Reviving and adapting a vernacular architectural element to promote low carbon homes using genetic algorithms: the case of Rawshan

When reviving vernacular architectural elements in developed countries, evaluations using computational intelligence techniques, as well as the corresponding cultural and environmental aspects, are important areas of consideration. A Rawshan is one such vernacular architectural element that embodies Arab-Islamic values and was a prominent feature in Saudi Arabia’s architectural history. This study aims to facilitate the revival of the Rawshan vernacular architectural element, utilizing Genetic Algorithms and establishing an optimized Rawshan design framework that takes into account the local climatic conditions, context, and socio-cultural challenges. As the biggest country in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is characterized by a variety of climates and topographies, making it an ideal case study for this research. To address the study objectives, a comprehensive, five stage study is conducted. This investigation attempts to: (a) identify factors resulting in a revival of vernacular architecture in general, and for the Rawshans in Saudi Arabia in particular; (b) determine the values (criteria) of the Rawshan that constitute its identity; (c) evaluate the Rawshan's ability to reduce energy consumption; (d) establish and develop an energy-efficient Rawshan framework that supports architects, designers, and building professionals to reviving Rawshan in the Saudi Arabian climate, context and, cultural requirements; and (e) propose six different optimized Rawshans for six different climates. Living room prototypes that face different directions are input into the established framework, thereby validating it through the identification of various energy consumption levels. Each stage of this research utilizes a specific methodology: secondary data; public survey analysis, using the SPSS software; site visits and a modelling analysis, using Rhinoceros 3D and its plug-in, Grasshopper; decision-maker expert interviews, using NVivo analysis software; computational intelligent techniques, using Grasshopper and its components for simulations and optimizations; and a validation analysis. This study contributes to the body of knowledge within this field by offering a framework for reviving the Rawshan vernacular architectural element to reduce energy consumption,while also providing adequate daylight for Saudi Arabian homes. Consequently, two methods of optimization algorithms were used: (a) a single-objective optimization method (SOO) that used energy and UDLI as its objectives; and (b) a multi-objective optimization method (MOO). These findings are broadly applicable to other regions with similar climatic conditions and cultural requirements, such as those in the Middle East and GCC countries. The findings of the SOO revealed that the Rawshan reduced energy consumption by 1–3% in the east, west, and south directions of a virtual living room located in Jeddah. Moreover, by comparing the methods that were utilized with the simulation of the living room without a Rawshan, it was found that there was less energy efficiency for cities located at the sea level, for example, Jeddah, Dammam, and Jizan. However, for all the cities analyzed, the MOO methods effectively decreased energy consumption in living rooms with a Rawshan

Public perception of vernacular architecture in the Arabian Peninsula: the case of Rawshan

This research extends Hasan Fathy’s (1986) principle of vernacular architecture by focusing on the Rawshan through an investigation of two criteria: aesthetics and energy efficiency. The paper discusses the views of both the Saudi public and key decision-makers on reviving vernacular architecture in the context of Saudi Arabia’s rapidly developing economy, characterized by relatively high rates of energy consumption and CO2 emissions. This research explores (a) the interaction in domestic buildings of Saudi occupants with their windows, and how these are perceived as an interface with the external environment; (b) awareness and knowledge of the use of shading elements (such as Rawshans) to reduce the use of artificial lighting while maintaining indoor privacy; (c) Saudi awareness of, and familiarity with, the Rawshan as a vernacular element and a secular architectural tradition; and (d) Saudi views on the revival of traditional architectural elements with a focus on the Rawshan. An online survey (n = 812) was conducted across Saudi Arabia complemented by interviews with expert decision-makers (n = 23) to (a) assess criteria such as privacy, aesthetics, daylight, ventilation, and energy consumption in Saudi residences and (b) investigate the level of acceptance of an optimized retrofitted Rawshan design

Built environment cybersecurity: development and validation of a semantically defined access management framework on a university case study

To achieve the potential of smart cities, there is a strong requirement to use a set of useful, but still accessible services within smart city systems. Interoperability challenges and roadblocks for software developers and integrators are well-known consequences of fragmented semantics across different contexts. Furthermore, in the smart city context, there is a need to ensure the security and identity of real-world services operating on this data through the adoption of access control principles (authorization and authentication). The use of ontologies to unify the diverse semantics of multiple domains is one strategy that has had considerable success in the past. This paper describes an access management ontology in smart cities developed to enable the interoperability of physical built environment assets, sensing and actuation devices and current built environment services with existing security standards, digital twin and Building Information Model (BIM) datasets. It also provides interoperability between user interfaces and the actors who use them in the context of establishing an access management in smart cities framework for the built environment. This has been validated through its implementation in the Cardiff Urban Sustainability Platform (CUSP), deployed to manage a variety of smart services on a university campus. This validation has successfully shown the ability of the ontology to function as intended in the context of a digital twin, thereby offering single sign-on and suitable access control

Rawshan: environmental impact of a vernacular shading building element in hot humid climates

There has been a recent decline in the use of vernacular building traditions, which have been replaced by modern methods of construction. However, many academics and researchers have emphasized the significance of vernacular architecture, due to such technologies being the result of centuries of experiments focussed on adaptation to local climatic conditions. One of the best-known vernacular architecture elements is the Rawshan (Mashrabiyyah), which is not only aesthetically appealing and improves the indoor environment, but also fulfils a vital social/religious role, i.e. privacy. A Rawshan increases daylight penetration while minimizing energy consumption, thus positively contributing to the wellbeing of occupants. However, in order to optimise comfort, there is a need to reconcile the amount of daylight entering the living space with heat gain during summer and heat loss during winter. This research employed a genetic algorithm to optimise the design of a Rawshan for a residential building, with the aim of enhancing the occupants’ comfort while minimising energy consumption. Grasshopper was used for modelling the residential building and Galapagos for programming and configuring a genetic algorithm. The results reveal that this proposed genetic algorithm-based Rawshan design enhanced comfort, while minimising energy consumption and reducing the negative impact of solar gain on energy consumption

Rawshan: Environmental impact of a vernacular shading building element in hot humid climates

There has been a recent decline in the use of vernacular building traditions, which have been replaced by modern methods of construction. However, many academics and researchers have emphasized the significance of vernacular architecture, due to such technologies being the result of centuries of experiments focussed on adaptation to local climatic conditions. One of the best-known vernacular architecture elements is the Rawshan (Mashrabiyyah), which is not only aesthetically appealing and improves the indoor environment, but also fulfils a vital social/religious role, i.e. privacy. A Rawshan increases daylight penetration while minimizing energy consumption, thus positively contributing to the wellbeing of occupants. However, in order to optimise comfort, there is a need to reconcile the amount of daylight entering the living space with heat gain during summer and heat loss during winter. This research employed a genetic algorithm to optimise the design of a Rawshan for a residential building, with the aim of enhancing the occupants’ comfort while minimising energy consumption. Grasshopper was used for modelling the residential building and Galapagos for programming and configuring a genetic algorithm. The results reveal that this proposed genetic algorithm-based Rawshan design enhanced comfort, while minimising energy consumption and reducing the negative impact of solar gain on energy consumption