Portfolio(2012-2023) Sihui(Iris) Chen

RESILIENT HUB

3rd Place in Solar Decathlon 2021

Instructor: Holly Samuelson

5-Member Teamwork

Individual Contribution: Research, Concepts, Programs, Structure, Interiors, Part of Daylight, Wind and LCA Analysis

Site: Seaport, Boston

Ground Floor Area: 23549 ft2

13F Office + 3F Retail/Public + 3F Parking

Street view from the south

CONTEXT STUDIES

The Seaport Area in Boston has a proposed master plan of an innovation district which will be mainly commercial and residential buildings. The neighborhood equipped with well-developed infrastructure and good walkability scores demonstrates the economic benefits for office building construction in the area. Meanwhile, it is directly exposed to flooding hazards. Future climate changes will make this issue even more important in local long-term development.

near term 1% annual flood extent

commercial transportation residential

commercial building area commercial land area

DISTRICT HIGHLIGHTS

The project connects the major neighbours - the Financial District in the North West, the Boston Convention Centre in the South, with prominent locations like the Seaport World Centre in close proximity.

red line green line

proposed location of microHUBs in master plan

ENERGY EMISSIONS FLOODING HAZARDS WALK SCORE

CONNECTIVITY COMMERCIAL AREAS COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE

SOUTH BOSTON SEAPORT AREA

FINANCIAL DISTRICT

FORT POINT CHANNEL

SEAPORT WORLD TRADE CENTER

CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE

DESIGN CONCEPT - THE DUALITY OF BUILDING PERFORMANCES

The design concept of the new office paradigm is to combine both advanced building systems in technical aspects with a more natural or green spatial design for occupants’ experience. Both of them will work on emphasizing the adaptability of the building in its long-term operations.

GREEN EXPERIENCE

ADVANCED SYSTEMS

The building performce is designed based on a long-term plan, which means both the present and the future climate conditions need to be considered. It ensures the resilience to climate change, flooding, and future urban development.

TYPICAL FLOOR PLAN LAYOUT

BUILDING CORE CIRCULATION

SOLAR CHIMNEY CHIMNEY ABOVE ATRIUM ATRIUM PLANTERS MEETING ROOMS

N 0 5 10 25

DAYLIGHT AUTONOMY (%) FOR ATRIUM AND CORE

SECTIONAL ZONING

RAIN GARDEN

OFFICE FLOORS

RETAIL FLOORS PARKING FLOORS

SOLAR PANELS

SOLAR CHIMNEY

ATRIUMS ENTRANCE PLAZA

ELEVATED HIGHWAY+WALKWAY

SUMMER ST.

BOSTON WARF RD.

THE PUBLIC 'GREEN' LAYER - LANDSCAPE AND PUBLIC EXPERIENCE

PLAZA SPACE

The open area shared with the neighbouring building was developed allowing for maximum flexibility for access at all levels

CONNECTIVITY

The lower levels are fragmented for human scale and views. The balcony area allows maximised visual and pedestrian connectivity

PAVING allows water to percolate through the ground, feeding to the grey water system.

- LANDSCAPE AND RESILIENCY

NO FLOODING

NO FLOODING

Basement floors: accessible for parking.

EMBANKMENT

FLOODING STARTS

DURING THE FLOOD

AFTER THE FLOOD

Floodwater enters the basement. Barrier + velve: closed; bottom basement as a container Barrier: open; flood water: pumped out of the basement

DURING THE FLOOD

MOVABLE BARRIER RAMP

THE OFFICE 'GREEN' LAYER - INTERIOR ADAPTABILITY

The furniture-scale prototype design reinvents the conventional glass partition walls. While the wheels at the bottom of its structure allow for flexible spatial division, the open-type partitions will not block the natural light since the upper part of division is realized through porous greenery grown in the movable planters.

[FLEXIBLE INTERIOR DIVIDER] PARTITION + PLANTER + STORAGE

ALUMINUM FRAME + WOOD PANEL [BENEFITS]

POROSITY FOR DAYLIGHTING FLEXIBILITY ON WHEELS MORE

OPTIONAL

SYSTEMATIC DESIGN - ADAPTABLE ETFE FACADE SYSTEM

Advantages of ETFE Facades:

• ETFE can transmit up to 95% of light, more than standard glazing.

• ETFE cushions of 2 or 3 layers have higher insulating properties than typical glass.

• ETFE is 99 % lighter than glass.

• ETFE has a lower embodied energy.

• ETFE is cheaper to produce and install: it typically costs 40-50% less than glass structures.

• It is easier to maintain: because it is “slippery”, dust, debris and snow slide right off.

ADAPTABILITY TO TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE

CHANGING PRESSURE FOR TRANSMITTING DIFFERENT AMOUNT OF SOLAR HEAT

1. ETFE WITH WINDOWS

SENSORS LINKED TO CENTRAL COMPUTER PRESSURE REGULATOR ALLOWS FOR MORE HEAT

COOLING HOURS HEATING HOURS

ETFE CUSHIONS WITH TUNABLE SHGC GOLD COATED PDMS FILM BETEEN TWO OUTER ETFE LAYERS

ETFE LAYER EXISTING ETFE FACADE ASSEMBLY

2. ETFE WITHOUT WINDOWS

3. GLASS CURTAIN WALL

SE NE NW 1 2 1 3 4

SYSTEMATIC DESIGN

- HYBRID CLT AND STEEL STRUCTURAL SYSTEM

Advantages of Hybrid Structures

• Construction

The light CLT panels can reduce the size of concrete foundation volumes. This will bring down the embodied carbon and energy. It can also increase the speed of construction and reduce costs.

• Reusability

Steel frames and CLT panels both can be designed for deconstruction. With modular connections and standard structural grids, it can reach a maximized degree of reuse and recycling of the construction materials.

SYSTEM TYPE

FULL CLT: LOAD-BEARING WALL SYSTEM

FULL CLT: COLUMNBEAM SYSTEM

HYBRID: STEEL FRAME + CLT SLABS

HYBRID: STEEL FRAME + CONCRETE

CLT FLOOR SLABS + STEEL FRAME CONCRETE CORE + STEEL FRAME SIMULATION MODELING

SYSTEMATIC DESIGN - VENTILATION SYSTEM WITH SOLAR CHIMNEY

SOLAR CHIMNEY ZONING

4 ZONES SERVING DIFFERENT FLOORS

COOLING AND HEATING MODES WITH THE ATRIUM AND SOLAR CHIMNEY

RESILIENCY TO CLIMATE CHANGE: COMFORTABLE HOUR ANALYSIS

SPATIAL ZONING FOR SOLAR CHIMNEY TO AVOID BACKFLOW

OFFICE SPACE

SOLAR CHIMNEY

-- 2080 CLIMATE COMFOR HOURS +3%, HOT HOURS +8%

DESIGN STRATEGIES FOR INTERIOR COOLING/HEATING

AIR HANDLING UNITS

AIR CIRCULATION AND FUNCTION LAYOUT

CHILLDED BEAMS

ATRIUM

EXHAUST FAN

CHILLED BEAMS

ATRIUM

CORE

OFFICE WORKSPACE (NV SUPPORTED SPACE)

NORTH-FACED FACADE (HIGHER WWR)

MINOR AIRFLOW

DIRECT WIND (NW)

COOLING SLABS

DIRECT WIND (WEST)

SOLAR CHIMNEY

SOUTH-FACED ETFE FACADE

SYSTEMATIC DESIGN - ON-SITE ENERGY GENERATION SYSTEMS

PV CELLS ON THE SLOPE ROOF

TO FIND THE OPTIMAL ANGLE WITH RADIATION DOME ANALYSIS

GROUND HEAT SOURCE PUMP FOR INTEGRATED VENTILATION SYSTEM

NATURAL VENTILATION

TO CALCULATE PV DISTANCE

AT NOON OF

NATURAL VENTILATION WITH RADIANT CEILNGS

MECHANICAL VENTILATION

MECHANICAL VENTILATION WITH HEAT REVOVERY

MOVING TOWARDS NET ZERO

The design aims to provide both resiliency to climate changes of building systems and adaptability of occupants' uses. And the interactions between the two aspects are still under development. On the next stage, 'Occupant Experience', ' Comfort and Environmental Quality' supported by detailed designs of spaces and systems will be refined.

A. ALTITUDE

WINTER SOLSTICE: 24O ; B. 33; C. 2M; D. 4M

1042 HOURS

HOURS

NEW LEAKY LIVING

Housing for Double Delights

Individual Deisgn Thesis

2022 Fall Semester

Site: Sandy Springs, GA

Instructor: Elizabeth Wittaker; Holly Samuelson

Ground Floor Area: 1436 m2

SITE: SANDY SPRINGS CITY CENTER, GA

- Winter wind mainly from the Northwest is the prevailing wind considering wind speed through a year. It is also the undesired one for natural ventilation.

- Considering buoyancy-driven ventilation, natural wind though a year is also unnessary and sometimes can compete with the stack air flow.

POST-PANDEMIC DESIGN TRENDS - CONNECTIONS TO THE OUTDOORS

Most popular special function room, % of respondents, data from AIA Home Design Trends Survey Q2 2021

% of respondents on popularity of exterior features ‘increasing’ minus % reporting ‘decreasing’, Q1 2022 compared to Q1 2021

‘Outdoor living spaces and home office as the most popular special function rooms’

PROTOTYPE PROPOSAL - THE NEW LEAKY LIVING

‘Emphasis on outdoors remains popular, with outdoor living spaces and blended indoor/outdoor spaces topping the list’

Designed to be highly-insulated and air-tight, with minimal energy losses

NEW VISIONS FOR DOUBLE DEIGHTS

Environmental Delights

+ Fresh Air with Controls

+ Day Light with Controls

+ Noise Insulation & Control

+ Biophlia Features & Access

Social Delights

+ Work-Life Productivity

+ Domestic Privacy

+ Spatial Flexibility

+ Community Connectivity

Divided into control zones, to maximize natural ventilation and personal comtrols

PASSIVE HOUSE 'LEAKY' HOUSE

UNIT DESIGN VARIATIONS ADAPTED TO MICRO-CLIMATES

Unit layouts based on the flexible re-zoning of leaky fields and finely-conditioned rooms have been decided by the primary elements of micro-climates -- wind and sunlight.

Two of the final four unit types respond to the local demands for blocking winter wind, while two others are the ones without direct confrontation of the harmful winds and more concerned with welcoming daylight.

Respectively, they are also unit types with more divided leaky field spaces and the ones with one bigger living space.

FOUR FINALIZED UNIT LAYOUTS

DIVIDED UNIT TYPE - WIND BLOCKING EFFECT

OPEN UNIT TYPE - WIND PATHWAY EFFECT

North Facing

West Facing

ATRIUM-FACING CONTROL LAYERS

North Facing

West Facing

Inner - PVC Curtain (acoustic, thermal)

Outer - Choices of Wooden Layers (privacy, daylight, thermal)

*Tested with Winter Prevailing Wind from NW

SECTIONAL SCHEME PROMOTING NATURAL VENTILATION

Buoyancy-driven ventilation is fully promoted by the communal atrium space topped with a solar chimney.

The solar chimney with oprimized angle and orientation to receive solar radiation is also designed in a consistant geometry with the roof form following the local traditional hip roof language.

The ventilation of units on the top floor is supported separately by their own rooftop vents. It also offers a new work-live type of loft apartments over there.

Mezzanine Solar Chimney Vent Solar Chimney Glass

Roof Form: Solar Chimney + Hip Roof

Stack Ventilation: Lower Floors - Solar Chimney; Top Floor - Roof Vent

+ Solar Chimney (optimized angles)

+ Communal Space (circulation+events)

+ Biophilic Features (planters+balconies)

FACADE STUDIES - ITERATIONS

[1. Overhag Depth]

0, 1.75, 3, 4.25, 5.5ft

[2. Vertical Fin Depth]

0, 1.25, 2.5, 3.75, 5ft

[3.Vertical Fin Orientation]

0, -30, 30 degrees

Overhang Shading

[Outputs for 12 Orientations] Comfort Hour % + SDA + ASE (Summer and Annual)

RESULT EXAMPLE: NO SHADING TO 3-FT-DEEP OVERHANG

Adaptive Thermal Comfort Through A Year Black: Uncomfortable Hours White: Comfortable Hours

FACADE DESIGN FOCUSES

- Single-Zone Balcony (of different depths with wood shutters)

- Solid Vertical Fins with Optimized Angels (block winter winds + harmful solar radiation)

Winter Prevailing Wind

Adaptive Thermal Comfort Through A Year Black: Uncomfortable Hours White: Comfortable Hours

- Min Horizontal Shading (1.25ft)

- Overlapped Vertical Shading (1.25ft) (for wind protection)

SOUTH FACING

- Deep Horizontal Balcony (5ft)

- Short Vertical Shading (1.25ft) (higher efficiency of horizontal shading from simulation results)

- Double-Zone Balcony (protected corridor of different depths + exposed balcony)

- Leaky Vertical Fin with Optimized Angels (climber + trellis struc) (for winter sunlight + beneficial solar radiation)

FACADE STUDIES - FINAL DESIGN

FIN DESIGN VALUES FROM THE LAST ITERATION

OCCUPIABLE FACADE OPTIMIZED FOR ALL ORIENTATIONS

- S to EShading from overhang to fin; Porosity from low to high

- NShading being minimized; Multiple layers of control

- WVertical fin with analyzed angels; Green climbers giving seasonal adaptations

URBAN LEAKY FIELD FOR DOUBLE DELIGHTS

- SOCIAL

DELIGHTS

The central axis idea in the master plan is kept. Connectivity between different types and scales of public space has been enhanced.

Multiple accesses to open space of smaller scales between building blocks are deisgned.

Ground-floor parking space is reserved with a similar area number as the original master paln, regarding economic feasibility of the project. It is divided into smaller zones in the peripheral area of the site.

PRIVATE PARKING

- ENVIRONMENTAL DELIGHTS

SUMMER THERMAL COMFORT

Summer outdoor thermal comfort has been greatly improved with urban leaky field design.

Comfort Hour: 36% Area > 40%: 24%

ANNUAL THERMAL COMFORT

Comfort Hour: 45% Area > 40%: 57%

(red lines: boundary for areas > 40%)

Annual thermal comfort hours are also increased.

Area calculations of new massing provide economic feasibility.

Building efficiency

Comfort Hour: 62%

Comfort Hour: 68%

(Darker colors stand for higher comfort %)

81% - 84%

Wall-to-floor 49%-54%

The City Master Plan

The New Proposal

Massing in the Master Plan

The New Massing Design

ADAPTED TO MICRO-CLAMATES WINTER WIND ANALYSIS

In the urban scale, facades and corners that will directly face winter wind has been identified via Eddy3D for making local design decisions.

TYPICAL FLOOR PLAN (PARTIAL ZOOM-IN )

Both unit types and facade designs on the wind-facing sides serve to block the wind. The southern facades have bigger open living room and more porous facade designs for daylight.

Open space of various scales and uses are designed.

VIEW FROM A UNIT

Wind Corner Wind Facade

PASSAGE OF ROOMS 03

Work-live Midrise Housing Design

2021 Spring Option Studio at GSD

Instructor: Chris Lee

2-Member Teamwork

Site: Hackney Wick, London

Ground Floor Area:

Lot1 11409 sqm2; Lot2 9889 sqm2

Gross Indoor Area:

Lot1 7550 sqm2; Lot2 5605 sqm2

Perspective Standing in a Balcony

DESIGNING THE ‘PASSAGE’ WITH MIDDOOR PRECEDENT ANALYSIS

The gradation from deep fins in Aldo Rossi’s Gallaratese, sets up a common grid to accommodate space and creates a continuous experience of walking through a series of discrete spatial fragments. The idea of a passage of rooms is brought into our design for both public and private zones.

In Lacaton Vassal’s tour bois le pretre, the new mid-door facade improves performances of the apartments. Designing and conditioning this extended depth of room becomes part of the central target of our project. The interior gradation will serve environmental controls and work-live symbiotic relationships in the project.

THE DOMESTIC ‘PASSAGE’

Through the rethinking of the relationship between live & work, we interpret the events of everyday life in a series of fragments. Each programmatic zone has its own requirements for privacy, sunlight and ventilation.

By composing the zones as a continuous domestic passage, different gradations offer both environmental and functional buffer for each other without formal partition.

TYPICAL 2-B APARTMENT

Aldo Rossi, Gallaratese Crossing the Spans

Aldo Rossi, Gallaratese Crossing the Spans

Aldo Rossi, Gallaratese Crossing the Spans

Aldo Rossi, Gallaratese Crossing the Spans

DOMESTIC PASSAGE - BEDROOM SPANS CONDITIONING FOR SPATIAL USES AND INDOOR COMFORT

Cross ventilation is promoted through the mid-door and the chimney void. The seasonal depth of facades varies, determined by the outermost enclosed layers.

These controlling layers provide conditioning for both flexible domestics uses and indoor comfort regarding daylight, temperatures, and ventilation.

SEASONAL SCENARIOS

In summer and winter, the simulation results present legible zoning transitions. The depth of mid-door provides heat mitigation. Hence, occupants will open up the middoor space for cooling and maximized cross ventilation in the summer. During the coldest days, all the control layers will be shut down.

In mid seasons, the temperature difference in the living passages are subtle, and the overall indoor temperature is moderate, which will promote different user potentials of facade controls

SIMULATION SETTINGS AND TESTS

The environmental simulation of Mean Radiant Temperatures and Daylighting are done by Climate Studio (Energy+). The mid-door space is set up without mechanical air-conditioning. And the construction materials

RETROFITTING KENDALL 04

Simulation + Interactive Interface for District-Scale Retrofitting, Classwork of MAS.552 City Science (4-member Teamwork) 2021 Spring Site: Kendall Square in Cambridge, MA

CAMBRIDGE

Building Included

Laboratories (>50k sqft)

Multi-family housing (>50k sqft) Offices (>50k sqft)

Building Excluded

Other types (>50k sqft)

Other types (<50k sqft)

Project boundary

DATA SOURCES

CAMBRIDGE GIS

- Building ID used to join BEUDO data

- Building height to extrapolate numbers of Floors and Gross Floor Area

CAMBRIDGE BEUDO

- Building ID to join City data

- Property type (program)

- Property Gross Floor Area

- Energy use, broken down by fuel source

- Reported Energy Use Intensity (EUI)

- Total GHG emissions

EAST CAMBRIDGE

KENDALL SQUARE

'RETROSCOPE' INTERFACE DEMO

USER

A

INTERFACE DETAILS

TOTAL CARBON EMISSIONS

B HEALTH IMPROVEMENT

COLOR + HEIGHT HEALTH IMPROVEMENT

'Best' - Green and Tall

D COST EFFICIENCY

COLOR + RADIUS

COST EFFICIENCY

Better

VOLUME HEIGHT

ENERGY USE INTENSITY (EUI)

Better

Tall + Red

Higher EUI Short + Green Lower EUI

Max. Carbon Emissions Min. Carbon Emissions

'Best Performance'

- Volumes that are green and shortest.

C TRIPLE MEASUREMENTS

Cost Efficiency Health Improvement

RESULT EXAMPLES

% Carbon Reduction

Housing Office Lab

DEPLOY TOTHE WORLD OPPORTUNITIES

- Fast Prediction with well trained ML model

- Eliminates the necessity to run simulations for every part of the world.

- Significant reduction in computational time.

- Quick & Interactive Visualization

- New results of each indicator can be quickly visualized to assist decision making.

URBAN MODELLING 05

Green Corridor District Planning Report Entry to BS2023 Conference

Class Work of MIT 4.433

3-member Teamwork, 2022 Spring Site: Sandy Springs, Atlanta

COURTYARD TYPE STEPPING

Combined Strategies: Stepping + Courtyard

BETWEENNESS ANALYSIS Major Population to Amenity Very Low Very High

Baseline / Existing

Proxy points for PPL numbers in a bigger area (1500m*1500m)

Highlighted areas with improved connectivity

New Proposal

Street View of the Green Corridor

OUTDOOR DESIGN STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING THERMAL COMFORT

- Admitting the limited benefits of shading devices based on ClimateStudio simulation results

- Seeking the design potentials with blue and green surfaces of which environmental effect cannot be accurately simulated (water features and plants)

With Shading

URBAN FARMING STRATEGIES

- Food demand analysis and simulation in UMI

- Creating local food cycle from generation to distribution (restaurants and local markets)

- Designs with greenhouses of different types, on ground as outdoor publc feature, on rooftops or on underground floors of buildings.

- Designing with building massing to create more outdoor shaded spaces for the public RESTAURANTS

Food Distribution

Food Distribution

farmer’s market

OPERATIONAL ENERGY OPTIMIZATION

EMBODIED CARBON OPTIMIZATION

TOTAL EMBODIED EMISSIONS

Considering the same structure for old and new buildings, old buildings with RCC structure contribute the most.

COST & CARBON COMPARISONS

NORMALISED EMBODIED EMISSIONS

For normalized values, smaller buildings with RCC structure contribute the most

Reduced energy loads of both existing and new

access across all buildings Higher walkability with green corridors Reduced carbon for energy supply

BALCONY EFFECT 06

Optimization Design Research

Class Work of SCI6466 Optimizing Facades

3-member Teamwork, 2022 Fall

Comparative Studies in Chicago & Shenzhen

CHICAGO

Location: Illinois, United States

Psychrometric Chart (Annual Condition)

Climate: Zone 5A - Cold/Humid

Average Annual Temperature: 10.2 °C | 50.3 °F

Rainfall: around 1075 mm | 42.3 inch per year

Annual Dry Bulb Temperature (0 - 30 celsius degrees)

SHENZHEN

Location: Guangdong, South of China

Psychrometric Chart (Annual Condition)

Final Designs

Relative Humidity (0 - 100%)

Comfort or not (red: comfort; blue: not)

Climate: mild, and generally warm and temperate;

Average Annual Temperature: 22.4 °C | 72.3 °F

Rainfall: around 1790 mm | 70.5 inch per year

UTCI (0 - 40)

BALCONY TYPES & EFFECT

[Open Balcony]

- Overhang Effect

- Airflow Pattern Transformation

- Acoustic Shielding Effect

OPTIMIZATION PROCESS

1. DEFINING DESIGN PARAMETERS:

- Balcony Depth 1m, 2m, 3m

- Inner galzing ratio 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8

- Outer glazing ratio 0.7, 0.8, 0.9

- Orientations 0, 90, 180, 270

2. RUNNING COLIBRI

- Interior Zones Setup + Parametric Sliders

- Parametic Balcony + Parametric Shading

- Daylighting Simulation + Energy Simulation

3. LISTING ALL THE OPTIONS

P2_Inner WWR

P1_Depth

4. SELECTIG ONE ORIENTATION

Differentiating designs for the 4 room orientations Outputs for Evaluation:

- EUI (+ PeakCool, PeakHeat)

- UDI (+ DA)

5. SETTING UP MIN UDI THRESHOLD

Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI)

- hourly time values between 100 lux - 2000 lux

- Outside the range: not useful - % of the floor area meeting UDI: at least 50% of the time.

6. SELECTING THE LOWER EUI'S

- The optimized results list

- Making final decisions

a. Results with similar EUIs

b. Choosing the min UDIs

[Glazed Balcony]

- Greenhouse Effect

- Facade Tightness

- Acoustic Insulation

2 Conditioned Interior Zones (living room; bedroom)

1 Unconditioned Balcony Zone

P3_Outer WWR

CHICAGO - THE OPTIMIZED DESIGNS

COMMON FINDINGS

1. Open balcony type can only have comparable EUI with the closed type with a small inner glazing ratio -- Enclosed balcony is preferred

2. Smaller outer glazing ratio (horizontal change): It will decrease EUI, peakheat and peakcool; no great impact on UDI till 0.7. Under 0.7 (tested 0.6 and 0.5), it begins to greatly reduce UDI. -- The number 0.7 is the optimized.

3. Smaller inner glazing ratio(vertical change): It will decrease EUI, peak heat and peak cool, but great impact on UDI -- The medium 0.6 is the optimized

SOUTH

Increase balcony depth: low EUI, low UDI

3m: low EUI, high peak heat, low UDI; 1m: high EUI, WEST

Increase balcony depth: low EUI, low UDI

3m: unqualified UDI (<50%); 1m: higher EUI, high peak

-- 2m balcony: the optimized

EAST

(BLACK) + CASES WITHOUT BALCONY (GREY)

OPTIMIZED RESULTS

SHENZHEN - THE OPTIMIZED DESIGNS

DIFFERENTIATED RESULTS

OPTIMIZED RESULTS WITH SHADING (RED)

Shading Design

Increase balcony depth: low EUI, low UDI

3m: unqualified UDI (<50%); 1m: higher EUI

-- 2m balcony: the optimized

COMMONS

1. Easier to achieve higher UDI compared to Chicago

2. Open balcony type has smaller peak heat and peak -- Open balcony type is preferred

3. Reduce balcony depth: high EUI, low UDI But under 0.7 (tested 0.6 and 0.5), it begins to greatly -- The depth should be 3m when feasible -- Or extra shading can be the complementary for

3. Smaller outer openness ratio: decrease EUI, no big -- The number 0.5 or 0.6 can be the optimized.

4. Smaller inner glazing ratio(vertical change): It will decrease EUI, peak heat and peak cool, but -- The medium 0.4 or 0.6 can be the optimized

Shading Design

Shading Design

EUI, low peak heat, high UDI peak cool

DEPTH: 2M

INNER: 0.7

OUTER: 0.6

NORTH

Deep balcony: high EUI, low UDI -- 1m balcony: the optimized

DEPTH: 1M

INNER: 0.7

OUTER: 0.6

Chicago in general peak cool in general

greatly reduce UDI. 2m big impact on UDI till 0.5.

great impact on UDI

ITERATIVE PROCESS

2ND ROUND - TESTING SMALLER OUTER OPENNESS RATIOS THAN 0.7

WEST & EAST:

Decreasing the outer openness ratio to 0.5 begins to greatly decrease UDI and also reduce EUI. -- 0.5 is the optimized number

SOUTH:

Dropping the openness ratio from 0.7 to 0.5 will generate small decrease on both EUI and UDI. For views or ventilation, it can be kept as 0.7 or 0.6.

NORTH:

Dropping the openness ratio from 0.7 to 0.5 will generate small decrease on both EUI and UDI. So considering views, ventilation and the original relatively low UDI(55+% with 0.7 openness ratio), it can be kept as 0.7.

2.5 ROUND - TESTING OUTER SOLID PART STARTING FROM THE TOP

Results show that this design approach wil hugely decrease UDI -- The original design method should be kept.

3RD ROUND - TESTING AN EXTRA SHADING LAYER

Testing both horizontal and vertical shading types considering the feasible depth in reality

Outdoor Comfort Research and Design

Class Work of SCI 6382

Individual Work, 2022 Fall Sites: Chinatown, Boston

CLIMATIC CONSIDERATIONS Challenges and Potentials

From the temperature data of Boston, it seems that the mild summer of the city provides outdoor comfort most of the time. However, the UTCI chart in Ladybug begins to reveal the leigible thermal stress in its hottest days.

Breeze most often comes from the west and helps to cool down bodies in summer days. But the dense builing blocks in urban areas bring down the effectiveness of evaporative cooling. Concrete constructs have created heat island effect and make the micro-climates of urban communities worse than the data collected from the airport.

BOSTON

URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT

July 29-30, 2019

Data: Partland State SUPR LAB

NOAA Climate.gov

Afternoon(3pm) UHI Temperature (F)

87 91 95+

BOSTON - HEAT-RELATED MORTALITY

Projected annual heat-related deaths per 100,000 population based on 33 global climate models and two greenhouse gas scenarios

CLIMATE IDENTITY

Sun Path

a. Annual (Ladybug)

b. Jun 21 (Climate Studio)

c. Dec 21 (Climate Studio)

Wind Rose

d. Annual (Climate Studio)

e. Jun-Aug 1pm-7pm (CS)

f. Dec-Mar 1pm-7pm(CS)

CHINATOWN SITE A

- COMMUNAL BACK YARD

Visual Characters

- Planters and Trees on the two sides

- Vent outlets and AC facilities on one side of back walls

Speculated Problems

- Waste heat and stink from the outlets

- Lack of sunlight and ventilation

Surrounded by mid-rise commercial buildings, the site does not have enough radiation for most of the year. However, the summmer simulation also exposes the potential heat stress problem in the open space. With the heat generated by the mechanical outlets, the conditions in the hottest and coldest days will be more extreme.

Summer

Mechanical Systems

1. Waste Heat: Hot Air Convection

Dense Urban Layout

2. Limtied Cross Ventilation

3. Shaded Surfaces: Radiant Cooling

South-Facing Building Wall

4. Radiant Heating Road

5. Forced Convection

Winter

Dense Urban Layout

1. Shaded Surfaces with Low Solar Angles: Radiant Cooling

DESIGN SUGGESTIONS

Current analysis results have proved the extreme thermal performances of the site.

The first suggestion is to replace current fence around piping and outlets with higher green walls.

Vines in summer will function as buffer from the heat.

And roof canopy with reflective angled panels can help to reflect sunlight in winter and block strong radiation in summer.

CHINATOWN SITE B - POCKET SQUARE

Visual Characters

- Completely public in a concrete jungle with public furniture

- Small pot trees are sparsly planted

Speculated Problems

- Potential exposure to both heat stress and cold stress due to the openess

- Noise pollution and air pollution generated by the traffic

The simulation of solar angles shows that the space open to the south is exposed adequae sunlight most of the daytime. With the UTCI graphs of the hottest days and the 4 division time of the year, it seems that the site does not have identifiable thermal stress issues. However, when we add back the concerns of materiality of the built environment, the real-life situation can be different.

ANALYSIS SUMMARY

DESIGN SUGGESTIONS

The site is exposed to solar radiation in the most of its daytime. Although there is no identifiable thermal issues from UTCI simulation, the radiant heating from the unshaded wall and ground surfaces may lead to summer heat stress. Also, cross ventilation is effective in the site.

To control the wind velocity as breeze and also to reduce summer solar radiation, deciduous trees with high trunks can be planted on the site. And shading devices on the neighbor building wall can help to reduce radiant heating.

SYNTHESIS

Connected Urban Outdoors

1. Forced Convection/ Cross Ventilation Road Pavement:

2. Low Albeto: Increased Urban Heat Island Small Tree Canopy

3. Limited Effect in Reducing Solar Radiation/ Evaporative Cooling/ West-Facing Building Wall

4.Exposed Surface to Sunlight: Radiant Heating

Short Trees in FRP Pots

Renovated Paint of Light Colors

Stone Veneer Asphalt Road Paving

Visual Characters

- Intensely used by the local community

- A monument in the center; Tall deciduous trees on the parameter - Various types of fixed or flexible urban furtniture

Speculated Problems

- Harmful shading from the monument in the winter season

Tree canopies are effective in reducing solar radiation in the public space. The more open area has stronger exposure to solar radiation. The current simulation of sunlight shows that the space open to both south and west won’t have any urban shadow. More analysis on the afternoon time with sunrays coming from the west may help.

ANALYSIS SUMMARY

SYNTHESIS

Summer

Tree Canopy

1. Reduced Solar Radiation

2. Evaporative Cooling/ Isothermal Evaporation

3. Breeze through Trees: Forced Convection Monument

4. Thermal Mass: Store and release at Nights

5. Reduced Solar Radiation Road Pavement:

6. Low Albeto: Increased Urban Heat Island

Winter

Tree Canopy

1. Exposed Ground to Sun Monument

2. Shaded Ground: Radiant Cooling and Reduced Solar Radiation Road Pavement:

3. Low Albeto: Increased Urban Heat Island

WIND COMFORT

RADIATION AND THERMAL STRESS

DESIGN SUGGESTIONS

Greenery and the monument protect the site from summer heat stress. Deciduous trees also expose the ground to sunlight in winter. But the monument shadow leads to cold stress. These issues should be discussed from the beginning of the urban planning. The potential remedy is to install outdoor radiant heating system under the park ground surface.

CHINATOWN SITE C - PUBLIC PARK

BUILDING SCIENCE 08

Works from Summer Internship 2022

Building Science Team at Payette, Boston

Team Director: Andrea Love

FINDING SUMMARY

- The existing shading can reduce peak loads by 19% and cooling demands by 21%.

- The existing vertical shading is more effective than the existing horizontal. When the vertical has bigger projection on the façade, it decreases cooling demands more. When the vertical is facing S or N, it works best only in reducing peak loads.

- Glass retrofits can archive greater reductions in both peak loads and cooling demands

- To save energy use, a combined strategy with glass retrofits and new shading can be applied.

1. EMORY UNIVERSITY(RETROFITTING), GA - SHADING DESIGN ANALYSIS

0. NO SHADING

1. EXISTING SHADING

2. SOLID SHADING

3. EXISTING FIN FACING N/S

4. LOUVRE (1ft; 0.5ft)

5. SOLID FIN (4.4ft, 2ft)

6. GLASS SHGC 0.2

7. HORIZONTAL 2.5f t+ SHGC 0.2

Design Cases

155.6 Btu/(hr*sqft) 111.6 Btu/(hr*sqft)

1. SHGC 0.35

EUI Sum: 195

Cooling: 76

Heating: 48 (kwh/m2)

Summer Thermal Comfort PMV Ave: 2.26

1. 50% FRIT (SHGC 0.175)

EUI Sum: 183

Cooling: 53

Heating: 58

Summer Thermal Comfort PMV Ave: 1.95

3. EC GLASS (200w/m2 solar setpoint)

EUI Sum: 171

Cooling 45

Heating: 55

Summer PMV Ave: 1.59

PMV 0 3

- WINTER DOWNDRAFT DISCOMFORT (PPD) RADIANT DISCOMFORT (PPD)

Case 1: U-Value 0.35

Case 2: U-Value: 0.25

Temp(°F): out-14; in-72

Relative Humidity: 20%

Met 1.2; Clo: 0,85; Wind 10fpm; Wall R-22.4

2. DREXEL UNIVERSITY (NEW CONSTRUCTION), PA - GLAZING AND COMFORT ANALYSIS

- When the northern part of the massing has larger façades facing northwest, it will gain more solar benefits and have lower peak solar radiation.

- When it has shorter exterior walls facing northwest, the peak solar radiation can be smaller.

3. BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY (PHASE II), MA -

SPATIAL CATEGORIZATION

4. RAGON INSTITUTE (CD STAGE), MA - MODEL AND REPORT FOR LEED DAYLIGHT

ADAPTING 2226 09

Evalution and Redesign of Building Envelope

BS2021 - Student Modelling Challenge

(3-member Teamwork) 2021 Spring

Existing 2226 Type: Office

Dimensions: 24 m x 24 m x 24 m (6 stories)

Total Floor Area: 2,421 m2

Materials: Load-bearing double-layered clay blocks with plaster finish on inside and outside

ORIGINAL SITE - LUSTENAU, AUSTRIA

Mild Summer + Cold Winter

Wet and partly cloudy year around with significant rainfalls (1,632 mm / 64.3 in of precipitation / year)

Cfb = Temperate Oceanic Climate

Avg. Temp.: 7.9°C / 46.2 °F

Dry Bulb Temperature (C) Hourly, 1 Jan 1:00 to 31 Dec 24:00

NEW SITE - KORTRIJK, BELGIUM

Cool Summer + Moderate Winter

Partly cloudy but less rainfall than Lustenau (788 mm / 31.0 in of precipitation / year)

Cfb = Temperate Oceanic Climate

Avg. Temp.: 11.0°C / 51.9 °F

DESIGN OPTIONS & ANALYSIS

HYGROTHERMAL SIMULATION

Tool: WUFI

ORIGINAL - DOUBLE-LAYERED CLAY BLOCKS

- Double-layered Thermoplan blocks (wall U-value avg. 0.13 W/m2K) with mortar joints

- Outer layer: insulates efficiently

- Inner layer: high compressive strength

Predominantly load-bearing

- Lime plaster as both interior and exterior finishing

OPTION - SINGLE-LAYERED BLOCKS + CAVITY WALL

- Brick Veneer (112.5 mm)

- 1” Drainage Cavity

- 15mm Baumit Render (0.066 W/mk)

- 3” Extruded Polystyrene Insulation

- ThermoPlan: TS 11

Thickness = 36.5 cm

Thermal Conductivity = 0.11 W/mK

U-value = 0.28 W/m2K

OPTION - STRUCTURAL INSULATED RAMMED EARTH

- 12” Ext. Rammed Earth + Rebars

- 6” Foam Insulation

- 12” Int. Rammed Earth + Rebars

Dew point has reached the interior temperature Both new design options solved the problem

FACADE DESIGN FOR DAYLIGHTING

Tool: ClimateStudio v1.2.77096.19854

SDA 96.0%

Daylight Glare Probability: 5% threshold

S:0.75m H. Louvres

E, W: 0.5m V. Fins

Software: ClimateStudio v1.2.77096.19854

S:0.5 H+V Louvres

E, W: 0.5 H+V Fins

S, E, W: 2 layers of 0.75m horizontal louvres - -> DGP: 4.5%

THERMAL MASS

Dynamic Thermal Characteristics

/ Heat Transfer Resistor-Capacitor Modeling

Standard: ISO13786:2017

Tool: Dymola

Original Wall in New Site:

Internal Areal Heat Capacity: 25.69 kJ/(m2K)

U-Value: 0.13 W/(m2K)

Option 1 Cavity Wall: Internal Areal Heat Capacity: 21.23 kJ/(m2K)

U-Value: 0.13 W/(m2K)

Option 2 Rammed Earth:

Internal Areal Heat Capacity: 60.8 kJ/(m2K)

U-Value: 0.14 W/(m2K)

THERMAL BRIDGE

Passive House: Linear heat coeff Ψ < 0.01W/(mK)

Ψ range of modern buildings: 0.04~0.48W/(mK)

Tool: Therm in Grasshopper + Python

Ψ-Value (W/mK): 0.013925

Heat Flow (W/m): July (ext 18°C; in 24°C) - 1.53115

Heat Flux Temperature

Ψ-Value (W/mK): 0.015429

Heat Flow (W/m): July (ext 18°C; in 24°C) - 1.87092

Feb (ext 3°C; in 24°C) - 6.53612

Feb (ext 3°C; in 24°C) - 5.65082 Heat Flux

Ψ-Value (W/mK): 0.00198

Heat Flow (W/m): July (ext 18°C; in 24°C) - 2.16148

Feb (ext 3°C; in 24°C) - 7.56413

Summary Tout.y Cln.T Original Cln.T Option1 Cln.T Option2

OTHER PROJECTS 10

SWEEP construction workshop in Kunming, Yunnan (2014)

CAMPUS DESIGN constuction finished in 2020, SUSTC, Shenzhen (BE HK Ltd) (2016-2017)

CAMPUS PLANNING 3rd prize, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen (BE HK Ltd.) (2017)

CAMPUS PLANNING 3rd prize, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen (BE HK Ltd.) (2017)

HOMELESS SHELTER Interior Modular Design with an NGO, Hong Kong (UEDL at HKU) (2018)

URBAN PLANNING EXHIBITION DESIGN final 3, of Shenzhen Planning Museum (UEDL at HKU) (2018)

ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY/REDUCTION IN IHG HOTELS Consultation Proposal (AISA) (2021)

MIX-USE COMMUNITY DESIGN Project's Schematic Design, Kaifeng (Aedas HK Ltd.) (2019)