Solar envelope concepts: moderate density building applications. Final report
Solar energy utilization in urban areas requires public guarantees that all property owners have direct access to the sun. The study examines the implications of this premise in relation to the need for cities to also encourage or accommodate rebuilding and future development. The public policy mechanism for guaranteeing solar access is conceptualized as a solar zoning envelope that allows the largest possible building bulk on a land parcel without shadowing neighboring properties during specified times. Step-by-step methods for generating solar envelopes are described with extensive drawings, showing a variety of urban platting and lot configurations. Development and design possibilities are examined on a selected set of Los Angeles sites with typically diverse urban characteristics. Envelope attributes suitable for encouraging moderate-density commercial and residential building are examined in the context of two hypothetical but realistic development programs: one for speculative office buildings and one for condominium housing. Numerous illustrations of envelope forms and prototypical building designs are provided. The results of development simulation studies on all test sites are tabulated to show building bulk, density, land-coverage and open space characteristics obtainable under the hypothesized envelopes.
- Research Organization:
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles (USA). School of Architecture
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-77CH00178
- OSTI ID:
- 6736314
- Report Number(s):
- SERI/SP-98155-1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
140100 -- Solar Energy-- Resources & Availability
140400* -- Solar Energy-- Environmental Aspects
ANALOG SYSTEMS
BUILDINGS
COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
DESIGN
DIAGRAMS
EQUIPMENT
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
LAND USE
OFFICE BUILDINGS
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
SHADING
SIMULATORS
SOLAR ACCESS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR RIGHTS
SOLAR SIMULATORS
URBAN AREAS
ZONING