Use of a Knowledge Model for Integrated Performance Evaluation for Housing ( Re ) Design Towards Environmental Sustainability : A Case Study

This paper focuses on the development of a knowledge model in the context of energy efficiency and indoor comfort interventions, their impacts on each other and on architectural design preferences, for instance architectural expression or any spatial functionality aspect, via an existing house case study. In addition, it discusses how this type of model can be used in the framework of a decision support tool and be applied to the design and redesign of dwellings. The model is considered to provide an integral knowledge base for the design professional both to evaluate existing designs and to use it as a support during design and decision making in order to reach a most suitable solution, with optimal performance in terms of indoor comfort, energy efficiency, architectural and overall design performance. In other words, its aim is to enable the assessment of the performance of the end result with respect to design choices, beforehand. In this paper, design performance is modeled by means of fuzzy logic operations embedded in a neural tree structure. This method is able to deal with subjective and vague requirements such as low energy consumption, low overheating risk, high comfort, etc. The method of intelligent information processing is explained and a partial application is presented.

[1]  Edward Ng,et al.  Thermal Comfort in Urban Open Spaces for Hong Kong , 2006 .

[2]  Chitrarekha Kabre,et al.  A new thermal performance index for dwelling roofs in the warm humid tropics , 2010 .

[3]  Edna Shaviv,et al.  Simulations and knowledge-based computer-aided architectural design (CAAD) systems for passive and low energy architecture , 1996 .

[4]  M. Bohanec,et al.  The Analytic Hierarchy Process , 2004 .

[5]  P. Höppe,et al.  The physiological equivalent temperature – a universal index for the biometeorological assessment of the thermal environment , 1999, International journal of biometeorology.

[6]  Allen Newell,et al.  Human Problem Solving. , 1973 .

[7]  John S. Gero,et al.  COMPUTER-AIDED ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN—PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE , 1983 .

[8]  Ardeshir Mahdavi.  “Open” simulation environments: a “preference-based” approach , 1993 .

[9]  Yehuda E. Kalay.  The Future of CAAD: From Computer-aided Design to Computer-aided Collaboration , 1999 .

[10]  ‘Wrestle to be the man philosophy wished to make you’: Marcus Aurelius, reflective practitioner , 2009 .

[11]  Jared L. Cohon,et al.  Multiobjective programming and planning , 2004 .

[12]  John S. Gero,et al.  Design by Optimization in Architecture, Building, and Construction , 1988 .

[13]  Lachmi Khemlani.  GENWIN: A generative computer tool for window design in energy-conscious architecture , 1995 .

[14]  R. Betts,et al.  Climate and more sustainable cities: climate information for improved planning and management of cities (producers/capabilities perspective) , 2010 .

[15]  R. J. Bogumil,et al.  The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action , 1985, Proceedings of the IEEE.

[16]  Michael S. Bittermann,et al.  A cognitive system based on fuzzy information processing and multi-objective evolutionary algorithm , 2009, 2009 IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation.

[17]  Donald A. Schön.  Beyond the stable state: Public and private learning in a changing society , 1971 .

[18]  John S. Gero,et al.  Knowledge-Based Design Systems , 1989 .

[19]  Edward Ng,et al.  Urban climatic map studies: a review , 2011 .

[20]  Thomas A. Dutton,et al.  The Design Studio: An Exploration of its Traditions and Potential , 1989 .

[21]  Thomas Thiis-Evensen,et al.  Archetypes in Architecture , 1990 .

[22]  Kristina Shea,et al.  Towards integrated performance-driven generative design tools , 2004 .

[23]  Nikola Kasabov,et al.  Foundations Of Neural Networks, Fuzzy Systems, And Knowledge Engineering [Books in Brief] , 1996, IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks.

[24]  O. Ciftcioglu,et al.  A Neural Fuzzy System for Soft Computing , 2007, NAFIPS 2007 - 2007 Annual Meeting of the North American Fuzzy Information Processing Society.

[25]  William J. Mitchell,et al.  The Logic of Architecture: Design, Computation, and Cognition , 1992 .