Aresponsive Cooling Tower and Shading System for Arid Environments
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INTELLIGENT TERRITORY A responsive cooling tower and shading system for arid environments ALINA HRAMYKA1, NEIL GREWAL2, MOHAMMED MAKKI3 and BRITTNEY DILLON4 1,2,3,4The Architectural Association 1,2{alinegromyko|neildsgrewal}@gmail.com 3,4{Mohammed.Makki| brittney.dillon}@aaschool.ac.uk Abstract. Climatic change coupled with desertification processes impacting cities located around the Mediterranean, has raised serious questions for the capability of the affected cities to adapt to the rapidly changing environmental conditions. This research aims to design small-scale tower structures and shading devices in Nicosia, Cyprus through employing environmental analyses within a generative design process to create an intelligent, adaptive system. Guided by Bernoulli’s principles, geometrical design parameters acquired from fluid simulations, alongside solar analyses of the existing city fabric, were used to generate an evolutionary algorithm for design. The research develops a methodology to facilitate environmental flows in urban architectural systems, generating cooling processes in arid environments that facilitate the adaptation of cities to changes in climatic and environmental conditions. Keywords. CFD Simulation; Generative Design; Desertification; Passive cooling system. Figure 1. Tower and shading system in Nicosia, Cyprus. Intelligent & Informed, Proceedings of the 24th International Conference of the Association for Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA) 2019, Volume 2, 571-580. © 2019 and published by the Association for Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA), Hong Kong. 572 A. HRAMYKA ET AL. 1. INTRODUCTION Desertification, a process that transforms fertile land into desert as a result of rising temperatures, has driven the built infrastructure of affected cities towards being better equipped to respond to the changes in climatic conditions (Shoukri, E. and Zachariadis T., 2012). Small-scale structures have been used in both urban and rural environments to lower temperatures and increase airflow. However, while these interventions have helped cities adapt to climate change, the geometry of the structure has proven to be highly influential in how efficient they are in mitigating the changing environmental conditions (Weinstock, M., 2011). The research presented in this paper is part of a larger body of research, conducted by Brittney Dillon and Alina Hramyka, on both urban and rural conditions in Cyprus. Specifically, the content presented will focus on the design of a responsive urban environment (Figure 1) while contributing a computational methodology for architects and designers involved in urban planning. The research aims to create a responsive architectural ecological system for border conditions susceptible to desertification that can collect, store, distribute water, provide shade, lower temperatures, and decrease evaporation levels along the United Nations (UN) Border. A generative process is developed to design a tower structure and shading system that is driven by data gathered through solar analysis (using Ladybug, a grasshopper add-on) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Additionally, an evolutionary algorithm (the Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm - 2 (SPEA-2) used in the grasshopper add-on Octopus) is used to develop the design of infrastructure in four impacted zones within the walled city of Nicosia through tackling a multi-objective design problem; whose solutions and relationships are catalogued and can be implemented in future responsive design interventions. The impact of desertification in Cyprus will be explained, as it played a key role in the selection of affected zones within the city. In addition, a brief summary of the developments in the field of environmental systems will also be engaged, as its key principles play a significant role in providing a proper foundation to design small-scale tower structures and shading devices. 2. NICOSIA, CYPRUS 2.1. DESERTIFICATION In its latest estimate, The Department of Environment in Cyprus projects that 50% of Cyprus will become a desert by 2050 (Shoukri, E. and Zachariadis T., 2012). This will result in temperatures that exceed 55 degrees Celsius (Figure 2) and a significant shortage of water (Sofroniou, A. and Steven, B., 2014). As temperatures rise, evaporation increases resulting in long-lasting droughts, especially during the summer months. Current climatic and environmental analyses being conducted have demonstrated that temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius have had a detrimental impact on the island (Shoukri, E. and Zachariadis T., 2012). Mortality rates due to higher temperatures could increase by 30,000 deaths annually by 2030 and 50,000 to 110,000 deaths annually by 2080 (Bank of Greece, 2011). Such changes directly influence the ecological system and INTELLIGENT TERRITORY 573 human habitation in both urban and rural environments. Agricultural production in rural environments is reduced due to low precipitation, leading to severe land degradation, while urban environments suffer from both production loss and inhabitability due to rising temperatures (Ministry of Agriculture in Cyprus, 2013). This is further amplified due to the urban heat island effect. The use of high thermal absorbing building materials in Nicosia, such as Yellowstone and asphalt, as well as a lack of water bodies and vegetation results in heat waves that can last up to several weeks. Figure 2. Land surface temperature map (left); Areas sensitive to desertification processes over the next 30 years (right). Stagnant air is a result of the dense city fabric both within and outside the walled city, further impacting rising temperatures; resulting in significant increases of energy consumption (primarily for cooling). Moreover, it is projected that the areas shown in Figure 2, are the first patches of land that will see the impacts of desertification within the next 30 years (Ministry of Agriculture in Cyprus, 2013). These areas indicate the starting points for design intervention and played a crucial role in site selection. 3. AN INTELLIGENT URBAN SYSTEM 3.1. OVERVIEW Figure 3. Proposed hyperbolic tower structure designed using Bernoulli’s principle of fluid dynamics. 574 A. HRAMYKA ET AL. While many strategies reduce urban heat island formation, this research addresses two main factors; urban geometry and reduced vegetation. The objective is to alter the dimensions and spaces between built infrastructure and generate tower structures that will provide shade to lower temperatures, encourage vegetation growth, and promote convective air movement. Guided by Bernoulli’s principle of fluid dynamics (Hydrodynamica, 1738), tower structures were designed to prevent air stagnation. Tall, chimney-like geometries allow for air movement between high temperatures and low temperatures. Even slight interventions can impact how air is exhausted, consequently, increasing air extraction efficiency. The geometry of the tower plays a significant role. A tower with negative Gaussian curvature (Figure 3) is more stable against external pressures than straight towers (Asadzadeh, E. and Alam, M., 2014). In order to satisfy all design ambitions, an evolutionary algorithm was used to optimize a multi-objective design problem. Environmental data, solar exposure and existing wind flow conditions were collected and used as an input to drive the evolutionary simulation. In addition, urban surfaces were analysed during extensive heat periods to highlight areas needed for increased shading and air flow. Locations that have a low solar and wind performance index highlighted the areas where the tower infrastructure would impact the micro-climate towards reducing the urban heat island effect. Even a shading device can reduce surface temperatures up to 7°C (Armson, D., 2012). Solutions are generated to increase performance, and an iterative process of design and environmental analysis is performed to create an intelligent, responsive urban system. 3.2. SITE Although the complete body of research tackles both the urban and rural environments, the research presented herein focuses on the urban condition, specifically within Nicosia’s walled city. Characterized by long, narrow streets (3-6 meters) and open public squares, the city was analyzed both functionally and environmentally. In July, a day can last 14 hours and reach temperatures up to 45°C. A lack of shading on pedestrian walkways, coupled with very little vegetation throughout, make it difficult to occupy public spaces during the day. Although the city is relatively dense (almost 2,500 inhabitants per square kilometer), public spaces are predominantly empty due to lack of relief from heat. As such, four plazas were selected (Figure 4) to represent areas within the city most affected by desertification processes. Each plaza is defined by its overall area, the ratio of hard-scape to soft-scape, location of existing vegetation, public and private space, existing street network, existing wind flow conditions, and amount of shadow. Figure 4. Four selected sites within Nicosia walled city. INTELLIGENT TERRITORY 575 3.3. GENERATIVE ALGORITHM 3.3.1. OVERVIEW As each site needs to adapt to both environmental and functional implications, a generative algorithm was used to provide solutions to a design problem with multiple conflicting objectives. The aim is to create a responsive, urban system that strives to maximise air movement and maximise shaded area within each selected plaza through the design of