The global trend towards urbanisation explains the growing interest in the study of the modification of the urban climate due to the heat island effect and global warming, and its impact on energy use of buildings. Also urban comfort, health and durability, referring respectively to pedestrian wind/ thermal comfort, pollutant dispersion and wind-driven rain are of interest. Urban Physics is a wellestablished discipline, incorporating relevant branches of physics, environmental chemistry, aerodynamics, meteorology and statistics. Therefore, Urban Physics is well positioned to provide keycontributions to the current urban problems and challenges. The present paper addresses the role of Urban Physics in the study of wind comfort, thermal comfort, energy demand, pollutant dispersion and wind-driven rain. Furthermore, the three major research methods applied in Urban Physics, namely field experiments, wind tunnel experiments and numerical simulations are discussed. Case studies illustrate the current challenges and the relevant contributions of Urban Physics.
This study is a post-occupancy evaluation of residential satisfaction in Oniru Estate, Lagos, Nigeria. It conceived residents’ satisfaction as a measure of people’s attitudes towards certain aspects of their residential environment. The very important role of certain physical quality or characteristics of the environment as a dominant predictor of satisfaction is emphasized. Apart from the measurement of residential satisfaction through post-occupancy evaluation, it also utilized respondents’ satisfaction scores as indices for evaluating the performance of residential development in the study area. Analysis was done using Chi-square statistics (
This paper provides a systematic literature review on simplified building models. Questions are answered like: What kind of modelling approaches are applied? What are their (dis)advantages? What are important modelling aspects? The review showed that simplified building models can be classified into neural network models (black box), linear parametric models (black box or grey box) and lumped capacitance models (white box). Research has mainly dealt with network topology, but more research is needed on the influence of input parameters. The review showed that particularly the modelling of the influence of sun irradiation and thermal capacitance is not performed consistently amongst researchers. Furthermore, a model with physical meaning, dealing with both temperature and relative humidity, is still lacking. Inverse modelling has been widely applied to determine models parameters. Different optimization algorithms have been used, but mainly the conventional Gaus–Newton and the newer genetic algorithms. However, the combination of algorithms to combine their strengths has not been researched. Despite all the attention for state of the art building performance simulation tools, simplified building models should not be forgotten since they have many useful applications. Further research is needed to develop a simplified hygric and thermal building model with physical meaning.
Computation-based approaches in design have emerged in the last decades and rapidly became popular among architects and other designers. Design professionals and researchers adopted different terminologies to address these approaches. However, some terms are used ambiguously and inconsistently, and different terms are commonly used to express the same concept. This paper discusses computational design (CD) and proposes an improved and sound taxonomy for a set of key CD terms, namely, parametric, generative, and algorithmic design, based on an extensive literature review from which different definitions by various authors were collected, analyzed, and compared.
This paper is a comprehensive study on the progress in research on Chinese urbanization. On the basis of the concept and connotation of Chinese urbanization defined by Chinese scholars, the paper systematically collects the research results on the issues concerning urbanization in China from the different approaches of demography, geography, city planning, economics and history, reviewing the process of research on Chinese urbanization made both domestically and internationally. In this paper, the domestic studies fall into five periods as follows: the initial period of research on urbanization in China (1978-1983); the period with both domestically constructed and borrowed theories on urbanization (1984-1988); the period of research on leading urbanization factors and localization (1989-1997); the period with the research greatly promoted by the government (1998-2004); and the period featuring flourishing studies on the science of urbanization in China (2005 till today). In contrast, the overseas research on Chinese urbanization can be divided into three periods: the period studying the history of urbanization in China (before the 1970s); the systematic research on Chinese urbanization (1970-1999); and the comprehensive research on Chinese urbanization (2000 till today). The paper focuses on the key results of research on Chinese urbanization, including nine issues as follows: the guidelines and road for urban development in China, the features of Chinese urbanization, the mechanism driving the growth of Chinese urbanization, the process of Chinese urbanization, the spatial patterns of Chinese urbanization, the urbanization in rural areas in China, the comparison of urbanization in China and other countries, and globalization and regional urbanization.
In the past few decades, the use of glass in buildings has remarkably increased. As a result, several transparent buildings have been constructed, in which the materials have almost disappeared. Given that the advancement of architecture is inextricably linked to the acquisition of general knowledge on future developments, this study was conducted to predict the paths of development that glass structures are likely to take in the future. Investigations such as this increase the possibility of advancing both design and construction at the same speed as technology. To achieve this goal, this study evaluates the present situation by investigating new possibilities and assessing their effect on the development of glass buildings. The findings of this study show that the durability, safety, appearance, and efficiency of transparent buildings can be improved through continuous refinement of designs, replacement of aged elements, prompt repair of damaged protective coatings, and greater exploitation of double-sided screens.
The effect of courtyards as microclimate modifiers on the sustainability of traditional houses in a region with BWks mesoclimate in Iran was explored. The principle behind traditional Iranian courtyards was investigated to identify the most influential physical–environmental character-istics that can effectively improve energy efficiency in contemporary residential buildings. A field study was performed to analyze various physical elements of six valuable traditional courtyard houses located in a region with BWks mesoclimate in Iran. These elements included the orientation, extension, rotation angle, dimensions, and proportions of enclosed and open spaces, as well as physical bodies (opaquewalls), transparent surfaces (openings), and natural elements (waterandsoil). Results showed that most of the studied Iranian courtyards were particularly designed to enable orientation, dimension, and proportion to act as microclimate modifiers. All survey-based data were summarized and integrated to propose a physical–environmental design model for courtyards as a useful energy-efficient strategy for contem-porary sustainable housing in a region with BWks mesoclimate. The proposed model can be generalized to all design cases located in areas with similar climatic conditions.
The development and use of design technology for architecture in the modern world have led to the emergence of various design methodologies. Current design research has focused on a computationally mediated design process. This method is essentially concerned with finding forms and building performance simulation, i.e., structural, environmental, constructional, and cost performance, by integrating physics and algorithms. From the emergence of this process, design practices have been increasingly aided by and dependent on the technology, which has resulted in a major paradigm shift. Advancement of the new technology has the potential to improve design and productivity dramatically. However, related literature shows that substantial technical and organizational barriers exist. These barriers inhibit the effective adoption of these technologies. The effect of these obstacles on architectural practice varies depending on the size of an architectural organization. To further understand the problem, we conducted an in-depth study on several small, medium, and large architectural organizations. This study involves in-depth evaluation of technological, financial, organizational, governmental, psychological, and process barriers encountered in the adoption of digital innovation. Results reveal relevant attributes and patterns of variables, which can be used to establish a framework for digital innovation adoption. Valuable findings of this study reveal that smaller architectural organizations present more barriers to digital innovation compared with their larger counterparts. This study is important because it contributes to the research on digital innovation in architecture and addresses the barriers faced by different sizes of architectural organizations.
The objective of this study was to develop an adaptive thermal comfort equation for naturally ventilated buildings in hot-humid climates. The study employed statistical meta-analysis of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) RP-884 database, which covered several climatic zones. The data were carefully sorted into three climate groups including hot-humid, hot-dry, and moderate and were analyzed separately. The results revealed that the adaptive equations for hot-humid and hot-dry climates were analogous with approximate regression coefficients of 0.6, which were nearly twice those of ASHRAE and European standards 55 and EN15251, respectively. The equation using the daily mean outdoor air temperature had the highest coefficient of determination for hot-humid climate, compared with other mean temperatures that considered acclimatization of previous days. Acceptable comfort ranges showed asymmetry and leaned toward operative temperatures below thermal neutrality for all climates. In the hot-humid climate, a lower comfort limit was not observed for naturally ventilated buildings, and the adaptive equation was influenced by indoor air speed rather than indoor relative humidity. The new equation developed in this study can be applied to tropical climates and hot-humid summer seasons of temperate climates.
Cooling is one of the major concerns in building tropical houses. This problem is exacerbated by the heat gain of the roof, which constitutes 70% of the total heat gain. The passive cooling technique is one of the innovative practices and technologies that provide buildings with comfortable conditions through natural means. Reflective and radiative processes are the methods used to decrease heat gain by facilitating the elimination of excess heat in a building's interior to maintain a comfortable environment. Given that the potential of these techniques vary from region to region, their application in the tropics should be examined.
Exploring these approaches in detail allows us to rethink how to effectively adapt these techniques to overcome the build-up of heat in modern tropical houses in Southeast Asia. This study reviews the physical characteristics of these approaches to guide architects and building designers. Results indicate a great reduction in operational cost. However, the significant differences in the performance of colour and material properties should be considered, given that the selected approach strongly affects the required thermal conditions of a building.
This paper presents a method for the automatic generation of a spatial architectural layout from a user-specified architectural program. The proposed approach binds a multi-agent topology finding system and an evolutionary optimization process. The former generates topology satisfied layouts for further optimization, while the latter focuses on refining the layouts to achieve predefined architectural criteria.The topology finding process narrows the search space and increases the performance in subsequent optimization. Results imply that the spatial layout modeling and themulti-floor topology are handled.
Passive design responds to local climate and site conditions in order to maximise the comfort and health of building users while minimising energy use. The key to designing a passive building is to take best advantage of the local climate. Passive cooling refers to any technologies or design features adopted to reduce the temperature of buildings without the need for power consumption. Consequently, the aim of this study is to test the usefulness of applying selected passive cooling strategies to improve thermal performance and to reduce energy consumption of residential buildings in hot arid climate settings, namely Dubai, United Arab Emirates. One case building was selected and eight passive cooling strategies were applied. Energy simulation software- namely IES- was used to assess the performance of the building. Solar shading performance was also assessed using Sun Cast Analysis, as a part of the IES software. Energy reduction was achieved due to both the harnessing of natural ventilation and the minimising of heat gain in line with applying good shading devices alongside the use of double glazing. Additionally, green roofing proved its potential by acting as an effective roof insulation. The study revealed several significant findings including that the total annual energy consumption of a residential building in Dubai may be reduced by up to 23.6% when a building uses passive cooling strategies.
The Adaptive Solar Facade (ASF) is a modular, highly integrated dynamic building facade.The energetic behavior as well as the architectural expression of the facade can be controlled with high spatio-temporal resolution through individually addressable modules. We present the general design process, the current mechanical design, and simulation results on photovoltaic power production and building energy consumption. We introduce the controller concept and show results on solar tracking as well as user interaction. Lastly, we present our current and planned prototypes.
Due to the increasing pressure brought by recent global environmental problems, building designers are embracing regionalism and the knowledge of traditional structures, arguing that these structures are energy efficient and highly sustainable. We observe clear evidence of the increasing interest in vernacular architecture among the research community. This study therefore aims to clarify the contents and issues raised in the studies on vernacular architecture and the knowledge and recommendations that can be derived from them. A database of the research is established by collecting many studies from primary sources. Obtained data is carefully refined and categorized into a table where synthesized information is introduced. The results of this study show an uneven geographic and climatic distribution of the studies; the trend in selecting research objectives and research objects; the choice of research methods with a clear shift towards quantitative research methods, and the generic findings from the database of the research. These results can support diverse inquiries about vernacular architecture across the world and be used as a resource or an orientation to support numerous subsequent studies.
The adoption of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) in glazing systems was proposed to increase the heat capacity of the fenestration, being some PCMs partially transparent to visible radiation. The aim of the PCM glazing concept was to let (part) of the visible spectrum of the solar radiation enter the indoor environment, providing daylighting, while absorbing (the largest part of) the infrared radiation.
In this paper, the influence of the PCM glazing configuration is investigated by means of numerical simulations carried out with a validated numerical model. Various triple glazing configurations, where one of the two cavities is filled with a PCM, are simulated, and PCM melting temperatures are investigated.
The investigation is carried out in a humid subtropical climate (Cfa according to K?ppen climate classifi-cation), and ‘‘typical days’’ for each season are used. The results show that the position of the PCM layer (inside the outer or the inner cavity) has a relevant influence on the thermo-physical behaviour of the PCM glazing system. PCM glazing systems (especially those with the PCM layer inside the outermost cavity) can be beneficial in terms of thermal comfort. The assessment of the energy performance and efficiency is instead more complex and sometimes controversial. All the configurations are able to reduce the solar gain during the daytime, but sometimes the behaviour of the PCM glazing is less efficient than the reference one.
A passive skylight system is a significant building design element that provides an ideal condition for interior spaces. However, the use of this system is limited to specific climatic regions because of its considerable effect on the indoor environment. Malaysia is a tropical country that has favorable natural benefits, such as solar geometry and natural light, which can brighten building interiors throughout the year. However, harnessing this benefit affects spaces, especially those in single-story buildings, because of excessive natural loads. This study reviews a concept to understand the passive behavior of solar radiation in the form of light and heat that falls on, interacts with, and is emitted from a skylight system in a single-story building. The study method is theoretically based on descriptive analysis to assess design requirements. The review shows that designs grounded on the physical aspects of climate (influenced variables), materials (design variables), and human comfort (affected variables) in one process (ESI) can develop the architectural way of thinking rather than estimate the condition based on a limited perspective. This assumption indicates that the adoption of this concept in the preliminary design stage will enable designers to balance the building environment effectively.
Worker safety during construction is widely accepted, but the selection of safe sites for a building isgenerally not considered. Safe site selection (SSS) largely depends upon compiling, analyzing, and refining the information of an area where a building is likely to be located. The locational and topographical aspects of an area located in hilly regions play a major role in SSS, but are generally neglected in traditional and CAD-based systems used for site selection. Architects and engineers select a site based on their judgment, knowledge, and experience, but issues related to site safety are generally ignored. This study reviewed the existing literature on site selection techniques, building codes, and approaches of existing standards to identify various aspects crucial for SSS in hilly regions. A questionnaire survey was conducted to identify various aspects that construction professionals consider critical for SSS. This study explored the application of geographic information systems (GIS) in modeling the locational and topographical aspects to identify areas of suitability. A GIS-based methodology for locating a safe site that satisfies various spatial safety aspects was developed.
In order to achieve holistic urban plans incorporating transport infrastructure, public space and the behavior of people in these spaces, integration of urban design and computer modeling is a promising way to provide both qualitative and quantitative support to decisionmakers. This paper describes a systematic literature review following a four-part framework. Firstly, to understand the relationship of elements of transport, spaces, and humans, we review policy and urban design strategies for promoting positive interactions. Secondly, we present an overview of the integration methods and strategies used in urban design and policy discourses. Afterward, metrics and approaches for evaluating the effectiveness of integrated plan alternatives are reviewed. Finally, this paper gives a review of state-of-the-art tools with a focus on seven computer simulation paradigms. This article explores mechanisms underlying the complex system of transport, spaces, and humans from a multidisciplinary perspective to provide an integrated toolkit for designers, planners, modelers and decision-makers with the current methods and their challenges.
The shapes of trees are complex and fractal-like, and they have a set of physical, mechanical and biological functions. The relation between them always draws attention of human beings throughout history and, focusing on the relation between shape and structural strength, architects have designed a number of treelike structures, referred as dendriforms. The replication and adoption of the treelike patterns for constructing architectural structures have been varied in different time periods based on the existing and advanced knowledge and available technologies. This paper, by briefly discussing the biological functions and the mechanical properties of trees with regard to their shapes, overviews and investigates the chronological evolution and advancements of dendriform and arboreal structures in architecture referring to some important historical as well as contemporary examples.
The design studio environment has remained the same throughout the past century. As the Studio Culture Task Force of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) (Koch et al., 2006) noted, the ongoing changes in architecture education are not aligned with today's fastchanging world, especially in the context of architectural practice. The AIAS analyzed the design studio problem and expressed doubts on the effectiveness of current studio practices in providing adequate design-thinking education. The report indicates that studio culture values project appearance instead of the actual design process. In recent years, similar problems have been the topic of debates in Khartoum. Criticisms are mostly centered on the observation that students show no interest in the design process and tend to focus on form making. As a result, efforts to teach design methods and to restore the balance between creativity and rationality in the design process have failed. The reason is related to the difficulties associated with the implicit nature of conventional design methods. These difficulties, which are common in architecture schools, include the lack of a clearly defined design methodology and the misunderstood role of the systematic approach to design in the studio. Nevertheless, signs of change are gradually emerging, as demonstrated by the global call for change in the studio environment. This call for change indicates a general agreement on the need for the reorientation of architectural design education toward an engaging policy that considers the social responsibility of architects. This study proposes that the route for change is through the return of rationalism in the studio. Since the 1960 s, many writers have recognized the importance of balancing rationality and creativity, which are mutually interdependent, in the design process. From this perspective, the research question is drawn: how can we bridge the gap between the rational and the creative design activities in the design process? A theory that conceptualizes the idea of knowledge interdependence does not exist. The available design theories, such as rational problem solving and reflective-in-action theory, deal with different aspects of design activity. Both theories fail to describe the integration of the rational and the creative aspects of the design process. Therefore, we propose the integration of the two theories into a new theory called the integrated design paradigm. The proposed theory serves as a theoretical base upon which the interdependence of the rational and the creative phases of the design process can be conceptualized. We aim to bridge the gap between the two design phases by considering research knowledge interdependency as a unifying activity. The first phase is a systematic method involving research, the use of positive theory, and the production of basic principles. The creative practice phase also involves research and focuses on understanding the rational knowledge developed in the systematic phase, including the basic principles and design strategy, as well as on the application of these concepts to the design problem.
The Department of Architecture and Urban Planning at the Ethiopian Institute of Technology EiT of Mekelle University (MU) is currently developing a research program in which the development of and reflection on design methods is a key research area. Within this framework, the present study is intends to be an introductory effort to guide future empirical research. The present study aims to describe the design process of architects, and introduces theoretical and technical frameworks. The integrated design paradigm as a system of inquiry within the spatial relationship strategy is framed.
The national qualification framework of a country requires a certain level of knowledge and complexity of skills for an academic degree to be recognized. For architectural programs, student work load is heavy on design courses. Therefore, each course must be carefully developed to ensure that students are not over loaded. Teaching and learning strategies have different implications for courses, which occasionally result in over loading the students. This research aims to study the three main pillars of teaching and learning strategies for each design phase in pedagogic design studios. The most appropriate model for each teaching and learning strategy, including a set of the three main pillars, is then identified for each design phase. A practical strategy for managing design studios is also determined. The aforementioned three pillars are as follows: teaching and learning methods, assigned tasks or study aspects, and design communication techniques. Two research methods, namely, a literature review and a survey among design educators, are adopted. The literature review examines aspects that contribute to the design process and its phases, teaching methods, design skills, communication methods, and studio management strategies. On the basis of the literature review, the background of developments and practices in the design education process are used as constructive tools to develop the survey for design educators. Through the survey, the pillars of teaching and learning strategies that are frequently practiced in design studios are evaluated. Results of this study are classified into three ranks using the nature break classification method for numerical values. Subsequently, three priority models that correspond to teaching and learning strategies, as well as to the required skills and capabilities, are established. A group-based strategy with an interdisciplinary approach is also determined to be the most suitable technique for managing the pedagogy of architectural design studios to achieve holistic designs.
Planning the design of the emergency department (ED) is a complex process. Hospital leaders and architects must consider many complex and interdependent factors, including evolving market demands, patient volume, care models, operational processes, staffing, and medical equipment. The application of digital tools, such as discrete event simulation (DES) and space syntax analysis (SSA), allows hospital administrators and designers to quantitatively and objectively optimize their facilities. This paper presents a case study that utilized both DES and SSA to optimize the care process and to design the space in an ED environment. DES was applied in three phases: master planning, process improvement in the existing ED, and designing the new ED. SSA was used to compare the new design with the existing layout to evaluate the effectiveness of the new design in supporting visual surveillance and care coordination.
This case study demonstrates that DES and SSA are effective tools for facilitating decision-making related to design, reducing capital and operational costs, and improving organizational performance. DES focuses on operational processes and care flow. SSA complements DES with its strength in linking space to human behavior. Combining both tools can lead to high-performance ED design and can extend to broad applications in health care.
In the digital age, physical models are still used as major tools in architectural and urban design processes. The reason why designers still use physical models remains unclear. In addition, physical and 3D virtual models have yet to be differentiated. The answers to these questions are too complex to account for in all aspects. Thus, this study only focuses on the differences in spatial understanding between physical and virtual models. In particular, it emphasizes on the perception of scale. For our experiment, respondents were shown a physical model and a virtual model consecutively. A questionnaire was then used to ask the respondents to evaluate these models objectively and to establish which model was more accurate in conveying object size. Compared with the virtual model, the physical model tended to enable quicker and more accurate comparisons of building heights.
This study investigates the effect of house-types on the assessment of residential quality in Osogbo, Nigeria. Through a questionnaire survey , this study employs a stratified systematic sampling method to select 406 (10%) households from three (3) major residential districts of Osogbo. Data are analyzed using descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The study showed that 80% and 14.8% of the respondents live in contemporary vernacular houses, that is, the “face-me-i-face-you” house, andwesternapartmenthouses, respectively. Meanwhile 2.5%, 1.5%, and 1.2% of the respondents live in duplexes, single family houses, and traditional courtyard dwellings, respectively. This result suggests that in Osogbo, the Yoruba traditional courtyard house-type is gradually being replaced by the contemporary vernacular house and the western apartment house-type. Confirming the linear relationship and level of significance among the variables, the ANOVA Test F-value is 2.17 (where p<0.05 probability level), which indicates that house-type significantly affects the assessment of residential quality in Osogbo. The need for the government and others involved in housing delivery to consider the appropriate house-types for and residential preferences of end-users within different sub-cultures when planning for future housing in Nigeria is highlighted.
Manifestations of sustainable design require renewable resources, impact the environment minimally, and connect people with the natural environment. This article is aimed to investigate the concept of Iranian traditional courtyards, as microclimate modifiers, for sustainable building design in hot-arid regions. To this end, a quantitative field survey is conducted to analyze various physicalel ements including the orientation, dimensions and proportions of enclosed and open spaces, physical bodies (opaque walls), and transparent surfaces (openings) as well as natural elements (water and soil) in nine valuable Iranian traditional courtyard houses from BWhs mesoclimate. In conclusion, all survey-based data are integrated to proposea physical–environmental design model for courtyards in this region. Proposed model can be generalized to all design cases, where located in BWhs mesoclimate with similar environmental conditions.
The development of sustainability has made the application of green concepts to cityscapes and urban design mandatory and has popularized the installation of vegetation on external street walls. Introducing greenery on external building elements is beneficial to the environment, reducing the heat impact experienced in “urban heat islands” and enhancing an area's visual effect. The popularity of such green systems has necessitated the assessment of their acoustic characteristics and their impact on long-distance noise propagation. These effects become important in hot climates, where the topology of the dense urban texture gives building walls larger areas than exposed streets, thereby amplifying the effects of the former's acoustic characteristics on noise levels. Considering the resultant sound level at a particular location between buildings as the contribution of several remote sources, a simplified computer model based on energy exchange is developed in this study. Owing to the complexity of the urban landscape, buildings are assumed to be an array of rectangular blocks. The computer model is used to investigate the effects of the installation of street vertical vegetation on long-distance noise propagation, as well as those of the geometric parameters of the dense Islamic urban texture on the resultant noise levels.
The presented work addresses the topic of energy savings in existing public buildings, when nosignificant retrofits on building envelope or plants can be done and savings can be achieved bydesigning intelligent ICT-based service to monitor and control environmental conditions, energy loads and plants operation. At the end of 2010 the European Commission, within the Seventh Framework Program, has founded a project entitled “Smart Energy Efficient Middleware for Public Spaces” (SEEMPubS). To achieve this goal the project will implement, in a set of demonstrator buildings, an interoperable web-based software and hardware solution for real-time monitoring and control of lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning services, through both wired and wireless sensor networks. In this paper the first phase of the project, concerning the selection of the environments to be used as demonstrator and the definition of the control and monitoring strategies to reduce energy consumptions for lighting and air conditioning, are presented.
In educational environments an improvement in the quality of interior lighting has a direct benefit in increasing productivity and alertness of students and teachers, as well as very important implications for the energy efficiency of th eeducation facilities but when a replacement with different lighting is analyzed, research may be tarnished by users’ preformed opinions, influenced by manufacturers and advertising. Consequently, it is necessary to understand the users’ point of view, even before of being subjected to any change in the lighting stimulus.
Based on the Kansei Engineering framework, the general objective of this paper is to evaluate and compare the subjective evaluation of students’ pre-formed opinions to lighting provided by two types of lamps (fluorescentandLED). The subjective assessment of 427 university students has been compared over four years. The results show significant differences in students’ subjective evaluation. This finding highlights the existence of symbolic or functional attributes of the usefulness perceived by the student that could influence on investigations in which different types of lighting are compared.
Prevailing city design in many countries has created sedentary societies that depend on automobile use. Consequently, architects, urban designers, and land planners have developed new urban design theories, which have beenincorporated into the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND)certification system. The LEED-ND includes design elements that improve human well-being by facilitating walking and biking, a concept known as walkability.Despite these positive developments, relevant research findings from other fields of study have not been fully integrated into the LEED-ND.According to Zuniga-Teran (2015), relevant walkability research findings from multipled isciplines were organized into a walkability framework (WF) that organizes design elements related to physical activity into nine categories, namely, connectivity, land use, density, traffic safety, surveillance, parking, experience, greenspace, and community. In this study, we analyze walkability in the LEED-ND through the lens of the nine WF categories. Through quantitative andq ualitative analyses, we identify gaps and strengths in the LEED-ND and propose potential enhancements to this certification system that reflects what is known about enhancing walkability more comprehensively through neighborhood designan alysis. This work seeks to facilitate the translation of research into practice, which can ultimately lead to more active and healthier societies.
One of the most influential factors in architectural design is creativity. The enhancement of student creativity is a universally sought objective. This research hypothesized that computer-aided design, experience, sketching, physical modeling, learning environment, and images and visual references can serve as powerful tools to stimulate creativity in the architectural design process. It sought to investigate which of these components has the greatest impact on increasing student creativity. A total of 114 bachelor students and 347 master students of Architecture were surveyed using a questionnaire. Data were then analyzed using SPSS and one sample t-test and Friedman test for ranking. Results showed that experience can significantly increase the creativity of students in the architectural design process compared to the other components.