Computational Analytical Methods for Buildings and Cities: Space Syntax and Shape Grammar

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Architectural Design, Urban Science, and Real Estate".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 41790

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Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Built Environment, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Interests: architecture; design; mathematics; computing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Built Environment, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Interests: spatial analytics; design cognition; computational design; design complexity; space syntax; shape grammar

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is focussed on advanced research using two of the most famous computational methods developed for buildings and cities: space syntax and shape grammar.

Space syntax is a classic computational approach that uses graph theory mathematics to measure the social, cognitive or experiential properties of a building. Shape grammar is a well-known computational method for identifying and understanding the logic that defines the formal properties of a design or style. In essence, ‘syntactical’ methods are concerned with the spatial or topological configuration of a building and ‘grammatical’ methods with the rules that shape a building’s formal or geometric properties.

For this Special Issue, we are seeking examples of advanced research using these methods—or a combination of them alongside related approaches (isovists analysis or generative and parametric grammars)—to develop new insights into generating and evaluating design, automation, optimisation and interpretation.

Prof. Dr. Michael J. Ostwald
Dr. Ju Hyun Lee
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • space syntax
  • shape grammar
  • isovist analysis
  • justified graph analysis
  • design automation
  • design generation
  • procedural modelling, genetic algorithm
  • parametric grammars
  • spatial and formal analysis in architecture

Published Papers (15 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 191 KiB  
Editorial
Computational Analytical Methods for Buildings and Cities: Space Syntax and Shape Grammar
by Michael J. Ostwald and Ju Hyun Lee
Buildings 2023, 13(7), 1613; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13071613 - 26 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1319
Abstract
During the first century BC, the famous Roman architect, Vitruvius, defined architecture as encompassing three essential properties: firmitas (firmness), utilitas (utility), and venustas (attractiveness or beauty) [...] Full article

Research

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28 pages, 16073 KiB  
Article
Structural Landmark Salience Computation in Compact Urban Districts with 3D Node-Landmark Grid Analysis Model: A Case Study on Two Sample Districts in Changsha, China
by Yang Guo, Xijun Hu and Jia Tang
Buildings 2023, 13(4), 1024; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13041024 - 13 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1302
Abstract
Mastering the relationship between urban landmarks and urban space morphology in urban planning, landscape planning, and architectural design helps maintain the intelligibility of compact urban districts. The objective of the present study was to numerically determine the structural salience of various landmarks in [...] Read more.
Mastering the relationship between urban landmarks and urban space morphology in urban planning, landscape planning, and architectural design helps maintain the intelligibility of compact urban districts. The objective of the present study was to numerically determine the structural salience of various landmarks in an urban environment and use it to interpret the intelligibility of the city. Combining the measurement method of 3D visibility and the related principles of space syntax, this study develops a new 3D Node–Landmark Grid Analysis Model (3D NL GAM) for structural salience computation of urban landmarks. In this study, a numerical approach is used to construct a 3D simulation model. Firstly, the visibility of each decision node to landmarks in an urban environment, using a 3D digital model, is measured using the 3D isovist component of Rhinoceros and Grasshopper software. Secondly, links among wayfinding decision nodes and landmarks are established to form a 3D NL GAM. The normalized angular integration of decision nodes and the normalized angular choice of landmarks are computed using the principle of space syntax. Thirdly, the structural salience of landmarks is determined with a function of landmark visibility, spatial properties of landmarks, and wayfinding decision nodes. Finally, a case study was carried out by using a 3D NL GAM to analyze three types of urban areas located in Changsha. The results indicated that large-scale natural landscapes have a higher structural salience among the types of landmarks. The structural salience of architectural landmarks in the combined spatial form of combining tall and low building groups has a clear advantage over the form dominated by high-rise building groups. Raising the height of landmark buildings can modify the structure of the grid analysis model and improve the people aggregation of urban space. The 3D NL GAM can quantify the spatial properties and landmark structural salience of a city and can effectively assist in the evaluation of the intelligibility of built or future urban environments. Full article
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21 pages, 4297 KiB  
Article
Experience Grammar: Creative Space Planning with Generative Graph and Shape for Early Design Stage
by Rizal Muslimin
Buildings 2023, 13(4), 869; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13040869 - 26 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1912
Abstract
This paper presents a method to synthesise functional relationships and spatial configuration simultaneously using shape and graph computation from shape grammar and space syntax theories. The study revisits seminal works and summarises the compatibilities between shape and graph computation as a set of [...] Read more.
This paper presents a method to synthesise functional relationships and spatial configuration simultaneously using shape and graph computation from shape grammar and space syntax theories. The study revisits seminal works and summarises the compatibilities between shape and graph computation as a set of rules. The rule computation is demonstrated in two cases from hospitality and retail, where current applications, opportunities, and limitations are discussed. The results from the study show that incorporating graph and shape rules allows sequences of functions and spatial arrangements to be developed in parallel. The method could help the designer anticipate the impact on the users’ flow of activities more explicitly during the early design process and could also assist in generating new functional configurations to provide alternative spatial strategies in broader applications. Full article
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19 pages, 3523 KiB  
Article
A Grammar-Based Approach for Generating Spatial Layout Solutions for the Adaptive Reuse of Sobrado Buildings
by Daniele M. S. Paulino, Heather Ligler and Rebecca Napolitano
Buildings 2023, 13(3), 722; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13030722 - 09 Mar 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1910
Abstract
This research develops a shape grammar to generate solutions for the adaptive reuse of historic buildings. More precisely, it proposes a transformation grammar for sobrado buildings, a typology present in the historic center of São Luís, Brazil. The methodology defines a workflow for [...] Read more.
This research develops a shape grammar to generate solutions for the adaptive reuse of historic buildings. More precisely, it proposes a transformation grammar for sobrado buildings, a typology present in the historic center of São Luís, Brazil. The methodology defines a workflow for adapting sobrado buildings, once characterized for single-families, into multi-family apartments considering spatial and structural requirements. The grammar specifies a framework for repurposing historic buildings into social housing and considers the allocation of three types of apartments in the floor plan: studios, one-bedroom apartments, and two-bedroom apartments. The adopted strategy for spatial planning prioritizes access to natural daylight. The grammar supports different layout solutions for the same building and aims to accelerate the reuse of historic structures for contemporary housing needs. This paper describes the grammar rules and their application to three case study buildings. Full article
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16 pages, 14127 KiB  
Article
Basic Analysis of the Correlation between the Accessibility and Utilization Activation of Public Libraries in Seoul: Focusing on Location and Subway Factors
by Xiaolong Zhao and Kwanseon Hong
Buildings 2023, 13(3), 600; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13030600 - 24 Feb 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1363
Abstract
In the past, the utilization rate of public libraries in Seoul could be estimated based on their accessibility. However, several issues emerge if we apply this correlation to the present day. Therefore, we re-examined the causal relationship between accessibility and the utilization rate [...] Read more.
In the past, the utilization rate of public libraries in Seoul could be estimated based on their accessibility. However, several issues emerge if we apply this correlation to the present day. Therefore, we re-examined the causal relationship between accessibility and the utilization rate of public libraries to provide directions for improving the use of public libraries in densely populated cities with growing cultural demand. After investigating the utilization rate of public libraries in Seoul from 2015 to 2019, the degree of utilization activation (DUA) was set as the dependent variable, and the integration of public libraries (derived by the quantification of urban space with space syntax) was set as the independent variable. A hypothesis was established to examine the causal relationship using statistical techniques. According to the results, the derived index values had independence and normality, but the accessibility index of public libraries did not exhibit a causal relationship with DUA. It was verified that the causal relationship recognized in the past (where accessibility was the sole predictor of utilization rate) cannot be applied to public libraries in the present day. Modern factors affecting DUA may involve either user motivation or the recent developments in public libraries compared to the past. Full article
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17 pages, 2989 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Pedestrian Behaviors in Subway Station Using Agent-Based Model: Case of Gangnam Station, Seoul, Korea
by Joo Young Kim and Young Ook Kim
Buildings 2023, 13(2), 537; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13020537 - 15 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1643
Abstract
Numerous pedestrians interact with the subway station space by finding entrances into this closed area to use the subway system; further, they may use transfer transportation facilities or the complex functions nearby, such as commercial. Many studies examine pedestrian behaviors in subway stations, [...] Read more.
Numerous pedestrians interact with the subway station space by finding entrances into this closed area to use the subway system; further, they may use transfer transportation facilities or the complex functions nearby, such as commercial. Many studies examine pedestrian behaviors in subway stations, but most focus on special situations such as disasters and evacuation. Because it is important to analyze gait patterns in everyday situations, this study aims to verify the explanatory power of actual gait behavior by using space syntax theory in constructing an optimal agent-based model. To this end, first, pedestrian characteristics and space types are classified using pedestrian data from Gangnam Station. Second, the depthmapX program is used to develop an appropriate agent-based model for stations. Third, a simulation is run to calculate the frequency of the agent movement at each gate, which is matched with the observed pedestrian volume. Fourth, the relationship between the frequency of the agent movement and pedestrian volume is analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. The results show that although agent-based models have limitations in explaining pedestrian patterns in the entire subway station, they are capable of explaining these patterns along the shortest paths between ticket gates and station entrances. Full article
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14 pages, 3611 KiB  
Article
Evolution Process of Scientific Space: Spatial Analysis of Three Groups of Laboratories in History (16th–20th Century)
by Xinwei Zhang and Tong Cui
Buildings 2022, 12(11), 1909; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12111909 - 07 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2057
Abstract
Different disciplines need specialized spaces to ensure the smooth conduct of research, and the laboratory plays an important role as the physical carrier of knowledge production today. Reviewing history, it is found that the image of the laboratory and the organization of internal [...] Read more.
Different disciplines need specialized spaces to ensure the smooth conduct of research, and the laboratory plays an important role as the physical carrier of knowledge production today. Reviewing history, it is found that the image of the laboratory and the organization of internal space have undergone great changes, which reflects people’s cognition of scientific practice in different periods. This study uses space syntax tools to analyze relationships between scientific research activities and spatial forms over time, preliminarily discussing laboratories’ spatial characteristics in different periods and the corresponding research modes. It is found that scientific research has undergone several phases, and the scientific paradigm deeply influences the spatial logic of scientific research buildings. The scientific research space in different periods presents unique syntactic results and topological structures, suggesting the trend of specialized research from closed to open and decentralization to centralization. Full article
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18 pages, 5911 KiB  
Article
A Study on Mega-Shelter Layout Planning Based on User Behavior
by Young Ook Kim, Joo Young Kim, Ha Yoon Yum and Jin Kyoung Lee
Buildings 2022, 12(10), 1630; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12101630 - 08 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1666
Abstract
We explore the spatial layouts of mega-shelters and suggest better spatial planning strategies. A mega-shelter for refugees contains multiple functions, such as dormitory, dining, medical, kitchen, storage, and community areas. Post-disaster refugees often suffer from PTSD that affects their mental health and spatial [...] Read more.
We explore the spatial layouts of mega-shelters and suggest better spatial planning strategies. A mega-shelter for refugees contains multiple functions, such as dormitory, dining, medical, kitchen, storage, and community areas. Post-disaster refugees often suffer from PTSD that affects their mental health and spatial cognitive ability. The spatial configuration of a mega-shelter can accelerate their recovery by providing an environment that not only satisfies the basic needs, but one that can improve their spatial cognitive ability and promote a sense of community in this new, albeit temporary, small society. Four mega-shelters in the U.S., Australia, and Japan were analyzed using space syntax methods, specifically axial line analysis and visibility graph analysis (VGA), as well as justified graph analysis. The comparative analysis shows that while specific spatial layouts are different, all shelters were designed from a manager’s perspective. The movements of the refugees were sometimes unnecessarily exposed to supervision and control, and community areas were often found in locations with low accessibility. By incorporating strategies such as siting community space in areas with high global integration values and adopting transition areas, mega-shelters can create an environment that can enhance the refugees’ will to recover and rebuild by promoting communications with neighbors and various community activities. Full article
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23 pages, 11365 KiB  
Article
Re-Examining Urban Vitality through Jane Jacobs’ Criteria Using GIS-sDNA: The Case of Qingdao, China
by Siyu Wang, Qingtan Deng, Shuai Jin and Guangbin Wang
Buildings 2022, 12(10), 1586; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12101586 - 01 Oct 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3770
Abstract
This study focuses on the assessment of historic city vitality to address increasingly fragmented urban patterns and to prevent the decline of livability in older urban areas. In 1961, Jane Jacobs theorized urban vitality and found the main conditions that were required for [...] Read more.
This study focuses on the assessment of historic city vitality to address increasingly fragmented urban patterns and to prevent the decline of livability in older urban areas. In 1961, Jane Jacobs theorized urban vitality and found the main conditions that were required for the promotion of life in cities: diversity of land use, small block sizes, diversity of buildings with varied characteristics and ages, density of people and buildings, accessibility for all people without depending on private transport, and distance to border elements. Jacobs’ criteria for urban vitality has had an indisputable influence on urban researchers and planners especially in the Anglo-American context. This perspective has influenced the development of New Urbanism and similar planning policies, such as neo-traditional communities and transit oriented development, yet her theories have to be more substantiated in Asia’s developing cities, especially in China’s historic cities. In order to verify the significance of Jacobs’ urban vitality theory in Chinese historic cities, we develop a composite measure of 16 variables of built environment, and we test it using GIS-sDNA in a historic city with an aging population and low-income in Qingdao. A systematic approach to urban spatial analysis allows us to provide a detailed spatial interpretation of a historic city form. The results emphasize that historic cities vitality, far from being homogeneous, followed a multi-centered distribution pattern, which is related to the previous European planning of the region, where a grid-type pattern was more likely to disperse urban vitality. The results can serve as a useful framework for studying the livability and vitality of different areas of the city in different geographical contexts. Full article
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15 pages, 14636 KiB  
Article
Reshaping Publicness: Research on Correlation between Public Participation and Spatial Form in Urban Space Based on Space Syntax—A Case Study on Nanjing Xinjiekou
by Mengyao Pan, Yangfan Shen, Qiaochu Jiang, Qi Zhou and Yinghan Li
Buildings 2022, 12(9), 1492; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12091492 - 19 Sep 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2936
Abstract
This paper focuses on urban regeneration practices in central urban areas, aiming to find key points for reshaping the publicness of urban spaces by exploring the morphological features of public spaces and the spatial distribution patterns of public activities. Now that China’s urbanization [...] Read more.
This paper focuses on urban regeneration practices in central urban areas, aiming to find key points for reshaping the publicness of urban spaces by exploring the morphological features of public spaces and the spatial distribution patterns of public activities. Now that China’s urbanization process has stabilized, large-scale regeneration is no longer applicable to the current urban environment, and urban morphology has proved to be significantly useful in understanding and designing the built environment. However, current research lacks quantitative studies on morphology and public activities, and thus is hardly instructive for the cognition and design of spatial morphology in specific locations. Therefore, this paper attempts to subdivide spatial morphology at the level of “micro-renewal” or “micro-renovation” in order to explore the impact of spatial morphology on public participation in cities. The site chosen for this study is Xinjiekou in Nanjing. As a key area of two important arteries in the center of Nanjing, Xinjiekou has been a gathering place for a variety of commercial forms, such as finance, retail department stores, restaurants, and entertainment, and has been the commercial and financial center of Nanjing since the 1940s. In an on-site observation of urban development and pedestrian flow in the Xinjiekou area, the study found that despite its status as the area with the highest degree of spatial accessibility and public participation, its public space has gradually lost its attractiveness to residents, who lack a sense of participation and place identity. Based on the study of urban public spaces, both accessibility and choice play an important role in increasing public participation. Therefore, this study combined observation and quantitative analysis of Space Syntax to obtain the distribution of accessibility, choice, and public activity. Based on the results of the analysis, this research uses GWR as the statistical method to clarify the correlation between different variables. The final conclusion is that when the space type is a path with high choice value and the paths are connected, the enhancement of accessibility and choice plays an important role in promoting public participation. This statistically based empirical study of testable correlations is very helpful for the perception of location-specific spaces with high levels of interpretability and confidence. Thus, it further guides the design and has a high reference value for future spatial planning. Full article
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24 pages, 15603 KiB  
Article
In-Site Phenotype of the Settlement Space along China’s Grand Canal Tianjin Section: GIS-sDNA-Based Model Analysis
by Yan Zhao, Jian-Wei Yan, Yan Li, Guang-Meng Bian and Yi-Zhao Du
Buildings 2022, 12(4), 394; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12040394 - 23 Mar 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2426
Abstract
The settlement space along China’s Grand Canal composes an important part of the Canal heritage, has a close bearing on the production and life of the residents there, nourishes rich culture and wisdom and boasts vital value of conservation and inheritance. Due to [...] Read more.
The settlement space along China’s Grand Canal composes an important part of the Canal heritage, has a close bearing on the production and life of the residents there, nourishes rich culture and wisdom and boasts vital value of conservation and inheritance. Due to China’s rapid urbanization and industrialization, the settlements along the canal have been destroyed to some extent and their in-site characteristics urgently need excavation and conservation. Through field investigation, space syntax and GIS analysis, this paper performs quantitative analysis of the in-site characteristics of 18 typical rural settlements there. The findings show that: (1) The settlement space of industry dominant type for commerce and trade is comparatively dynamic and the capacity of topology and integration and the attractive force of the settlement center are stronger. (2) The dynamic scope of the citizens’ everyday traveling in the settlements has the closest correlation with the data of public-service facilities. (3) The settlements along the canal boast multiple, causal and blended in-site phenotype. The research findings provide new standards to categorize the settlements along China’s Grand Canal, paths and methods to explore the characteristics of the settlements and new cognitive perspectives to conserve and renew the settlements along China’s Grand Canal Tianjin Section. Full article
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19 pages, 27086 KiB  
Article
Rethinking Art Museum Spaces and Investigating How Auxiliary Paths Work Differently
by Jae Hong Lee and Yong Seung Kim
Buildings 2022, 12(2), 248; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12020248 - 21 Feb 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5012
Abstract
It has been recognized that one of the key issues in designing museums is the interaction between the layout of space and the layout of objects, and spatial configurations are strongly related to didactic narratives, social implications, and curatorial intentions. However, it has [...] Read more.
It has been recognized that one of the key issues in designing museums is the interaction between the layout of space and the layout of objects, and spatial configurations are strongly related to didactic narratives, social implications, and curatorial intentions. However, it has not yet been examined thoroughly how museums work from a spatial perspective. Apart from the layout of objects, spatial configurations play an important role in creating various walking sequences, ranging from main routes to auxiliary paths. Art museums in particular can be characterized by such deviations generated by the auxiliary path, but they are hardly understood from this aspect. Therefore, this study aims to explore the auxiliary paths and examine how they work through in-depth theoretical analysis based on space syntax. By analyzing four art museums in terms of isovist attributes, syntactic measures, spatial sequences, and possible trails, it has been concluded that in the cases of the Uffizi Gallery and the Moderna Museet, spatial sequences work conservatively, so that auxiliary paths are channeled back to the gathering space. This is because the walking experience is strongly correlated with visual syntactic features such as connectivity, integration, and intelligibility. Conversely, walking sequences in the case of the Centre Pompidou and the Alte Pinakothek work generatively, and auxiliary paths are rarely related to the gathering space because the walking experience is strongly concerned with visual geometric properties such as isovist area/perimeter and occlusivity. Full article
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17 pages, 2910 KiB  
Article
Evaluating Experiential Qualities of Historical Streets in Nanxun Canal Town through a Space Syntax Approach
by Yabing Xu, John Rollo and Yolanda Esteban
Buildings 2021, 11(11), 544; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11110544 - 15 Nov 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2670
Abstract
Many studies have been conducted to measure the experiential qualities of historical streets using the standards and principles released by many global organizations. However, little attention has been paid to the effect of spatial characteristics of historical heritage. This study proposes a space [...] Read more.
Many studies have been conducted to measure the experiential qualities of historical streets using the standards and principles released by many global organizations. However, little attention has been paid to the effect of spatial characteristics of historical heritage. This study proposes a space syntax-based methodology, first developed by Bill Hillier and Julienne Hanson with colleagues from the Bartlett School of Architecture, while introducing factors such as complexity, coherence, ‘mystery’, and legibility from the work of environmental psychologist Stephen Kaplan and the urban designer Gordon Cullen. Our intention is to help inform urban designers in understanding people’s spatial cognition of historical streets, and thereby assist designers and managers in identifying where cognitive experiences can be improved. The proposed method is applied to Nanxun, which is a developed canal town currently in decline in Zhejiang Province, China. This will be treated as the case study in order to explore the implication of the space syntax analysis. The impact from spatial characteristics on the evaluation is indirect and largely determined by the road-network of the canal town. As for Nanxun, the findings of this research suggest that the government’s priority is to solve current negative tourist perception based on a conservation restoration plan. The findings of this research provide a reference for policymakers to better understand the experiential qualities of historical streets in townscapes. Full article
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22 pages, 6742 KiB  
Article
The Spatial Structure of Yazd Courtyard Houses: A Space Syntax Analysis of the Topological Characteristics of the Courtyard
by Mina Zolfagharkhani and Michael J. Ostwald
Buildings 2021, 11(6), 262; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11060262 - 19 Jun 2021
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 6180
Abstract
An important “architectural type” in Iranian history is the Yazd courtyard house. This historic building type features a walled boundary that contains a complex pattern of open (to the sky), semi-enclosed and enclosed spaces. The planning of the courtyard in these houses has [...] Read more.
An important “architectural type” in Iranian history is the Yazd courtyard house. This historic building type features a walled boundary that contains a complex pattern of open (to the sky), semi-enclosed and enclosed spaces. The planning of the courtyard in these houses has typically been interpreted as either a response to changing socio-cultural values or to local climatic conditions. Such theories about the planning of these houses are based on a series of assumptions about (i) the numbers of courtyards and rooms they contain, (ii) their unchanging nature over time and (iii) a topological pattern existing in the relationship between the courtyard and the rest of the plan. Yet, these assumptions, all of which have an impact on the socio-cultural or climatic interpretation of this famous architectural type, have never been tested. In response, this paper uses a computational and mathematical method drawn from Space Syntax to measure the spatial topology of 37 plans of Yazd’s most significant courtyard houses. These houses, which are classified by the Yazd Cultural Heritage Organization, were constructed between the 11th and 20th CE centuries and are all exemplars of this type. This paper develops three hypotheses around the assumptions found in past research about the characteristic planning of the Yazd courtyard house. Then, using quantitative measures derived from plan graph analysis, the paper develops a series of longitudinal trends to test the hypotheses and explore changes that have occurred in this architectural type over time. Full article
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Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

20 pages, 1622 KiB  
Review
Socio-Spatial Experience in Space Syntax Research: A PRISMA-Compliant Review
by Ju Hyun Lee, Michael J. Ostwald and Ling Zhou
Buildings 2023, 13(3), 644; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13030644 - 28 Feb 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3123
Abstract
Characterising and predicting socio-spatial experience has long been a key research question in space syntax research. Due to the lack of synthesised knowledge about it, this review conducts the first systematic scoping review of space syntax research on the relationships between spatial properties [...] Read more.
Characterising and predicting socio-spatial experience has long been a key research question in space syntax research. Due to the lack of synthesised knowledge about it, this review conducts the first systematic scoping review of space syntax research on the relationships between spatial properties and experiential values. Adopting the “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses” (PRISMA) framework, this review of space syntax research identifies 38 studies that examine socio-spatial experiences in architectural, medical, and urban spaces. The data arising from this systematic review are used to identify trends in this sub-field of research, including the growth of socio-spatial methods and applications in urban analytics since 2016 and key methodological approaches, characteristics, and factors in space syntax research about socio-spatial experience. The research identified using the systematic framework employs a mixture of descriptive, correlation, and regression methods to examine the dynamic effects of spatial configurations on human experiences. Arising from the results of the review, the article further identifies a collective, predictive model consisting of five syntactic predictors and three categories of experiential values. This article, finally, examines research gaps and limitations in the body of knowledge and suggests future research directions. Full article
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