Urban Morphology Analysis

Predicting spatial potentials

Objective

The main objective was to develop a set of computational tools to analyse and predict various performance aspects of spatial configurations — e.g. economic potentials, climate comfort levels, and other aspects and characteristics that determine a place’s quality and value.

Project description

The creation of spaces is at the heart of architectural and urban design, but such processes always involve making compromises between design aspects, economic and environmental requirements, and human needs. Within this project, we developed methods for quantitative analysis of urban space to examine how closely these quantities are related to human behaviour, which in turn allows locational analysis and facilitates quality-forecasting — e.g. for retail locations. Case studies were carried out under the project in several towns in eastern Germany with populations of between 9,000 and 11,000 inhabitants.

Main conclusions

• Quantitative methods for assisting design processes and locational decision with complex spatial analysis.
• Development of advanced computational methods for visibility and accessibility analysis.
• A clear set of instructions for improving locational qualities.
• New tools developed as part of a collection of components for Grasshopper/Rhino3D.