Abraham Yezioro | Technion Israel Institute of Technology (original) (raw)

Papers by Abraham Yezioro

Research paper thumbnail of Design guidelines for appropriate insolation of urban squares

Renewable Energy, Jun 1, 2006

A systematic study of building design around urban squares, while keeping the solar rights, is pr... more A systematic study of building design around urban squares, while keeping the solar rights, is presented. The assessment was carried out both visually and quantitatively using the model SHADING (Solar Energy. 1994; 52-1, 27-37). The quantitative evaluation is general and allows a fast and efficient evaluation of the Geometrical Insolated Coefficient (GIC), which is the ratio between the insolated area and the total examined area. The calculation of the GIC was carried out year around for different proportions of squares and buildings heights around them. By calculating the Average GIC for Winter for each examined square, recommendations and design guidelines are derived and presented.

Research paper thumbnail of External Shading Devices: Should the Energy Standard Be Supplemented with a Production Stage?

Sustainability, Oct 6, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Research paper thumbnail of A Model for the Energetic-Economic Optimization of Office Buildings

Architectural Science Review, Dec 1, 2007

... Shaviv, E., & Shaviv, G. (1978b). Modeling the thermal performance of buildings. Building... more ... Shaviv, E., & Shaviv, G. (1978b). Modeling the thermal performance of buildings. Building and Environment, 13, 95-108. ... Energy code for office buildings in Israel. Renewable Energy Journal (in press). ... Optimizing building design with respect to life-cycle environmental impacts. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Life-Cycle Assessment of Sculptured Tiles for Building Envelopes in Mediterranean Climate

Buildings, 2022

Life-cycle assessments (LCAs) were conducted to evaluate sculptured cement mortar tiles, proposed... more Life-cycle assessments (LCAs) were conducted to evaluate sculptured cement mortar tiles, proposed by Hershcovich et al. (2021), and conventional cement mortar flat tiles for thermal insulation of a typical residential building in Mediterranean climate. The production (P) and operational energy (OE) stages were compared between the sculptured tiles and the conventional flat tiles. The P stage used Portland cement with 95% clinker (CEM I) and Portland limestone cement with 65% clinker (CEM II). The OE stage used 31% coal, 56% natural gas, and 13% photovoltaic (PV) (adopted in 2020) and 8% coal, 57% natural gas, and 35% PV (planned for 2025). The ReCiPe2016 single-score method was used to assess environmental damage over short (20 years), long (100 years), and infinite (1000 years) time horizons of living pollutants. The results show that the use of sculptured tiles caused environmental damage in the short time horizon and environmental benefits in the long and infinite time horizons i...

Research paper thumbnail of A Simple User Interface for Energy Rating of Buildings 1 2

The Israeli standard 5282 for energy rating of buildings includes, besides a Prescriptive path, a... more The Israeli standard 5282 for energy rating of buildings includes, besides a Prescriptive path, a Performance Approach that requires using an hourly energy simulation model to demonstrate compliance. In this work, we present the development of a Graphical User Interface (GUI), in which most of the expert knowledge needed to run such complex simulation model is embedded in it. The output of the evaluation is a certificate specifying the energy rating of each unit in the building, as well as the energy rating of the whole building. Although IS5282 includes different building types, in this work we will demonstrate the tool using the Residential building type. One of the advantages of the system is that it suits any stage of the design process and not only the detailed one. In such a way, the user can design buildings being more aware of the energy performance features and their impact on the energy performance of the building. The GUI has been adopted by the Standards Institution of I...

Research paper thumbnail of Synergetic urban microclimate and energy simulation parametric workflow

Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2019

Although the interrelations between urban microclimates and energy demand have been acknowledged,... more Although the interrelations between urban microclimates and energy demand have been acknowledged, few workflows integrate microclimatic boundary conditions to predict energy demand in parametric morphological studies. This paper helps bridge this gap by introducing a novel workflow which brings together energy and microclimatic modelling for a synergetic assessment at the block scale. The interrelation between form, energy and urban microclimatic conditions is explored here in the climatic context of Tel Aviv by coupling Envimet and EnergyPlus. The potential of this coupling is explored in three different block typologies, each tested for four different density scenarios focusing on the cooling demand on a typical hot day. Results show the substantial increase of as high as 50% in cooling demand when the microclimatic weather data is taken into account and indicate the potential to capitalize on new computational tools which allow to quantify the interrelations between urban form, m...

Research paper thumbnail of Algae Window for reducing energy consumption of building structures in the Mediterranean city of Tel-Aviv, Israel

Energy and Buildings, 2019

The present study focused on analyzing the potential impact of incorporating living microalgae to... more The present study focused on analyzing the potential impact of incorporating living microalgae to the built facades, Algae Window, on the energy consumption reduction of a building. Two microalgae species of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and of Chlorella vulgaris were cultivated and the impacts cells density were studied on the light penetration and heat transfer. The experimentally measured impacts of the two studied microalgae species were used to calculate the U-factor (Thermal conductance), VT (Visible Transmittance) and SHGC (Solar Heat Gain Coefficient) of the Algae Window. Based on the empirical results, the impact of the algae window on the energy consumption was estimated by extensive simulation study within an office space in the LEED accredited Porter building in Tel-Aviv University, Israel. The results show that incorporation of the microalgae into the windows has the potential to improve the energy efficiency in the studied building under the conditions of the Mediterranean climate. The impact of the algae window on the energy consumption was estimated in comparison to single glazing and to double glazing, and was found to differ significantly according to the facade orientation in both microalgae species; at maximum concentrations in the algae window as compared to single glazing window, the energy saving reached up to 20 KWh m −2 year −1 in South, 8 KWh m −2 year −1 in East, 14 KWh m −2 year −1 in West, and energy increase up to 18 KWh m −2 year −1 in North. Three factors were found to explain the variance in the energy saving performance of the Algae Window, namely, the algae concentration, the window size and the combination factor of the algae concentration with the window size that yielded the largest effect on decreasing the energy consumption. This study suggests that incorporating microalgae cultivation in building windows can provide energy saving to the building and addresses the main design factors that can effect on the savings as well as on other energetic aspects involved in the system such as energy production from algal biomass that has multiple applications in the urban environment.

Research paper thumbnail of Form and Performance in Intelligent CAAD Systems for Early Stages in Solar Design Building

Great care should be taken at the initial design stages to determine the principles and solution ... more Great care should be taken at the initial design stages to determine the principles and solution schemes for climate and energy-conscious buildings. The present study deals with supporting the designer's efforts at the early stages to lay down the appropriate principles for a conceptual and geometric design of energy-preserving buildings, which are also thermally comfortable and adapted to local climatic conditions. For years, especially during the last decade, important data concerning climate-conscious construction has been compiled, but the information has not been utilized by designers, due to its inaccessibility. It is significant, though, that solutions based on this knowledge could be found and assessed at the preliminary design steps. A correct climate-conscious design conceived at the initial stages may guarantee that during later phases of the project's development no problems calling for essential and drastic changes in the basic design will crop up. The meaning o...

Research paper thumbnail of Pasys—A Knowledge Based System For Determining the Passive Systems For Heating and Cooling

1999 ISES Solar World Congress, 2000

Research paper thumbnail of A KB CAAD System for the Pre-Conceptual Design of Bio-Climatic and Low Energy Buildings

CAAD futures 1997, 1997

This work discusses the structure of knowledge base CAAD systems for the design of solar and low ... more This work discusses the structure of knowledge base CAAD systems for the design of solar and low energy buildings, along with the presentation of the different knowledge bases required for such systems. The general discussion is followed by presenting a KB-CAAD system PASYS, that was developed as a tool for determining thermal comfort design strategies in the pre-conceptual design stage. PASYS is based on a knowledge base which stores the existing information concerning thermal comfort rules of thumb and accurate procedural calculations, which facilitates defining thermal comfort design strategies that suite best the local climatic conditions and the specific constrains of the design problem at hand.

Research paper thumbnail of Study of thermal comfort in courtyards in a hot arid climate

Solar Energy, 2012

ABSTRACT The outdoor thermal comfort in an enclosed courtyard has been studied numerically by the... more ABSTRACT The outdoor thermal comfort in an enclosed courtyard has been studied numerically by the three dimensional prognostic microclimate model, Envi-met 3.1. The effect of wind, and shading by different means – galleries, horizontal shading or trees – has been examined. The effect of wind is evaluated by allowing cross-ventilation through openings at 3 and 5 m height above ground level, designed according to the prevalent wind direction. The study was conducted for the hours 11–17 LT during June assuming average climate conditions. The thermal comfort is evaluated by the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) index.During hot summer days, outdoor comfort is mainly dependent on solar radiation; hence, shading is the best means to improve comfort, while the contribution of wind under all configurations studied was limited and much smaller than the shade contribution.The amount of shade is mainly determined by the courtyard orientation. Inspection of empty enclosed courtyards has shown that an elongated E–W rectangular courtyard has the least shade, and therefore it is the most uncomfortable.When the courtyard is ventilated by openings, hot air and radiation penetrate through them increasing the air temperature and the radiation temperature in the courtyard relative to the conditions obtained in a closed courtyard. Higher openings are less comfortable to stay under, and further decrease the comfort in the courtyard. The addition of trees or/and galleries to the closed courtyard significantly improves the outdoor comfort. Under the assumption of constant building temperature of 25°, the addition of galleries is the most efficient shading strategy.Quantitative results exhibiting these trends are presented for specific configurations and orientations of ventilated and/or shaded courtyards.

Research paper thumbnail of Mechanically ventilated double-skin facade in a hot and humid climate: summer monitoring in an office tower in Tel Aviv

Architectural Science Review, 2018

Double-skin facade (DSF) is regarded as one of the most advanced and promising curtain wall techn... more Double-skin facade (DSF) is regarded as one of the most advanced and promising curtain wall technologies currently available, adopted until recently mainly in cold and temperate climates. Despite their potential for improved thermal performance compared to conventional curtain wall technologies, experience with the application of DSF technology in hot climates is still little. This paper presents the results of the first DSF monitoring in Israel, executed in the first office building in Israel to apply this technology. Results show that the applied DSF technology (mechanically ventilated box window DSF with integrated blinds) has a potential for keeping indoor temperatures up to 2°C below outdoor temperatures (excluding the effect of air conditioning) and reducing solar heat gains without compromising indoor visual comfort. At the same time, they also exposed an inherent deficiency of the system's capacity to prevent air cavity overheating: air cavity temperatures were 10-30°C higher than outdoor temperatures in all facades exposed to direct solar irradiance.

Research paper thumbnail of Life Cycle Assessment Meeting Energy Standard Performance: An Office Building Case Study

Buildings

Transitioning from fossil to renewable energies, particularly photovoltaic (PV) energy, could inf... more Transitioning from fossil to renewable energies, particularly photovoltaic (PV) energy, could influence building design in terms of environmental evaluation. The aim of this study was to rate a typical office building that complies with the Israeli Standard SI5282, Energy Rating of Buildings, and to evaluate it by life cycle assessment (LCA). An office building in Tel Aviv with four exterior wall construction technologies was modeled as follows: (1) a concrete-block-based wall with minimal windows; (2) a concrete-block-based wall with maximal windows; (3) an autoclaved aerated-block-based wall with minimal windows; and (4) an autoclaved aerated-block-based wall with maximal windows. The electricity sources used to support the building’s operational energy were: (i) 31% coal, 56% natural gas, and 13% PV (adopted in 2020); (ii) 8% coal, 57% natural gas, and 35% PV (planned for 2025); and (iii) 100% PV (planned for the future). A two-stage nested mixed analysis of variance was used to ...

Research paper thumbnail of Solar Rights in the Design of Urban Spaces

The consideration of solar rights in urban design is essential in order to allow passive heating ... more The consideration of solar rights in urban design is essential in order to allow passive heating of buildings in winter and to improve the comfort conditions of people in the street, sidewalks and open spaces. A design that doesn't consider the solar rights of buildings and open spaces may cause uncomfortable conditions inside the buildings and outdoors. This work presents a simple design tool for the consideration of solar rights in urban design that was developed by the use of the computer model SustArc. This tool allows the generation and evaluation of building configurations, ensuring solar rights of each neighbouring building, as well as the open spaces among them, by using the concept of solar envelopes, but without the need to use any specialized software. The goal of the present work is to provide the architect with simple and easy to use nomograms that can help him during the early design stages to determine the right proportions and geometry of open spaces and streets ...

Research paper thumbnail of Energy Rating of Buildings to Promote Energy-Conscious Design in Israel

Buildings

Improving the energy efficiency of existing and new buildings is an important step towards achiev... more Improving the energy efficiency of existing and new buildings is an important step towards achieving more sustainable environments. There are various methods for grading buildings that are required according to regulations in different places for green building certification. However, in new buildings, these rating systems are usually implemented at late design stages due to their complexity and lack of integration in the architectural design process, thus limiting the available options for improving their performance. In this paper, the model ENERGYui used for design and rating buildings in Israel is presented. One of its main advantages is that it can be used at any design stage, including the early ones. It requires information that is available at each stage only, as the additional necessary information is supplemented by the model. In this way, architects can design buildings in a way where they are aware of each design decision and its impact on their energy performance, while...

Research paper thumbnail of Mechanically ventilated double-skin facade in a hot and humid climate: summer monitoring in an office tower in Tel Aviv

Architectural Science Review, 2018

Double-skin facade (DSF) is regarded as one of the most advanced and promising curtain wall techn... more Double-skin facade (DSF) is regarded as one of the most advanced and promising curtain wall technologies currently available, adopted until recently mainly in cold and temperate climates. Despite their potential for improved thermal performance compared to conventional curtain wall technologies, experience with the application of DSF technology in hot climates is still little. This paper presents the results of the first DSF monitoring in Israel, executed in the first office building in Israel to apply this technology. Results show that the applied DSF technology (mechanically ventilated box window DSF with integrated blinds) has a potential for keeping indoor temperatures up to 2°C below outdoor temperatures (excluding the effect of air conditioning) and reducing solar heat gains without compromising indoor visual comfort. At the same time, they also exposed an inherent deficiency of the system's capacity to prevent air cavity overheating: air cavity temperatures were 10–30°C higher than outdoor temperatures in all facades exposed to direct solar irradiance.

Research paper thumbnail of Conceptual Design: An Operational Prescription for a Computer Support System

A prescription for a computer based support system for conceptual design is presented. The necess... more A prescription for a computer based support system for conceptual design is presented. The necessary components needed are listed, and their implementation in a complete system is shown. Combining the components with the right balance among them is the key to a successful transition of today's conceptual design phase, using pencil and paper, to a computer based system. This work presents ConceptUdraft, a computer system built using this prescription. It allows the creative freedom of freehand 2D and 3D sketching the designer habitually relies on, assists that creative process and elevates it to a higher degree of visualization and interaction. The system developed may contribute to the quality of design and the speed with which conceptual design matures into a feasible new object.

Research paper thumbnail of A COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR MULTI-CRITERIA COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF BUILDING ENVELOPES

A computer system for enabling designers and entrepreneurs a simple, convenient and quick manner ... more A computer system for enabling designers and entrepreneurs a simple, convenient and quick manner to select different building technologies for the building's envelope is presented. The selection is achieved by examining the profitability of each alternative, while presenting its performance ability on the basis of a large number of criteria. This paper looks at the application of multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) techniques in the assessment of environmentally sensitive construction methods. Cost benefit analysis is one of the conventional techniques used widely by public and private sectors in the appraisal of projects by means of a market approach. However, externalities, intangibles and environmental impacts need to be incorporated into the evaluation and a strategy needs to be developed to give these factors proper consideration. Due to the fact those impacts can hardly be assessed in economic terms within a market approach framework, MCDM techniques, like Compromise Programming (CP), are investigated and applied to value these impacts in a non-monetary approach. The system is planned as a comprehensive instrument, able to solve a variety of multi-criteria problems, in different fields, therefore enhancing the efficiency of the designer's decision making process and possibilities.

Research paper thumbnail of An applied artificial intelligence approach towards assessing building performance simulation tools

Energy and Buildings, 2008

With the development of modern computer technology, a large amount of building energy simulation ... more With the development of modern computer technology, a large amount of building energy simulation tools is available in the market. When choosing which simulation tool to use in a project, the user must consider the tool's accuracy and reliability, considering the building information they have at hand, which will serve as input for the tool. This paper presents an approach towards assessing building performance simulation results to actual measurements, using artificial neural networks (ANN) for predicting building energy performance. Training and testing of the ANN were carried out with energy consumption data acquired for 1 week in the case building called the Solar House. The predicted results show a good fitness with the mathematical model with a mean absolute error of 0.9%. Moreover, four building simulation tools were selected in this study in order to compare their results with the ANN predicted energy consumption: Energy_10, Green Building Studio web tool, eQuest and EnergyPlus. The results showed that the more detailed simulation tools have the best simulation performance in terms of heating and cooling electricity consumption within 3% of mean absolute error. #

Research paper thumbnail of Computer-Based Form Generation in Architectural Design - a Critical Review

International Journal of Architectural Computing, 2009

... Critical Review Yasha Jacob Grobman,Abraham Yezioro and Isaac Guedi Capeluto issue 04, volume... more ... Critical Review Yasha Jacob Grobman,Abraham Yezioro and Isaac Guedi Capeluto issue 04, volume 07 international journal of architectural computing ... Architectural Design – a Critical Review Yasha Jacob Grobman,Abraham Yezioro and Isaac Guedi Capeluto ABSTRACT ...

Research paper thumbnail of Design guidelines for appropriate insolation of urban squares

Renewable Energy, Jun 1, 2006

A systematic study of building design around urban squares, while keeping the solar rights, is pr... more A systematic study of building design around urban squares, while keeping the solar rights, is presented. The assessment was carried out both visually and quantitatively using the model SHADING (Solar Energy. 1994; 52-1, 27-37). The quantitative evaluation is general and allows a fast and efficient evaluation of the Geometrical Insolated Coefficient (GIC), which is the ratio between the insolated area and the total examined area. The calculation of the GIC was carried out year around for different proportions of squares and buildings heights around them. By calculating the Average GIC for Winter for each examined square, recommendations and design guidelines are derived and presented.

Research paper thumbnail of External Shading Devices: Should the Energy Standard Be Supplemented with a Production Stage?

Sustainability, Oct 6, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Research paper thumbnail of A Model for the Energetic-Economic Optimization of Office Buildings

Architectural Science Review, Dec 1, 2007

... Shaviv, E., & Shaviv, G. (1978b). Modeling the thermal performance of buildings. Building... more ... Shaviv, E., & Shaviv, G. (1978b). Modeling the thermal performance of buildings. Building and Environment, 13, 95-108. ... Energy code for office buildings in Israel. Renewable Energy Journal (in press). ... Optimizing building design with respect to life-cycle environmental impacts. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Life-Cycle Assessment of Sculptured Tiles for Building Envelopes in Mediterranean Climate

Buildings, 2022

Life-cycle assessments (LCAs) were conducted to evaluate sculptured cement mortar tiles, proposed... more Life-cycle assessments (LCAs) were conducted to evaluate sculptured cement mortar tiles, proposed by Hershcovich et al. (2021), and conventional cement mortar flat tiles for thermal insulation of a typical residential building in Mediterranean climate. The production (P) and operational energy (OE) stages were compared between the sculptured tiles and the conventional flat tiles. The P stage used Portland cement with 95% clinker (CEM I) and Portland limestone cement with 65% clinker (CEM II). The OE stage used 31% coal, 56% natural gas, and 13% photovoltaic (PV) (adopted in 2020) and 8% coal, 57% natural gas, and 35% PV (planned for 2025). The ReCiPe2016 single-score method was used to assess environmental damage over short (20 years), long (100 years), and infinite (1000 years) time horizons of living pollutants. The results show that the use of sculptured tiles caused environmental damage in the short time horizon and environmental benefits in the long and infinite time horizons i...

Research paper thumbnail of A Simple User Interface for Energy Rating of Buildings 1 2

The Israeli standard 5282 for energy rating of buildings includes, besides a Prescriptive path, a... more The Israeli standard 5282 for energy rating of buildings includes, besides a Prescriptive path, a Performance Approach that requires using an hourly energy simulation model to demonstrate compliance. In this work, we present the development of a Graphical User Interface (GUI), in which most of the expert knowledge needed to run such complex simulation model is embedded in it. The output of the evaluation is a certificate specifying the energy rating of each unit in the building, as well as the energy rating of the whole building. Although IS5282 includes different building types, in this work we will demonstrate the tool using the Residential building type. One of the advantages of the system is that it suits any stage of the design process and not only the detailed one. In such a way, the user can design buildings being more aware of the energy performance features and their impact on the energy performance of the building. The GUI has been adopted by the Standards Institution of I...

Research paper thumbnail of Synergetic urban microclimate and energy simulation parametric workflow

Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2019

Although the interrelations between urban microclimates and energy demand have been acknowledged,... more Although the interrelations between urban microclimates and energy demand have been acknowledged, few workflows integrate microclimatic boundary conditions to predict energy demand in parametric morphological studies. This paper helps bridge this gap by introducing a novel workflow which brings together energy and microclimatic modelling for a synergetic assessment at the block scale. The interrelation between form, energy and urban microclimatic conditions is explored here in the climatic context of Tel Aviv by coupling Envimet and EnergyPlus. The potential of this coupling is explored in three different block typologies, each tested for four different density scenarios focusing on the cooling demand on a typical hot day. Results show the substantial increase of as high as 50% in cooling demand when the microclimatic weather data is taken into account and indicate the potential to capitalize on new computational tools which allow to quantify the interrelations between urban form, m...

Research paper thumbnail of Algae Window for reducing energy consumption of building structures in the Mediterranean city of Tel-Aviv, Israel

Energy and Buildings, 2019

The present study focused on analyzing the potential impact of incorporating living microalgae to... more The present study focused on analyzing the potential impact of incorporating living microalgae to the built facades, Algae Window, on the energy consumption reduction of a building. Two microalgae species of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and of Chlorella vulgaris were cultivated and the impacts cells density were studied on the light penetration and heat transfer. The experimentally measured impacts of the two studied microalgae species were used to calculate the U-factor (Thermal conductance), VT (Visible Transmittance) and SHGC (Solar Heat Gain Coefficient) of the Algae Window. Based on the empirical results, the impact of the algae window on the energy consumption was estimated by extensive simulation study within an office space in the LEED accredited Porter building in Tel-Aviv University, Israel. The results show that incorporation of the microalgae into the windows has the potential to improve the energy efficiency in the studied building under the conditions of the Mediterranean climate. The impact of the algae window on the energy consumption was estimated in comparison to single glazing and to double glazing, and was found to differ significantly according to the facade orientation in both microalgae species; at maximum concentrations in the algae window as compared to single glazing window, the energy saving reached up to 20 KWh m −2 year −1 in South, 8 KWh m −2 year −1 in East, 14 KWh m −2 year −1 in West, and energy increase up to 18 KWh m −2 year −1 in North. Three factors were found to explain the variance in the energy saving performance of the Algae Window, namely, the algae concentration, the window size and the combination factor of the algae concentration with the window size that yielded the largest effect on decreasing the energy consumption. This study suggests that incorporating microalgae cultivation in building windows can provide energy saving to the building and addresses the main design factors that can effect on the savings as well as on other energetic aspects involved in the system such as energy production from algal biomass that has multiple applications in the urban environment.

Research paper thumbnail of Form and Performance in Intelligent CAAD Systems for Early Stages in Solar Design Building

Great care should be taken at the initial design stages to determine the principles and solution ... more Great care should be taken at the initial design stages to determine the principles and solution schemes for climate and energy-conscious buildings. The present study deals with supporting the designer's efforts at the early stages to lay down the appropriate principles for a conceptual and geometric design of energy-preserving buildings, which are also thermally comfortable and adapted to local climatic conditions. For years, especially during the last decade, important data concerning climate-conscious construction has been compiled, but the information has not been utilized by designers, due to its inaccessibility. It is significant, though, that solutions based on this knowledge could be found and assessed at the preliminary design steps. A correct climate-conscious design conceived at the initial stages may guarantee that during later phases of the project's development no problems calling for essential and drastic changes in the basic design will crop up. The meaning o...

Research paper thumbnail of Pasys—A Knowledge Based System For Determining the Passive Systems For Heating and Cooling

1999 ISES Solar World Congress, 2000

Research paper thumbnail of A KB CAAD System for the Pre-Conceptual Design of Bio-Climatic and Low Energy Buildings

CAAD futures 1997, 1997

This work discusses the structure of knowledge base CAAD systems for the design of solar and low ... more This work discusses the structure of knowledge base CAAD systems for the design of solar and low energy buildings, along with the presentation of the different knowledge bases required for such systems. The general discussion is followed by presenting a KB-CAAD system PASYS, that was developed as a tool for determining thermal comfort design strategies in the pre-conceptual design stage. PASYS is based on a knowledge base which stores the existing information concerning thermal comfort rules of thumb and accurate procedural calculations, which facilitates defining thermal comfort design strategies that suite best the local climatic conditions and the specific constrains of the design problem at hand.

Research paper thumbnail of Study of thermal comfort in courtyards in a hot arid climate

Solar Energy, 2012

ABSTRACT The outdoor thermal comfort in an enclosed courtyard has been studied numerically by the... more ABSTRACT The outdoor thermal comfort in an enclosed courtyard has been studied numerically by the three dimensional prognostic microclimate model, Envi-met 3.1. The effect of wind, and shading by different means – galleries, horizontal shading or trees – has been examined. The effect of wind is evaluated by allowing cross-ventilation through openings at 3 and 5 m height above ground level, designed according to the prevalent wind direction. The study was conducted for the hours 11–17 LT during June assuming average climate conditions. The thermal comfort is evaluated by the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) index.During hot summer days, outdoor comfort is mainly dependent on solar radiation; hence, shading is the best means to improve comfort, while the contribution of wind under all configurations studied was limited and much smaller than the shade contribution.The amount of shade is mainly determined by the courtyard orientation. Inspection of empty enclosed courtyards has shown that an elongated E–W rectangular courtyard has the least shade, and therefore it is the most uncomfortable.When the courtyard is ventilated by openings, hot air and radiation penetrate through them increasing the air temperature and the radiation temperature in the courtyard relative to the conditions obtained in a closed courtyard. Higher openings are less comfortable to stay under, and further decrease the comfort in the courtyard. The addition of trees or/and galleries to the closed courtyard significantly improves the outdoor comfort. Under the assumption of constant building temperature of 25°, the addition of galleries is the most efficient shading strategy.Quantitative results exhibiting these trends are presented for specific configurations and orientations of ventilated and/or shaded courtyards.

Research paper thumbnail of Mechanically ventilated double-skin facade in a hot and humid climate: summer monitoring in an office tower in Tel Aviv

Architectural Science Review, 2018

Double-skin facade (DSF) is regarded as one of the most advanced and promising curtain wall techn... more Double-skin facade (DSF) is regarded as one of the most advanced and promising curtain wall technologies currently available, adopted until recently mainly in cold and temperate climates. Despite their potential for improved thermal performance compared to conventional curtain wall technologies, experience with the application of DSF technology in hot climates is still little. This paper presents the results of the first DSF monitoring in Israel, executed in the first office building in Israel to apply this technology. Results show that the applied DSF technology (mechanically ventilated box window DSF with integrated blinds) has a potential for keeping indoor temperatures up to 2°C below outdoor temperatures (excluding the effect of air conditioning) and reducing solar heat gains without compromising indoor visual comfort. At the same time, they also exposed an inherent deficiency of the system's capacity to prevent air cavity overheating: air cavity temperatures were 10-30°C higher than outdoor temperatures in all facades exposed to direct solar irradiance.

Research paper thumbnail of Life Cycle Assessment Meeting Energy Standard Performance: An Office Building Case Study

Buildings

Transitioning from fossil to renewable energies, particularly photovoltaic (PV) energy, could inf... more Transitioning from fossil to renewable energies, particularly photovoltaic (PV) energy, could influence building design in terms of environmental evaluation. The aim of this study was to rate a typical office building that complies with the Israeli Standard SI5282, Energy Rating of Buildings, and to evaluate it by life cycle assessment (LCA). An office building in Tel Aviv with four exterior wall construction technologies was modeled as follows: (1) a concrete-block-based wall with minimal windows; (2) a concrete-block-based wall with maximal windows; (3) an autoclaved aerated-block-based wall with minimal windows; and (4) an autoclaved aerated-block-based wall with maximal windows. The electricity sources used to support the building’s operational energy were: (i) 31% coal, 56% natural gas, and 13% PV (adopted in 2020); (ii) 8% coal, 57% natural gas, and 35% PV (planned for 2025); and (iii) 100% PV (planned for the future). A two-stage nested mixed analysis of variance was used to ...

Research paper thumbnail of Solar Rights in the Design of Urban Spaces

The consideration of solar rights in urban design is essential in order to allow passive heating ... more The consideration of solar rights in urban design is essential in order to allow passive heating of buildings in winter and to improve the comfort conditions of people in the street, sidewalks and open spaces. A design that doesn't consider the solar rights of buildings and open spaces may cause uncomfortable conditions inside the buildings and outdoors. This work presents a simple design tool for the consideration of solar rights in urban design that was developed by the use of the computer model SustArc. This tool allows the generation and evaluation of building configurations, ensuring solar rights of each neighbouring building, as well as the open spaces among them, by using the concept of solar envelopes, but without the need to use any specialized software. The goal of the present work is to provide the architect with simple and easy to use nomograms that can help him during the early design stages to determine the right proportions and geometry of open spaces and streets ...

Research paper thumbnail of Energy Rating of Buildings to Promote Energy-Conscious Design in Israel

Buildings

Improving the energy efficiency of existing and new buildings is an important step towards achiev... more Improving the energy efficiency of existing and new buildings is an important step towards achieving more sustainable environments. There are various methods for grading buildings that are required according to regulations in different places for green building certification. However, in new buildings, these rating systems are usually implemented at late design stages due to their complexity and lack of integration in the architectural design process, thus limiting the available options for improving their performance. In this paper, the model ENERGYui used for design and rating buildings in Israel is presented. One of its main advantages is that it can be used at any design stage, including the early ones. It requires information that is available at each stage only, as the additional necessary information is supplemented by the model. In this way, architects can design buildings in a way where they are aware of each design decision and its impact on their energy performance, while...

Research paper thumbnail of Mechanically ventilated double-skin facade in a hot and humid climate: summer monitoring in an office tower in Tel Aviv

Architectural Science Review, 2018

Double-skin facade (DSF) is regarded as one of the most advanced and promising curtain wall techn... more Double-skin facade (DSF) is regarded as one of the most advanced and promising curtain wall technologies currently available, adopted until recently mainly in cold and temperate climates. Despite their potential for improved thermal performance compared to conventional curtain wall technologies, experience with the application of DSF technology in hot climates is still little. This paper presents the results of the first DSF monitoring in Israel, executed in the first office building in Israel to apply this technology. Results show that the applied DSF technology (mechanically ventilated box window DSF with integrated blinds) has a potential for keeping indoor temperatures up to 2°C below outdoor temperatures (excluding the effect of air conditioning) and reducing solar heat gains without compromising indoor visual comfort. At the same time, they also exposed an inherent deficiency of the system's capacity to prevent air cavity overheating: air cavity temperatures were 10–30°C higher than outdoor temperatures in all facades exposed to direct solar irradiance.

Research paper thumbnail of Conceptual Design: An Operational Prescription for a Computer Support System

A prescription for a computer based support system for conceptual design is presented. The necess... more A prescription for a computer based support system for conceptual design is presented. The necessary components needed are listed, and their implementation in a complete system is shown. Combining the components with the right balance among them is the key to a successful transition of today's conceptual design phase, using pencil and paper, to a computer based system. This work presents ConceptUdraft, a computer system built using this prescription. It allows the creative freedom of freehand 2D and 3D sketching the designer habitually relies on, assists that creative process and elevates it to a higher degree of visualization and interaction. The system developed may contribute to the quality of design and the speed with which conceptual design matures into a feasible new object.

Research paper thumbnail of A COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR MULTI-CRITERIA COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF BUILDING ENVELOPES

A computer system for enabling designers and entrepreneurs a simple, convenient and quick manner ... more A computer system for enabling designers and entrepreneurs a simple, convenient and quick manner to select different building technologies for the building's envelope is presented. The selection is achieved by examining the profitability of each alternative, while presenting its performance ability on the basis of a large number of criteria. This paper looks at the application of multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) techniques in the assessment of environmentally sensitive construction methods. Cost benefit analysis is one of the conventional techniques used widely by public and private sectors in the appraisal of projects by means of a market approach. However, externalities, intangibles and environmental impacts need to be incorporated into the evaluation and a strategy needs to be developed to give these factors proper consideration. Due to the fact those impacts can hardly be assessed in economic terms within a market approach framework, MCDM techniques, like Compromise Programming (CP), are investigated and applied to value these impacts in a non-monetary approach. The system is planned as a comprehensive instrument, able to solve a variety of multi-criteria problems, in different fields, therefore enhancing the efficiency of the designer's decision making process and possibilities.

Research paper thumbnail of An applied artificial intelligence approach towards assessing building performance simulation tools

Energy and Buildings, 2008

With the development of modern computer technology, a large amount of building energy simulation ... more With the development of modern computer technology, a large amount of building energy simulation tools is available in the market. When choosing which simulation tool to use in a project, the user must consider the tool's accuracy and reliability, considering the building information they have at hand, which will serve as input for the tool. This paper presents an approach towards assessing building performance simulation results to actual measurements, using artificial neural networks (ANN) for predicting building energy performance. Training and testing of the ANN were carried out with energy consumption data acquired for 1 week in the case building called the Solar House. The predicted results show a good fitness with the mathematical model with a mean absolute error of 0.9%. Moreover, four building simulation tools were selected in this study in order to compare their results with the ANN predicted energy consumption: Energy_10, Green Building Studio web tool, eQuest and EnergyPlus. The results showed that the more detailed simulation tools have the best simulation performance in terms of heating and cooling electricity consumption within 3% of mean absolute error. #

Research paper thumbnail of Computer-Based Form Generation in Architectural Design - a Critical Review

International Journal of Architectural Computing, 2009

... Critical Review Yasha Jacob Grobman,Abraham Yezioro and Isaac Guedi Capeluto issue 04, volume... more ... Critical Review Yasha Jacob Grobman,Abraham Yezioro and Isaac Guedi Capeluto issue 04, volume 07 international journal of architectural computing ... Architectural Design – a Critical Review Yasha Jacob Grobman,Abraham Yezioro and Isaac Guedi Capeluto ABSTRACT ...