Building form and environmental performance: archetypes, analysis and an arid climate
Ratti, C., Raydan, D. and Steemers, K.
2002 Energy and Buildings, 34(11), 49-59
Bioclimatic design; Archetypal forms; Image-processing; Vernacular architecture; Hot-arid climate
Ratti, C., Raydan, D. and Steemers, K., (2002), "Building form and environmental performance: archetypes, analysis and an arid climate", Energy and Buildings, 34(11), 49-59.
Abstract
Leslie Martin and others at Cambridge University addressed the question ¡®¡®What building forms make the best use of land?'' in a number of influential papers published in the late 1960s. They selected six simplified urban arrays based on archetypal building forms. Then they analysed and compared the archetypes in terms of built potential and day lighting criteria, eventually reaching the conclusion that courtyards perform best. Their results, which inspired a generation of designers, are briefly reviewed here and reassessed in environmental terms using innovative computer analysis techniques. Furthermore, the implications of their question, which to date has not addressed the link with climate, are explored using a ca se study in a hot-arid region.
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Steemers, K. The Martin Centre for Architectural and Urban Studies, Department of Architecture, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 2EB, UK E-mail: kas11@cam.ac.uk