Developing a Tool for Analysing and Generating the fittest Urban Morphology based on Sky View Factor and Insolation: With a Case Study on Yazd

Urban morphology, including buildings’ typology and their configuration, affects sky view factor and insolation, which are two of the most influential parameters in urban microclimate. These become even more important in extreme environmental conditions. In this research, challenge was to generate various rule based urban morphologies in a parametric environment. Then, to evaluate them based on mentioned parameters to find the fittest climate responsive morphology. The evaluations are done using grasshopper definitions connected to Ecotect and genetic algorithms in grasshopper in a relatively short computing time. Introducing a high speed and user-friendly environment for designers to introduce forms and evaluate them in several iterations was a main consideration. The tool consists of two parts. First, the generative algorithms to create various rule based morphologies. Second, the analysing algorithms, which find the fittest climate responsive urban morphology based on insolation and sky view factor. As a case study, the program is used on different urban morphologies in Yazd to find the fittest solution. Gaining the maximum sky view factor while having minimum insolation on building surfaces is ideal in hot and arid climate. Anyhow, these two suggest contradicting solutions for urban form. Based on the existing urban fabric in Yazd, various block typologies and their arrangements are generated parametrically. In each scenario, iterations of evaluation find the most suitable ones. After comparing the fittest versions of different types, the most proper building typology, collective arrangement of them and the best orientation are provided as result.