3D modelling tools

“UDCW GIS Tool: Climate Change Impact Assessment for Resilient Cities”

The 3D modelling tools offer a comprehensive, quantitative, and spatial analysis of the climate benefits associated with planning and design scenarios at the neighbourhood scale. The effectiveness of these tools is evaluated by comparing the outcomes against observed historical data and available statistics. Their application requires more detailed information about building envelope and HVAC solutions (both for existing buildings and targeted designs for new or retrofitted buildings), as well as technical specification for outdoor paving materials and vegetation types.

OBJECTIVES

The 3D modeling tools aim to analyze climate benefits of urban designs at the neighborhood scale, validated against historical data, requiring detailed building and environmental specifics.

OUTCOMES

• Thermal comfort analysis
• Energy consumption analysis
• Carbon analysis

TARGET GROUP

• Desision maker
• Technicians
• Civil society
• Other stakeholders

FACILITATORS

Technically qualified experts with a high level of expertise in algorithm aided design (AAD)

CLIMATE DATA
COLLECTION

Provide weather data using EPW files to set the geographic position of the model and to characterise its climate features

TRAINING
SESSION

Model the geometries into the respective layers (landuse, road, buildings, trees and canopies) assigning the essential thermal properties that characterise the model using object “keys and values” in Rhino.

RUN THE
SIMULATION

– Set the analysis period on the hottest day of the year (using the data in the epw file) or on another specific date;
– Name the file and choose the folder directory;
– Run the simulation.

RESULTS
VISUALIZATION

All the end of the simulation, the tool generates microclimate maps in the Rhino, view showing, for the selected analysis period, the level of different outdoor comfort indicators such us UTCI and TMRT

BUILDING MASSES
Context buildings have to modeled as solid geometries. The tool assesses their contribution to outdoor thermal comfort by calculating the amount of shade they can cast during the day

TREES AND CANOPIES
Canopies and trees can be modeled as surfaces or solid geometries. The tool calculates the amount of shade they can cast and applies different coefficients to trees according to the season

LAND COVER
Ground surfaces have to be modelled as solids.
According to the land cover typology, thermal properties have to be assigned to the geometries (albedo, thermal emissivity, etc.). The tool will use these information to calculate the land surface temperature and, consequentely, their contrimution to the outdoor thermal comfort

3D MODEL

MEAN RADIANT TEMPERATURE

UNIVERSAL THERMAL CLIMATE INDEX

RESULTS VISUALIZATION

The tool uses the data provided by the simulation to produce 2D and 3D maps representing the climate behavior of the modeled area according to different indicators.
To assess the comfort levels of the area, in UDCW, the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) and Mean Radiant Temperature (TMRT) are most used indicators. The maps can report both average values over the 24 hours of the day and values calculated at a specific time of day.

CLIMATE DATA
COLLECTION
Provide weather data using EPW files to set the geographic position of the model and to characterise its climate features

CONTEXT
MODELING
Model, under the proper layers, all the geometries that cast shadows on the analysed buildings (eg. trees, canopies, other buildings that do not need to be analysed)

BUILDING
MODELING
Model the shape and set the building feature affective buildings’ energy performances: envelope and roof construction, HVAC, Window to Wall ratio, building program, ecc.

SIMULATION

– Assembly the model merging all the components of the scene: context and buildings
– Name the file and choose the folder directory
– Run the simulation

RESULT
VISUALIZATION
At the end of the simulation , the result will be reported on abar graph with different colors and values representing the amount of energy consumption for each end use

PV
INTEGRATION
If needed, calculate the amount of energy produced by Photovoltaic systems using the dedicated component

BUILDING
MASSES
The building to simulate must be modelled as solid geometries

PROGRAM, ENVELOPE AND
ROOF FEATURES
The geometry must be fed with infirmation related to the building program (residential, office, ecc) and envelope and roof features

HVAC TEMPLATE
AND PV SETTINGS
Other (optional) information concerns the typology of HVAC, which can be set according to specific presets. If needed, is it possible to add PV panels to the model

3D MAP

ENERGY USE GRAPH

RESULTS VISUALIZATION

At the end of the simulation, the tool allows to visualize the results generating 2D/3D maps and bar graphs.
The possible outputs are: Total energy consumption [kWh]; Energy Use Intensity (EUI) [kWh/m2]; EUI for single uses (Heating, Cooling, Lighting, etc.); Energy saved through the implementation of PVs (%)

Ask for more

Communities, decision makers, policy-makers, city officiels, NGOs please contact us for further informations