Parametric Design and Spatial Optimization of East–West-Oriented Teaching Spaces in Shanghai

The goal of the current study was to determine the appropriate spatial shapes for classroom occupants while saving energy. The research used parametric design and Genetic Algorithm (GA) to achieve this. Four recognized performance indicators, Energy Use Intensity (EUI), Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI), Daylight Factor (DF), and Daylight Autonomy (DA), were used as the evaluation indexes for the research. The tests took place in six east–west-oriented classrooms at Shanghai University, China. The methodology was based on four steps: (1) parametric 3D modeling by Rhino and Grasshopper; (2) using building performance simulation tools; (3) running algorithm optimization; (4) outputting the useful results. The results proved that the methodology worked successfully in reducing energy consumption: optimized classrooms could be reduced by 7.5~14.5%, and classrooms with east directions were generally 4.8~8.3% more efficient than west-facing ones. The indoor lighting environment was also significantly improved, being slightly better than north–south-oriented classrooms in terms of the UDI index (60~75%) and inferior (but still high) in terms of the DF (4.0~7.0%) and DA (60~80%) indexes. The conclusion can help save design time in the early design process of teaching spaces.

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