Search Results (433)

Achieving optimal daylighting in buildings necessitates complex and expensive control systems. This research addresses this challenge by proposing a simple and more practical solution: a parametric louver system based on rotating slats controlled by stepper motors, powered by an Integrated Circuit platform (Arduino board), which can translate the digital figures (the rotation angles) to a physical action. The system automatically adjusts the slats in accordance with solar altitudes and reflects them to specific targets over the ceiling. This ensures a uniform and comfortable distribution of daylight throughout a room. This system was developed using Grasshopper as the parametric software, with future control planned via a user-friendly mobile app through a preliminary prototype. This daylighting system prioritises human visual comfort while targeting a significant 53% reduction in electrical lighting energy consumption. The system aims to enhance occupant well-being to significantly increase energy savings, making it a compelling solution for sustainable building design. Full article

Background/Objectives: Despite their ecological significance, DNA barcoding data for African rainforest Orthoptera remain underrepresented globally, limiting progress in species discovery, biodiversity assessment, and conservation. This study aimed to generate molecular data for morphologically identified Serpusia Karsch, 1891 species to evaluate their taxonomic status. Methods: Specimens were collected from multiple sites in Cameroon and analyzed using DNA barcoding with COI-5P and 16S rDNA markers. Species delimitation was performed with Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery, and phylogenetic relationships were inferred using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference. Additionally, external morphology and the male phallic complex were examined. Results: Molecular analyses delineated 19 MOTUs, five corresponding to Serpusia opacula, seven to Serpusia succursor and the remainder to outgroups. Similarity-based assignments matched these MOTUs to 19 BINs. Phylogenetic reconstruction revealed S. opacula and S. succursor as two genetically distinct clades, with the S. opacula group more closely related to Aresceutica Karsch, 1896 than to the S. succursor group. Accordingly, we established a new genus, Paraserpusia gen. nov., to accommodate S. succursor. Within the S. opacula group, five species are recognized: one previously described (S. opacula) and four new species (S. kennei sp. nov., S. missoupi sp. nov., S. seinoi sp. nov., and S. verhaaghi sp. nov.). The former S. succursor, now Paraserpusia succursor, is divided into six well-supported lineages, five of which are formally described here (P. hoeferi sp. nov., P. husemanni sp. nov., P. kekeunoui sp. nov., P. tamessei sp. nov., and P. tindoi sp. nov.). A haplotype network based on COI-5P sequences corroborates three major clades corresponding to the S. opacula group, the S. succursor group, and Aresceutica. Diagnostic morphological differences between Serpusia and Paraserpusia are consistently supported across characters. Conclusions: This integrative approach reveals substantial hidden diversity within Serpusia and highlights the importance of combining molecular and morphological data to uncover and formally describe previously overlooked taxa. Full article

In the context of building healthy cities and enhancing the quality of historic blocks, assessing their health levels is of critical importance. However, research on health assessments of historic blocks remains limited, and existing evaluation frameworks often struggle to balance comprehensiveness with contextual specificity. Using the blocks along Ciqi Street, Yongqing Street, and Yongtai Street in Shedian Town, Nanyang City, as a case study, this study develops a health assessment system comprising five primary indicators, including block safety, block comfort, block ecological nature, block convenience, and block cultural nature, along with eleven secondary indicators and seventeen tertiary indicators. Based on SHP data, street view imagery, meteorological data, DSM data, and other relevant datasets and employing multiple analytical methods, including ArcGIS, semantic segmentation, and Grasshopper, a health assessment of the target blocks is conducted. The results indicate that the target blocks face significant safety issues, with health challenges primarily associated with their internal built environments. Finally, the study proposes three measures for quality improvement, providing references for related research and the renewal of historic blocks. Full article

Furniture is an integral part of daily life. Its comfort and usability are key factors that define its success. In recent years, there has been increasing demand for applications that drive businesses toward Industry 4.0. These applications aim to improve productivity through greater automation in both 3D modeling and fabrication processes. This research aims to develop a Computer Aided Design (CAD) platform that automates the design and manufacturing of furniture. The platform is based on visual programming using Grasshopper 3D™ and provides a solid foundation for processing different geometric shapes. These shapes can be customized according to the user’s preferences. The platform’s innovation lies in its ability to process complex geometries with a fully automated algorithm. Once the initial parameters are set, the algorithm generates the results. The input data includes an initial geometry, which can be highly complex. Additionally, a set of construction parameters is introduced, leading to multiple alternative design solutions based on the same initial geometry. The designer and user can select their final choice, and all resulting design and manufacturing outcomes are automatically generated. These outcomes include 3D part models, 3D assembly files, Bill of Materials, G-code for CNC machining, and nesting capabilities for improved material efficiency. The platform ensures high-quality performance. The results of the study show that the platform successfully works with different geometries. Moreover, the study is significant as the Industry 4.0 transformation moves toward more automated design processes. Full article

In recent years, significant advancements have been made in the field of design for additive manufacturing (DfAM). These advancements have focused on key aspects such as topology optimization (TO), generative design (GD), lattice structures, and AI-based algorithms. This paper presents a methodology for developing custom Grasshopper^® algorithms to create strut-based, gradient, and conformal lattice structures. Two test geometries were devised and imported into Grasshopper^®, and different lattice structures with varying settings, such as conformity, lattice topology, and strut diameter gradient and cell size gradient, were generated and manufactured. A series of experiments was conducted to assess the impact of input parameters on the formation of lattice structures, their performance in three-point bending tests, and their effect on functionality, applicability, and usability. The experimental investigation yielded clear findings regarding the usability and functionality of the proposed algorithm. However, the findings indicate that although the overall process is usable, improvements are required to streamline the algorithm in order to avoid geometry generation errors and to make it more user-friendly. This approach presents a low-cost, customizable alternative to commercial lattice generation tools, with direct integration in Rhino 8 and Grasshopper^®. Full article

Tetrigidae is a caeliferan family of Orthoptera constituting a diverse and relatively ancient lineage of small Orthopterans, which has its greatest diversity in tropical and subtropical areas. However, to date, few studies have been conducted on the identification and description of Tetrigidae species in Ethiopia, and even fewer molecular data are available. Hence, we performed the first species delimitation study via DNA barcoding of species belonging to the genera Paratettix, Leptacrydium, Dasyleurotettix, and Morphopoides from Ethiopia. We provide 35 new sequences of the COI gene belonging to six species of these genera. We show that Ethiopian Tetrigidae can be successfully delineated using DNA barcodes, even in cryptic genera such as Paratettix: species delimitation on the basis of this gene was strongly congruent with the phylogenetic tree and morphological assignments. We report three species: Dasyleurotettix infaustus (Walker, 1871), Morphopoides tessmanni (Günther, 1939), and M. folipes (Hancock, 1908) from Ethiopia for the first time. In addition, we describe three new species, which were confirmed with morphological, phylogenetic, and species delimitation methods: Paratettix tanai sp. nov., Paratettix geminus sp. nov., and Leptacrydium naqamteensis sp. nov. Further, we studied Paratettix macrostenus, which is considered a new synonym of P. subpustulatus. Future integrative taxonomic studies, including more material from diverse regions, additional genetic loci and more comprehensive taxon sampling, need to be performed to understand the diversity of Tetrigidae across Africa. Full article

Digital technologies significantly influence architectural heritage perception, preservation, and presentation, particularly in reconstructing fragmented archaeological sites. This study explores innovative applications of algorithmic design, Heritage Building Information Modelling (HBIM), and interactive visualisation through the virtual reconstruction of the Roman Forum Transitorium in Musti, Tunisia—a complex historical site influenced by Numidian, Roman, and Byzantine cultures. The research integrates algorithmic modelling, digital surveying, and cloud-based collaboration, employing software tools such as Archicad, Rhino, Grasshopper, and Virtual Tour platforms. Central to this approach is a parametric, hypothesis-driven methodology, enabling the iterative exploration of multiple reconstruction scenarios informed by historical sources, architectural analyses, and scanned archaeological fragments. Immersive technologies enhance user engagement, allowing for the transparent exploration and interpretation of the site’s historical uncertainties. The results highlight the effectiveness of algorithmic methods in managing interpretative variability, offering flexible, academically rigorous, and publicly accessible virtual reconstructions. By emphasising the hypothetical nature of digital reconstructions and interactive visualisations, this research contributes meaningfully to digital archaeology, demonstrating how innovative algorithmic approaches can bridge academic scholarship and broader heritage preservation practices. Full article

Enhancing urban air quality and thermal comfort involves addressing multifaceted environmental and design challenges. Investigating the effects of urban morphological and building geometrical parameters on enhancing air quality and thermal comfort is a multifaceted problem, influenced by different parameters. This study aims to develop optimized design solutions for university buildings and courtyards to enhance outdoor thermal comfort and reduce CO₂ concentration levels as an indicator of air quality. Consequently, the methodology involved a combination of field monitoring at two university faculties in Egypt and a computational parametric methodology using Rhino 3D+Grasshopper(V8) for enhancing thermal comfort, reducing CO₂ concentration levels, and improving wind velocity. The in situ measurements revealed significantly high CO₂ levels (780 ppm) and wind speed (3.8 m/s). The parametric methodology’s findings revealed a substantial reduction in the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) by 2.04 to 10.3 °C, a decrease in CO₂ concentration by 57 to 197 ppm, and an increase in wind speed by 0.4 to 4.07 m/s. The most suitable vegetation ratio for trees within narrow courtyard designs was found to be 30%. This ratio effectively enhances thermal comfort (UTCI) and reduces CO₂ concentrations, while also maintaining adequate airflow and avoiding excessive obstruction of natural ventilation within the courtyard. These findings provide valuable guidance for optimizing courtyard designs in hot arid climates. Full article

Skywells are crucial for climate regulation in traditional Chinese dwelling architecture, exhibiting significant variations across climatic regions. This study focuses on humid–hot China, using Huangshan, to explore skywell parameters’ impact on thermal comfort and energy efficiency. Field research on 24 buildings in the World Heritage Site Xidi, Hong Villages, and Chinese Historical Pingshan Village, combined with Grasshopper’s Ladybug tool, established a parametric model. Using orthogonal design, performance simulation, and Python-based machine learning, six morphological parameters were analyzed: width-to-length ratio, height-to-width ratio, orientation, hall depth, wing width, and shading width. After NSGA-II multi-objective optimization, the summer Percentage of Time Comfortable (P_TC) increased by 5.3%, 38.14 h; the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) relatively improved by 2%; energy consumption decreased by 8.6%, 0.14 kWh/m²; and the useful daylight illuminance increased by 28%, 128.4 h. This confirms the climate adaptability of courtyard-style buildings in humid–hot China and identifies optimized skywell parameters within the study scope. Full article

Urbanization in China and the proliferation of high-rise office buildings have led to increased demand for daylighting and thermal comfort. These requirements often result in reliance on active systems, including heating, cooling, and artificial lighting, which increase energy consumption. Existing studies have often focused on individual cases or room-scale models, which makes it difficult to generalize findings to the design of various high-rise office building types. Therefore, in this study, parametric prototype building models for high-rise office buildings were developed based on surveys of completed and under-construction projects. These surveys reflected actual design practices and were used to support systematic performance evaluation and typology-level optimization. Building performance was simulated using Grasshopper and Honeybee to generate large-scale datasets, and stacking ensemble learning models were used as surrogate predictors for energy use, daylighting, and thermal comfort. Multi-objective optimization was conducted using the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm III (NSGA-III), followed by strategy formulation. The results revealed the following: (1) the proposed prototype model establishes clear parameter ranges for geometry, envelope design, and thermal performance, offering reusable models and data; (2) the stacking ensemble model outperforms individual models, improving the coefficient of determination (R²) by 0.5–16.1%, with mean squared error (MSE) reductions of 4.4–70.6%, and mean absolute error (MAE) reductions of 2.8–45.8%; (3) space length, aspect ratio, usable area ratio, window U-value, and solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) were identified as primary performance drivers; and (4) optimized solutions reduced energy use by 3.79–11.81% and enhanced daylighting comfort by 40.16–50.32% while maintaining thermal comfort. The proposed framework provides localized, data-driven guidance for early-stage performance optimization in high-rise office building design. Full article

Parametric design stands out in contemporary landscape facilities design with its distinctive beauty sense. However, understanding this beauty sense and establishing an aesthetic design method is one of the problems needed to be solved. In this context, this study integrates the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model and hybrid Kansei Engineering establish the aesthetic design method for parametric landscape facilities from the perspectives of cognition and positivist design. Firstly, the SOR model is used to reveal the aesthetic cognitive mechanism of parametric landscape facilities. Secondly, the forward Kansei Engineering is used to extract design features. Thirdly, the extracted design features are combined with shape grammar for parametric modeling in the Grasshopper platform. Fourthly, backward Kansei Engineering is used to evaluate design schemes and analyze their data of beauty sense. Finally, this study takes the landscape corridor as a case to illustrate the proposed method. The results show that (1) in aesthetic cognition, dynamic visual forms, transparency of spatial feeling, and abstract style have a significant positive impact on the beauty perception of parametric landscape facilities, and the beauty perception of parametric design has a unique appeal to the general public. (2) The design case verified the effectiveness of this method, and this study can provide a valuable reference for parametric landscape facilities. Full article

The sports center is a new type of sports building with high participation and high lighting energy consumption. A typical building model is constructed and analyzed by combining Rhino Grasshopper and Ecotect simulation software, and the passive strategy of placing cavities is used to reduce the lighting energy consumption and improve the lighting coefficient, which is beneficial to the health and visual comfort of users. Data analysis revealed that built-in cavities are effective at increasing the average illuminance of the underlying space. For spaces with glare, using skin cavities significantly reduces the possibility of discomforting glare. In the architectural design of the sports center, the form, size, number, material, and other factors of the cavity should be carefully considered to meet the demand for daylighting and improve the comfort of the indoor light environment, which provides a valuable reference for the architectural design of the sports center. Full article

To reduce the carbon emissions of existing residential buildings while pursuing maximum cost benefits, a multi-optimization design method for the existing residential building rooftops, retrofitted by attaching the solar photovoltaic panels and thermal collectors, was proposed in the study. At first, the life cycle carbon emission and cost benefit of the retrofitted buildings were assigned as the optimization objectives, and the models of carbon emission and cost benefit were developed. Furthermore, a typical existing residential community located in the cold zone of China was selected to perform the multi-optimization based on the Grasshopper platform. Meanwhile, the laying area, laying angle, and allocation ratio of the solar photovoltaic panels and thermal collectors were selected as the design parameters. And then the best retrofitting solution suitable for the existing residential buildings was proposed. The results show that the weightings of the carbon emission of retrofitting life cycle are 42.68%, and that for the cost benefit is 57.32%. Significantly, there is a 31% reduction in carbon emissions compared to the building before retrofitting, and a 24.7% reduction in cost benefit. Full article

Through their open space layout, rich green configuration and low floor area ratio (FAR), low-density commercial blocks show significant advantages in creating high-quality outdoor thermal comfort (Universal Thermal Climate Index, UTCI) environment, reducing regional energy consumption load (building energy consumption, BEC) potential, providing pleasant public space experience and enhancing environmental resilience, which are different from traditional high-density business models. This study proposes a workflow for morphological design of low-density commercial blocks based on parametric modeling via the Grasshopper platform and the NSGA-II algorithm, which aims to balance environmental benefits (UTCI, BEC) and spatial efficiency (FAR). This study employs EnergyPlus, Wallacei and other relevant tools, along with the NSGA-II algorithm, to perform numerical simulations and multi-objective optimization, thus obtaining the Pareto optimal solution set. It also clarifies the correlation between morphological parameters and target variables. The results show the following: (1) The multi-objective optimization model is effective in optimizing the three objectives for block buildings. When compared to the extreme inferior solution, the optimal solution that is closest to the ideal point brings about a 33.2% reduction in BEC and a 1.3 °C drop in UTCI, while achieving a 102.8% increase in FAR. (2) The impact of design variables varies across the three optimization objectives. Among them, the number of floors of slab buildings has the most significant impact on BEC, UTCI and FAR. (3) There is a significant correlation between urban morphological parameters–energy efficiency correlation index, and BEC, UTCI, and FAR. Full article