Year: 2004

ABSTRACT: The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship of architectural design to science and technology. The intention is to go back to first principles (although not quite to Adam and Eve). This relationship – I suggest – is determined by the mode of thinking of the designer, hence I must have a…

ABSTRACT: This paper discusses the emergence of timber as a prime construction material used in low-rise multi-storey multi unit residential development. Historically residential timber buildings were limited to two and a half floors under the light timber codes, and further limited to concrete ‘fire proof’ inter-tenancy walls. Fireproofing is no longer restricted to concrete, and…

In terms of energy saving strategies and proper use of skylight modules in architectural buildings in the tropical climate, this paper will give evidence of how appropriate use of skylight modules installed on buildings in the tropical zone compared to the ones in the subtropical climate. In the tropical humid climate, Indonesia has received huge…

ABSTRACT: Traditional construction in New Zealand lacks thermal mass. This is a major barrier to the efficient use of solar thermal energy in such buildings. To overcome this problem a window system has been designed that incorporates thermal mass in the form of a Phase Change Material (PCM) inside hollow section aluminium window surrounds within…

ABSTRACT: Comparatively, the energy used for the internal space thermal control (internal space heating and cooling) is more closely related to the hotel building itself. This initial study explores the relationships between the building design and the energy used for indoor space heating and cooling in Auckland large hotels. To avoid the influences of different…

ABSTRACT: This paper asks the question – ‘do radiata stems make reliable structural elements and should they be utilised more widely in building than is done at present?’ This research is in response to timber, and in particular round timber, as being an environmentally sustainable material. Low amounts of energy are required for manufacture and…

ABSTRACT : This research will present a preliminary for evaluation of the acoustical requirement being as essential design requirement for a concert hall. This article also highlights the best design solution for concert hall in terms of layout planning, shape and form. These 3 factors are basically contributed design factors that should be taken into…

ABSTRACT: The usefulness for design of results from laboratory-based studies of people’s perception of and response to separate variables of the sensory environment has been questioned. Nevertheless, studies of more complex situations involving interactions between two or more of these variables have used similar experimental techniques, leading to a collection of inconsistent outcomes. Recent research…

ABSTRACT: Technology advancement has had its effect on the construction industry. More and more buildings incorporate automated integrated services systems, which contribute to what is termed “intelligent buildings”. There is no formal definition for intelligent buildings but the increasing number of buildings in Malaysia, categorized as ‘intelligent’ instigated this research, which aims to highlight the…

ABSTRACT: Building intelligence is the result of a responsive feedback loop in which buildings have the capacity to sense information and transform that data into a meaningful representation for its users. Sensate spaces are responsive environments enabled by embedded sensor technologies. This paper explores the application of data from sensate spaces to generate ambient visualisation…

ABSTRACT: Developments in human-computer interaction, sensor technology and artificial intelligence when coupled with integrated indoor ecology control systems provide the basis for establishing intelligent rooms, spaces where peripheral awareness of human activities and social context situates the environment’s behaviour, reaction to and interaction with the human occupants. This article describes the design of intelligent rooms…

ABSTRACT: This paper outlines a new emerging Information technology in domestic Architecture. The development of the new technologies make it possible within the room and the house to provide a whole new spectrum of environmental mechanisms and controls which may influence the way that space may be used and the environment designed generally. This paper…

ABSTRACT: The data generated within the construction industry has become increasingly overwhelming. Data mining technology presents an opportunity to increase significantly the rate at which the volumes of data generated through the maintenance process can be turned into useful information. This can be done using classification algorithms to discover patterns and correlations within a large…

ABSTRACT: Information in construction industry is delivered and interpreted in a language specific to the industry in which large complex objects are only partially described and with much information being implicit in the language used. Successful communication therefore relies on participants in the industry learning how to interpret the language through many years of education,…

ABSTRACT: In view of the current emphasis on energy conservation and building performance, computational design support tools can be readily applied to appraise new building designs. This study investigates the visual and energy performance of an air-conditioned multi-purpose school hall in Singapore when it is subjected to volumetric changes. Two computational support tools are used…

ABSTRACT: This paper presents an approach to the analysis of the dynamics of team design activities. The goal is to contribute to the future development of computer mediated collaborative design (CMCD) tools by providing a method to compare face-to-face collaborative design with CMCD. This approach is based on empirical techniques using “protocol analyses”. Traditional protocol…

ABSTRACT: This research is focused on developing a highly detailed understanding of current organisational interactions and information flows leading to a definition of the process model for the environment into which information and communication technology (ICT) applications will be placed. The authors of this paper propose a theoretical process model and the associated detailed information…

ABSTRACT: A demand-oriented requirement framework for the assessment of building performance on basis of computational simulation has been developed elsewhere (Schwede 2003). It acknowledged the operation phase domains “energy efficiency” and “comfort”, the sequential steps in the design process and current research in design science. In this paper a concept for an “interactive digital building…

ABSTRACT: Urban design directly impacts upon the built environment but the physical implications are not always visualised before determinations are made. The ability to create 3D digital models of urban environs, at both large and small scales has been available for years and a part of urban design. But the process is cumbersome and the…

ABSTRACT: This paper outlines an interdisciplinary approach, utilising architectural knowledge and computer imaging, to develop an analytical tool that describes the visual characteristics of a streetscape. By segmenting a digital image into regions defined by edges, the streetscape can be studied as an arrangement of regions or elements with a particular relationship. Different parts of…

ABSTRACT: Virtual architecture is a networked spatial environment designed using the metaphor of physical architecture (to avoid confusion, architecture as it is conventionally understood and practised, is referred to as “physical architecture” in this paper). By using the metaphor of physical architecture, virtual architecture inherits many visual and spatial characteristics. However, in order to further…

ABSTRACT: An ironic outcome of the debate on sustainability has been its use as a marketing tool and a device to promote increased consumption of products. In the built environment, it is used to sell the services of architects and designers and the products of those services. This paper references research findings from a collaborative…

ABSTRACT: There is a lack of assessment for environmental impacts of building during construction process. The paper examines criteria for assessment of the sustainability of the construction process of building. Buildings can be assessed at four stages of their lifecycle to evaluate the environmental impact of the construction process – pre-construction, during construction, post-construction and…