly. The results of this study show that having the elderly occupants designated by the staff according to their zones and evacuating them together was the most important in reducing the evacuation time. This study contributes to a new agent-based evacuation simulation model by confirming whether the evacuation behavior of employees affects the evacuation time. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital and Intelligent Approaches for Sustainable Architectural Design)

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21 pages, 1155 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Developing Tools to Enable the UK Construction Industry to Adopt the Active Building Concept for Net Zero Carbon Buildings

by Joanna Clarke, John R. Littlewood and George Karani

Buildings 2023, 13(2), 304; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13020304 - 19 Jan 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4527

Abstract

The research project discussed in this paper is driven by the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) need to reduce operational energy and carbon by promoting the adoption of the Active Building (AB) concept for UK building projects. The AB concept offers a practical solution to reducing the operational energy use and carbon emissions of buildings by using emerging technologies applied to architectural design; thus, helping the UK meet its decarbonisation targets and, consequently, helping to combat the global problem of climate change. The aim of the project was to design and implement an AB Protocol with an AB Toolkit, to provide a knowledge base and sustainable architectural design guidance to aid the design of ABs. The AB Toolkit was tested, evaluated, and refined by engaging with architectural designers in the UK through focus groups (FGs) that combined data collection with knowledge dissemination—a method which provided a contribution to the continuous professional development (CPD) of architectural designers in the UK, while aiding the research project. The FG data proved the original hypothesis that a whole host of measures are needed to support the adoption of the AB concept (as outlined in the AB Protocol), but that some design guidance was needed initially to enable the development of other supporting measures. Therefore, the main output of this research project was the development of a structured approach to enable architectural designers and other built-environment professionals to adopt the AB concept for the delivery of net zero operational energy buildings, supporting the aims of the SPECIFIC Innovation and Knowledge Centre, Swansea University, and the Active Building Centre (ABC). The method of data collection developed, and the structured approach to enabling the adoption of a new concept outlined, could be beneficial to other researchers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital and Intelligent Approaches for Sustainable Architectural Design)

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17 pages, 6661 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of Daylight Glare Analysis Method Using an Integrated Parametric Modelling Approach: A Comparative Study of Glare Evaluation Standards

by Tsung-Hsien Wang, Yichun Huang and Jihyun Park

Buildings 2022, 12(11), 1810; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12111810 - 28 Oct 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3308

Abstract

Conducting lighting simulations to investigate lighting performance, such as glare, is widely accepted and of particular interest in the design development stage. However, the main challenge remains in integrating lighting performance metrics into a streamlined modelling and evaluation workflow. With the advancement in digital and modelling technologies, an automatic workflow of modelling parametric design studies with lighting performance evaluation becomes feasible. This study investigates a parametric modelling approach to facilitate glare evaluation using China Green Building Standard as an example. Their glare evaluation adopted the known daylight glare index (DGI) with a revised glare source definition in the calculation. An evaluation toolkit is presented, demonstrating its applications with the sky model. Compared with DGI, the results articulate how a parametric modelling workflow can automate lighting performance evaluation and facilitate technical investigation and clarifications for glare evaluation. Through the parametric simulation studies, the differences in the limited metric scale and the sensitivity of capturing window sizes on the glare evaluation suggest future evaluation protocols for the environmental standard development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital and Intelligent Approaches for Sustainable Architectural Design)

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19 pages, 2924 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The Analysis of the EDGE Certification System on Residential Complexes to Improve Sustainability and Affordability

by Delphine Isimbi and Jihyun Park

Buildings 2022, 12(10), 1729; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12101729 - 18 Oct 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 6329

Abstract

In this paper, the characteristics of the Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE) green building certification system in terms of the scope of certification, and environmental and social strategies focused on 6024 units in the 17 EDGE-certified residential buildings in South Africa was investigated. This research analyzed the efficiency of energy, water, embodied energy in materials, and annual CO₂ emissions and their contribution to solving housing issues in the given context. This research revealed that the design of EDGE-certified buildings focuses on the “efficiency first” approach and reduced energy and water demand more than on-site energy production. In energy-saving strategies, energy-saving solutions are three times (69.2%) higher than energy-generating solutions (23.1%). The results on resource savings showed that, on average, embodied energy in materials (54%) is the most reduced resource, followed by water (31%) and energy (29.7%). The statistical analysis indicated that there is no statistically significant correlation between energy, water, embodied energy in materials, and CO₂ savings with floor areas of the buildings. In addition, this research highlighted how EDGE certification has positively contributed to solving South Africa’s resource shortage and affordable housing scarcity problems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital and Intelligent Approaches for Sustainable Architectural Design)

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15 pages, 6919 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparing BIM-Based XR and Traditional Design Process from Three Perspectives: Aesthetics, Gaze Tracking, and Perceived Usefulness

by Hao-Yun Chi, Yi-Kai Juan and Shiliang Lu

Buildings 2022, 12(10), 1728; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12101728 - 18 Oct 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5711

Abstract

With technological development and industrial transformation, the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, comprising architecture, engineering, and construction, has shifted from a traditional drawing-based design mode to a digital and computer-based mode. In recent years, the application of extended reality (XR) technology, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) technology, emphasizes the immersive and interactive experiences between reality and virtuality, bringing breakthrough developments to architectural projects. This study proposes a new design process mode—the BIM-based XR system—and compares it with the traditional design process mode through an actual stadium design project. Three evaluation perspectives including aesthetics, gaze tracking, and perceived usefulness assessment are used to compare the differences between the two modes. The result showed that the use of the BIM-based XR system could bring users more immersive experience and aesthetic assessment preference, and perceived usefulness in design decision-making, communication, and spatial cognition. The gaze tracking result also revealed that the BIM-based XR system can implement the design process more efficient. It is expected that XR and BIM technologies can be effectively integrated to enhance the integrity of industrial applications and establish a new design collaboration mode for the AEC industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital and Intelligent Approaches for Sustainable Architectural Design)

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