ecotect

Ecotect assignment: •Displaying of shadows and over shadowing •Solar analysis •Spatial visibility analysis •Wind analysis

Ushma Nichani Site: Zona Franca

For the assignment g it was necessaryy to choose a p part of the barrio under study. y From Montjuic, j , Zona Franca and the Port area, a few blocks from the Zona Franca region were selected to study in ecotect, as this was a residential area with a higher density of built up structures as compared to Montjuic and the Port area.

To work in ecotect it is first essential to export the ‘rhino’ file as a .3ds extension, to make it compatible with former software.

After inserting the .3ds file into Ecotect, it was first necessary to clean the model and reduce the number of surfaces using the ‘merge coincident triangles’ and ‘merge coincident polygons’ command. This helps make the model lighter and easier to use.

DISPLAYING OF SHADOWS AND OVER SHADOWING: •Simple shadow diagrams, shadow range diagrams •Reflecting surfaces

Basic shadow tests were performed once the ‘Barcelona weather file’ was uploaded to configure the latitudes and longitudes.

For this some surfaces of buildings were tagged to allow shadows to be dropped on them.

These shadows were obtained from two separate times of the day to observe the variation i i i shaded in h d d zones. This hi is i useful f l while considering which surfaces are naturally cooler through the day.

1st of May: 09:00 AM

1st of May: 01:00 PM

Daily Sun Path: May

Daily Sun Path: December Zones that receive shade

The daily path of the sun was considered to represent the shadow range created in the period of 24 hours. A clear observation is the shorter shadows formed in May due to the higher position of the sun and the longer shadows formed in December because of the banking of the sun to the south.

Annual Sun Path: May

Annual Sun Path: December

Zones that receive sunlight A similar test was carried out to demarcate the shadow range through the year. Here we see the shorter shadows being formed in the Summer and the longer ones formed in the Cold season. These diagrams help understand which zones are shaded at most points of time on a daily and yearly basis.

To test how sunlight would respond to a ‘reflector’, the surface of a building was set at a reflecting one.

Reflecting Surfaces: December Here we can see how the light reflects nearly to two blocks away due to the low sun angle low sun angle.

Reflecting Surfaces: May Such reflectors may be used to bring light to otherwise dark courtyard and Plaza like spaces, which being surrounded by taller buildings receive a poor quality of direct sunlight.

SOLAR ANALYSIS: •on subdivided surfaces •on large surfaces •on a grid

Sun Path Diagrams: This diagram shows the strength of the radiations of the sun as it makes its movement through the year. The yellow represents points of intense radiation and the deeper oranges and red represent positions with weaker radiations.

Solar analysis on Vertical Subdivided Surface: Here the faรงade of a building is subdivided into smaller rectangles after checking surface normal's, to observe the quantity of radiation received .

Using cumulative insolation analysis it is possible to display the distribution and availability over an entire building or even a city block. This can be particularly useful when considering shading requirements or assessing the best areas to place photovoltaic's for maximum collection.

Solar radiations incident on a block: This diagram helps us understand how the location and heights of adjacent buildings affect the incident radiation on a block of structures.

Solar analysis on Large Surfaces: Here for quick analysis the surface is together analyzed for solar insolation. This can be used to make a quick rough estimate until a more thorough study can be carried out.

Representation using solar vectors:

3 dimensional representation of total direct and diffused radiation: This diagram shows the spaces inbetween buildings that receive large amounts of direct radiation from the sun while the spaces right next to the buildings receive little radiation which is diffused from the vertical surfaces of these buildings.

SPATIAL VISIBILITY ANALYSIS: •visibility of selected objects •access to views through a selected window

The new LEED rating now allocates points if you can show that at least 90% of a room has access to views to the outside. By setting up the analysis grid over the floor plane of each room you are interested in and then selecting the appropriate windows, you can quickly calculate the exact area of unobstructed window visible from each point.

Two surfaces selected for analysis Site Visibility: Even at a preliminary design stage, it can be important to know the degree of visibility of specific objects from different parts of the site. By simply setting up the analysis grid over the area you are interested in and then selecting the objects you wish to test for visibility, you can quickly obtain a useful visualization of the overall effect.

WIND ANALYSIS: •prevailing winds •air flow vector •air flow rate •cell pressure •cell temperature

The diagram shows the direction of the prevailing winds, which come from the left side. The approaching winds are cooler and as they pass the built up area in the centre the temperatures rise and the wind becomes warmer.

Wind Analysis: It is essential to study the direction of wind blowing in a certain region to be able to design suitably the position and size of fenestration on the faรงade and location of ducts in a building. The software generates a three dimensional system to show the air flow vectors which help us understand in plan and d section i areas which hi h would ld experience i lots of air passage, turbulence and area that are not ventilated suitably.

3 dimensional representation for air flow vector:

Air Flow Rate:

Cell Pressure:

3 dimensional representation for cell pressure:

Cell temperature:

3 dimensional representation for cell temperature: The diagram shows that the temperature in cells is highest where there are structures and a little lesser immediately next to them. This helps us understand and demarcate points of cooler temperatures.