Andrea Palladio’s Renaissance villas are amongst the most famous and widely studied examples of domestic architecture ever produced. The majority of past research about Palladio’s architecture employed historical, mathematical and computational methods to analyse their complex proportional systems and rules. In contrast, this paper examines three of Palladio’s arguments about his villas plans which relate to their spatial properties and topological connections. Specifically, this paper uses a computational method e the justified plan graph (JPG) e to test two arguments about the location and significance of the primary salon on the plan, and a third about the extent to which the rooms in Palladio’s plans are, as he claims, flexible enough to contain alternative functions. Using ten of Palladio’s piano nobile (main floor) plans from I Quattro Libri Dell’Architettura as cases, this paper develops mathematical data to test three hypotheses framed around Palladio’s plans and theories.

Semi-open spaces-largely incorporated in vernacular dwellings in Cyprus during the 19th and 20th centuries-formed diachronically significant socio-cultural, functional and environmental features of the vernacular architecture of the area. The climate of the Eastern Mediterranean region, i.e., hot summers and mild winters, encouraged the use of open weather protected spaces, thus leading to the widespread incorporation of such spaces in the vernacular architecture of the region. This paper focuses on the interconnections between architectural forms and human comfort, convenience or pleasure in relation to the semiopen spaces found in the vernacular architecture of Cyprus-an island in the Eastern Mediterranean region. For the purpose of this research, characteristic traditional settlements found in the coastal, lowland and mountainous areas-which represent three different climatic regions and topographies of the island-were selected for an in-depth investigation. The findings confirm a high frequency of semi-open spaces, as well as the existence of a remarkable richness of typologies. Although semi-open spaces constitute a fundamental part of the structure of these vernacular dwellings in all climatic regions examined, they dominate in the lowland regions due to the particularly hot climate, as well as the specific activities of the inhabitants of these areas. The prevailing architectural forms and constructions of these spaces in each climatic region under investigation was found to be closely adapted to the local resources, terrain and climate, while also being related to the social, household and agricultural needs of the inhabitants, thus underlining their sustainable and locus-specific conception. Research findings can contribute towards critically re-thinking semi-open spaces and their inherent value in rehabilitation projects, as well as in contemporary residential architecture.

Color preference for the interior of a bedroom of Le Corbusier’s Swiss Pavilion was studied using 1931 Salubra color keyboards in a cross-cultural analysis. Results indicate that students from architecture and interior design slightly dislike or are indifferent to Le Corbusier color combinations and prefer pale and low saturated colors for interior architecture. The least preferred colors belong to green and brown hues. Scarce significant gender differences are found that follow a stereotyped tendency, with females preferring pinks, light blues and light greens, while males vivid oranges and Vermilions. Near Easterners are significantly more likely to green colors, while Western Europeans to dark greys. These data indicate that not only hue, but also value and saturation are important color features to inform preference for interior architecture.

Walking experience through urban spaces is a frequent daily activity. Thus, planning and designing for walkability become crucial for building up quality of life. Our daily walks around the city are affected by fulfilling the needed psychological contentment that is in turn measured unconsciously by our temporal perception. This contentment is inherent in what we experience in accordance with urban ambiance that goes beyond the spatial attributes of spaces to include their social and sensorial dimensions. Thus, the question here is how walkability of urban routes is affected by urban ambiance and therefore perceived in terms of time. Therefore, this study aims to understate the trilateral interrelation of walkability, temporal perception, and urban ambiance in walkable routes for daily routine use. This work depends on an experimental study where participants are asked to walk along two selected routes. Data-gathering tools rely on documenting the lived experience of the target group via reporting their trips and answering a questionnaire. Pattern analysis demonstrates this trilateral interrelation to clarify the interplay. This study concludes specific qualities of walkable routes for routine use that reduce sense of time, which is highly crucial to be realized in such daily walk journeys.

In 1748, Giambattista Nolli published a large map of Rome, which accurately depicted the form and system of public space in the city. This graphic presentation has become a powerful tool for urban space research. However, given the increasingly abundant types of contemporary urban spaces and diverse functions of public buildings, the application of the drawing principle of the Nolli map to contemporary cities remains uncertain. Taking the Laochengnan area in Nanjing as an example, this study investigates the mapping of urban public spaces based on the Nolli map method. On the basis of a field survey, the public and private spaces in the blocks are identified. By comparing the graphic information of the Nolli map and that of the Nolli-type map in terms of public, private, and green spaces, this work also reveals the similarities and differences between traditional and modern urban spaces. Urban spatial mapping methods, including the figure-ground map, street map, and Nolli-type map, are explored and compared using complementary mapping techniques. The practicality and effectiveness of each technique are also discussed. Results show that the Nolli map method is effective in mapping contemporary urban public spaces and provides an effective tool for urban designers and architects to depict and analyze urban public spaces.

This study investigates the cinematic representation of city crime transactions in Chicago in the 1980s. The narrative nature of cinema provides an imaginative context for interpreting the physical and nonphysical dimensions of urban crimes. From a critical interpretive position, based on Peirce’s semiotics, this study uses “urban cinesemiotics” as the method to select image signs, identify their associated Chicagoan objects, and interpret their designoriented meaning. The theoretical roots of crime prevention through environmental design constitute the basis for the interpretation of movies. A total of 27 crime-related scenes from 9 Chicagoan movies made in the 1980s illustrate that most urban settings suffer from the lack of crime-preventive environmental design. In particular, natural surveillance (eyes on the street), encounter and enclosure, and border vacuums are major environmental factors that affect urban crimes in Chicago. Some crime scenes also depict why environmental design cannot influence individuals’ criminal intentions necessarily nor can they solve urban safety single-handedly.

In response to China’s new “people-oriented urbanization” strategy, investigating the current integration situation of rural-to-urban migrants (RUMs) in cities is essential. However, existing studies have not focused on their subjective willingness and adaptive capacity. Moreover, the mechanism of RUMs’ urban integration has not been fully explored.

The conceptual framework of vulnerability, which originated from the discipline of natural hazards, is perfectly constructive to address these drawbacks. It consists of three main components, including exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Vulnerability index has been constructed and calculated by combining the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and Delphi method. The spatial pattern of vulnerability level is also analyzed with geographic information system (GIS). Furthermore, the underlying mechanism of vulnerability and its associated factors are investigated with the principle component regression.

Three major conclusions are reached. First, the vulnerability level of the RUMs to social exclusion presents a heterogeneous pattern between inland and coastal cities in Shandong Province. Second, while the exposure and sensitivity level of each city correlate spatially with the vulnerability level, RUMs’ adaptive capacity further moderates it. Lastly, the level of urban development is revealed to be a key factor influencing vulnerability. This study offers meaningful references to promote inclusive urbanization and sustainable urban development.

This article investigates the responsibility of architectural drawing in developing the professional identity of modern architects in the late 1920s when Chinese architects started to emerge and assume the title of “architect.” Using architectural drawing as both its subject and its method, this research interrogates how a representative figure-Liu Jipiao employed the power of drawing to establish the identity of the modern Chinese architect.

This paper argues that architectural drawing, in establishing the identity of the Chinese architect, faced the requirement to build an affinity between the architect and the artist. The entangled history of these two professions offers up Liu as the representative figure of the artistic architect. Liu’s artistic drawing fulfilled the previously mentioned requirement and earned the architects the artistic power that distinguished them from their counterparts-the engineers.

Under the perspective of multiple modernities, the paper challenges the contemporary misreading of Liu Jipiao as an irrelevant individual intellectual and of his practice as a minor failure. Furthermore, this article invites further reflection on the modernity of Chinese architectural drawing, and shows how such drawing made more attempts to convey subjectivity rather than to transmit modern technique per se.

This study explores the spatial pattern of Historic Chinese Towns and Cities (HCTC) by using a syntactic approach. The HCTC is an important element of the built environment and exhibits a variety of unique spatial characteristics. Although previous research has been focused on qualitative analysis, a quantitative approach to exploring this issue is scarce, leading to insufficient understanding of the spatial characteristics of HCTC. This study presents a quantitative approach to analyzing the spatial pattern of HCTC by utilizing the space syntax method. Four well-preserved historic towns were selected as case studies, each representing a typical spatial type of historic town in China. A series of mathematical measures from space syntax were used to explore the spatial characteristics of HCTC, facilitating expanded interpretation of traditional Chinese ideologies. Results contribute to a more critical understanding of the spatial pattern of HCTC.

Though subjective feelings affected by lighting have been studied a lot, multivariate experimental studies are lacking in this research field. Central composite rotatable design (CCRD) was applied to investigate the influence of illuminance, correlated color temperature (CCT) and illuminance uniformity on satisfaction in this study. A series of subject experiments were carried out and polynomial regression models of luminous satisfaction for different activity scenarios were generated. Illuminance and CCT affected the satisfaction significantly in visual task scenarios, and the effect of them was independent with each other, which was demonstrated by the regression model (R²=0.89). The variation of luminous satisfaction in general activity scenarios cannot be fully explained by the three investigated factors. The results contributed to the knowledge of multivariate analysis of luminous environment and indicated that much could be expected referring to the application of CCRD in this field.

Urbanization growth in developing countries raises concerns regarding these countries’ ability to consider slums, underdeveloped communities, and neighbourhoods in economic, health, and climatic goals. This research proposes a methodology that integrates algorithmic design and analysis strategies to define, study, and measure key parameters that affect the rehabilitation of these areas. Construction scenarios and design dimensions are analysed to establish design and comfort thresholds, and alternatives are simulated and tested to identify possible improvements. The methodology includes an optimisation step integrated in the workflow that maximizes thermal comfort, minimizes costs, and ensures fairness in the rehabilitation of large sets of buildings. This step identifies improvements in thermal comfort for different construction scenarios from which a two-staged rehabilitation plan is defined. The first stage comprises a sensitivity analysis to identify building materials regarding their improvement and cost of application, and the second defines the most suitable construction scenarios considering the results from the optimisation process for each building. Additionally, we research and document guidelines regarding the parameters tested for building design, revealing the existing conflicts between performance objectives, and the architect’s role in their prioritization.

The accurate prediction of the visual comfort zone in an indoor environment is difficult as it depends on many parameters. This is especially the case for large compact urban areas in which the density and shadow from neighboring buildings can limit the accessible daylighting in indoor spaces. This paper investigates the satisfaction range for illuminance regarding indoor air temperature in office buildings and the significant parameters affecting this range in six office buildings in Tehran, Iran. Lighting comfort has been evaluated by a subjective survey (509 total responses) and field measurement. The questionnaires were filled out in 146 and 109 rooms in summer and winter, respectively. The results show that the illuminance should not be less than 550 lx, while illuminance between 600 and 650 lx provides the highest satisfaction level. The satisfaction with lighting level is affected by individual parameters such as age, type of activity, and environmental parameters such as window orientation, external obscurations, and season. A relationship was observed between lighting level satisfaction and thermal condition acceptance, and the overall comfort depends more on thermal conditions than the lighting level.

Green transit-oriented development (TOD) is an evolution of the TOD theory, influenced by sustainable development and green urbanism. This advancement expands the environmental and ecological dimensions of conventional TOD. However, relevant research has only just started, particularly in combination with high-density cities in Asia. This study measures the built environment of Green TOD and identifies the key factors and characteristics of the Green TOD built environment. An evaluation method for the Green TOD built environment is developed on the basis of the 5D (density, diversity, design, destination, and distance) built environment framework and combined with green urbanism theories. Data from 23 rail station areas in Singapore were collected and analyzed using factor and cluster analysis. Five factors, namely, neighborhood spatial form factor, facility completeness factor, open space factor, high-density mixed land-use factor, and walking amenity factor, are extracted. Twentythree station areas are classified into five clusters. The characteristics and optimization strategies of each cluster are analyzed on the basis of the statistical and graphical analyses. This research displays the characteristics and typology of the Green TOD built environment in an empirical way and offers a foundation for further research in diverse urban contexts.

This study explores the design possibilities with knitted architectural textiles subjected to wind. The purpose is to investigate how such textiles could be applied to alter the usual static expression of exterior architectural and urban elements, such as facades and windbreaks. The design investigations were made on a manual knitting machine and on a CNC (computer numerically controlled) flat knitting machine. Four knitting techniques- tuck stitch, hanging stitches, false lace, and drop stitch- were explored based on their ability to create a three-dimensional effect on the surface level as well as on an architectural scale. Physical textile samples produced using those four techniques were subjected to controlled action of airflow. Digital experiments were also conducted, to probe the possibilities of digitally simulating textile behaviours in wind. The results indicate that especially the drop stitch technique exhibits interesting potentials. The variations in the drop stitch pattern generate both an aesthetic effect of volumetric expression of the textile architectural surface and seem beneficial in terms of wind speed reduction. Thus, these types of knitted textiles could be applied to design architecture that are efficient in terms of improving the aesthetic user experience and comfort in windy urban areas.

Color is an important element to consider when shaping urban characteristics. However, previous studies seldom included quantitative analyses of color relationships between urban agglomerations within proximal regions and with similar cultures to distinguish and shape individual urban personalities. This study focused on Xiamen, Zhangzhou, and Quanzhou metropolitan areas, which are influenced by Minnan culture, and collected natural and cultural landscape network images that collectively represent the urban landscape in China. Color extraction, computer vision processing technologies, and clustering algorithms, such as k-means partitioning, hierarchical methods, and co-occurrence frequency, were applied using image recognition. We then established an urban color database and quantified color attributes. Finally, we conducted a comparative analysis of dominant colors and color combination associations in Xiamen, Zhangzhou, and Quanzhou metropolitan areas to explore their similarities and differences and define their characteristics. We also considered other cities of the same type for comparison.