OUTDOOR CONNECTIVITY AND ITS MEASUREMENT

Abstract

Windows are an integral part of architecture, providing light and ventilation to spaces. However, windows are more than sources of light and ventilation; they provide views to what is outside the space which is just as important to occupant well-being and satisfaction. Compared with daylighting, measuring this component of outdoor connectivity that windows provide has had very little attention. This dissertation will review the factors affecting outdoor connectivity and examine its benefits. The Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) system is examined to understand the current method of measuring outdoor connectivity. The limitations with the existing methods of designing with outdoor connectivity are highlighted. An alternative method which uses a computational procedure is proposed to address limitations of the current method. The new measurement method involves a computational procedure that combines the drawing of sight lines in plan and section view used in the previous method into an automated 3D process and automatically evaluates where the sight lines terminate. A score for each sightline is given and an average outdoor connectivity (OC) value for each point on the floor plan is calculated. In order to test this new method, a prototype measurement tool has been implemented using Sidefx Houdini. The new tool is used to study the effects of room size, room shape, window shape and room configurations on outdoor connectivity. The results from the studies are evaluated and they are in line with what the background research has shown. The new method takes into account view content in calculations, is faster, more accurate and gives more detailed results – areas with higher or lower outdoor connectivity can be identified immediately and this will be very helpful to designers as it will allow them to plan where to place certain activities without neglecting any areas.