Frontiers of Architectural Research (2018) 7, 383–394

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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Parametric wind design

Lenka Kormaníkováa,n, Henri Achtenb, Miloš Kopřivac,
Stanislav Kmeťd

a
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Institute of Architectural Engineering, Technical University of Košice,
Vysokoškolská 4, 042 00, Slovakia
b
Faculty of Architecture, Czech Technical University in Prague, Thákurova 9, 160 00, Czech Republic
c
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Thákurova 7, 160 00, Czech Republic
d
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Institute of Structural Engineering, Technical University of Košice,
Vysokoškolská 4, 042 00, Slovakia

Received 19 January 2018; received in revised form 6 June 2018; accepted 26 June 2018

KEYWORDS Abstract
Parametric architec- Although gradual, the changes in the weather patterns are also noticeable and impactful to
ture; architectural design. If the local microclimate is taken into account early in the conceptual
Computational Fluid stage of design, the longevity of the ultimate structure can be greatly enhanced, despite
Dynamics; challenging environmental factors. Parametric designing enables to discover the optimal
Wind;
architectural shape based on specific weather data. The paper intends to investigate how this
Performance;
design approach, coupled with Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations, can be used to
Early design stage
create a wind-induced architecture. Both the benefits and the limitations of this approach are
explored in detail. The interaction between an architectural shape and wind flow is tested in a
study called ‘FlowBrane’. The process of (1) designing a parametrically changeable geometry,
(2) testing its behavior in the wind, and (3) evaluating the results allows looping back to the
initial geometric design, continuing to improve the design and ultimately the performance of
the architecture in the specific wind conditions of the chosen site. However, the need to test
multiple geometries separately and to adjust the wind simulation for each test (and for every
wind direction) remains a disadvantage that should be addressed in further research.
& 2018 Higher Education Press Limited Company. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on
behalf of KeAi. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

n
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: lenka.kormanikova@gmail.com (L. Kormaníková).
Peer review under responsibility of Southeast University.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foar.2018.06.005
2095-2635/& 2018 Higher Education Press Limited Company. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi. This is an open access
article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
384
1. Introduction
After the second industrial revolution, the trend of expanding
cities, growing industry, and a forgotten relationship with
nature dominated architectural and engineering designs.
During the most recent decades, society and architects alike
have concluded that those building strategies are not sus-
tainable. Warnings about the changing climate, global warm-
ing, and the resulting extremes have sent a clear signal for
architects, engineers, and planners to start thinking differ-
ently about design. It is probable that if we keep building the
way we are building now, with architecture as a static
element placed in a dynamic environment, we will be unable
to fit into and influence the ever-changing surroundings.
Reacting to the citation of Charles Darwin, Edwards noted
that also buildings, as everything on the planet, need to be
capable of adaptation in a larger or a shorter timescale if
they are to survive (Edwards, 2010). Without considering the
changes in the environment, an adaptation is not possible.
This is one of the reasons why architects are focusing on
designing in regards to nature and utilizing computer simula-
tions, as well as the benefits of parametric design, in early
design stages in order to create architecture which is
adapted for the future environment.
Designing with the wind as a factor has already long history,
but incorporation in the architectural design process is still
quite recent. Wang et al. (2016) mentioned that despite the
wind-related optimization in industrial design, there is still no
such standard in architecture. Integrating the wind and lighting
performance criteria into the form-finding process could, based
on the simulation results, continuously improve the design and
lead to an excellent environmental fitness. The parametric
architectural design based on the specific wind conditions helps
to test different design options to find an optimal placement of
buildings, an optimal building's shape or an optimal material to
be used to benefit from the wind factor and to improve it using
architecture. In short, two main research directions have been
explored in architectural research: i) passive cooling and
emission reduction using the wind, and ii) mitigating the wind
and ensuring the pedestrian wind comfort.
Guo et al. (2015) emphasized the relevance of designing
the site plan, the building's shape and the building's
envelope using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simula-
tions over the conventional design approach. “Natural
ventilation not only plays a crucial role in energy conserva-
tion and emission reduction but also greatly enhances the
comfort level and air quality of the built environment”.
Chung and Malone-Lee (2010) similarly suggested that CFD is
not only useful for exploring air flow in the interior of a
building or around high-rise buildings, but it can be success-
fully used on a greater scale of the urban design proposals,
in order to target the improvement of larger inadequate
urban spaces early in the design process. A CFD analysis of a
planned zone in Singapore was proposed as a solution to the
urban heat islands and uncomfortable urban pedestrian
spaces, particularly the case of high-density and high-rise
contexts. The use of the wind for passive cooling of houses
was proposed in the case study in Dubai (Taleb and Musleh,
2015). This site-specific parametric approach considers the
non-humid, desert environment with the scarcity of water
and proposes how to benefit from the ‘Shamal’ winds
L. Kormaníková et al.
squeezed between the buildings. In like manner, Chronis
et al. (2012) developed an algorithm that enables achieving
the best buildings’ distribution based on the integrated
wind and sun data.
In different climates, on the other hand, strong wind
gusts and high wind speeds are a source of concern in the
built environment. “High wind speed occurring between
buildings can be, in extreme cases, the source of wind-
related accidents…or it can disturb and/or disrupt recrea-
tional, cultural or social activities taking place at urban
outdoor locations” (Szűcs, 2013). Moya et al. (2014)
explored shape optimization of a permeable structure
proposed as a windshield for a tram stop to mitigate the
strong wind gusts and hence to improve the wind comfort in
the public space. Other studies were carried out to examine
the effects of different wind speeds on pedestrians and
their comfort in an outdoor environment and explore
different wind situations to determine the right wind
conditions (Stathopoulos, 2009; Blocken et al., 2016) and
influence the wind using architecture (Janssen et al., 2013).
As early as in 1998, Tsou proposed the CFD technique to be
integrated into the architectural design by establishing an
online CFD teaching project for architects (Tsou, 1998). More
than ten years later Hartog et al. (2009) described the use of
CFD as a “rather new technique in building design”. Today, it is
still not a common practice to include wind analysis in the
early stage of architectural design (Chronis et al., 2017).
There are new attempts to include this technique into the
early design education. Students from RMIT University in
Melbourne tested their windbreak designs using CFD simula-
tions and then verified the results on the prototypes (Moya
et al., 2013). Texas A&M University made a step towards
introducing the wind simulations into the common design
strategy. Students observed the behavior of their designs of
building skins for affecting the wind and blocking the sand,
situated in UAE (Kalantar and Borhani, 2017).
The above-mentioned examples show that the wind tests in
the early conceptual stage of design provide an understanding
of the frequently occurring natural phenomenon that is influ-
enced by shapes of the buildings and the urban outlay, albeit
there are still some disadvantages of the process. Kaijima et al.
(2013) pointed out the problems of using the CFD simulations,
particularly regarding the mesh geometry for the analysis. He
commented the drawback of the need of repetitive CFD solving
for multiple options of geometries. Therefore, when a para-
metric study of possible buildings’ arrangements or of possible
buildings’ shapes is carried out, simpler design loops are
searched for (Taleb and Musleh, 2015).
In this paper, the general wind-changing patterns, com-
plete with realized architectural examples, are identified.
Specific wind characteristics of Loudden Docks in Stockholm
are the basis for the following case study. The dense silos’
configuration causes the wind flow to accelerate and create
both turbulence and wind-induced vibrations. With the
changing climate, more extreme wind scenarios can occur.
The site was chosen to address the unique wind situation
caused by the present urban structure and to propose a
design way how the wind conditions of the site can be
altered. We describe an integrated approach of using CFD
analysis in the parametric design of wind bracing mem-
branes for a brownfield site in Stockholm, Sweden. The
Parametric wind design
Figure 1 Architectural shape affecting the wind flow.
generation of the parametric wind bracing membrane is
based on several iterations of CFD analysis and using
different wind speeds.
1.1. Sustainable design for the fluctuating wind
conditions
Architecture creates an artificial environment that basically
competes with the natural environment, maybe even
represses it. Sustainable planning focuses on solving this
issue by aiming at the important relationship between the
built and natural environment and searching for the
385
inspiration in nature (Badarnah, 2017). According to
Edwards (2010), when designing buildings for climate
change, the design should: i) be focused on the building
shell, its orientation, and footprint as it is fundamental to
long-term survival, adaptability and energy efficiency, ii)
have a higher initial standard, including materials, iii)
provide the means to upgrade building systems, especially
in the areas of cooling and in the provision of renewable
energy. Edwards claims that the technology has a key role in
sustainable design which might seem contradictory. How-
ever, a lot of research projects and studies suggest the use
of parametric modeling might lead to sustainable design
(Nagy et al., 2016; Pasold and Foged, 2010; Sharaidin et al.,
386 L. Kormaníková et al.

Figure 2 Realized examples: 1 – ‘Nordpark Railway Stations’ (https://beebreeders.com/unique-pit-stops-along-the-worlds-most-fa

mous-railways). 2 – ‘Bahrain World Trade Center’ (https://etk-fashion.com/sk/energy-air5-most-spectacular-s/). 3 – ‘The Shaolin Flying
Monks Theatre’ (http://mailitis.lv/projects/the-shaolin-flying-monks-theatre/). 4 – ‘Tjibaou Cultural Center’ (http://architectureet
conscience.blogspot.com.es/). 5 – ‘Strandbeests’ (http://www.strandbeest.com/photos.php).

2012). Some also propose design strategies for extreme
climatic scenarios “…it is vital that architects explore the
conflicts and complexities of the future by embracing the
synthesis of computational design and the natural world”
(Kerestes, 2014). Design strategies that will account for the
unstable environmental conditions and react to them could
be an architectural response to the dynamically changing
environment and could bring architecture and nature
together.
2. Wind effects as a design factor
The wind is an important element influencing and shaping the
nature, eroding the soil, transporting sediments. Architecture
represents an obstacle to the wind flow, affecting the flow
pattern and the speed. Among all the environmental factors
that affect architecture, the wind has the greatest influence
on architectural shapes, or, from the other point of view, the
wind flow is greatly dependent on the precise shape of
architecture. Demers et al. (2016) explore the relationship
between architectural forms and wind erosion dynamics. They
propose to improve the energy performance by optimizing
solar collection and aerodynamics of designed buildings. The
concept of fluid mechanics integrated into the process of
shape optimization of an interior was tested as an innovative
design approach for naturally ventilated indoor spaces. The air
flow becomes a visible element creating the architectural
form through the close observation and analysis of the air
motion (Stavridou, 2015).
The following five principles categorize basic options how
architecture can deal with wind. The categories are estab-
lished on examples from architecture: Minimum resistance,
Concentration, Diffusion, Deflection and Materialization
(Figure 1). One of the principles is further elaborated and
presented in the example case study.
Realized examples for each of the proposed categories
represent site-specific architectural solutions designed with
a focus on the wind (Figure 2). Minimum resistance: Zaha
Hadid Architects designed the project ‘Nordpark Railway
Stations’, exploring and experimenting with the fluidity of
shape in architecture, using innovative materials. The
aerodynamic design plays an important role in the windy
and cold environment of The Alps (Schumacher, 2005).
Concentration: Two, 240 m high towers ‘Bahrain World
Trade Center’ with three commercial wind turbines
between the towers is a project near the Persian Gulf by
Atkins architects. The architects made advantage of the
phenomenon called Venturi effect, concentrating the wind
between the twin towers. Their shape squeezes and accel-
erates the northerly wind passing between the buildings and
pushes it through the turbines (Ishugah et al., 2014).
Diffusion: ‘The Shaolin Flying Monks Theatre’ emerges from
the mountainous environment on the top of the Songshan
Parametric wind design
Mountain in China. The shape complements the surrounding
topography. The space between each step allows the wind
to blow through the structure and provides a massive airflow
for the turbines. The authors of the amphitheater for the
levitation performances are Mailitis architects (Mailitis
Architects, 2017). Deflection: ‘Tjibaou Cultural Centre’ by
Renzo Piano utilizes the curved shape of the façade to work
with the wind. The double skin façade adapts depending on
the wind speed; it can be solid or permeable in its parts.
The system of double skin is used for the passive ventilation
with the help of the trees, planted on the east and the west
side to create a funnel effect and direct the wind towards
the buildings. In case of stronger wind, the louvers are
closed, and the façade can deflect the wind to protect the
cultural center. The buildings are designed for the prevail-
ing southerly winds coming from the bay, but they can
effectively function also when the wind changes its direc-
tion (Gruber, 2008). Materialization: Theo Jansen has first
started to develop his ‘Strandbeests’ “as new life forms”1 in
the nineties. The skeletons made of plastic yellow tubes are
constructed in such manner that they are able to “walk on
the wind”.1 The element of wind is materialized in this
project and transformed into something that looks almost
alive. There were many other projects that, in their own
mechanisms, utilize the movement principle of the legs,
developed by Theo Jansen (Hernández et al., 2016; Jansen
et al., 2014).
3. Wind situation and predictions
This design case study shows a site-specific approach and
investigates the effects of the wind on architectural shape
by incorporating the wind element to the early design stage.
Following nature's approach in shaping the surroundings and
driven by the natural wind fluxes, the designed architec-
tural solution is formed by its environment and reflects and
adapts to the specific conditions. A novel design approach is
introduced in a reaction to the changing climatic conditions.
3.1. Europe
Whether an increase or no significant change will occur
regarding the annual-mean near-surface wind speed is
under a lot of debate. Focusing on Europe, the evaluation
of the contradictory predictions shows increased annual-
mean wind speeds in the middle and northern Europe
(Eichelberger et al., 2008; Forzieri et al., 2016; Nikulin
et al., 2011). This means that in the future, stronger winds
and wind gusts can be expected in northern Europe,
including Sweden. Figure 3 shows a trend of the wind
speeds based on the NCEP/NCAR model obtained from CCI
- Reanalyzer (2017), NCEP/NCAR (2017). Two time periods
are compared: 1996–2016 and 1948–1995. The data show the
trend of increasing wind speeds (red) or decreasing wind
speeds (blue) in the last two decades compared to the
previous decades.
1
Quotes are retrieved from Theo Jansen’s website: http://www.
strandbeest.com/.
387
4. Wind-driven revitalization design of the
industrial site in Stockholm: Loudden Docks
case study
In this research, we took as a concrete site the Loudden oil
terminal in Stockholm, Sweden. The site has lost its function
and is a brownfield land very near water (Figure 4). The case
example project aims for the transformation of the indus-
trial park into a recreational zone. For this purpose, a
shielded open-air complex is proposed within the project.
Loudden oil terminal is situated on the eastern side of
Stockholm and was built in 1926. More than one hundred
silos and six underground cisterns were used for storing oil,
petroleum, and naphtha. In 2011 the oil terminal was closed
with the vision of Stockholm Royal Seaport project that
considers the transformation of Stockholm ports along the
east coast into green residential, cultural and business
areas. The transformation of Loudden port should start by
the year 2022 (Wennersten et al., 2008). In this paper, we
propose an alternative to the Stockholm Royal Seaport
project. The industrial but, at the same time, unique
character of the place can be kept to some extent
(Figure 5). The wind situation and self-shading can be
changed with minimal architectural interventions.
4.1. Site analysis
According to the updated Köppen–Geiger climate classifica-
tion, Sweden belongs to several climate zones: Dfc (Snow
climate, fully humid with cool summer), Cfb (Warm tem-
perature climate, fully humid with warm summer), Dfb
(Snow climate, fully humid with warm summer) and ET
(Tundra climate). The dominant one is Dfc, whereas Stock-
holm belongs to the Dfb zone (Kottek et al., 2006). The
extreme scenario for the future years 2075–2100 that
represent the maximum climate shift reflects the global
warming and shows Cfb growing towards north and Dfb
replacing the Dfc, ET slowly disappearing (Rubel and Kottek,
2010).
Based on the weather data for Stockholm's Arlanda
airport, taken from the EnergyPlus web database (the data
here are derived and collected from 20 sources)
(EnergyPlus, 2017), the wind and sun are analyzed and
applied on the area of Loudden Docks. No site measure-
ments are realized for this research; the data are investi-
gated using Ecotect Analysis software. SMHI (Swedish
Meteorological and Hydrological Institute) is used as another
source for the weather data and statistics (SMHI, 2017). The
westerly winds are prevailing most of the year; the south-
erly winds, however, are the strongest (Figure 6). In the
warm months (from March until November), the wind
temperature can drop to less than 01. In the summer, it
can range from 10 to 25 1C, depending on the wind direc-
tion. In the winter, the wind temperature is rarely above 0.
The flow pattern of the southerly and westerly winds is
analyzed on the Loudden Docks’ silos using the Autodesk
Flow Design CFD software, and the results are redrawn to
capture the main flow lines (Figure 7). Some of the smallest
silos are proposed for demolition. The rest are tested and
used for the project. The height of silos ranges from 10 to
30 m and causes most of the site to be in the shade
388 L. Kormaníková et al.

Figure 3 Map showing the difference in the wind speed compared between 1996–2016 and 1948–1995 (http://cci-reanalyzer.org/
reanalysis/monthly_maps/index.php).

Figure 4 Loudden Docks in Stockholm (https://vaxer.stockholm.se/omraden/norra-djurgardsstaden/loudden/).

(Figure 8). The three old industrial buildings on the south-
west are also taken into account as they influence the wind
flow. The southern part of the site is protected by the
forest; however, for the purposes of this research, its
effects are not considered. The average wind speed of 6
m/s is used for the simulation of westerly winds, and 9 m/s
is used for southerly winds, based on the data obtained from
EnergyPlus (2017), SMHI (2017).
The morphology of the site is created by reinforced
concrete silos, with the diameter ranging from
Parametric wind design
Figure 5 Site plan - silos and buildings that are used in the
wind simulations are grey, while the ones that are left out
are green.
Figure 6 Wind rose for Stockholm's Arlanda airport.
approximately 13 m to 34 m. They are built very close to
each other and create clusters. From the urbanistic point
of view, the site is unusual, as all the existing “buildings”
are cylindrical. Furthermore, the clusters of cylinders
affect the microclimate of the place. The formation of
silos causes the wind to squeeze and accelerate between
the clusters or is deflected in the horizontal, but also in the
vertical direction with turbulences forming on the leeward
side. Most of the site is shaded throughout the year; only
southern part is receiving enough sun for recreational
purposes.
389
5. Wind as an architectural element in the
parametric design
As mentioned above, an architectural shape has a great
influence on the wind flow and vise versa; the wind has a
great power to shape the surroundings. The benefits of
parametric modeling for this research lie in the possibility of
designing based on the specific wind data and this way
develop designs that would behave in the desired way in the
given wind situation. The change of input parameters
results in different final shapes; their interaction with the
wind is different. An integration of CFD software in the
early conceptual design stage influences key design deci-
sions and is a key to high-performance architecture (Chronis
et al., 2017). Creating an optimization loop enables, based
on the simulation results, enhancing architecture's
performance.
5.1. Wind-designed ‘FlowBrane’
The case study site in Stockholm is selected to demonstrate
the described design approach. Three of the concrete silos
are selected, and instead of storing oil, the silos are filled
with purified rainwater (Figure 7). They serve as circular
swimming pools (or ice-hockey rinks in the winter). The
height of the silos for swimming is reduced, so the pools can
be approached from the ground, using stairs or ramps. By
reducing the height of silos and designing the new archi-
tecture, the wind flow is altered.
‘FlowBrane’ (wind flow membrane) is a term invented to
name tensile membranes that are developed based on the
wind flow movement between the concrete silos in Loudden
Docks. One such membrane is designed to alter the wind
direction around the circular swimming pools/ice rinks and
to serve as a protection against the wind. The future
research will focus on other wind-architecture interactions
using ‘FlowBranes’. The shape is modeled in the 3D model-
ing software Rhinoceros along with the graphical algorithm
editor Grasshopper that is also used for the parametric
shape control. The design consists of two parts: the para-
metrically shaped membrane and the opposing wooden
auditorium (Figure 9).
5.2. Wind speed and comfort
The question of thermal comfort is very important in the
public space design. Successfully designed public spaces
attract people and thus become livelier and incorporated
into the city life. Currently, the level of comfort in the site
is very low. Clusters of silos in Loudden Docks create an
uncomfortable place that is only suitable for industrial use.
Fluctuations of wind speed and momentarily wind gusts can
be problematic in a recreational area. If the high wind
speeds are accompanied by shade and low temperatures
(the winds in Stockholm reach temperatures close to zero),
such public space is avoided by people. Moreover, from the
security point of view, wind gusts that are exceeding the
speed of 15 m/s 0.05%–0.3% of hours/year are critical for
pedestrians. According to Dutch Standard, if the wind speed
is exceeding 15 m/s more than 0.3% of hours/year, such
situation is considered dangerous and not acceptable for
390
Figure 7 Wind flow through the silos and around the three dominant buildings. Selected silos are in the circle.
Figure 8 Sun analysis in Ecotect showing shadows in two days
of solstice, December 21 and June 21.
any outdoor activity (NEN, 8100, 2006). All these facts are
considered in the presented wind-induced architectural
design.
The wind flow in Loudden docks is affected by the
morphology of the site. The purpose of the designed
‘FlowBrane’ is to control the wind conditions. On the one
hand, it should protect the relax zones and, on the other
hand, direct and deflect the wind to the sides.
5.3. The use of parametric principle
Several criteria are taken into account while designing the
‘FlowBrane’: i) protection against the wind, ii) deflection of
the wind horizontally and vertically from the sides that are
exposed to the wind to the largest extent and iii) ability not
L. Kormaníková et al.
to block the sun. Reacting to the wind flow pattern of
westerly and southerly winds, a curve is drawn in Rhinoceros
in the top view, and consequently, the final shape of the
‘FlowBrane’ is generated in Grasshopper. The most suitable
shape of the curve is sought. The desired deflection of the
wind is schematically drawn in Figure 10 on the right-
hand side.
The parametric principle of the final shape has the
following dependence: the longer is the perpendicular
distance between the fixed and the variable curve, the
greater is the lift at the particular section of the resultant
‘FlowBrane’. The specific angle of the lift is calculated for
the given number of segments of the tensile membrane.
The parametric constraints are set as follows: the hor-
izontal perpendicular distance between the fixed and the
variable curve is min. 1 m and max. 19.4 m that corre-
sponds to the minimum and maximum lift at the parti-
cular section ranging from 2 to 7.25 m. The final angle for
every segment of the future membrane is calculated and
ranges from 20.4 to 34.41 from the horizontal plane
(Figure 10).
6. Wind analysis of ‘FlowBrane’ in the early
design stage
This study shows a design approach in the strict morpholo-
gical conditions that greatly affect the wind behavior on the
site. In the previous investigation, three different curves
were drawn in the top view around the selected swimming
pools/ice rinks (Kormaníková et al., 2017). Three resultant
shapes were consequently tested in the Flow Design soft-
ware and analyzed for the southerly and westerly winds.
This paper captures two modifications of the proposed
shape that are compared based on their performance in
the wind.
In the wind tests of the designed shapes, the wind speed
is set to 6 m/s for the westerly winds and 9 m/s for the
southerly winds. The simulation resolution is set in such
Parametric wind design
Figure 9 Visualization of ‘FlowBrane’.
Figure 10 Parametric design principle.
manner that the desired voxel size less than 1.5 m is
obtained. A disadvantage is that the results from Flow
Design lose on precision with the increase of the model size
and the maximum possible resolution is dependent on
computing power. The software allows raising the resolu-
tion only until the processor is able to execute the
calculations. When the upper limit is exceeded, raising
the resolution has the opposite effect as can be expected;
the voxels become larger. The ability to provide efficient
wind protection, as well as the size of the wind-protected
zone, is observed.
6.1. Discussion
Figure 11 shows the comparison of the situation with and
without designed ‘FlowBrane’ created from two different
flexible curves. The wind flow affected by the membrane is
tested and flow lines, as well as horizontal plane , are used
to display the results. The horizontal plane cannot be
placed precisely, therefore the plane is moved as close to
the water surface as possible.
The proposed two shape modifications of the designed
‘FlowBrane’ are effective in changing the turbulent wind
situation into a calmer one. The wake on the leeward side
of three silos is less turbulent and the wind flow is directed
in the desired way. The second version of ‘FlowBrane’ is
even more effective in deflecting the wind in both wind
directions.
391
7. Scope and limitations of the proposed
design approach
The design approach introduced in the paper uses the
benefits of digital designing and performance analysis early
in the design stage to search for an optimal architectural
shape in the specific wind conditions. This approach has its
strong and weak sides that are described below.
7.1. Limitations of Flow Design CFD analysis
i) Flow Design is a tool that was developed for fast wind
analysis of architecture and designs. Therefore, the
control of the input parameters and settings is limited.
ii) Every new shape requires a new CFD file and new wind
tunnel and simulation set up.
iii) Wind tunnel dimensions are hard to manipulate and
control.
iv) It is difficult to view the results in the precise height
(when displaying on the plane).
v) No wind profile can be set; the initial wind speed is
uniform in the whole domain.
vi) It is difficult to set the resolution because it depends on
the computing power. The resolution influences the
voxel size. One voxel cannot be bigger than the smallest
size of the tested geometry.
392 L. Kormaníková et al.

Figure 11 The cluster of three silos before the revitalization and after it. Blue color indicates wind speed close to zero, yellow
color indicates the acceleration of the wind.
Parametric wind design
vii) LES simulation is transient, therefore it is better to
export the results right after the calculations reach
‘stabilized’ state.
7.2. Benefits of Flow Design CFD analysis
i) In Flow Design, the wind tunnel can be created auto-
matically according to the guidelines for wind tunnel
size.2 However, the best CFD guidelines were applied
instead.
ii) Turbulent flow is captured quite accurately.
iii) The thin (without any thickness) and open mesh geo-
metry are recognized by the software.
iv) The wind flow can be observed real-time in the tran-
sient simulation.
7.3. Parametric design limitations
i) The parametric definition has to be set appropriately to
gain the maximum from changing the individual
parameters.
ii) Every parametrically changed design option should be
exported to *stl format and tested. This way it is
difficult to achieve an optimal design with an optimal
performance in the wind.
7.4. Benefits of parametric designing
i) Designed shapes can be easily modified based on the
defined parameters.
ii) Many different shape modifications can be created
based on the results of the wind simulations.
iii) The generated shapes are influenced by the presets and
parametric restrictions.
iv) It is a step towards finding an optimal shape for specific
wind conditions.
8. Conclusions
The goal of this case study is to formulate general steps for
site-specific designs that are influenced and led by the
weather, in particular, the wind conditions. The changing
climate becomes an important driving factor in architec-
ture. Design strategies adapt to the dynamic and ever-
changing environment. The greater interest in
environmentally-responsive designs and materials may offer
a sustainable design approach for the future. In more
extreme environments, this design principle is applicable
and even required. Areas exposed to hurricane danger or
other extreme wind scenarios would benefit from the
designs that would take into account the specifics of the
locality and in the early conceptual stage of design evaluate
the actual and critical wind conditions.
2
Retrieved from: https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/
flow-design/learn-explore/.
393
This case study example in Stockholm aims to present an
ecological transformation of an industrial zone that is currently
a brownfield. It has a specific site morphology that influences
the wind flow pattern and creates untypical wind situation. To
reuse what is built on the site, only the smallest silos are
proposed for demolition; the remaining cylindrical silos are used
for the wind analysis. The overall wind situation is affected by
the silos and the designed membrane. The shape design
responds to the flow lines of the prevailing winds. Parametric
constraints affect the final shape that can be modified based on
the 2D curve drawn in Rhinoceros which enables specific control
of the shape. Testing every shape modification in the Flow
Design software provides a feedback for the adjustments of the
base curve and based on that, an adaptation of the 3D shape.
The performance in the wind is again tested in the CFD
software. The turbulent wind situation around three chosen
silos is positively influenced by the presented tensile membrane
and by working with the height of the silos. A place, which was
characterized by the strong acceleration of the wind and
consequent turbulence on the leeward side, can now be used
for free-time activities. Only one architectural shape that works
as a deflector for the wind flow is examined in this paper. The
other shapes that work with the wind differently will be
proposed and tested in the next stage. The disadvantages of
the proposed process are the complexity of the method and the
lack of control in the CFD solver. A solution for these problems
can be the use of other CFD solvers that are better integrated
to the modeling software and doesn’t require exporting every
new shape. The design loop should be more iterative without
the need to analyze every little modification and its influence
on the wind flow.
Acknowledgements
This project was created thanks to the financial support of the
Grant Agency of the Slovak Republic (VEGA). The projects
registration numbers are VEGA 1/0674/18 and VEGA 1/0302/
16. The authors would like to thank Professor Dušan Katunský
and Associate professor Eva Kormaníková for their support.
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