A2B: A Toolkit for Computing Circulation Metrics in Buildings Article Swipe
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· 2020
· Open Access
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· DOI: https://doi.org/10.26868/25222708.2019.210127
· OA: W4244914895
One challenging consideration in architectural design is the movement, or circulation, of building occupants. Poor circulation design can lead to daily frustration—and hazardous conditions in emergencies, while good circulation design can promote productivity and occupant safety. Architects generally address the challenges with rules of thumb, personal experience, and simple calculations. Today, availability of computational power invites a more careful approach, but this depends on establishing: (a) effective representation of spaces, (b) an efficient means of determining routes, and (c) suitable design metrics. We present "A2B", a toolkit that addresses the first two of these, and demonstrate it with a series of simple calculators. The toolkit consists of two components: a semi-automated workflow for converting regular architectural data (floor plans) from CAD or BIM applications into a format usable for analysis, and a modified version of a fast and accurate artificial intelligence pathfinding algorithm called Theta*. Prototype applications based on the toolkit and tested on an education building, illustrate how the A2B toolkit can be used in design evaluation.
