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Evaluating Urban Forms for Comparison Studies in the Massing Design Stage

Author

Listed:
  • Kian Wee Chen

    (CENSAM, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore 138602, Singapore)

  • Leslie Norford

    (Department of Architecture, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA)

Abstract

We introduce five performance indicators to facilitate the comparison of urban massing design in the early design stages. The five simple indicators are based on existing studies and cover three main performance areas that are sensitive to urban form changes: solar, ventilation, and connectivity potentials. The first three indicators—the non-solar heated façade to floor area index, daylight façade to floor area index, and photovoltaics envelope to floor area index—measure the solar potential. The frontal area index measures the ventilation potential and the route-directness index measures the connectivity potential. The indicators are simple to use, as they only require urban geometry data for their calculation. We demonstrate the indicators in two case studies; variations in the values of these indicators show that they are sensitive to urban form changes and can be used in comparative studies to identify better performing urban forms among massing designs. We implement the indicators as an open-source Python library, Pyliburo, that designers and researchers can readily access and integrate into their existing design workflows.

Suggested Citation

  • Kian Wee Chen & Leslie Norford, 2017. "Evaluating Urban Forms for Comparison Studies in the Massing Design Stage," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-17, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:6:p:987-:d:100911
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Givoni, B., 1994. "Urban design for hot humid regions," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 5(5), pages 1047-1053.
    2. Paul L. Knight & Wesley E. Marshall, 2015. "The metrics of street network connectivity: their inconsistencies," Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(3), pages 241-259, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dušan Katunský & Erika Dolníková & Bystrík Dolník, 2018. "Daytime Lighting Assessment in Textile Factories Using Connected Windows in Slovakia: A Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-20, February.

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