PoSip- Potentials of Site and Proximity
Duration: 2011-2013
Funding: Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
SuAT Team: Michele Leidi, Daren Thomas
In the project we introduce a new approach to conceptualize buildings as connected entities in an urban fabric. Instead of a subsequent evaluation the performance of an architectural design and its improvement through performance analysis and iterative amelioration, we propose a radical shift, starting at the conceptual stage and geared towards the identification of potentials for utilizing abundant and renewable energy sources specific to a building site and its proximity.
To be effective for sustainable design, these potentials, qualities and quantities have to be assessed, evaluated and synthesized. This includes employing 'active' building technologies as well as 'passive' design techniques and the networking of buildings for a cooperative exploitation and management of renewable energy sources. The objective of the PoSiP Project is to extend the view from the single building to the city quarter / urban scale by introducing methods of volumetric site analysis (VIA) already in the conceptual stage of a building or urban design project. The objective is to develop new methods for three‐dimensional analysis of a building site and its local potentials for creating sustainable architectural concepts in an urban context. Through analytical and visual computation methods, the implementation of passive techniques (solar radiation, daylight, natural ventilation, etc.) and active technologies (PV / PVT panels, wind power, ground heat exchange, etc.) and their optimal combination can be assessed. The identified site‐specific spatial qualities are then translated into architectural parameters. The results can potentially be used to obtain suggestions for an optimal distribution of building/site programs, definition of building form and envelope, and the efficient implementation of technical systems related to renewable energy sources. Funding for the extension has been granted from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).
