Kaminska Keywords

Lecture 1
(14th November2016)
The topic Picture (because I have a visual memory)
Tablets in architecture
Why is it interesting for me?

Because I have never used a tablet for design or presentation needs. The main
reason is that I do not have one, but the second reason is that I know nothing
about architectural applications, about abilities and power of «finger managed»
presentations.
Tiny research
TOP 10 APPS FOR ARCHITECTS
#10 PadCAD
Designed for small drafting projects such as home additions, small remodeling projects and site surveys, PadCAD
produces «clean, clear drawings» from scratch, with the ability to then export them into a professional desktop CAD
application. The developers believe that it is «ideal for general contractors, small architectural firms, and appraisers.»
#9 AutoDesk FormIt
This app, designed as part of the AutoDesk Revit software package, allows you to use real-world site information to
help create forms in context and support early design decisions with real building data.
#8 SketchUp Mobile Viewer
Allowing «on the go» access to models, the app also features access to «the entire universe» of files in their 3D
Warehouse. Users can use the same familiar features, such as Orbit, Pan and Zoom, to present their own private 3D
models to clients and partners.
#7 iRhino 3D / Droid Rhino
Although these two apps are created by different developers (both official Rhino partners), they both serve to view
models created in Rhino3D on the go. Both feature the abilities to pan, zoom and orbit around complex 3D models
before sampling and sharing them.
#6 AutoCAD 360 (formerly AutoCAD WS)
This app allows you to view and edit 2D or 3D drawings and, with an AutoCAD 360 subscription (which can be
costly), allows files to work seamlessly between a whole range of devices and platforms.
#5 Concept Idea Calculator
Concept, a pocket calculator which uses typical span-to-depth ratios for common steel, concrete and wood members,
gives you a quick overview of what dimensions a certain structural idea will require.
#4 Sun Seeker
With a flat view compass and taking advantage of augmented reality showing the solar path, it’s hourly intervals,
the winter and summer solstice paths, sunrise and sunset times (and a lot more), this app is more than capable of
assisting architects and in making important site and design decisions at every stage of a project.
#3 Morpholio Trace
This app allows users to instantly draw on top of imported images or background templates, layering comments or
ideas to generate immediate, intelligent sketches that are easy to circulate.
#2 Archisketch (formerly Archipad)
This app seeks to streamline the experience of digital drawing and sketching with a smooth, cleanly designed app for
iPad that not only allows you to import drawings and doodle over them, but also draw to scale.
#1 Arrette Scale / Arrette Sketch
Allowing users to digitally review work by sharing ideas and drawings, Arrette Scale and Sketch welcomes incremental
design changes drawn to scale without the need for printing reams of paper. Features like layering and being able
to import base images from native iOS applications brings a level of functionality not seen in other apps of Arrette’s
class.
The topic Picture
BIM as a step forward

Because I use ArchiCAD since my third year of university, before that I used only
handrawings (and ScetchUp when situation was critical and there was no time to
draw volumes and shadows using knowleges of descriptive geometry). Because I
don’t like AutoCad and instead I’m interested in learning some other BIM software
besides ArchiCAD.
Tiny research
Building information modeling (BIM) is a process involving the generation and management of digital representations
of physical and functional characteristics of places. Building information models (BIMs) are files (often but not always
in proprietary formats and containing proprietary data) which can be extracted, exchanged or networked to support
decision-making regarding a building or other built asset. Current BIM software is used by individuals, businesses and
government agencies who plan, design, construct, operate and maintain diverse physical infrastructures.
History
The concept of BIM has existed since the 1970s.
The term ‘building model’ (in the sense of BIM as used today) was first used in papers in the mid-1980s: in a
1985 paper by Simon Ruffle eventually published in 1986,and later in a 1986 paper by Robert Aish - then at GMW
Computers Ltd, developer of RUCAPS software - referring to the software’s use at London’s Heathrow Airport.The
term ‘Building Information Model’ first appeared in a 1992 paper by G.A. van Nederveen and F. P. Tolman.
However, the terms ‘Building Information Model’ and ‘Building Information Modeling’ (including the acronym «BIM»)
did not become popularly used until some 10 years later. In 2002, Autodesk released a white paper entitled «Building
Information Modeling,»and other software vendors also started to assert their involvement in the field. By hosting
contributions from Autodesk, Bentley Systems and Graphisoft, plus other industry observers, in 2003, Jerry Laiserin
helped popularize and standardize the term as a common name for the digital representation of the building process.
Facilitating exchange and interoperability of information in digital format had previously been offered under differing
terminology by Graphisoft as «Virtual Building», Bentley Systems as «Integrated Project Models», and by Autodesk or
Vectorworks as «Building Information Modeling».
As Graphisoft had been developing such solutions for longer than its competitors, Laiserin regarded its ArchiCAD as
then «one of the most mature BIM solutions on the market» but also highlighted the pioneering role of applications
such as RUCAPS, Sonata and Reflex. Following its launch in 1987, ArchiCAD became regarded by some as the
first implementation of BIM,as it was the first CAD product on a personal computer able to create both 2D and 3D
geometry, as well as the first commercial BIM product for personal computers.
Definition
The US National Building Information Model Standard Project Committee has the following definition:
Building Information Modeling is a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility. A BIM is
a shared knowledge resource for information about a facility forming a reliable basis for decisions during its life-cycle;
defined as existing from earliest conception to demolition.
Traditional building design was largely reliant upon two-dimensional technical drawings (plans, elevations, sections,
etc.). Building information modeling extends this beyond 3D, augmenting the three primary spatial dimensions
with time as the fourth dimension (4D) and cost as the fifth (5D). BIM therefore covers more than just geometry.
It also covers spatial relationships, light analysis, geographic information, and quantities and properties of building
components (for example, manufacturers’ details).
Due to the complexity of gathering all the relevant information when working with BIM on a building project some
companies have developed software designed specifically to work in a BIM framework. These packages (e.g.: Bentley
AECOsim Building Designer, ArchiCAD, MagiCAD, Tekla Structures, Autodesk Revit, Synchro PRO, VectorWorks,
Trimble SketchUp) differ from architectural drafting tools such as AutoCAD by allowing the addition of further
information (time, cost, manufacturers’ details, sustainability and maintenance information, etc.) to the building model.
The topic Picture
Online architecture

Because online applications could help design teams work on the project together
being in a diffrent parts of the world, and even if you and your team are in the
same office, apps could help to avoid endless descriptions of potential ideas and
discussions about them, because everyone will be able to demonstrate and share
his idea being online.
Tiny research
Case of FormIt 360
FormIt allows you to 3D-sketch a building concept in a web browser (Chrome™ and Firefox® are best) or via the
mobile app on your tablet, then further develop the project in Revit by multiple users. Several team members can log
in from different devices and work on the same project in real time, connecting to the cloud to access stored data.
They can share their camera viewpoints and organize an impromptu presentation by sending the client a link to the
project and giving them a tour of the model without the need for additional subscriptions other than the one owned
by project initiators. The work can be saved locally or to the A360 cloud service and automatically converted to the
file type used in either Formlt or Revit.
Case of BIM 360 Team
BIM 360 Team provides an online workspace for all project team members, helping you communicate and stay
organized at all times.
What is possible to do in BIM 360 Team?
1. Make decisions faster with real-time, in browser design review. Host design review sessions with all project
stakeholders, no matter where they are.
2. Simplify your feedback process by having clients, team members, and stakeholders markup and comment
directly on your designs. Track version history and project activity in one convenient place.
3. Manage your users. User roles and permissions are managed and controlled by project administrators.
4. To use it everywhere. Whether your team is in the office or on the job site, your files are accesible on desktop or
mobile via the BIM 360 Team mobile app.
The topic Picture
Melbourne

Because I have never been in Melbourne, I don’t know anything about the city,
and, to be honest, I have never thought about Melbourne in my whole life. If there
is an opportunity to get to know it trough an architectural view, I will use it. But to
start I need to have a basic general information about it.
Tiny research
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Victoria, and the second most populous
city in Australia.The name «Melbourne» refers to an urban agglomeration spanning 9,900 km2 (3,800 sq mi)which
comprises the broader metropolitan area, as well as being the common name for its city centre. The metropolis
is located on the large natural bay of Port Phillip and expands into the hinterlands towards the Dandenong and
Macedon mountain ranges, Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley. Melbourne consists of 31 municipalities. It has a
population of 4,529,500 as of 2015, and its inhabitants are called Melburnians.
Melbourne rates highly in education, entertainment, health care, research and development, tourism and sport,
making it the world’s most liveable city—for the sixth year in a row in 2016, according to the Economist Intelligence
Unit. It is a leading financial centre in the Asia-Pacific region, and ranks among the top 30 cities in the world in
the Global Financial Centres Index. Referred to as Australia’s «cultural capital», it is the birthplace of Australian
impressionism, Australian rules football, the Australian film and television industries, and Australian contemporary
dance. It is recognised as a UNESCO City of Literature and a major centre for street art, music and theatre. It is home
to many of Australia’s largest and oldest cultural institutions such as the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the National
Gallery of Victoria, the State Library of Victoria and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building. It
was the host city of the 1956 Summer Olympics.
The main passenger airport serving the metropolis and the state is Melbourne Airport (also called Tullamarine Airport),
which is the second busiest in Australia, and the Port of Melbourne is Australia’s busiest seaport for containerised and
general cargo.Melbourne has an extensive transport network. Melbourne is also home to Australia’s most extensive
freeway network and has the world’s largest urban tram network.
Melbourne has minimal public housing and high demand for rental housing, which is becoming unaffordable for more
and more people. Public housing is usually provided by the Housing Commission of Victoria, and operates within
the framework of the Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement, by which federal and state governments provide
housing funding.
Melbourne is experiencing high population growth, generating high demand for housing. This housing boom has
increased house prices and rents, as well as the availability of all types of housing. Subdivision regularly occurs in the
outer areas of Melbourne, with numerous developers offering house and land packages. However, after 10 years of
planning policies to encourage medium-density and high-density development in existing areas with greater access
to public transport and other services, Melbourne’s middle and outer-ring suburbs have seen significant brownfields
redevelopment.
The city is recognised for its mix of modern architecture which intersects with an extensive range of nineteenth and
early twentieth century buildings. Residential architecture is not defined by a single architectural style, but rather an
eclectic mix of houses, townhouses, condominiums, and apartment buildings in the metropolitan area (particularly in
areas of urban sprawl). Free standing dwellings with relatively large gardens are perhaps the most common type of
housing outside inner city Melbourne. Victorian terrace housing, townhouses and historic Italianate, Tudor revival and
Neo-Georgian mansions are all common in neighbourhoods such as Toorak.
Melbourne is the home of seven public universities: the University of Melbourne, Monash University, Royal Melbourne
Institute of Technology (RMIT University), Deakin University, La Trobe University, Swinburne University of Technology
and Victoria University.
The topic Picture
Mixed professional groups, work in a team

Because I have never worked on the project in a team befor coming to Politecnico
di Milano. Because I believe in mexed professional groups. On the other hand I
imagine how different are views of different specialist and how hard it could be to
find a common decision among team members. Work in this kind of group in the
university can be a great school for future real work that will be never independent.
Tiny research
Quotes from Tucker, Richard and Abbasi, Neda 2012, Conceptualizing teamwork and group-work in
architecture and related design disciplines, in ASA 2012 : Building on knowledge, theory and
practice : Proceedings of the 46th Annual Conference of the Architectural Science
Association, Architectural Science Association, Gold Coast, Qld., pp. 1-8.
While individuals will always assert their identities in the design process, collaboration is the linchpin of design
practice. Large and complex projects rely heavily on the collaborative effort of multi-disciplinary teams with a range of
expertise and knowledge, from planning to design and construction, as well as of client groups and government
organisations. In the context of higher education, the importance of collaborative learning - the grouping and pairing
of students to achieve academic goals - has long been recognised, with teamwork commonly stated by employers as
a key academic competency. In design and architecture education, the importance of collaborative learning is linked
to two factors: first, the demands of the design practice for graduates with collaborative skills, and, second, its
benefits for formal and informal learning. Yet despite the widespread use of collaborative learning, and regardless of
a multiplicity of approaches to it, two obstacles to effective teaching can be identified: the inadequacy of the specific
teaching of teamwork skills and processes, and a lack of a structured method of integrating team and group work into
the curricula and assessment.
Research is inconclusive surrounding the effect of team size. For example, Bacon et al. (1999) found no relationship
between team size and best or worst team experiences or processes. The authors recommend electing team size by
pedagogical objectives, such that, «the team size should be set at the smallest number reasonable for accomplishing
these objectives. Larger sizes simply allow students to become less active in the learning process» (Bacon, Stewart
et al. 1999:484). While there is no common agreement on the optimal size of teams or groups, many researchers
recommend three as the minimum and five the maximum size for student team or group assignments (Oakley, Felder
et al. 2004).
Social and cultural diversity factors that influence team and groupwork include race, age, gender and culture. Bear
and Woolley (2011) reviewed literature on the role of gender in team processes and performance. Their review
showed “recent evidence strongly suggests that team collaboration is greatly improved by the presence of women in
the group” (Bear and Woolley 2011:146). According to the authors, the positive effect of women’s participation in the
group is primarily explained by benefits to group processes. Research suggests some negative impacts of cultural
diversity on team processes and function (e.g. Watson and Kumar 1992), including: “‘process loss’ arising from
inability to communicate clearly, frequent disagreements on expectations, and attitudinal problems such as dislike,
mistrust and lack of cohesion” (Adler 1997, as cited in Caspersz et al. 2004). This does not mean that cultural
diversity should be avoided in teams. If managed effectively, cross-cultural teams can lead to workforce productivity
(e.g. Cox and Blake 1991; Adler 1997; Distefano and Maznevski 2000; Richard 2000). It is recognised that the way in
which cultural diversity is managed in teams is important, and in the context of learning this means that students
should be taught skills to accept diversity.
It is generally agreed that the development of an effective team depends on the mutual effort of all team members,
their collaborative skills and an understanding of what constitutes high performance. Oakley et al. (2004:13) describe
an effective student team as a group of individuals who “always work together—sometimes physically together and
sometimes apart, but constantly aware of who is doing what.”
Lecture 2
(21st November2016)
The topic Picture
Typology of a study room

Because I am a current student and I am interested in how my productivity can be
change by «right» and «wrong» study room. Nowadays we have more and more
different activities inside universities, we use more equipment than even five years
ago, that is why study rooms are changing and new typologies are appearing.
Tiny research
Quotes from research of Steelcase Education researchers, in collaboration with academic researchers in Canada
and the United States named «How Classroom Design Affects Student Engagement»
Improving educational outcomes is a nearly universal goal, but how to achieve it remains a focus of continuing research
and debate. The success of any student is influenced by many variables. Academic studies have investigated several
of them, from socioeconomic background to internal motivation to the influence of different teaching styles. Still often
overlooked or underemphasized is the role of classroom design.
Noteworthy studies have been completed in recent years that show factors in the built environment can affect
retention, attention, motivation, learning and academic achievement, but there have not been reliable post-occupancy
evaluations of how different classroom designs affect student success.
The results of the beta study and the following term’s aggregated data revealed that classrooms intentionally designed
to support active learning increased student engagement on multiple measures as compared to traditional classrooms.
The research was designed to analyze student engagement across multiple measures by asking participants to
compare their experiences in a traditional /standard classroom with row-by-columnseating (“pre/old”) to what they
experienced in a classroom intentionally designed for active learning—i.e., where physical space supports a focus
on engaging experiences for students and faculty (“post/new”). To determine a relationship between classroom
design and the behavioral factors of student engagement, participating faculty members did not receive training from
Steelcase on active learning practices. The settings were simply provided for their use as they saw fit.
The main body of the resulting evaluation has two sections. Section I (Practices) focuses on active learning practices
that elicit engagement in the learning space. Section II (Solutions) measures the effect of the classroom design on
these active learning practices.
1) In the universities studied, participants reported that the new classrooms improved active learning practices and
had more positive impact on engagement compared to the old classrooms. There were no significant differences in
results among participating universities, strengthening the applicability of the findings.
2) The majority of students rated the new classroom better than the old classroom on each of the 12 factors. For all
of the items in both sections of the evaluation, the differences between old/ pre and new/post ratings were highly
statistically significant for both faculty and students.
3) Overall, active learning practices and the impact of the physical space significantly improved in the new classrooms
for both students and faculty. In the practices section, average composite scores rose from 23.2 (old/ pre) to 34.2
(new/post) for students, and from 24.0 (old/pre) to 37.3 (new/post) for faculty. In the solutions section, average
composite scores rose from 21.8 to 35.5 for students and from 19.1 to 38.8 for faculty.
4) The majority of students and faculty reported that the new classrooms contributed to higher engagement, the
expectation of better grades, more motivation and more creativity. A large majority of students self-reported a
moderate to exceptional increase in their engagement (84%), ability to achieve a higher grade (72%), motivation to
attend class (72%), and ability to be creative (77%). Almost all faculty members reported a moderate to exceptional
increase in student engagement (98%), and all perceived a moderate to exceptional increase in student’s ability to be
creative (100%). A large majority of faculty reported a moderate to exceptional increase in students’ ability to achieve
a higher grade (68%), and a moderate to exceptional increase in students’ motivation to attend class (88%).
The topic Picture
Post occupancy building evaluation

Because the architecture is something that lasts long, an architect cannot
consider his work done after building process is finished or even after a project
documentation is approved. Because, in general, the only way to become better in
whatever you are doing is to be aware of what have you done and how successful
it was.
Tiny research
Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) has its origins in the United States and has been used in one form or another since
the 1960s. Preiser and colleagues define POE as «the process of evaluating buildings in a systematic and rigorous
manner after they have been built and occupied for some time»
The British Council for Offices (BCO) summarises that a POE provides feedback of how successful the workplace is
in supporting the occupying organisation and individual end-user requirements. The BCO also suggests that POE
can be used to assess if a project brief has been met. Furthermore, the BCO recommends that POE is used as part
of the Evidence-based design process, where the project usually refers to a building design fit-out or refurbishment,
or to inform the project brief where the project is the introduction of a new initiative, system or process. POE usually
involves feedback from the building occupants, through questionnaires, interviews and workshops, but may also
involve more objective measures such as environmental monitoring, space measurement and cost analysis.
A POE usually includes a mix of quantitative and qualitative techniques. Most POEs will involve seeking feedback
from the occupants of the place being evaluated; this may be achieved through various survey methodology including
questionnaire, interview or focus group. The occupant feedback may be supplemented by environmental monitoring,
such as temperature, noise levels, lighting levels and indoor air quality. More recently, POEs tend to include sustainable
measures such as energy consumption, waste levels, and water usage. Other commonly used quantitative measures
include space metrics, for example occupational density, space utilisation and tenant efficiency ratio. Cost, either
expressed as the cost of the project per square metre or the total cost of occupancy, is considered a key metric in
building evaluation and may be compared with the occupant feedback to provide a better understanding of value.
Building performance evaluation vs post-occupancy evaluation

Building Performance Evaluation (BPE) is a form of Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) which can be used at any
point in a building’s life to assess energy performance and occupant comfort and to make comparisons with design
targets.
Post occupancy evaluation (POE) is the process of evaluating a completed development to determine:
1. How successful its delivery was.
2. How successful the completed development is.
3. Where there is potential for further improvement
4. What lessons can be learned for future projects.
Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) constitutes the activities of the BPE process once the building is occupied and in
use, focussing on the operational performance and the occupants of the building. It is important to know to what
extent the building maintains its occupants’ satisfaction and perceived comfort. To do this in a systematic and
structured way, post-occupancy evaluation (POE) can be employed as a major part of BPE. This would involve
collecting feedback (soft data) from the occupants through survey questionnaires, interviews and / or workshops,
ideally at least one year after building occupation to cover at least on seasonal cycle.
The topic Picture
Sefaira

Because I have never used it but think it is interesting and very useful. Because all
building analysis software I have ever used looked very boring in all the aspects
- from idea of manual data filling without interaction with the actual model to
interface that is not user friendly at all.
Tiny research
Quotes from the website of Sefaira
Sefaira Real-Time Analysis:

Plugs into your design environment
Sefaira Architecture provides performance analysis where you need it: inside your 3D design environment*. Sefaira
interprets models on the fly, delivering results while you design. *We currently support plugins in SketchUp and Revit.
Incredibly intuitive
Sefaira Architecture makes it easy to understand how a building’s orientation, form and fenestration impacts
performance. You can get great insight even without previous energy modelling experience.
Combining energy & daylighting

Sefaira’s Real-Time Analysis plugins provide constant feedback on both energy & daylighting metrics as you work.
This frees you to test unlimited design options without worrying about the time or cost of analysis.
Guidance at your fingertips

With clear guidance on exactly how to improve your design’s performance from Sefaira analysis and relevant passive
design precedents to get your creative juices flowing from Architecture 2030, you’re equipped to navigate to better
designs and building performance.
Gain insights for good daylighting decisions

With daylight analysis provided through the respected DAYSIM and Radiance engines, you gain rapid insight into
the daylight performance of your buildings while you design. Guidance, such as a clear visualization of under- and
overlit spaces, allows you to make better decisions around glazing, shading and façade design, without requiring
knowledge of building physics.
Visualize & present daylighting graphics

Use daylight visualization to improve daylight distribution and communicate with clients. Exportable graphics for
both annual and point-in-time analysis allow you to add powerful visuals to client presentations. You can customize
reports to grid, contour and gradient views. Available metrics include Daylight Autonomy, Daylight Factor, time-of-day
visualizations, and Direct Sunlight Analysis (used for certifications like SEPP 65 and BRE).
Deep-dive into your design options with the Sefaira Architecture web application
Once you have used the Sefaira Architecture plugin to design candidate building forms and facades, you can upload
them to the Sefaira Architecture web application for much more detailed analysis of per-facade properties, parametric
shading design and detailed energy-use exploration.
The topic Picture
Photosensitive facade elements

Because daylight is a crucial factor for architecture in general. It effects a shape
of the building, a structure of it’s faced, a percentage of window surface, etc. I
think that photosensitive elements work in two directions in the same time - on
one hand, they guarantee a perfect amount and quality of daylight, on the other
hand, they can «free» architects from direct following daylight rules by using new
technologies.
Tiny research
Quotes from «The Poetry, Pitfalls and Potential of Kinetic Facades», an ongoing series by the Advanced Technology
Studio of Enclos
“Our industry invests in research by building things,” Russell Fortmeyer, sustainable technology specialist at Arup’s
Los Angeles office and co-author of Kinetic Architecture: Designs for Active Envelopes (with Charles D. Linn, FAIA;
Images Publishing, 2014), says. “They don’t always work.” Discussions of the evolution of kinetic facades invariably
cite Jean Nouvel’s headquarters for the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris (in anglophone countries, the Arab World
Institute) as a pivotal project. Though it is not the first known kinetic facade, it illustrates both the contributions that
imaginative kinetic elements can make to a building’s aesthetics and the perils of offering innovative ideas ahead of
their time.
Begun in 1981 and opened in 1987, the building’s south facade uses a brise-soleil device that is simultaneously a
cultural signifier, a form of ornamentation, and a practical means of controlling daylight: an analogue of the geometric
mashrabiya latticeworks that have appeared throughout the Arabian world since the Middle Ages. Nouvel updated
this privacy-protecting element in the form of 240 motorized apertures, each resembling the iris of a camera, and
controlled by photosensors; they comprise 113 photosensitive panels with 16,000 moving parts and 30,000 light-
sensitive diaphragms. The apertures appear at various sizes to regulate and complicate the entry of sunlight, creating
changing patterns of light and shadow within the building. This design, elegantly merging Middle Eastern tradition
with Western technology, won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture and dramatically advanced Nouvel’s recognition
worldwide. Unfortunately, the apertures required more maintenance than the Institut was able to provide, and within
a few years the system had stopped working. While still visually striking today — appreciated by both informed
specialists and lay visitors alike — the system no longer moves as intended.
Nouvel’s core concept may not be at fault, commentators agree, so much as its execution, given 1980s technology.
Stefan Behnisch, Hon. FAIA, founding partner of Behnisch Architekten and a longtime advocate of sustainable design
and technology, views the Institut as “a very intelligent attempt to deal with sun shading,” but also “a very ornamental
approach, after all. Today you would probably do it with a thermal metal, rather than engines.” By thermal metal,
Behnisch is referreing to bimetal combinations that expand differently under temperature change, as in a thermostat.
Today’s information technology or tomorrow’s auto-adaptive materials, Ulrich Knaack, professor of design and
construction at the Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands and founder of that institution’s Facade Research
Group, asserts, would be distinctly more viable than the mechanical methods of Nouvel’s 1987 building — what he
calls “a really nice building, but 20 years too early.” Ilaria Mazzoleni, founder of IM Studio based in Milan and Los
Angeles, and a full-time faculty member at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), points out that
the perception of the Institut’s facade “failure” has unfairly colored reactions to the whole concept of kinetic systems.
“The main problem of a kinetic facade is maintenance,” she says. “People still point at the Institut and say ‘It didn’t
work, so I don’t want a building that moves.’ But the technology has evolved.”
If you were designing the Arab Institute today, it would be a very different building. It may not look different, but
it would be a very different building from a technology standpoint. It would work, and it would be much easier to
maintain.”
The topic Picture
RMIT Design Hub

Even if it is not a key word and the building works not as good as the SAB that
was intridused during this lecture, I want to have notes about it. Mostly, because it
is BEAUTIFUL, isn’t it enough?
Tiny research
The purpose of the Design Hub is to provide accommodation in one building for a diverse range of design research
and post graduate education. RMIT is a world leader in design research however post graduates are currently
dissipated across various campuses and facilities. The Hub provides a collegial research base where post graduates
in fields such as fabric and fashion design will work alongside those involved in architecture, aeronautical engineering,
industrial design, landscape architecture, urban design and so on.
Research groups have the ability to locate and fine tune their accommodation within ‘warehouses’ - open plan
spaces where research teams can set up and tailor their work environment to suit their particular needs. Teams may
stay for anywhere from six months to three years depending on the nature of and funding limits to their research and
education programs. Research may include the need for workshops to make physical models to be located alongside
computer studios, three dimensional printing, virtual reality modelling and so on. Given the time frames associated
with research projects all the warehouses require a high level of adaptability and flexibility. In that sense these spaces
are designed to accommodate the organic nature of research - ever evolving, adapting, changing and growing.
The plan of the Hub acknowledges the desire for incidental cross pollination where researchers from one field encounter
those from completely unrelated other fields as part of their day to day use of the building. An exhibition space and
design archive provide a public interface with both industry and research outcomes. These spaces combined with a
variety of lecture, seminar and multi purpose rooms facilitate high level exchanges in a number of forums.
The Hub has a large number of ESD features and incorporates strategies of water, waste and recycling management
that are the equal of any ESD focussed building on the planet. In particular the outer skin of the Hub incorporates
automated sunshading that includes photovoltaic cells, evaporative cooling and fresh air intakes that improve the
internal air quality and reduce running costs. The cells have been designed so that they can be easily replaced as
research into solar energy results in improved technology and part of the northern façade is actually dedicated to
ongoing research into solar cells to be conducted jointly by industry and RMIT. The entire building façade, in other
words, has the capacity to be upgraded as solar technology evolves and may one day generate enough electricity
to run the whole building.
The façade comprises a specifically detailed double glazed inner skin on each face of the building and an automated
operable second skin shading device. The second skin shading device surrounds the entire building, from the ground
floor to the roof plant level. It is made up of nominally 600 mm diameter sandblasted glass disks, which are fixed to
either a horizontal or vertical aluminium axel. Each axel is fixed to the outer face of a galvanised steel cylinder of a
slightly greater diameter and nominally 130 mm in depth.
21 glass discs and steel cylinders are fixed together in panels of nominally 1.8 m by 4.2 m, which are supported
on a secondary galvanised steel frame set out about 700 mm from the curtain wall face of the building. These are
accessed by an external service walkway on each level. Each typical panel is made up of 12 operable glass discs and
9 discs which are fixed. At the ground and plant room levels all glass disks will be fixed. There are 86 panels on each
level and therefore 774 panels for the nine levels of the building.
Perimeter air intakes and fine mist sprinklers incorporated into the double glazed inner skin provide passive cooling to
the UFAD system. The water used in this ‘Coolgardie safe’ system is harvested from the roof. Fresh naturally cooled
air provides a less expensive, lower energy consumption and more desirable thermal comfort alternative to a wholly
conditioned work environment.
Lecture 3
(28th November2016)
The topic Picture
Life-cycle cost benefit analysis

Because designing a building you should understand that it will live it’s own life
after the construction and it is important to consider cost of using and maintaining
of the structure.
Tiny research
Life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) is a method for assessing the total cost of facility ownership. It takes into account all
costs of acquiring, owning, and disposing of a building or building system. LCCA is especially useful when project
alternatives that fulfill the same performance requirements, but differ with respect to initial costs and operating costs,
have to be compared in order to select the one that maximizes net savings. For example, LCCA will help determine
whether the incorporation of a high-performance HVAC or glazing system, which may increase initial cost but result
in dramatically reduced operating and maintenance costs, is cost-effective or not. LCCA is not useful for budget
allocation.
Lowest life-cycle cost (LCC) is the most straightforward and easy-to-interpret measure of economic evaluation. Some
other commonly used measures are Net Savings (or Net Benefits), Savings-to-Investment Ratio (or Savings Benefit-
to-Cost Ratio), Internal Rate of Return, and Payback Period. They are consistent with the Lowest LCC measure of
evaluation if they use the same parameters and length of study period. Building economists, certified value specialists,
cost engineers, architects, quantity surveyors, operations researchers, and others might use any or several of these
techniques to evaluate a project. The approach to making cost-effective choices for building-related projects can be
quite similar whether it is called cost estimating, value engineering, or economic analysis.
The purpose of an LCCA is to estimate the overall costs of project alternatives and to select the design that ensures
the facility will provide the lowest overall cost of ownership consistent with its quality and function. The LCCA should
be performed early in the design process while there is still a chance to refine the design to ensure a reduction in Viewed over a 30 year period, initial building costs account for approximately just 2% of the total, while operations
life-cycle costs (LCC). and maintenance costs equal 6%, and personnel costs equal 92%.
The first and most challenging task of an LCCA, or any economic evaluation method, is to determine the economic Graphic: Sieglinde Fuller
effects of alternative designs of buildings and building systems and to quantify these effects and express them in Source: Sustainable Building Technical Manual / Joseph J. Romm, Lean and Clean Managemen, 1994.
dollar amounts. There are numerous costs associated with acquiring, operating, maintaining, and disposing of a
building or building system. Building-related costs usually fall into the following categories:
• Initial Costs—Purchase, Acquisition, Construction Costs
• Fuel Costs
• Operation, Maintenance, and Repair Costs
• Replacement Costs
• Residual Values—Resale or Salvage Values or Disposal Costs
• Finance Charges—Loan Interest Payments
• Non-Monetary Benefits or Costs
Only those costs within each category that are relevant to the decision and significant in amount are needed to make
a valid investment decision. Costs are relevant when they are different for one alternative compared with another;
costs are significant when they are large enough to make a credible difference in the LCC of a project alternative. All
costs are entered as base-year amounts in today’s dollars; the LCCA method escalates all amounts to their future
year of occurrence and discounts them back to the base date to convert them to present values.
LCCA can be applied to any capital investment decision in which relatively higher initial costs are traded for reduced
future cost obligations. It is particularly suitable for the evaluation of building design alternatives that satisfy a required
level of building performance but may have different initial investment costs, different operating and maintenance and
repair costs, and possibly different lives.
The topic Picture
Sustainable development

Because sustainability is not a trend anymore: it is a reality we have to face, it is
set of aspects we have to consider designing literally everything, from chair to the
city. Because every day we are loosing resourses and this process is irreversible.
Tiny research
Sustainable development is defined as a process of meeting human development goals while sustaining the ability
of natural systems to continue to provide the natural resources and ecosystem services upon which the economy
and society depends. While the modern concept of sustainable development is derived most strongly from the
1987 Brundtland Report, it is rooted in earlier ideas about sustainable forest management and twentieth century
environmental concerns. As the concept developed, it has shifted to focus more on economic development, social
development and environmental protection for future generations.
Sustainable development is the organizing principle for sustaining finite resources necessary to provide for the needs
of future generations of life on the planet. It is a process that envisions a desirable future state for human societies in
which living conditions and resource-use continue to meet human needs without undermining the «integrity, stability
and beauty» of natural biotic systems. It was suggested that «the term ‘sustainability’ should be viewed as humanity’s
target goal of human-ecosystem equilibrium (homeostasis), while ‘sustainable development’ refers to the holistic
approach and temporal processes that lead us to the end point of sustainability.»
Architecture presents a unique challenge in the field of sustainability. Construction projects typically consume large
amounts of materials, produce tons of waste, and often involve weighing the preservation of buildings that have
historical significance against the desire for the development of newer, more modern designs.
Sustainable construction is defined as “the creation and responsible management of a healthy built environment
based on resource efficient and ecological principles”. Sustainably designed buildings aim to lessen their impact on
our environment through energy and resource efficiency.
It includes the following principles:
• Minimising non-renewable resource consumption
• Enhancing the natural environment
• Eliminating or minimising the use of toxic materials
“Sustainable building” can be defined as those buildings that have minimum adverse impacts on the built and natural
environment, in terms of the building themselves, their immediate surroundings and the broader regional and global
setting. Thus, the rational use of natural resources and appropriate management of the building stock will contribute
to saving scarce resources reducing energy consumption and improving environmental quality.
Sustainable buildings should:
• Harvest all their own water and energy needs on site.
• Be adapted specifically to site climate and evolve as conditions change.
• Operate pollution free and generate no waste that aren’t useful for some other process in the building or immediate
environment.
• Promote the health and well-being of all inhabitants, as a healthy ecosystem does.
• It should comprise energy efficient integrated systems that maximize efficiency and comfort.
• Improve the health and diversity of the local ecosystem rather than degrade it.
Sustainable design is the thoughtful integration of architecture with electrical, mechanical, and structural engineering.
In addition to concern for the tradition; aesthetics of massing, proportion, scale, texture. Shadow and light, the facility
design team needs to be concerned with long term costs: environmental, economic and human. All in all sustainable
design is more of a philosophy of a building than perspective building style.
The topic Picture
Green facades

Because green facade nowadays is one of the most common, popular,
«fashionable» approaches in sustainable architecture. It is interesting to know is it
really so effective or it is used only as a successful marketing decision.
Tiny research
Quotes from Green Facades as a New Sustainable Approach Towards Climate Change
S.M. Sheweka, Dr. a, N.M. Mohamed, Arch.
Within the challenges of energy crisis and climatic changes architects started to develop new approaches to address
the quest of energy demands in buildings.
One of these approaches is façade greening which started to take an important place in the last 10 however it has
not been approved as an energy saving method for the built environment. Vertical greening can provide a cooling
potential on the building surface, which is very important during summer periods in hot climates. The cooling effect of
green facades has also an impact on the inner climate in the building by preventing warming up the façade.
The contribution of plants on building facades is essential for the improvement of the sustainability of the built
environment. Their implementation is also ecologically and aesthetically acceptable as an adequate architectural
feature that upgrades facades. Their exploitation leads to an energy conscious design approach that prevents densely
populated urban areas from transforming into a deteriorated natural environment.
The façade greening of building walls, known as vertical greenery systems (VGSs), has yet to be fully explored and
exploited. Simply due to the sheer amount of building walls, the widespread use of vertical greenery systems not only
represents a great potential in mitigating the UHI effect through evapo-transpiration and shading, it is also a highly
impactful way of transforming the urban landscape.
Facade greening have advantages not only an active contribution to environmental and Nature are to be assigned,
but also for building long-term can lower operating costs. In addition, facade greening in larger commercial areas of
particular importance, since it is the local climate of a small settlement area affect materially. Here, these green forms
are essential for dust control, for humidification and the cold air generation and hence to the promotion of human
health. They have therefore, like a green roof, the function of a local, natural air conditioning ‘. As many potentials and
opportunities are already visible, is the subject a closer look in terms of a sustainable future value.
In recent years, has been enumerated by various authors and a number of advantages disadvantages associated with
the vegetation of the buildings. These aspects have been studied, tested and described in greater or lesser extent
depending on authors, the countries of the possibility of obtaining objective data; the time needed experimentation,
etc.
Lately also considering using the strategy of building plants urban and in relation to the environment. It is considered
that the building to support vegetation has a decisive role in the strategy of urban vegetation as part of its essential
relationship with the environment must have in the city. The consideration of roofs and facades, ie, of the skin of
the building to support different models of urban vegetation, must be properly studied and included in the planning
and ordinance related. Vegetation can play an important role in the topo-climate of towns and the microclimate of
buildings. With buildings, some vegetative climatic effects could be made by combining green cover on walls, roofs
and open spaces in the vicinity of buildings Many researches proved that vegetation on building façade can be
effective on the level of building environmental performance, Lambertini presented a pictorial collection of the most
important architectural projects that embraced the emerging trend of designing and cultivating once inconceivable
greenery on a vertical plane while Dunnett cited the associated benefits and reasons for integrating green techniques
of organic architecture into our built environment as well as provided a massive collection of appropriate plant
information and extensive plant directories for both rooftop gardens and vertical greenery systems.
The topic Picture
Energy Performance Contracting

Because I have never heard befor about it and in general don’t know almost
anything about contracting in building and architectural fields.
Tiny research
Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) is a form of ‘creative financing’ for capital improvement which allows funding
energy upgrades from cost reductions. Under an EPC arrangement an external organisation (ESCO) implements
a project to deliver energy efficiency, or a renewable energy project, and uses the stream of income from the cost
savings, or the renewable energy produced, to repay the costs of the project, including the costs of the investment.
Essentially the ESCO will not receive its payment unless the project delivers energy savings as expected.
The approach is based on the transfer of technical risks from the client to the ESCO based on performance guarantees
given by the ESCO. In EPC ESCO remuneration is based on demonstrated performance; a measure of performance
is the level of energy savings or energy service. EPC is a means to deliver infrastructure improvements to facilities that
lack energy engineering skills, manpower or management time, capital funding, understanding of risk, or technology
information. Cash-poor, yet creditworthy customers are therefore good potential clients for EPC.
Contracting models
Guaranteed savings and shared savings:
An important difference between guaranteed and shared savings models is that in the former case the performance
guarantee is the level of energy saved, while in the latter this is the cost of energy saved.
Under a guaranteed savings contract the ESCO takes over the entire performance and design risk; for this reason
it is unlikely to be willing to further assume credit risk. Consequently guaranteed savings contracts rarely go along
with TPF with ESCO borrowing (CTI 2003). The customers are financed directly by banks or by a financing agency;
an advantages of this model is that finance institutions are better equipped to assess and handle customer’s credit
risk than ESCOs. The customer repays the loan and assumes the investment repayment risk. If the savings are not
enough to cover debt service, then the ESCO has to cover the difference. If savings exceed the guaranteed level,
then the customer pays an agreed upon percentage of the savings to the ESCO. Usually the contract also contains
a proviso that the guarantee is only good, i.e. the value of the energy saved will be enough to meet the customer
debt obligation, provided that the price of energy does not go below a stipulated floor price. A variation of guaranteed
savings contracts are pay from savings contracts whereby the payment schedule is based on the level of savings: the
more the savings, the quicker the repayment.
Conversely under a shared savings the client takes over some performance risk, hence it will try to avoid assuming
any credit risk. This is why a shared savings contract is more likely to be linked with TPF or with a mixed scheme
with financing coming from the client and the ESCO whereby the ESCO repays the loan and takes over the credit
risk. The ESCO therefore assumes both performance and the underlying customer credit risk – if the customer goes
out of business, the revenue stream from the project will stop, putting the ESCO at risk. In addition such contractual
arrangement may give raise to leveraging problems for ESCOs, because ESCOs become too indebted and at some
point financial institutions may refuse lending to an ESCO due to high debt ratio In effect the ESCO collateralizes
the loan with anticipated savings payments from the customer, based on a share of the energy cost savings. The
financing in this case goes off the customer’s balance sheet.
A situation where savings exceed expectations should be taken into account in a shared savings contract. This
setting may create an adversarial relationship between the ESCO and customer, whereby the ESCO may attempts
to ‘lowball’ the savings estimate and then receive more from the ‘excess savings’.
The topic Picture
From Grasshopper to Revit

Because unfortunately I still don’t work in these both softwares but it’s already 2
years since I decided that I have to study them. Let’s consider this page as my
first step towards the knowledge.
Tiny research
It seems that more and more people are trying to move intelligent data from Grasshopper to Revit. There are at least
3 different ways to do this:
• Chameleon is a plugin for both Grasshopper and Revit with a focus on interoperability, simulation, and efficient
practice workflows. Chameleon’s main advantage is its ability to facilitate easy transfer of geometric data between
Grasshopper and Autodesk Revit, but also includes other valuable tools to make life easier, both in Grasshopper and
Revit. This latest version includes upgraded the functionality of the Curtain Grid management tools for Revit users.
These tools now allow control of curtain panels in addition to the grids and mullions. There is also a preview to show
the results of changes before accepting.
• Hummingbird is a set of Grasshopper components that facilitate the creation of Revit native geometry. This process
exports basic geometric properties and parameter data to CSV text files which is used to describe many aspects of
the Revit BIM geometry. In Revit this data is easily imported using the Whitefeet Modelbuilder tool (included).
Translating Rhino primative geometry to Revit has been vastly simplified without the need for linking or reference
objects. This allows for the downstream Revit model to be modified and adapted for the project duration.
• IFC export / import

Lecture 4
(5th December2016)
The topic Picture
Bioclimatic architecture

Because it’s important to understand that every design decision from the concept
to the working documentation influence a building performance, so we as
architects should you basic principles of bioclimatic design in our practice.
Tiny research
Buildings, nowadays, are the biggest consumers of energy in our cities. The building sector is responsible for almost
40% of the total final energy consumption on a national level. This consumption, either in the form of heat (using
primarily oil) or electricity, besides being a significant economic burden due to the high cost of energy, results in large
scale atmospheric pollution, mainly carbon dioxide (CO2) which is responsible for the greenhouse effect.
Bioclimatic architecture is defined as an architecture which has a connection with nature, it is about a building that
takes into account the climate and environmental conditions to favor thermal comfort inside. This architecture seeks
perfect cohesion between design and natural elements (such as the sun, wind, rain and vegetation), leading us to
an optimization of resources.
Bioclimatic design takes into account the local climate and includes the following principles:
• Heat protection of the buildings in winter as well as in summer, using appropriate techniques which are applied
to the external envelope of the building, especially by adequate insulation and air tightness of the building and its
openings.
• Use of solar energy for heating buildings in the winter season and for daylighting all year round. This is achieved by
the appropriate orientation of the buildings and especially their openings (preferably towards the south), by the layout
of interior spaces according to their heating requirements, and by passive solar systems which collect solar radiation
and act as “natural” heating as well as lighting systems.
• Protection of the buildings from the summer sun, primarily by shading but also by the appropriate treatment of the
building envelope (i.e. use of reflective colours and surfaces).
• Removal of the heat which accumulates in summer in the building to the surrounding environment using by natural
means (passive cooling systems and techniques), such as natural ventilation, mostly during nighttime.
• I mprovement – adjustment of environmental conditions in the interiors of buildings so that their inhabitants find
them comfortable and pleasant (i.e. increasing the air movement inside spaces, heat storage, or cool storage in walls).
• Ensuring insolation combined with solar control for daylighting of buildings, in order to provide sufficient and evenly
distributed light in interior spaces.
•I mprovement of the microclimate around buildings, through the bioclimatic design of exterior spaces and in general,
of the built environment, adhering to all of the above principles.
Looking through history we can see how lots of architecture buildings work according to these principles. The
orientation of the windows of the houses to the south for a better use of light and solar heat, or the lining of the
Andalusian village houses with thermal mass materials like adobe with a layer of soil and lime to get a micro-climate
inside would be two examples of historic architecture according to bioclimatic principles.
And then the question is, why do not we build according to these principles? Is it expensive?. It is proved that in a
long-term bioclimatic architecture is profitable, if we look at the bills we have to pay, coupled with rising energy prices
due to the shortage of natural resources a building can justify the investment in five years. The society has to begin
to become aware of that the only way to ensure our future is to optimize our consumption so that we respect the
environment and achieve the desired sustainability.Due to new European legislation, in 2020 the energy consumption
of buildings has to be reduced to one third of the current and we just will get this if we build based on these principles
The topic Picture
Indoor environmental quality

Because it is important to understand how people live the space and how do they
feel inside the building you designed.
Tiny research
What is indoor environmental quality?
Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) encompasses the conditions inside a building—air quality, lighting, thermal
conditions, ergonomics—and their effects on occupants or residents. Strategies for addressing IEQ include those
that protect human health, improve quality of life, and reduce stress and potential injuries. Better indoor environmental
quality can enhance the lives of building occupants, increase the resale value of the building, and reduce liability for
building owners.
Why is this important for buildings?
Since the personnel costs of salaries and benefits typically surpass operating costs of an office building, strategies
that improve employees’ health and productivity over the long run can have a large return on investment. IEQ goals
often focus on providing stimulating and comfortable environments for occupants and minimizing the risk of building-
related health problems.
To make their buildings places where people feel good and perform well, project teams must balance selection of
strategies that promote efficiency and conservation with those that address the needs of the occupants and promote
well-being. Ideally, the chosen strategies do both: the solutions that conserve energy, water and materials also
contribute to a great indoor experience.
What are common sources of indoor air contaminants?

People smoking tobacco inside the building or near building entrances or air uptakes
Building materials such as paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants, and furniture that may emit volatile organic
compounds (VOCs), substances that vaporize at room temperature and can cause health problems
Combustion processes in HVAC equipment, fireplaces and stoves, and vehicles in garages or near entrances
Mold resulting from moisture in building materials
Cleaning materials
Radon or methane off-gassing from the soil underneath the building
Pollutants from specific processes used in laboratories, hospitals, and factories
Pollutants tracked in on occupants’ shoes
Occupants’ respiration, which increases carbon dioxide levels and may introduce germs
The best way to prevent indoor pollutants is to eliminate or control them at the sources. The next line of defense is
proper ventilation to remove any pollutants that do enter. Both approaches need to be considered at all phases of
the building life cycle.
What are effective strategies improving occupants’ comfort and control?

Use daylighting.
Install operable windows.
Give occupants temperature and ventilation control.
Give occupants lighting control.
Conduct occupant surveys.
Provide ergonomic furniture.
Include appropriate acoustic design.
The topic Picture
Underfloor air distribution

Because I have never used it in my design projects.
Tiny research
Underfloor air distribution (UFAD) is an air distribution strategy for providing ventilation and space conditioning in
buildings as part of the design of an HVAC system. UFAD systems use an underfloor supply plenum located between
the structural concrete slab and a raised floor system to supply conditioned air through floor diffusers directly into
the occupied zone of the building. Thermal stratification is one of the featured characteristic of UFAD system, which
allows higher thermostat setpoints compared to the traditional overhead systems (OH). UFAD cooling load profile is
different from a traditional OH system due to the impact of raised floor, particularly UFAD may has higher peak cooling
load than OH systems. UFAD has several potential advantages over traditional overhead systems, including layout
flexibility, improved thermal comfort, improved ventilation efficiency, improved energy efficiency in suitable climates
and reduced life cycle costs. UFAD is often used in office buildings, particularly highly-reconfigurable and open plan
offices where raised floors are desirable for cable management. UFAD is appropriate for a number of different building
types including commercials, schools, churches, airports, museums, libraries etc. Careful considerations need to be
paid in the construction phase of UFAD systems to ensure a well-sealed plenum to avoid air leakage in UFAD supply
plenum.
UFAD systems rely on air handling units to filter and condition air to the appropriate supply conditions so it can be
delivered to the occupied zone. While overhead systems typically use ducts to distribute the air, UFAD systems use
the underfloor plenum formed by installation of a raised floor. The plenum generally sits 0.3 and 0.46 metres above
the structural concrete slab, although lower heights are possible.Specially designed floor diffusers are used as the
supply outlets. The most common UFAD configuration consists of a central air handling unit delivering air through
a pressurized plenum and into the space through floor diffusers. Other approaches may incorporate fan powered
terminal units at the outlets, underfloor ducts, desktop vents or connections to Personal Environmental Control
Systems.
The energy assessment of UFAD systems is a not fully solved issue, which has led to numerous research projects
within the building science and mechanical engineering community. Proponents of UFAD point to the lower fan
pressures required to deliver air in a building via the plenum as compared to through ducts. Typical plenum pressures
are 25 pascals or less. The improvements in cooling-system efficiency inherent in operation at higher temperatures
save energy, and relatively higher supply air temperatures allow longer periods of economizer operation. However, an
economizer strategy is highly climate-dependent and necessitates careful control of humidity to avoid condensation.
Critics, on the other hand, cite the shortage of rigorous research and testing to account for variations in climate,
system design, thermal comfort and air quality to question whether UFAD is able to deliver improved energy efficiency
in practice. Underfloor air distribution is frequently used in office buildings, particularly highly-reconfigurable and open
plan offices where raised floors are desirable for cable management. UFAD is also common in command centers, IT
data centers and Server rooms that have large cooling loads from electronic equipment and requirements for routing
power and data cables. The ASHRAE Underfloor Air Distribution Design Guide suggests that any building considering
a raised floor for cable distribution should consider UFAD.
Specific space considerations should be taken when using UFAD systems in laboratories because of its critical
room pressurization requirements and potential migration of chemicals into the access floor plenum due to spillage.
UFAD systems are not recommended in some specific facilities or spaces, such as small non-residential buildings,
wet spaces like restrooms and pool areas, kitchens and dining areas and gymnasiums, because UFAD may result in
especially difficult or costly in design.
The topic Picture
Night-purge ventilation

Because it is an interesting mix of traditional ways to control the internal climate
and the new technologies.
Tiny research
Night-Purge Ventilation (or «night flushing») keeps windows and other passive ventilation openings closed during the
day, but open at night to flush warm air out of the building and cool thermal mass for the next day.
Night-purge ventilation is useful when daytime air temperatures are so high that bringing unconditioned air into the
building would not cool people down, but where nighttime air is cool or cold. This strategy can provide passive
ventilation in weather that might normally be considered too hot for it.
Successful night-purge ventilation is determined by how much heat energy is removed from a building by bringing in
nighttime air, without using active HVAC cooling and ventilation.
Night flushing works by opening up pathways for wind ventilation and stack ventilation throughout the night, to cool
down the thermal mass in a building by convection. Early in the morning, the building is closed and kept sealed
throughout the day to prevent warm outside air from entering. During the day, the cool mass absorbs heat from
occupants and other internal loads. This is done largely by radiation, but convection and conduction also play roles.
Because the «coolth» of night-purge ventilation is stored in thermal mass, it requires a building with large areas of
exposed internal thermal mass. This means not obscuring floors with carpets and coverings, walls with cupboards
and panels, or ceilings with acoustic tiles and drop-panels. Using natural ventilation for the cooling also requires a
relatively unobstructed interior to promote air flow.
Limitations
These systems have some limitations due to climate, security concerns, and usability factors.
Climatically, night flushing is only suitable for climates with a relatively large temperature range from day to night,
where nighttime temperatures are below 20 or 22°C (68 or 71°F). If the building is occupied at night, like residences,
the ventilation should not be so cold as to be uncomfortable for occupants. In addition, the location should be one
with adequate wind at night to provide the cooling. This is not to say that night purging cannot be effective in warmer
climates. Even when internal and external tempreatures are very similar night flushing can still provide a means for
airborne pollutants to be exhausted and allow fresh air to enter.
Usability can be a concern, as the opening and closing of all the openings every day can be tiresome for occupants
or maintenance staff, and they may not always open and close everything at the optimal times. This can be solved
with mechanized windows or ventilation louvers, controlled by either a timer or a thermostat-driven control system.
Another usability issue is the possibility of rain coming in at night, damaging property or interior finishes. While rain
is not a common occurrence in climates where night flushing works best, it can be addressed with overhangs,
ventilation louvers with steep angles, and other structural measures. The intelligent control system should include
wind and rain sensors which are able to detect when rain and wind speed limits are exceeded and then send a close
The topic Picture
Windtower

Because it’s important to understand that every design decision from the concept
to the working documentation influence a building performance, so we as
architects should use basic principles of bioclimatic design in their practice.
Tiny research
A windcatcher is an architectural device used for many centuries to create natural ventilation in buildings. The function
of this tower is to catch cooler breeze that prevail at a higher level above the ground and to direct it into the interior of
the buildings. It is not known who first invented the windcatcher, although some claim it originated in Iran and it can
be seen in. Windcatchers come in various designs, such as the uni-directional, bi-directional, and multi-directional.
Examples of windcatchers can be found in traditional Persian influenced architecture throughout the Middle East
, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Central Iran has a very large day-night temperature difference, ranging from cool to
extremely hot, and the air tends to be very dry all day long. Most buildings are constructed of very thick ceramics
with extremely high insulation values. Furthermore, towns centered on desert oases tend to be packed very closely
together with high walls and ceilings relative to Western architecture, maximizing shade at ground level. The heat of
direct sunlight is minimized with small windows that do not face the sun.
The windcatcher functions on several principles:
First, a windcatcher is capped and has several directional ports at the top (traditionally four). By closing all but the one
facing away from the incoming wind, air is drawn upwards using the Coanda effect, similar to how opening one facing
the wind would push air down the shaft. This generates significant cooling ventilation within the structure below, but
is not enough to bring the temperature below ambient alone - it would simply draw hot air in through any cracks or
windows in the structure below.
Therefore, the key to generating frigid temperatures seems to be that there are very few cracks at the base of the
thick structure below, but there is a significant air gap above the qanat (a water management system used to provide
a reliable supply of water to human settlements or for irrigation in hot, arid and semi-arid climates). A qanat has quite
a lot of water inside, because there are frequent well-like reservoirs along its path. Completely shaded from the sun,
a qanat also aggregates the cold, sinking air of the night, which is then trapped within, unable to rise up to the less
dense surface air. A windcatcher, however, can create a pressure gradient which sucks at least a small amount of air
upwards through a house. This cool, dry night air, being pulled over a long passage of water, evaporates some of it
and is cooled down further.
Finally, in a windless environment or waterless house, a windcatcher functions as a Solar or thermal chimney that uses
convection of air heated by passive solar energy. It creates a pressure gradient which allows less dense hot air to travel
upwards and escape out the top. This is also compounded significantly by the day-night cycle mentioned above,
trapping cool air below. The temperature in such an environment can’t drop below the nightly low temperature. These
last two functions have gained some ground in Western architecture, and there are several commercial products
using the name windcatcher.
When coupled with thick adobe - a natural building material made from earth, shaped into bricks using forms and
dried in the sun - that exhibits high heat transmission resistance qualities, the windcatcher is able to chill lower-level
spaces in mosques and houses in the middle of the day to cooler temperatures.
So effective has been the windcatcher in Persian architecture that it has also been routinely used as a refrigerating
device.
Many traditional water reservoirs, or ab anbars, are built with windcatchers that are capable of storing water at near
freezing temperatures for months in summer. High humidity environments destroy the evaporative cooling effect
enjoyed in the dry conditions seen on the Iranian plateau; hence the ubiquitous use of these devices in drier areas
such as Yazd, Kashan, Nain, and Bam.
Lecture 5
(12st December2016)
The topic Picture
Double curved facade

Because we see buildings with complex geometry mostly at render pictures
but not in the real life. That is why it is interesting to study something that was
successfully realized.
Tiny research
The late 1980s saw radical developments in what became known as freeform, organic or zoomorphic architecture. Prior
to this date most structures, with the exception of those in the craft and cultural tradition and the engineering work of
the structural pioneers of the early 20th century, were constructed of planar elements in orthogonal arrangements set
at regular intervals.
The ability to create double-curvature forms in a controllable manner was an essential requirement of this new building
typology and was enabled by borrowing the emerging 3D software platforms being developed by the film animation,
aerospace and automotive industries. The problem for the construction industry arose when it came to transforming
the creative digital data into coherent freeform buildings for which they had no obvious tools to produce large double-
curvature surfaces.
Creating double curve geometries with single large format building components is often part of that challenge and often
proves a difficult issue. Sheet materials especially do not lend themselves easily to double curves. Putting a single bend
in is often easy, but achieving bends in two directions challenges the physical structure of the material. Architectural
design has often tried to replicate the precision, refinement and geometric freedom seen in cars or aeroplanes, but the
Building Industry is set up differently to the aerospace or automotive industries, and buildings are often one-off products,
rather than multiples of identical items, so the economies of scale are very different.
Despite this, there are several ways in which double curve geometries can be achieved with building materials as single
products, which can either create precision components. Below are some of the materials and methods available, and
it’s not surprising that many of them have come from the automotive, aerospace and rail sectors of industry. As the
manufacturers and suppliers will note, the extent to which double curves can be made often depends on the selection
of the material, its thickness and the required size of the component:
• GLASS. Sizes of panels are constrained by the standard sizes of glass sheets, their logistical restrictions, and the size
of the furnace they are moulded in.
• CONCRETE. Perhaps the best example of double curved geometries in concrete is the Darwin Centre’s Cocoon at
the Natural History Museum in London. It was created through a combination Shotcrete spray applied concrete to
a reinforcement mesh, insulation bonded to the exterior with a Dryvit Genesis high performance adhesive resin and
Armourcoat top coats and polished plaster finish. As a built-up system it is a good example of the site based craft of
skilled workers being as important as the overall building technology which supports it.
• FRP (Fibre Reinforced Polymer) offers a lot of freedom in the geometries which can be achieved and the size of panels
which can be fabricated. Like many fabrication processes, it is led more by craft than automated technologies.
• PLASTICS. Very tight double curved geometries can be achieved with acrylic sheet, either in an oil bath, or autoclave.
Like FRP, the pre-production requirements usually become economical on large production runs. Domed roof lights are
common to the building industry but lots of cool examples can be found in the aircraft industry.
• METAL SHEET. There are several examples of how double curved geometries can be achieved with metal sheet, and
it is not too surprising that many of the offerings to the Building Industry have derived from the car and aircraft industries.
Pressing panels is the typical solution for mass producing lots of double curve panels. Where single items are needed,
wheeling might be a solution but is a bit of a black art, requires skilled crafts men and can be time consuming.
• ARTICULATED SHEETS. Articulating sheets with triangular sub divisions offers the ability to fold and form the sheet in
to 3D forms. The individual segments remain flat, but the overall effect is curved. This option is possibly an economical
solution to many building challenges.
The topic Picture
Dynamo software

Because it makes parametric architecture process more clear and closer to the
real construction.
Tiny research
Dynamo is an open-source software platform for computational design and building information modeling (BIM).
Through a friendly visual interface, construct logic routines to smooth and automate workflows, find optimum
solutions, and sift through design options.
Open-source Dynamo is a visual programming extension for Autodesk® Revit that allows you to manipulate data,
sculpt geometry, explore design options, automate processes, and create links between multiple applications.
Autodesk® Dynamo Studio is a visual programming platform that functions fully independently of any other application.
Dynamo is, quite literally, what you make it. Working with Dynamo may include using the application, either in
connection with other Autodesk software or not, engaging a Visual Programming process, or participating in a broad
community of users and contributors. Dynamo, the application, is a software that can be downloaded and run in
either stand-alone «Sandbox» mode or as a plug-in for other software like Revit or Maya.
Once you’ve installed the application, Dynamo will enable you to work within a Visual Programming process wherein
you connect elements together to define the relationships and the sequences of actions that compose custom
algorithms. We can use our algorithms for a wide array of applications - from processing data to generating geometry
- all in realtime and without writing a lick of code.
Programming languages are created to express ideas, usually involving logic and calculation. In addition to these
objectives, the Dynamo textual language (formerly DesignScript) has been created to express design intentions. It is
generally recognized that computational designing is exploratory, and Dynamo tries to support this: the language is
flexible and fast enough to take a design from concept, through design iterations, to your final form.
The topic Picture
Bending glass panels

Because new technologies in this field on one hand help architects to feel more
free to design complex shapes, on the other hand, give them an understanding of
construction reality and limits.
Tiny research
The visual appeal is not the only aspect driving designers all over the world towards curved glass. Surprisingly
enough, curved glass is also highly efficient when used in structural glazing applications.
Not only that, the arching actually makes it highly load resistant. When used properly, arching also minimizes
deflections. In practice, curved glass solutions are excellent in structural applications. And when designed well, they
can reduce the use of other building materials.
The glass bending technologies today are:
• Bending and tempering
Most commonly in the bending and tempering process, the glass is first heated to over 630 °C. Once heated, the
glass is then bent to its target radius in the bending station.
Although bending systems most commonly produce cylindrical forms, it’s not uncommon to produce small bi-
directional bending by angling the glass during the process.
The glass can be twisted into the direction in which the glass flows, which is known as lengthwise bending. It can also
be bent crosswise across the glass flow, which is called crosswise bending.
As quality is always a key consideration, lengthwise bending provides a better quality result in terms of optical quality.
FACT: Bent and tempered glass offers excellent mechanical strength and durability against temperature variations.
The maximum bending angle is usually ¼ of a circle.
• Hot bending
In hot bending, the manufacturer uses molds, which allow the glass to adopt the desired form. The glass, as well as
the mold, is then heated up to 580–600 °C.
Bending can be solely based on gravity. Alternatively, the glass bending process can be assisted in which a mechanical
bending press forces the glass into a target shape. The shape is then slowly cooled to avoid any residual tension in
the glass.
Bending technology allows producers to create a wider range of shapes, for instance, a tighter radius and non-
cylindrical shapes. The hot bending process itself does not add mechanical strength to the glass nor the ability to
tolerate temperature variations.
Note! The use of hot bent glass requires lamination for all architectural applications.
• Laminated bending
Lamination bending is a process that somewhat combines cold and hot bending, as well as lamination. For bent
laminated glass, the most common workflow is to first bend the glass sandwich – with the desired number of glass
sheets in the interlayer – and then proceed with the autoclave process.
Thanks to the autoclave process, it’s possible to join two pieces of glass together with an interlayer. The required
processing temperature inside the autoclave is around 120–140 °C; the pressure is about 12 bars.
Bending is carried out with a mechanical fixture before the autoclave process, and the original bending radius needs
to be smaller than the target shape.
Since the glass is laminated, it fulfills safety glass requirements. One of the benefits of using this process includes the
possibility of making very flexible shapes. Still this is very time-consuming, which makes it more expensive.
NOTE! The glass “straightens” slightly after the autoclave process, which is known as the spring effect. Also, there
can be some relaxation in the glass over its lifetime, which can cause it to continue to form over time.
• Cold bending (next key word)
The topic Picture
Cold bending glass panels

Because exactly this technology is related to the project that was discussed
during the lecture
Tiny research
Cold bending can be carried out after the glass is already tempered. By doing so, the glass adopts the mechanical
properties of safety glass.
As the name indicates, cold bending is performed with the factory’s natural temperature. The process starts by
putting the glass into a frame that mechanically bends the glass into the desired frame shape. In the frame installation
process, the glass is glued or screwed directly into the frame. The frame is then ready for installation into the building.
The bending radius is normally quite high, which means there’s only a slight bending of the glass. The thinner the
glass, the easier it is to bend from a mechanical perspective. The shape, however, can also have a twisted design.
Cold bending can be performed for an entire insulated glass unit or for single glass lites. When bending a full insulated
unit, the sealant is under multiple forces. Since cold-bent glass has not been around long enough, it’s hard to judge
its durability.However, some existing installations have been made over 10 years ago.
Some companies suggest also laminated cold bent glass panels. The Lamination process of cold bent glass can
be divided into four basic steps:
1.- Put together interlayers and flat glass, usually tempered. The glass can also be heat strengthened, annealed, with
ceramic frits or coatings though these may affect the limits of what is possible.
2.- The glass is formed into the desired shape by physically pressing it onto the laminating framework and clamped
into place.
3.- Lamination process, the aim is to achieve a high shear bond between the glass and the interlayer.
4.- Release from the scaffold form. During and after the lamination process, high quality control and observance of the
stresses in the single panes due to the spring back effect is necessary. It is required to increase the curvature in the
panel during the lamination process to get the exact shape after releasing the laminated panel from the framework.
High tooling costs of the Multipoint method leads to exploration to lower cost procedures. Desktop 3D printers lower
The topic prices and their large format versions (BigRep) are a promising alternative for free-form architectural panel production.
Recent developments such as KamerMaker, a large size 3D printer by DUS Architects show the feasibility of plastic
3D printing building facade components, without the need of moulds.
4Conclusions
Cost effective construction. Cost-optimized paneling of architectural freeform Recent advances in digital processes allow for free-form architectural facade panel production at a reasonable price,
surfaces by means of avoiding the use of moulds, which reduce significantly the associated costs, as in architecture none or
little repetition is expected. Some of these digital processes, such as Multipoint one, have demonstrated the viability
of free-form-no-mould architectural panel production. However, sophisticated tooling prices are still high and far from
being widely accepted by the construction industry.
Why is it interesting for me? Nevertheless if the use of moulds is mandatory, digital additive, subtractive, and forming processes will allow obtaining
complex free-form moulds at lower prices, without the use of craftsmanship, which reduce the cost of labour and as
a result, the final budget.
Because Firmitas & Utilitas & Venustas are not enough nowadays. The cost of The fast spreading of additive plastic based 3D desktop printers and the raising attempts to scale up these machines
for architectural purposes, such as KamerMaker by DUS Architects, sets out new alternatives in no-mould low cost
construction is a crucial point and architects should know how to decrease a cost free-form architectural panels. These 3D Printing processes allow for free-form manufacturing panels, to show the
without loosing practical and aesthetics qualities. bare material or to be finished on-site and off-site by adding one or more finishing coatings. Drawbacks in energy
use and time consuming printing periods must be addressed. Material development plays a key role in realizing true
functionality in parts produced, using Additive procedures. Reliability and commercial availability of these bigger
printers are yet to be achieved.
Architects and small enterprises are leading this innovative path for 3D printing architectural components. It is yet to
be proven that this will be a widely accepted method by the building industry or just another good idea that fails, due
to the complex constraints involving the architectural product as a whole.
Tiny research
Free-form buildings play a progressively important position in contemporary architecture. In the digital age computer
generated 3D forms are easily achievable and architects benefit from a series of computer software applications to
help them get a broader freedom of design. Not only because of the possibility of creating new undulating, sinuous
skins, but also because of the development of new tools that enable the production of double-curvedpanels.
Some well-known ‘free-form’ buildings, as Railway Stations in Innsbruck, the Kunsthaus in Graz, or the BMW pavilion
in Frankfurt, have been manufactured using moulding processes which are, unfortunately, only available for limited
projects and budgets. The problem is that every single panel of the envelope is unique, which means that every piece
has to be produced using a unique mould.
Around 98% of the planning, calculation, optimization, tendering and marketing in construction is based on digital
data. Along with this comes more and more direct interface between the computerized design process and the
physical implementation. For this reason, the digital processes of production mean that the constructability in building
design is an undoubtable condition of computability.
Today, different processes are being explored to find new construction efficient methods of translating the designed
architecture to a real building. 3D digital modeling software based on NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines)
has opened a universe of complex forms that were, until the appearance of CAD/CAM1 technologies, very difficult
to conceive, develop and represent, let alone manufacture. In this context the production of complex panels are
possible by means of computer numerically controlled (CNC) manufacturing processes.
Currently there are several research centres that are using all their efforts to solve manufacturing double curved panels
for architecture envelopes. In the Product Development of the Technical University of Eindhoven, they have created a
machine that allows for the creation of free-form plastic panels using an adjustable mould by vacuum pressure with
1.20×1.80 m format. The relevant point of the machine is that it uses a unique matrix for creating different panels,
which is a versatile and economic solution.
The Freeform Construction project at Loughborough University, 3D printed a concrete reinforced panel without
the requirement for formwork. Dr. Richard Buswell choses concrete to apply in additive manufacturing processes,
because it is a well-known material in the construction industry. It is a worthy approach to achieve a feasible process
to manufacturing free-form architectural envelope panels.
The Dongdaemun Design Park (DDP) building, designed by Zaha Hadid, was developed by a sheet metal forming
called multipoint stretch forming, which is a hybrid method of multipoint forming and stretch bending, through trial and
error. The cost of fabrication is 90% less than the traditional forming methods. Furthermore, the average fabrication
time per panel was reduced from several hours to 15 minutes per panel using the new multipoint stretch forming
method.
Formtexx manufacturing facilities are conceptually a closed-box, digitally controlled devices analogous to desktop
printers, but larger. Instead of paper, is a sheet metal; instead of a print head with a USB connection is a robotic
double-curvature forming machine with a USB connection. Significantly, both printer and forming machine are
oblivious of the quantity of data spooled to the individual sheet. Feed speed is constant regardless of content. The
innovative manufacturing process, which avoids impacting the surface of the material, provides opportunities for
lightweight construction, employing engineering techniques typical of the automotive industry. Produce panels are
1.20 × 1.20 m with double curvature every 20 minutes.

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Lecture 1

Why is it interesting for me?

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Case of BIM 360 Team

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Building performance evaluation vs post-occupancy evaluation

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Sefaira Real-Time Analysis:

Combining energy & daylighting

Guidance at your fingertips

Gain insights for good daylighting decisions

Visualize & present daylighting graphics

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• IFC export / import

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What are common sources of indoor air contaminants?

What are effective strategies improving occupants’ comfort and control?

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