This paper addresses the effect of building orientation efficiency of the green facade in energy consumption, for which the case study is an urban block in Passeig de Gracia, L’Eixample, Barcelona. ...Nowadays, many countries are faced with the trouble of the deficiency of energy resources and the incapability of saving them. Most of this energy is consumed in the cooling, heating, and artificial ventilation of buildings. For this reason, the development of an integrated strategy like a green facade is essential to transform buildings into structures that consume less energy and to improve the occupants’ comfort conditions. From the perspective of the urban landscape, the green facade can influence the quality of life in cities due to its positive effects such as the purification of air, the absorption of carbon dioxide, and the mitigation of dust, as well as the aesthetic and psychological aspects. Such criteria are based on the adoption of suitable orientation for the green facade, which is the second layer of the facade in an office building with a curtain wall as the main facade. Since the most important factor in the implementation of a green facade is the building’s orientation, the optimum orientation could be the key factor in regards to the reduction of energy consumption and cost and the improvement of overall energy efficiency. We used software that helped simulate the total energy consumption, the cost, and the energy use intensity annually and monthly. Consequently, after testing was carried out, it was proven that a green facade as a second layer with a southeast and/or a southwest orientation results in the maximum energy saving in a coastal city with a Mediterranean climate like Barcelona.
The aim of this paper is to investigate the thermal performance of vertical gardens by comparing the thermal comfort of bare (glazed) and green façades in the Mediterranean climate. The proposal ...consists of applying a vegetation layer on a glazed façade that could control solar radiation and reduce indoor air temperatures. This study investigates the thermal performance of green façades of an office building in the Mediterranean climate. For this purpose, the Gas Natural Fenosa Office Building as a case study was simulated, that is located on a site next to the coastline in Barcelona. Dynamic building energy simulation was used to determine and assess indoor thermal conditions and, for this reason, the IES VE as a simulation tool has been utilized. Thermal comfort was assessed through the adaptive comfort approach and results were analyzed and presented in the terms of indoor comfort conditions during occupied hours. As a result, the article shows that applying a green façade as a vegetation layer caused a reduction in the internal and external façade surface temperatures, as well as the indoor air temperature of the workplace. Additionally, enhancing indoor comfort in summer is closely associated with reducing the external surface temperature. In winter, it also protects the exterior surface from the low temperature of the outside, and all of this greatly increases thermal comfort performance.
Partiendo del caso de la sillería del coro de la catedral de Oviedo, desmantelada y reconstruida parcialmente en la sala Capitular del mismo edificio, este artículo describe el proceso de ...reconstrucción virtual y posterior visualización interactiva del conjunto original en su contexto. Para ello se integran geométricamente imágenes equirectangulares del edificio actual con el modelo virtual de la sillería reconstruida en su totalidad a partir del levantamiento fotogramétrico de parte de ella, todavía existente. La técnica permite combinar de forma hiperrealista imágenes reales y virtuales, ofreciendo al espectador, de forma interactiva e inmersiva, un recorrido virtual “mixto” de la nave central de la catedral que incorpora el modelo virtual reconstruido en la ubicación para el que fue originalmente diseñado. La metodología propuesta supone una nueva estrategia de visualización que, de forma económica, interactiva, ubicua y universal, ha de permitir un avance en la difusión del patrimonio descontextualizado.
This paper describes an educational experience using augmented reality (AR) on mobile devices as a tool for learning urban design concepts and specifically for architecture degree students. In a real ...project-based exercise, the participants had to design a sculpture to be placed in a public space, checking the suitability of the object as for example the form, scale, location, materials, etc., and taking into account the surroundings. The project is controlled on-site using AR on mobile platforms, encouraging collaborative learning by sharing the 3D models of their proposals, and acting both as producers and consumers of AR content in the process. To assess both the usability of technology, as well as the learning improvement, the class was divided into two groups with equivalent pre-course grades: a control group, who followed the conventional course in the laboratory, and a test group, who used AR technology. At the end of the course, the AR-using group showed a significant increase in academic performance, higher motivation and satisfaction compared to the control group.
•We tested the use of new mobile technologies in an architecture degree program.•We evaluated the spatial representative capacity of AR technology.•Mobile technologies used in the teaching process ...improve academic achievement.•The generation of architectural models using AR is complex and of poor quality.•The use of familiar technology increases student satisfaction and motivation.
In this study, we describe the implementation and evaluation of an experiment with Augmented Reality (AR) technology in the visualization of 3D models and the presentation of architectural projects by students of architecture and building engineering. The proposal is based on the premise that the technology used in AR, such as mobile devices, is familiar to the student. When used in a collaborative manner, the technology is able to achieve a greater level of direct engagement with the proposed content, thereby improving academic outcomes. The objective was to assess the feasibility of using AR on mobile devices in educational environments and to investigate the relationship between the usability of the tool, student participation, and the improvement in academic performance after using AR. The validation was performed through a case study in which students were able to experience a virtual construction process overlapped onto real environments. Results were obtained by students’ pre-tests and post-tests. In line with our assumptions, the use of mobile devices in the classroom is highly correlated with motivation, and there is a significant correlation with academic achievement. However, the difficulty of using and generating content is a complex factor that suggests difficulty when implementing more complicated models.
On March 12, 2020, with more than 20,000 confirmed cases and almost 1000 deaths in the European Region, the World Health Organization classified the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. As of August 15, ...2020, there are 21.5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and over 766,000 deaths from the virus, worldwide. Most governments have imposed quarantine measures of varied degrees of strictness on their populations in attempts to stall the spread of the infection in their communities. However, the isolation may have inflicted long-term psychological injury to the general population and, in particular, to at-risk groups such as the elderly, the mentally ill, children, and frontline healthcare staff. In this article, we offer the most up-to-date review of the effects of COVID-19 confinement on all the disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. We make data-driven predictions of the impact of COVID-19 confinement on mental health outcomes and discuss the potential role of telemedicine and virtual reality in mental health screening, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring, thus improving the above outcomes in such a difficult time.
The difficulty presented in the execution of "domical vault" or " quatre punts" timbrel vaults with diagonal brickwork is that of the marking out with cladding tiles in the layering of the first ...rows, when setting the pace of the construction and joins. The continuity of the joins is a sign of the good execution of the vault, resembling a translational surface made by the curved movement of the two parallel falsework systems. Experience in the execution of this complex procedure proves that faults and errors appear as the initial joins are lost and it is not possible to follow a specific geometry. A valid solution consists of approaching the vault as a toric surface, generated by the revolution of the generatrix arch taking the axis to be the vertical line perpendicular to the guide arch. The differences in proportion between the two surfaces are minimal, but with this second option the workman has more control over the marking out and execution, by using falsework systems that generate a repetitive sequence for the rows.
La descontextualització del patrimoni historic-artístic a què han estat sotmesos gran part dels centres eclesiàstics espanyols suposa un clar exemple de la progressiva pèrdua del patrimoni cultural. ...L'obra, un cop fora del lloc per al qual va ser concebuda originalment, queda completament desvirtuada, impedint l'historiador, científic, o mer espectador, contemplar-la en la seva totalitat i establir qualsevol hipòtesi sobre el seu origen i configuració original. Inspirat en el cas del cadirat gòtic de la Catedral de Girona, completament desmantellat, aquest article presenta un exercici de reconstrucció virtual i posterior integració en un aplicatiu per a la visualització interactiva del conjunt en el seu context original. Per aconseguir-ho s'integren geomètricament imatges equirectangulars de l'edifici actual amb el model virtual del cadirat reconstruït íntegrament a partir de l'aixecament fotogramètric de part d'elements, encara existents i disseminats en diferents llocs. La tècnica permet combinar de forma hiperrealista imatges reals i virtuals, oferint a l'espectador un recorregut virtual “mixt” de la nau central de la catedral en incorporar el model virtual reconstruït a la ubicació per al que va ser dissenyat originalment. La metodologia proposada suposa una nova estratègia de visualització d'aquest tipus d'elements que, de manera immersiva i interactiva, econòmica i ubiqua, ha de permetre un avenç en la difusió i la recuperació del patrimoni descontextualitzat.
The decontextualization of the historical-artistic heritage to which a large part of the Spanish ecclesiastical centres has been subjected, is a clear example of the progressive loss of cultural heritage. The artwork, once it’s outside of the place for which it was originally conceived, is completely distorted, preventing historians, scientists, or visitors, from contemplating it entirety or to establish any hypothesis about its origin and original configuration. Inspired by the case of the Gothic stalls of the Cathedral of Girona, currently completely dismantled, this article presents a virtual reconstruction exercise to be integrated into an application for interactive visualization of the complex in its original context. For this, equirectangular images of the current building are geometrically integrated with the virtual model of the stalls reconstructed from the photogrammetric survey of part of the elements, still existing and scattered in different places. The technique makes it possible to hyper-realistically combine real and virtual images, offering the viewer a “mixed” virtual tour of the central nave of the cathedral by incorporating the reconstructed virtual model in the originally designed location. The proposed methodology supposes a new visualization strategy of this type of elements that, in an immersive and interactive, economic, and ubiquitous way, must allow an advance in the dissemination and recovery of decontextualized heritage.
La descontextualización del patrimonio histórico-artístico a la que han estado sometidos gran parte de los centros eclesiásticos españoles supone un claro ejemplo de la progresiva pérdida del patrimonio cultural. La obra, una vez fuera del lugar para el que fue originalmente concebida, queda completamente desvirtuada, impidiendo al historiador, científico, o mero espectador, contemplarla en su totalidad y establecer cualquier hipótesis sobre su origen y configuración original. Inspirado en el caso de la sillería gótica de la Catedral de Girona, completamente desmantelada en la actualidad, este artículo presenta un ejercicio de reconstrucción virtual y posterior integración en un aplicativo para la visualización interactiva del conjunto en su contexto original. Para ello se integran geométricamente imágenes equirectangulares del edificio actual con el modelo virtual de la sillería reconstruida en su totalidad a partir del levantamiento fotogramétrico de parte de elementos, todavía existentes y diseminados en distintos lugares. La técnica permite combinar de forma hiperrealista imágenes reales y virtuales, ofreciendo al espectador un recorrido virtual “mixto” de la nave central de la catedral al incorporar el modelo virtual reconstruido en la ubicación para el que fue originalmente diseñado. La metodología propuesta supone una nueva estrategia de visualización de este tipo de elementos que, de forma inmersiva e interactiva, económica, y ubicua, ha de permitir un avance en la difusión y recuperación del patrimonio descontextualizado.
El artículo presenta diversos estudios centrados en la representación del espacio tridimensional y los proyectos arquitectónicos desarrollados en el ámbito académico de los grados de Arquitectura y ...Arquitectura Técnica. El objetivo prioritario es el de analizar la mejora de la expresión gráfica y espacial de los estudiantes cuando en su formación son introducidos en el uso de nuevas tecnologías visuales como las de la Realidad Aumentada (RA) y la Realidad Virtual (RV). El trabajo se ha realizado a través de casos de estudio llevados a cabo en los últimos cinco años con los estudiantes de las asignaturas de Sistemas de Representación I y II de los grados previamente comentados. Los proyectos resultantes se han estudiado desde el punto de vista de la facilidad de acceso con equipos y programas al uso (accesibilidad universal) y su capacidad de generar modelos tridimensionales. Las innovaciones tecnológicas propuestas han modificado sustancialmente los métodos de trabajo en el ámbito docente y han permitido observar la fácil adaptación de los estudiantes y su atracción por estas innovaciones, lo que finalmente ha conllevado una mejora curricular.
L'article presenta diversos estudis centrats en la representació de l'espai tridimensional i els projectes arquitectònics desenvolupats en l'àmbit acadèmic dels graus d'Arquitectura i Arquitectura Tècnica. L'objectiu prioritari és el d'analitzar la millora de l'expressió gràfica i espacial dels estudiants quan en la seva formació són introduïts en l'ús de noves tecnologies visuals com les de la Realitat Augmentada (RA) i la Realitat Virtual (RV). El treball s'ha realitzat a través de casos d'estudi duts a terme en els últims cinc anys amb els estudiants de les assignatures de Sistemes de Representació I i II dels graus prèviament comentats. Els projectes resultants s'han estudiat des del punt de vista de la facilitat d'accés amb equips i programes a l'ús (accessibilitat universal) i la seva capacitat de generar models tridimensionals. Les innovacions tecnològiques propostes han modificat substancialment els mètodes de treball en l'àmbit docent i han permès observar la fàcil adaptació dels estudiants i la seva atracció per aquestes innovacions, el que finalment ha comportat una millora curricular.
This paper presents several studies focused on the representation of three-dimensional space and architectural projects developed in the academic framework of the Architecture and Technical Architecture degrees. The objective is to analyse the improvement in graphical and spatial expression of the students, using technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). This work has been carried out through case studies carried out in the last five years in the subjects of Representation Systems I and II. The proposals have been studied from the point of view of universal accessibility using new technologies and three-dimensional models for users with disabilities. The adoption of the technological innovations has modified substantially the methods of work in the teaching field. In addition, the students have expressed a high attraction and engagement using these technological approaches, which has finally led to a curricular improvement.
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