SGER: Evaluation of an Interactive Daylighting Tool for Architectural Design

这一小额探索性研究奖的研究目标是制作并验证一种交互式采光工具的原型，该工具允许建筑师探索替代设计和新技术，以改善其建筑的可持续性。我们的混合全局光照渲染方法结合了光能传递和阴影体积，将无缝地融入到设计的早期阶段。我们设想我们的工具是由经验丰富的设计师使用的流行建模包的插件，这些设计师具有丰富的知识，但不一定是采光技术或高级图形模拟方面的专家。我们假设，使用我们的渲染和可视化软件将使建筑设计过程更有效、更有创意和更令人满意，并导致更节能的建筑设计。我们将设计并执行一项初步的用户研究来验证这一假设。我们的框架将通过测量设计的广度和最终设计的效率与当前的设计实践进行比较。如果成功，本研究的结果将展示交互式全局照明算法和时间图在建筑设计中的有效使用，包括使用非直观的复杂镜面窗材质。新工具将用于建筑设计工作室和车间，以加强创造性思维，并扩大在设计过程中可以考虑和平衡的标准的数量。该项目将吸引计算机科学、建筑技术和建筑设计方面的研究生和本科生。如果成功，我们的系统将提高建筑师有效利用日光的能力，并减少对辅助电气照明的需求，从而减少对不可再生能源的消耗。同样的框架可以应用于其他需要复杂的物理模拟和可视化的设计问题，包括被动式太阳能供暖和制冷、声学、空气动力学建筑围护结构和一般(非建筑)设计场景。

The research objective of this Small Grant for Exploratory Research award is to prototype and validate an interactive daylighting tool that allows architects to explore alternative designs and new technologies to improve the sustainability of their buildings. Our hybrid global illumination rendering method combining radiosity and shadow volumes will be seamlessly incorporated into the early stages of design. We envision our tool as a plug-in to popular modeling packages used by experienced designers, who are knowledgeable but not necessarily experts in daylighting technology or advanced graphical simulations. We hypothesize that use of our rendering and visualization software will make the architectural design process more effective, creative, and satisfying and lead to more energy-efficient building designs. We will design and carry out a preliminary user study to test this hypothesis. Our framework will be compared with current design practice by measuring the breadth of designs considered as well as the efficiency of the final design.If successful, the results of this research will demonstrate the effective use of interactive global illumination algorithms and temporal maps for architectural design, including the use of non-intuitive complex specular window materials. The new tool will be used in architectural design studios and workshops to enhance creative thinking and broaden the number of criteria that can be considered and balanced during design. The project will engage graduate and undergraduate students in computer science, building technology, and architectural design. If successful, our system will improve the architect's ability to make effective use of daylighting and reduce the need for supplemental electric lighting, reducing consumption of non-renewable energy resources. The same framework can be applied to other design problems that require complex physical simulation and visualization, including passive solar heating and cooling, acoustics, aerodynamic building envelopes, and general (non-architectural) design scenarios.