Simulation Supported Precedent Analysis: Disclosing the Sustainable Attributes of Vernacular Structures in the Southern U.S.

摘要

Environmental case study analysis has long served the design profession in describing complex building behavior, putting architectural design strategies to task in order to offset the need for supplemental high-grade energy systems. Knowledge of these strategies becomes crucial for designers practicing in the Southern United States, a region that demands effective low-cost strategies that perform well within a fully humid climate marked by distinct variations. However, traditional case study methods rely heavily upon methods of approximation, basing results on commonly held assumptions with little regard for the particular characteristics of place, people, and purpose that animate building performance. Rather than relying upon rule-of-thumb conjecture, low-resolution simulation platforms offer a highly interactive and diverse toolset to designers, facilitating testing sequences which acutely disclose how a range of geometric building configurations intensively shape the behavior of light, heat, and airflow present within the extensive environment. This paper explores the role of building simulation tools in the analysis of Southern vernacular structures, with emphasis on the tool's capacity to support heuristic procedures. Through multi-domain functionality, these tools enable iterative analysis across numerous time frames, producing and advancing crucial knowledge about the performance of vernacular building attributes. The findings from simulation supported precedent analysis underscore this role, expanding upon the inventory of passive architectural devices highlighted by James Marston Fitch to include permeable enclosures, centralized wind chambers, and narrow floor plates (Fitch, 1961).