Browsing by Author "Taki, A. H."

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    Architectural Design: Its Roles on Buildings for Sustainable Development
    (Salford University, 2013) Allu, Evelyn; Ebohon, O. J.; Taki, A. H.
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    Bioclimatic Housing Design to Desert Architecture: A Case Study of Ghadames, Libya
    (Taylor & Francis, 2014) Alabid, Jamal; Taki, A. H.
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    Bottom-up approach to sustainable urban development in Lebanon: The case of Zouk Mosbeh
    (Elsevier, 2012) El Asmar, Jean-Pierre; Ebohon, O. J.; Taki, A. H.
    In contrast with the “top-down” approach to development, the dominant methodology in Lebanon, Iemphasize rather the “bottom-up” approach where all stakeholders have equal opportunities to participate in policy formulation and implementation. The bottom-up or participatory approach to sustainable development has hardly been tested for urban development and management in Lebanon. This research concerns the sustainable rehabilitation of the built environment in the area of Zouk Mosbeh (ZM) in Lebanon. This area of Lebanon as with most other parts of the country suffered extensive infrastructure damage and displacement of people during the civil war. Since the seizure of hostilities, ZM has witnessed unprecedented physical growth, inviting huge problems of unplanned urban growth, traffic congestion, solid wastes, and pollution. A triangulation method has been employed, which combines both semi-structured interviews and subjective surveys to enhance understanding of the sustainable urban planning and management of ZM. The results showed that top-down command and control measures, useful as these are, may not produce an effective sustainable urban ZM, but a bottom-up approach to urban management is needed. The participatory process where all stakeholders are involved in the policy and implementation process, would allow them to take ownership of the sustainable development process. The study is expected to yield some policy recommendations to promote sustainable rehabilitation of ZM in Lebanon, encouraging a collaborative approach to sustainable urban development. The research is likely to be of significance to the government of Lebanon, the Zouk Mosbeh local authority, and policy makers in developing countries.
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    Comparison Study of Traditional and Contemporary Islamic Dwelling Design in Hot Climates, with Reference to Benghazi, Libya
    (2016) Ali, Nagah; Taki, A. H.; Painter, B.
    In Benghazi, Libya, the rising population and increased housing demand has led to high energy consumption in order to provide comfortable conditions. These contemporary dwellings make use of outdoor open spaces and a high glazing ratio of the building envelope, leading to significant underperformance with respect to heat gains and cooling loads when compared with more traditional dwellings. The aim of this paper is to investigate the main features of traditional Islamic houses, which can enhance environmental comfort and reveal insights when compared with contemporary houses. The methodology will consist of reviewing previous research regarding traditional Islamic houses in order to find the main climatic features, as well as a case study that will involve evaluating contemporary houses in Benghazi, Libya. Furthermore, 60 questionnaires were distributed in order to determine the main problems relating to both residents and housing design in terms of enhancing housing thermal comfort and decreasing energy consumption. The comparative study shows that the majority of traditional Islamic houses have sustainable features that can be integrated into contemporary houses in order to provide thermal comfort whilst minimising energy consumption. These features include internal open spaces (such as courtyards), and small, high openings in the external façade, together with shading devices and specific building orientation. The research likewise displays that 89% of contemporary Islamic houses in Benghazi not only lack the integration of these sustainable features as internal open spaces, but also shows that all of the local residents depend on air conditioning when facing the hot days. Additionally, the survey illustrates that just 15% of architects are responsible for designing these houses, and this has led to window designs with a high glazing ratio, and all of the windows being located in the hottest façades of the houses. The implication of the outcome with regards to sustainable designing of contemporary Islamic houses is discussed in order to help produce guidelines for designers that would respond to both the climate and to local people’s needs.
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    Control of Daylight and Natural Ventilation in Traditional Architecture of Ghadames, Libya
    (2016-03-21) Alabid, Jamal; Taki, A. H.; Painter, B.
    Housing energy consumption accounts for almost 36% of total primary energy use in Libya of which cooling and lighting are the main source of demand. This study reviews passive control methods employed in traditional dwellings of Ghadames that highly contribute to enhance indoor thermal and visual comfort. Designing for natural ventilation and daylighting in harsh environment poses a greater challenge to building designers. Twenty one traditional dwellings were surveyed to assess building designs and performance in terms of daylight and natural ventilation interoperability. The study conducted field surveys comprising measurements of indoor/outdoor temperatures while concurrently investigating inhabitants’ thermal feeling through both direct semi-structured interviews and questionnaire. In addition, drawings were made to demonstrate the design elements and techniques used to minimize extreme outdoor temperatures and best make use of daylight. Findings indicate that skylight openings play an important role in promoting day and night ventilation. The opening’s position and size have to be carefully studied to prevent excessive direct solar heat gains and induce air movement across internal spaces. The field surveys showed that occupants were thermally satisfied in naturally ventilated dwellings having considered that fixed ceiling fan is used at late afternoon when indoor temperature starts to rise gradually. Also the use of light color roofs and walls is recommended which is approved to enhance interior lighting and increase the outdoor albedo ratio. Embedding passive design measures in traditional dwellings can be very effective and cheap in reducing the cooling and lighting demand; the impact on future housing development is also discussed.
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    A Delphi Exploration of Construction Digitalisation in South Africa
    (Construction in the 21st Century (CITC), 2023-05-11) Aghimien, Douglas; Aigbavboa, Clinton; Oke, Ayodeji; Oladinrin, Olugbenga; Taki, A. H.
    The current technological advancement has rapidly transformed how industries worldwide deliver their products, and the construction industry is not immune to this transformation. However, while the industry in developed countries is gradually picking up with the use of digital technologies in attaining digital transformation, the construction industry in developing countries like South Africa is still lagging in its adoption. Therefore, to promote construction digitalisation within the South African construction industry, this study, through a Delphi approach, unearths the major risks construction organisations will face in their quest for digital transformation. The study also explored the potential of the country’s construction industry to be fully digitalised and the demerits of the industry not being digitally transformed. Using appropriate statistical tools, the study found that while the South African construction industry has a high potential to be digitalised, this digital transformation can take a long time to be achieved. Data insecurity and information overload are among the critical risks that organisations seeking digital transformation might have to face. However, should these organisations fail to implement digital strategies in the delivery of their projects, they risk having a lack of competitiveness in the global market and an increase in poor project delivery.
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    Desert Architecture Review of Ghadames Housing in Libya
    (2014-02-24) Alabid, Jamal; Taki, A. H.; Cowd, Ben
    see attached the full paper.
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    The Effect of Degradation on Cold Climate Building Energy Performance: A Comparison with Hot Climate Buildings
    (MDPI, 2023-04-07) Taki, A. H.; Zakharanka, Anastasiya
    The issues of reducing energy consumption in buildings and their decarbonisation are currently among the most pressing. However, such an important aspect of the problem under discussion as the impact of unavoidable degradation processes on energy demand in buildings remains poorly understood. In addition, there are only a limited number of practical guidelines that can be used to take this factor into account at the design stage and during the further operation of buildings. The aim of this work was to assess the potential impact of component degradation and ageing on heating energy consumption in buildings, including insulated glass units, thermal insulation, airtightness, heat recovery of mechanical ventilation systems, and photovoltaic modules. The detached and apartment buildings were considered to be in a cold climate in the context of the Republic of Belarus. The study was based on simulation research using EnergyPlus. As a result, it was found that a possible increase in heating energy consumption might reach 17.6–61.2% over 25 years in detached houses and up to 23.6–89.8% in apartment buildings. These indicators turned out to be higher than the previously identified values for cooling energy consumption in a hot–humid climate. Based on the findings, recommendations for considering the degradation factor in cold climates in practice were developed, which were compared and integrated into the author’s existing guidelines.
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    Energy Efficient Building Design in Nigeria: An Assessment of the Effect of the Sun on Energy Consumption in Residential Buildings
    (American Research Institute for Policy Development, 2019-05-15) Ochedi, Ekele; Taki, A. H.
    The effect of the sun and its path on thermal comfort and energy consumption in residential buildings in tropical climates constitutes serious concern for designers, building owners and users. Passive design approaches based on the sun and its path have been identified as a means of reducing energy consumption, as well as enhancing thermal comfort in buildings worldwide. Hence, a thorough understanding regarding the sun path is key to achieving this. This is necessary due to energy need, poor energy supply and distribution, energy poverty and over-dependence on electric generators for power supply in Nigeria. These challenges call for a change in the approach to energy related issues, especially in terms of buildings. The aim of this study is to explore the influence of building orientation, glazing and the use of shading devices on residential buildings in Nigeria. This is intended to provide data that will guide designers in the design of energy efficient residential buildings. The paper used EnergyPlus software to analyze a typical semi-detached residential building in Lokoja, Nigeria, using hourly weather data for a period of 10 years. Building performance was studied as well as possible improvement regarding different orientations, glazing types and shading devices. The simulation results showed reductions in energy consumption in response to changes in building orientation, types of glazing and the use of shading devices. The results indicate a 29.45% reduction in solar gains and 1.90% in annual operative temperature using natural ventilation only. This shows a huge potential to reduce energy consumption and improve people’s wellbeing using proper building orientation, glazing and appropriate shading devices on building envelope. The study concludes that for a significant reduction in total energy consumption by residential buildings, design should focus on multiple design options rather than concentrating on one or few building elements. Moreover, the investigation confirms that energy performance modelling can be used by building designers to take advantage of the sun and to evaluate various design options.
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    Energy Efficient Construction Methods in UK Dwellings
    (Journal of Architectural Engineering Technology, 2012-12) Taki, A. H.; Pendred, R
    This paper examines the thermal performance of housing in the UK and the associated costs for different fabric construction methods of the envelope for a typical four bedroom detached house. The energy ratings were assessed using the UK Government’s Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), which is based on the Building Research Establishment Domestic Energy Model. The capital costs were estimated from data published by the Building Cost Information Services applied to Leicester UK area in 2011. Through alterations to the dwelling fabric alone, a reduction of 30.1% in carbon emissions of the base property could be achieved. Standard methods proved to be as effective as alternative methods at reducing carbon emissions by 22.6% for an average capital cost increase of 9.1% against the base property. This was equivalent to an extra cost of £13.7 for each kg of CO2 emissions reduction. It was found that alternative methods could reduce carbon emissions by 20.5% for an extra cost of 18.4% over the base property. The optimum construction method that would help achieve the UK government’s carbon emissions target was also discussed. The paper also discusses the methods for improving energy efficiency in existing dwellings, using a typical solid-wall terraced house with a new single storey extension, as a case study. In this study, it was found that by increasing refurbishment costs by only 4.7% could result in carbon emissions reduction by 21.7%.
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    Examining Cardboard as a Construction Material for Sustainable Building Practices in Lima, Peru
    (MDPI, 2024-12-24) Taki, A. H.; Higa, Daniel Ikemiyashiro
    This research work aimed to analyse the impact and potential of cardboard as a construction material, as well as cultural aspects and sustainable construction regulations, in the context of Lima, Peru. The study employed a mixed research methodological approach, including three case studies from Japan, the Netherlands, and the UK, online interviews, and surveys with British, Polish, and Peruvian architects. Additionally, a range of dynamic thermal simulations of an existing school building in the UK employing cardboard construction material were conducted to evaluate its impact on energy consumption. The survey revealed that there is a gap in information about the material applied to the architecture and construction environment, which is coupled with a general distrust and little credibility regarding its inclusion. However, cardboard is also seen as a complementary material in hybrid construction systems, with potential recycling enhancing environmental sustainability. The case studies showed cardboard structures can fulfil different functions with flexible designs that are adaptable to different contexts, simple, economical, accessible, recyclable, and capable of resisting natural disasters. However, post-construction consequences affect the structural integrity. Simulations carried out with EnergyPlus confirmed that cardboard has an optimal performance that can be a great complement or variation to traditional materials to reduce the carbon footprint and could meet the U-value requirements established in the construction regulations. Since it has low thermal conductivity and good acoustic insulation, it is recyclable and generates fewer CO2 emissions, and it is economical, accessible, versatile, and light in use. For example, from a technical point of view, when used as thermal insulation, this element outperforms other conventional materials due to its cellular structure, which traps air, a poor conductor of heat. This study provides a set of guidelines for sustainable building practices. Such guidelines can be adopted to produce a prototype of a sustainable building using cardboard as the main construction material to contribute to the current debates on the state of building materials. It offers valuable perspectives on the development of building materials, construction techniques, and building regulations that can guide the way forward for sustainable building practices in the future, informing policymakers and building designers about construction techniques that adhere to building codes and lessen the built environment’s environmental impact.
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    Examining Mashrabiya’s Impact on Energy Efficiency and Cultural Aspects in Saudi Arabia
    (MDPI, 2023-06-26) Taki, A. H.; Kumari, Haripriya
    The traditional and indigenous architecture in Saudi Arabia is being replaced by modern, Western-style buildings, resulting from the growing influence of Western culture. This change is evident in architectural elements such as Mashrabiya, which was once a symbol of the country’s Islamic architecture. The research paper aims to analyse the impact of modernization and the resurgence of Mashrabiya on a building’s energy efficiency, as well as the cultural and religious integrity of its historical counterpart in the context of Saudi Arabia. The study employed mixed research methods, including an online survey with Saudi Arabian households to study the public perception of Mashrabiya, case studies of residences with traditional and modern Mashrabiya, and a range of dynamic thermal simulations on a residence with traditional Mashrabiya to study its impact on energy consumption. The survey revealed that the public is aware of the changing face of Mashrabiya and its impact on the cultural and religious identity of the region, mainly privacy, but it is largely uninformed about ways to preserve its true essence. The simulations demonstrated a significant improvement in thermal comfort, i.e., an approximate 14% reduction in operative temperature and a 77.8% reduction in peak solar gain; an improvement in energy efficiency, i.e., a 5.7% reduction in monthly cooling load and a 35.5% improvement in daylight factor. Based on the findings, the research provides several recommendations to preserve the identity of traditional Mashrabiya while enhancing their energy efficiency, such as the incorporation of traditional design elements into the plans of the Saudi Arabian government.
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    Experimental and computational investigation into suppressing natural convection in chilled ceiling/displacement ventilation environments
    (Elsevier, 2011) Taki, A. H.; Jalil, L.; Loveday, D. L.
    The combination of chilled ceiling and displacement ventilation systems can cause destruction of the displacement flow pattern in some circumstances. This paper reports on the performance of a new technique for achieving stable conditions for displacement airflow in the presence of a chilled ceiling system. The technique is based on the attachment of a honeycomb slat system to the underside of a chilled ceiling, thereby suppressing downward cool natural convection. Investigations were carried out using both computational and experimental methods for a range of typical office environment conditions. The results showed that a slat depth to width ratio of 10 could suppress the natural convection by more than 80% when the Rayleigh number reached 7×106. This confirms that the technique is capable of minimising downward cool air currents, resulting in preservation of the displacement low pattern in the presence of the chilled ceiling. The proposed slat system can raise the general air temperature in the space allowing some displacement flow pattern to occur. The outcome of this study is the emergence of a honeycomb slat-based approach for improving the performance, together with provision of general advice for designers as regards the combination of radiant cooling/displacement ventilation systems.
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    Exploring the Impact of Rice Husk Ash Masonry Blocks on Building Energy Performance
    (MDPI, 2024-05-02) Onyenokporo, Nwakaego C.; Taki, A. H.; Zapata Montalvo, Luis Fernando; Oyinlola, M. A.
    Operational building energy consumption accounts for 55% of global energy consumption. Most of this is attributed to residential buildings, as they make up the largest building type when compared to the total building stock worldwide. As the building envelope is a major contributor to building energy performance, especially the external walls, its optimisation is therefore imperative to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. This study set out to assess the effects of waste material additions to external walls and their effect on building energy performance. This research aimed to critically investigate the effect of rice husk ash (RHA) masonry blocks on building energy performance when compared to conventional masonry blocks in tropical climates. A mix of methods, including experimental investigation and simulation studies, were employed for this study. Three variations of RHA block samples were created for this investigation: RHA 5%, RHA 10%, and RHA 15%. Using prototype buildings from the study context, the building simulation results helped quantify the impact on building energy performance from the reuse of rice waste. The largest improvement to the building fabric was recorded with the RHA15% blocks, which resulted in a 9.9% and 11.3% reduction in solar heat gains through the external walls for the selected bungalow and duplex/storey building, respectively. This resulted in a 6.55% and 4.2% reduction in cooling loads and a 4.1% and 2.8% reduction in carbon emissions, respectively, for the bungalow and du-plex/storey building. The findings of this research will prove valuable to householders, researchers, architects, and policymakers in their decision-making processes. The findings will also be useful in introducing new methods that can be adopted for similar studies, bridging the knowledge gap while promoting a circular economy through the reuse of landfilled waste.
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    Focus on lived spaces and Identity: the Paradigm of the urban design with residential high-rises in England
    (2016-06) Kalcheva, Elena; Hadi, Yuri; Taki, A. H.
    Residential high‐rises find more and more often their place in central parts of the big British cities. Due to intrinsic characteristics of the typology, they are bound to be observed, evaluated and discussed. Therefor the purpose of this research is through observation of nine prominent high‐rise buildings in Manchester, Birmingham and London, subjected to rigorous analysis, to evaluate their ability to maintain identity and to be decisive part of the lived spaces around them. The research achieves this goal through four research questions: how is the design addressing the creation of strong identity of the researched buildings; are the identity‐creating features of the design contradicting major placemaking principles; what characteristics have the lived spaces around the residential high‐rises; what messages send the design of the lived spaces? The methodology relies on observational survey of the researched areas with the help of structured questions, to evaluate the external qualities of the residential high‐rises and their surroundings. Visual information can construct the basis to identify the shortcomings and the downsides of the examined project examples. It can provide insight on how can be improved imageability, legibility and the sense of place. In this connection, the results show that even though it was found that the high‐rises with their abstract form, memorable design and creative use of materials and architectural techniques maintain strong identity, the functional quality of the lived spaces around them is low, there are missing squares, gardens and playgrounds in close proximity and the only experience provided for the users is street life, which however exciting is too limited to only few activities such as eating, drinking, shopping or just walking and looking at limited typology of spaces. The implications of this research are that the British planners will address these problems and future projects will have better placemaking component.
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    Foundations of the vertical city in England: architectural theory and practice
    (2016-04-25) Kalcheva, Elena; Taki, A. H.; Hadi, Yuri
    High-rises are omnipresent typologies in the megapolices around the world, however they are often associated with complicated placemaking and destruction of the existing neighbourhoods. One viable opportunity to change these negative trends is the Vertical City concept, uniting architecture and the urban design disciplines. The reason to research the British high-rises is the fact that there are some examples that are close as design to the concept of Vertical city with their technology, amenities and mix of uses. The goal of this article is to research how the four studied buildings approach the concept of Vertical city. It addresses this goal through three research questions: what design of the buildings represent the concept of Vertical City; how the formal objectives are met to approach the concept of Vertical City; how the socio/economic objectives are met to approach the concept of Vertical City? The methodology achieves the objectives of the study by gathering information for the researched buildings and analysing them according to a template developed on the basis of Vertical City manifesto. The features found in the examined buildings are maximized density and compactness for optimum efficiency which is intrinsic for the high-rises; interconnected amenities for convenience, increased efficiency, and security; mixed uses to provide for vital needs such as housing, employment, recreation, health care; optimizing the efficiency gains of centralized labour and consumption markets by shorter wasteful trips from home to work; maximized range of services and amenities to provide a vivid mix of commercial, recreational and cultural opportunities, and using the latest high-performance technologies to optimize efficiency and sustainability. However, there are many more requirements to be met and the implications of this article are that the designers in Britain will soon address them.
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    A framework Approach to the Design of Energy Efficient Residential Buildings in Nigeria
    (Elsevier, 2021) Ochedi, E. T.; Taki, A. H.
    The main objective the Nigerian building sector is working on is achieving energy efficiency in order to decrease energy demand of buildings and thereby reducing the negative implications of urban development and poor energy infrastructure on people’s wellbeing. One of the key strategies being adopted for substantial reduction of energy demand in the Building Energy Efficiency Guide for Nigeria is the bioclimatic architectural design approach. Hence, intelligent design of buildings, especially the building envelope, can considerably improve energy efficiency and help to realize heating and cooling targets. The aim of this paper is to promote and encourage sustainable building development in Nigeria by developing a systematic and context-based framework for the design of energy efficient residential buildings. This study adopted a mixed method approach of interviews with 12 architects and 22 householders. Moreover, measurements and observational surveys of 22 existing buildings that fit into three distinct building typologies were conducted. Three existing buildings were investigated using a building simulation approach to compare their performances, especially in terms of thermal comfort. The data collected was analyzed using content analysis, descriptive statistics analysis, and simulations. The interviews with architects and householders showed enormous potential to reduce residential buildings’ energy demand. To achieve this, the interviewees emphasized the need for strong collaboration between all stakeholders in the building sector. Measurements, observational surveys, and case studies of existing buildings confirmed that thermal discomfort in residential buildings and challenges with building design, have a significant effect on the building occupants’ wellbeing. The research developed a framework for the design of energy-efficient residential building, which is expected to enhance sustainability, particularly in the building sector. The framework was produced based on the findings from the research data and the review of relevant literature. It involves an integrated process focused on bridging the gap between building stakeholders achieving sustainability in buildings. Ultimately, the framework is hoped to guide professionals in the design of energy-efficient buildings and assist institutions on policy guidelines.
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    From Research to Practice: Exploring 3D Printing in Production of Architectural Mashrabiya
    (The Architectural Science Association and The University of Melbourne, 2015-12) Headley, D.; Almerbati, Nehal; Ford, Peter B.; Taki, A. H.
    Digital fabrication has suggested the supplanting of labour via robotics since it affords substantial increases in speed and accuracy in the development of architectural components. This potentiality might offer solutions for architectures on the verge of extinction due to vanishing skilled labour. This research investigates the possibilities of using new manufacturing techniques to replace the historic artisans with digital master craftsmen, specifically re-developing the Mashrabiya. The work looks at several case studies in architecture and 3D printing; bridging the gap between historically relevant climactic design strategies and digital or parametric design and fabrication. This paper concludes with a summary of a parametrically developed Mashrabiya screen system developed by the authors that is programmable based on core criteria found in the archetype and is currently being explored for product development. The work contributes to the developing body of knowledge surrounding the applications and implications of technologies that enable mass customization.
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    From Vernacular to Personalised and Sustainable
    (The Architectural and Science Association and Genova University Press, 2014-12-10) Almerbati, Nehal; Ford, Peter B.; Taki, A. H.; Dean, Lionel T.
    The social and environmental role of closed oriental balco-nies (Mashrabiyas) remains a significant vernacular aspect of Middle Eastern architecture. However, changes in architectural style, social needs, and the high manufacturing cost of Mashrabiya materials and techniques, Bahraini houses lost their very distinctive window veils. The research aims to validate a new Mashrabiya product for 21st cen-tury Bahraini houses using new manufacturing technologies. Additive Manufacturing (AM) is now at the heart of evolutionary technologies. Contextual information drawn from relevant theory, ethnography and practice is used to form a methodological framework for the new AM Mashrabiya. Additionally, interviews with architects, manufacturers and residents are the methods used to define a new AM Mashrabiya prototype that is then functionally and economically compared to oth-er manufacturing techniques. Prototypes of new AM screens are de-veloped. The main results set boundaries for the viability of AM to produce Mashrabiya and promote a sustainable way of reviving their use within Middle Eastern dwellings.