Is computer programming beneficial to architects and architecture students for complex modeling and informed performative design decisions?

For the last few decades, digital tools have become an important part of architectural design. Architectsand architecture students create their designs using one or more digital applications. Although most ofthese applications are advanced and can be used for various tasks – such as parametric design andbuilding performance simulations –, they lack some capabilities that are crucial to solving problems thatmight arise during the design and simulation process. Therefore, programming knowledge is invaluable tothose in the field of architecture for customizing digital applications to perform and automate tasks thatare out of the scope of built-in functions.In this research study, detailed examination of various case studies of custom-coded design programs isdiscussed. The programs written in Python proved to be crucial to organizing visual scripts by makingthem less confusing and more efficient. In addition to using computer programming within visual scriptingenvironments, this paper presents a case study of computer programs written in Python, JavaScript, andHTML that were used to organize an enormous amount of data produced by hundreds of glaresimulations. The custom programs performed the process of organizing, analyzing and visualizing largeamounts of data in a time-efficient manner, thereby facilitating informed decisions for better performativedesign

The Negative Impact of Solar Reflections Caused by Reflective Buildings’ Facades: Case Study of the Nasher Museum in Texas

Large reflective facades in buildings can cause severe visual discomfort due to the reflection of sunlight falling on buildings' surfaces. These intense reflections can cause a intolerable glare and contribute to overheating the interior of surrounding buildings. An example of reflective building materials causing glare is experienced in Dallas, Texas, where a residential tower, which was fitted with a fully glazed façade, has caused intense specular reflections into the Nasher sculpture museum. The problem has caused glare and overheating of the interior spaces in the museum, thus leading to the damage and deterioration of the sculptures on display. In order to examine the negative impact of the Museum Tower's reflective façade on the visual comfort inside the Nasher museum, glare simulations are carried out at different times of the year. Additionally, to examine a possible solution to the glare problem, a proposed solution of using a less reflective material on the tower's facade is examined via glare simulations. The initial set of simulations confirmed that tower skin contributed to blinding glare particularly at 12:00 and 15:00 on the summer and winter solstice, and the spring equinox. Use of less reflective material on the tower façade concluded that the tower façade still contributed to glare and that is due to its convex geometry

Analysis and quantification of visual glare caused by photovoltaic panels installations in urban canyons

The abundant use of solar panels in dense urban areas is causing severe visual discomfort because of the reflection of sunlight falling on their surfaces. These intense reflections can cause a disabling glare, which impairs the surrounding building occupants’ vision and hinders them from performing their daily tasks. In order to better predict glare caused by photovoltaics panels (PV) the research study will present comprehensive simulations to measure the amount of light reflected of PV arrays to accurately calculate the probability of glare occurring on such case studies. Glare simulations will be conducted for every hour in the entire year. Additionally, detailed glare analysis will be performed by creating High Dynamic Range (HDR) renderings in multiple locations within an office building facing a building facade that is fitted with PVs. Subsequently, the simulation results will be statistically analysed to explore the effect of PVs on occupants’’ visual comfort. A detailed conclusion of the outcome of the quantitative glare analysis will be introduced as well as a brief discussion on future studies needed to improve visual comfort in dense urban areas

Optimized Street Design to Balance Outdoor Thermal Comfort And Indoor Daylighting Performance Within Large Scale Urban Settings in Hot Arid Climates.

Due to rapid urbanization in developing countries, achieving better outdoor thermal comfort has gained an elevated level of attention, especially within urban settings in hot climates. Although many research studies have focused on improving outdoor thermal comfort in urban settings and many researchers have discussed the influence of a building’s geometry on the availability of daylighting in indoor spaces, there has been very little focus on street design as a means of improving both outdoor thermal comfort and indoor daylighting. This research study examines street design within urban settings in order to find a balanced design that could lead to better day-lit indoor environments and improve pedestrian thermal comfort. A series of quantitative simulations of various street configurations - such as street orientation and the ratio of building height to street width – have been performed. In order to find a balanced street configuration that achieves a comfortable outdoor environment and better day-lit indoor environment, the simulation results have been plotted and compared. The results show that the use of overhangs and galleries could achieve the desired balanced result

The Negative Impact of Solar Reflections Caused by Reflective Buildings’ Facades: Case Study of the Nasher Museum in Texas

Large reflective facades in buildings can cause severe visual discomfort due to the reflection of sunlight falling on buildings' surfaces. These intense reflections can cause a intolerable glare and contribute to overheating the interior of surrounding buildings. An example of reflective building materials causing glare is experienced in Dallas, Texas, where a residential tower, which was fitted with a fully glazed façade, has caused intense specular reflections into the Nasher sculpture museum. The problem has caused glare and overheating of the interior spaces in the museum, thus leading to the damage and deterioration of the sculptures on display. In order to examine the negative impact of the Museum Tower's reflective façade on the visual comfort inside the Nasher museum, glare simulations are carried out at different times of the year. Additionally, to examine a possible solution to the glare problem, a proposed solution of using a less reflective material on the tower's facade is examined via glare simulations. The initial set of simulations confirmed that tower skin contributed to blinding glare particularly at 12:00 and 15:00 on the summer and winter solstice, and the spring equinox. Use of less reflective material on the tower façade concluded that the tower façade still contributed to glare and that is due to its convex geometry

Early Childhood Mathematics Curriculum in the light of the standards of the National Council of Mathematics Teachers

This study aims at exploring the preschool mathematics curriculum in light of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards. The study researched a sample of (140) preschool educators. An analysis of the mathematical content of preschool Self-Learning curriculum was conducted, and Saudi preschool educators were surveyed, in terms of their educational practices, and the processes used in teaching mathematics in their classes In accordance with the U.S. national standards for mathematicians, it means the methods in which children interact with sports content or content, namely (problem solving- communication- logical thinking - representation - Connection), where the study showed that the reality of the components of the mathematics curriculum applied in kindergartens within Saudi Arabia achieved these standards at these levels was The application of representation, communication and connectivity are the most achieved in the self-learning curriculum units with ratios of (86.4%, 83%, 82%), respectively, while problem-solving and logical thinking have reached the minimum use in the classroom, indicating that these processes are the least interested in application from the sample point of view, with 80%, respectively, using them (80%, 67.80%), despite the critical importance of these two processes specifically in building mathematical concepts as they focus on the ability of the child to be focused on the ability of the child. To use his accumulated sports skills to meet challenges such as predicting and examining hypotheses in order to find a scientific solution to the sports situation