Making use of Point Cloud for Generating Subtractive Solar Envelopes

Abstract

As a contextual and passive design strategy, solar envelopes play a great role in determining building mass based on desirable sun access during the predefined period. With the rapid evolution of digital tools, the design method of solar envelopes varies in different computational platforms. However, current approaches still lack in covering the detailed complex geometry and relevant information of the surrounding context. This, consequently, affects missing information during contextual analysis and simulation of solar envelopes. This study proposes a subtractive method of solar envelopes by considering the geometrical attribute contained in the point cloud of TLS (terrestrial laser scanner) dataset. Integration of point cloud into the workflow of solar envelopes not only increases the robustness of final geometry of existing solar envelopes but also enhances awareness of architects during contextual analysis due to consideration of surface properties of the existing environment.

A Computational Workflow for Generating A Voxel-Based Design Approach Based on Subtractive Shading Envelopes and Attribute Information of Point Cloud Data

“…With the support of geometric and radiometric properties [53,54] stored in a 3D point cloud, the integrated computational workflow between subtractive solar envelopes and attribute information of point cloud data has been established [55,56]. It specifically integrates functional properties of position information (XYZ), color information (RGB), and reflection intensity (I).…”

“…In this case, the scanner's brightness reducer is assumed not entirely and comprehensively applied in these areas, especially within the distance range of 10 m from the scanner position. This is because some local constraints, such as atmospheric variables (i.e., humidity and temperature pressures) and surface roughness of the objects, may influence specular and diffuse reflection of the laser pulse during scanning [55]. Figure 10 specifically demonstrates the result of intensity correction from the raw attributes to the corrected one through the scalar field of intensity and intensity distribution values.…”

L'enveloppe solaire : un retour vers le futur

“…L'outil informatique a permis de mieux gérer la complexité de la forme urbaine. Le traitement par nuage de points[63][64][65] a permis d'intégrer de manière plus précise les formes complexes des bâtisses voisines pour la génération de l'enveloppe solaire. Capeluto et al [47] ont proposé le Volume Solaire (Solar Volume) permettant l'accès solaire aux constructions voisines ainsi que celle projetée.…”