Expert decision support for early design stage of facades for office buildings in Belgium: A parametric approach

Abstract

Design decision-making during the early stages of facade development has an influence on the final performance of buildings. Moreover, as sustainable buildings are becoming increasingly important, the role of the architects and designers is to integrate their design with the energetic analysis. Thus, this increases the design decision fatigue and requires considerable time to work through a building simulation tool, especially when there are many choices and possibilities. This study presents an approach based on building performance criteria. In particular, this thesis investigates a parametric design for façades of office buildings in cities with a climate similar to that of Belgium. The adapted methodology is to develop a parallel coordinator graph for facades in a user-friendly tool (Design Explorer) passing by a parametric design tool (Grasshopper) with environmental plugins (Honeybee and Ladybug) and based on European standards and norms. In addition, a focus on the most influential parameters that we should be aware of during the decision-making is discussed. Finally, we obtain many options to help façade designers choose between and arrive at the optimal choice combining the desired design target and their energetic needs. In conclusion, this thesis helps to reduce design decision fatigue and guide architects and designers towards a better decision.