Douglas Noble

Augmented Reality: An Application for Architecture

Virtual reality (VR) can be used as a powerful, three dimensional method to interface with computers. By wearing a head mounted audio-visual display, position and orientation sensors, and tactile interface devices, one can actively inhabit an inclusive computer generated environment. Another area of computing that has seen substantial progress is mobile computing. With computing devices diminishing in size and with options like wireless networking, a user is no longer limited to his physical desktop. Augmented reality (AR) works on similar principles as virtual reality. Yet, unlike VR where the user is immersed in a completely virtual environment, augmented reality overlays virtual objects and data on the real world. This is usually achieved using see-through head mounted displays and tracking devices. The critical problem with present augment reality systems is the lack of real-time speed and accurate tracking. Because we are overlaying information over the real world, small errors in tracking information are easily detected by the human eye. Considerable experimentation and research is currently underway surrounding the use of VR in the architectural design process. Architecture will also be affected as AR based systems become more powerful. Augmented reality based systems combined with wearable computers will become powerful new tools with a wide range of applications for architecture. This paper describes an augmented reality system as a facility management tool.

Shading Mask: a teaching tool for sun shading devices

Sun shading devices, either as parts of a building or separately placed from a building facade, affect natural lighting and ventilation, solar gain, and overall building performance. The role of sun shading devices or solar radiation control systems is taught at every school of architecture. Yet, only a few architecture students, architects, and designers have applied them to reduce glare, control light intensity, radiation, and minimize cooling load on their projects. Using a well-designed computer program to teach, and re-teach when necessary, the use of sun shading devices is more understandable, clear, and interesting than reading a book on the same topic. Having a readily available tool would also encourage architects and designers to use the shading devices as a method of conserving energy and lowering operating cost in the buildings that they design. Visual Basic 3.0 was chosen as the development language for this Windows-based program. SHADING MASK uses Edward Mazrias rectangular sun path diagrams as a basis. The program explains basic theory of solar control; generates sun path diagrams; allows the design of overhead, side, and eggcrate shading devices; calculates solar angles and shading masks; and provides case studies of actual buildings.

An interactive Web-based teaching tool for simplified 3D analysis of solar rhythms

This case study presents the World Wide Web as an appropriate medium for architectural teaching. The prototypical tool VRSolar uses simple programming and existing Web resources to help in the teaching of topics related to the movement of the sun and its effects on the built environment. Using JavaScript, this tool is capable of generating real time Web content in html and VRML based on user input. Accessible on the Web from within a standard Web browser, this tool calculates the solar positions of any location on earth and indicates the solar access to a given site in the form of a three-dimensional Web page, which the user can view, navigate through, and animate.

Computer generated solar envelopes in architecture

This paper offers a description of the development and potential uses of a tool that generates solar envelopes for architecture and planning. Work on the concept of the solar envelope was begun almost 30 years ago by Ralph Knowles. While the ideas proposed by Knowles have been widely published, practical application of the theories has been slow, partly because of the difficulties of visualising and calculating the solar envelope. This paper recapitulates the incremental steps from early hand-modelling techniques, and describes in detail the current interactive computer-based tool for solar envelope generation. The use of the computer program in the studio environment is described and compared with the original hand-based methods.

Pitfalls in Software “Architecting”: Some Issues in Transforming Paradigms from Manual to Computer-Supported Methods

Faculty, researchers, and graduate students in academic settings produce a multitude of software programs for architecture. These tool builders are attempting to transform existing paradigms into computer-based tools for academia and the profession. Although the number of serious attempts at developing software is increasing dramatically and software authoring tools are continuing to improve, the successful integration of new software into teaching and practice often remains a problem. Inexperience in software development is causing many of these projects to be unsuccessful. This article represents a compendium of the common pitfalls in architectural software development that serves as a preliminary checklist. Pitfalls are found in deciding what software to make, the effects of computation, the nature of design, the process of transformation and implementation, and organization.

Case Study Analysis of the Bradbury Building Atrium: Correlating Measured Thermal Data with a Computational Fluid Dynamics Model

The Bradbury Building in Los Angeles is a major architectural and cultural landmark with a magnificent center core atrium space. The atrium is an extraordinary space that is a regular stop on the tourist routes, yet the space suffers from extreme temperature stratification. The building dates from the 1890s and the atrium glazing has a number of mecbanical difficulties, resulting in only 40% of the clerestory being operable for natural ventilation. The later addition of air conditioning systems in the office spaces, but not for the atrium space, corresponded with the sealing of all of the exterior glazing. In this case study, the atrium is instrumented with sensors for air and surface temperature data collection, and observations are recorded. Recorded surface temperature data is then used to seed a computational fluid dynamics model. Simulations are run testing several different conditions and the computer simulation is shown to closely match the existing conditions. Calculations are also run testing th...