Computational design process in bioclimatic architecture. Optimization of comfort and energy performance

Tomasz Szymosz

Key information

Authors:

Tomasz Szymosz (Tomasz Szymosz)

Supervisors:

Manuel de Arriaga Brito Correia Guedes (Manuel de Arriaga Brito Correia Guedes)

Published in

11/23/2022

Abstract

The climate change and the worsening of environmental conditions on the planet are major challenges that need to be addressed by architects worldwide. The building industry, being one of the biggest sectors in global economy, has significant impact on the natural environment. It is responsible for the depletion of around 50% of all non-renewable resources on the planet, and 50% of total greenhouse gas emissions. The current economic model is focused mostly on minimizing the production cost with no regards to environmental consequences. The resulting architecture is highly standardized and disconnected from the local climate and its cultural context. To tackle the negative consequences of the current architectural practice, designers and city planners are trying to rethink existing paradigms and methods. The research proposes a holistic model of sustainability based on a bioclimatic approach. By evaluating and testing existing computational design methods, it is trying to improve the creative process of architecture at early design stages. The study presents a new design framework which incorporates recently developed computational tools, building performance simulation, and optimization algorithms. The integration of the design workflow and performance evaluation in one software (Grasshopper plugin) makes the process more efficient and easier to follow. The study evaluates the effectiveness of the methodology in comparison with standard design practices. The obtained results show significant improvement of building comfort and energy performance.