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Conventional approaches of evaluating spatial layout configurations typically involved universal understandings of aspects like connectivity, proximity and visibility, while possibly discarding both partially true solutions and ranges of parameters affecting detailed spatial relations. With the growing need to address spatial uncertainty and ambiguity, the incorporation of methods that embrace soft qualities in design is becoming increasingly significant in spatial layout planning.

The authors introduce a fuzzy-based approach for the automated assessment of architectural spatial layout configurations while addressing ambiguity in layout design. The authors evaluate soft interdependent design qualities like connectedness, enclosure and spaciousness to satisfy multiple mutually inclusive criteria and account for all logical solutions without discarding likely or less likely solutions. The authors analyze spatial entities, parameters and relations and identify rulesets for logical configurations using linguistic variables, fuzzy sets, membership functions and descriptive rule blocks. As a case study, the authors use grasshopper and fuzzyTECH to represent four pilot layout alternates with varying attributes and a case study focusing on one specific spatial criterion.

Multiple complex and nuanced spatial relations were inferred by evaluating spatial outputs and their inherent discrepancies and correlations, thus confirming the assumption that fuzzy-based systems could potentially satisfy multiple mutually inclusive criteria and account for exhaustive logical solutions without discarding preferable, likely or less likely solutions.

Most precedent approaches focus on spatial layout design from an occupancy-centered perspective, where occupancy patterns and possibilities are identified in loosely defined spaces or behavioral usage patterns. The added value in this paper involves including a wide array of spatial inputs to describe soft spatial qualities using nuanced rule-based descriptors.

Material-based computation has been recently introduced in architectural education, where parameters and rules related to materials are integrated into algorithmic thinking. The authors aim to identify affordances of material-based computation in terms of supporting the understanding of parametric design, informing the process of parametric form finding in an educational setup and augmenting student learning outcomes.

The authors propose a material-informed holistic systems design framework for parametric form finding. The authors develop a pedagogical approach that employs material-based computation focusing on the interplay between the physical and the digital in a parametrically driven façade design exercise. The approach comprises two phases: (1) enabling physical exploration with different materials to arrive at the design logic of a panel prototype and (2) deducing embedded and controlled parameters, based on the interplay of materials and deriving strategies for pattern propagation of the panel on a façade composition using variation and complexity.

The results confirmed the initial hypothesis, where the more explicit the material exploration and identification of physical rules and relations, the more nuanced the parametrically driven process, where students expressed a clear goal oriented generative logic and utilized parametric design to inform form finding as a bottom-up approach.

Most precedent approaches developed to teach parametric design concepts in architectural education have focused on universal strategies that often result in fixating students on following standard blindly followed scripts and procedures, thus defying the purpose of a bottom-up form finding framework. The approach expands the pedagogical strategies employed to address parametric design as a form finding process.

Despite the dramatic increase in construction toward additive manufacturing, several challenges are faced using natural materials such as Earth and salt compared to the most market-useable materials in 3D printing as concrete which consumes high carbon emission.

Characterization and mechanical tests were conducted on 19 samples for three natural binders in dry and wet tests to mimic the additive manufacturing process in order to reach an efficient extrudable and printable mixture that fits the 3D printer.

Upon testing compressive strength against grain size, compaction, cohesion, shape, heat and water content, X-Salt was shown to record high compressive strength of 9.5 MPa. This is equivalent to old Karshif and fire bricks and surpasses both rammed Earth and new Karshif. Material flow analysis for X-Salt assessing energy usage showed that only 10% recycled waste was produced by the end of the life cycle compared to salt.

Findings are expected to upscale the use of 3D salt printing in on-site and off-site architectural applications.

Findings contribute to attempts to resolve challenges related to vernacular architecture using 3D salt printing with sufficient stability.

Benefits include recyclability and minimum environmental impact. Social aspects related to technology integration remain however for further research.

This paper expands the use of Karshif, a salt-based traditional building material in Egypt's desert by using X-Salt, a salt-base and natural adhesive, and investigating its printability by testing its mechanical properties to reach a cleaner and low-cost sustainable 3D printed mixture.

Cities lying within conflict zones have continually faced hardships of both war aftermath and long-term sustainable reconstruction. Challenges have surpassed the typical question of recovery from post-conflict trauma, preserving urban heritage and iconic elements of the built environment, to face issues of critical decision making, rebuilding effectiveness and funding mechanisms, leading to time-consuming processes that lack adequate consistent long-term management. Some approaches have explored methods of effective long-term city reconstruction management but have not fully developed comprehensive approaches that alleviate the management of such complex processes. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

The authors devise an approach for the smart management of post-conflict city reconstruction. The authors focus on evaluation, strategic planning, reconstruction projects and implementation. The authors integrate building information modeling and geographic/geospatial information systems in a platform that allows for real-time analysis, reporting, strategic planning and decision making for managing reconstruction operations and projects among involved stakeholders including government agencies, funding organizations, city managers and public participants.

The approach suggested a smart management system for the reconstruction process of post-conflict cities. Implementing this system was shown to provide a multi-objective solution for post-conflict city reconstruction based on its interlinked modules.

Results may lack generalizability and require testing on several cases to provide rigorous findings for different case studies.

Implications include developing smart management systems for use by city managers and government authorities in post-conflict zones, as well as bottom-up decision making by including participant citizens especially populations in the diaspora.

The approach offers an integrated platform that informs city reconstruction decision makers, allowing for strategic planning tools for efficient planning, monitoring tools for continuous management during and after reconstruction, and effective platforms for communication among all stakeholders.

Conventional motion mechanisms in adaptive skins require rigid kinematic mechanical systems that require sensors and actuation devices, hence impeding the adoption of zero-energy buildings. This paper aims to exploit wooden responsive actuators as a passive approach for adaptive facades with dynamic shading configurations. Wooden passive actuators are introduced as a passive responsive mechanism with zero-energy consumption.

The study encodes the embedded hygroscopic parameters of wood through 4D printing of wooden composites as a responsive wooden actuator. Several physical experiments focus on controlling the printed hygroscopic parameters based on the effect of 3D printing grain patterns and infill height on the wooden angle of curvature when exposed to variation in humidity. The printed hygroscopic parameters are applied on two types of wooden actuators with difference in the saturation percentage of wood in the wooden filaments specifically 20% and 40% for more control on the angle of curvature and response behavior.

The study presents the ability to print wooden grain patterns that result in single and double curved surfaces. Also, printing actuators with variation in infill height control each part of wooden actuator to response separately in a controlled passive behavior. The results show a passive programmed self-actuated mechanism that can enhance responsive façade design with zero-energy consumption through utilizing both material science and additive manufacturing mechanisms.

The study presents a set of controlled printed hygroscopic parameters that stretch the limits in controlling the response of printed wood to humidity instead of the typical natural properties of wood.

This research investigates the means of tacit knowledge (TK) communication between the designer and the computer in architectural design. Despite the integration of state-of-the-art computational technologies in different design phases, this integration happens within a limited scope, focusing mainly on tangible aspects of the design process, such as technical systems and visual representations. This lets architectural design miss the wider scope technology provides, where it can help in developing the computational design process through incorporating new intangible knowledge domains that were usually neglected, such as tacit knowledge, and through incorporating more design entities that were not included in the design process before.

The study conducts an interdisciplinary analytical review of the literature to achieve two main research goals. The first goal investigates TK communication between human beings and the second understands approaches of TK communication between humans and computers. For each goal, three phases were implemented; an initial research phase, where main keywords are identified, a sampling and selection of literature phase and an analysis of literature phase.

Through interlinking findings from different disciplines, the study presents a theoretical framework for TK communication. The framework provides architects with an approach to construct and transfer TK while using the computer in a computational design environment, presenting an individual and a social set of conditions and factors revealed from the review of the analyzed literature. The framework particularly emphasizes the significance of a human–computer symbiotic relationship for the process of TK communication to take place.

This paper presents a novel interdisciplinary reading into the literature of fields beyond architectural design, incorporating intangible knowledge domains into the computational design process and expanding the capabilities of computational design tools to allow for the transfer of intangible design attributes between different design entities, particularly tacit design knowledge.

The purpose of this paper is to study the thermal behavior of radial porous fin surrounded by water-base copper nanoparticles under the influence of radiation.

In order to optimize the response variable, the authors perform sensitivity analysis with the aid of response surface methodology (RSM). Moreover, this study enlightens the applications of artificial neural networks (ANN) for predicting the temperature gradient. The governing modeled equations are firstly non-dimensionalized and then solved with the aid of Runge–Kutta fourth order together with the shooting method in order to guess the initial conditions.

Numerical results are analyzed and presented in the form of tables and graphs. This study reveals that the temperature of the fin is decreasing as the wet porous parameter increases (m₂) and the temperature for 10% concentration of nanoparticles are higher than 5 and 1%. Physical parameters involved in the study are analyzed and processed through RSM. It is come to know that sensitivity of temperature gradient to radiative parameter (Nr) and convective parameter (Nc) is positive and negative to dimensionless ambient temperature (θ_a). Furthermore, after ANN training it can be argued that the established model can efficiently be used to predict the temperature gradient over a radial porous fin for the copper-water nanofluid flow.

To the best of our knowledge, only a few attempts have been made to analyze the thermal behavior of radial porous fin surrounded by copper-based nanofluid under the influence of radiation and convection.