With the advent of information and availability of low-cost gadgets, evidence-based  design is even more accessible than before. Being climate-responsive becomes more  important as climate change continues to accelerate at unprecedented rates.  However, not all designers integrate site-specific data logging into their design  process. As a result, designers must take time to log data at the beginning of their  design process before they can extrapolate it and use it for their designs.  

Collecting data after design completion is also important in ensuring the validity of  the design solution for the benefit of future projects or designers. Yet, many designers  would neglect to conduct such data validation, presuming that it is not useful for the  current project. Ideally, a ubiquitous smart home system should be constructed that  can assist both clients and designers in their design and day-to-day capabilities. With  such loggers, clients may be enabled to think more climate-sensitively, monitoring  their habits and even adjusting their lifestyle sustainably and with cost-savings.  Designers would then also be able to rapidly acquire accurate and pertinent data  about the clients and their site.  

To promote loggers and simulations on such an accessible scale, this workshop aims  to teach participants how to assemble such sensors using open-source materials like  raspberry pi. Participants will then collect data from their sensors over a 1-day period,  learning how to format and customize the acquired data to their needs, with a  demonstration on how to format their data for ladybug analysis. They will then execute a simple design intervention, validating the logged data before and after their designs.  Through the workshop’s methodology, participants will be encouraged to apply  similar principles to their design practises. 

Objectives 

– Understand the importance of collecting and analysing environmental data  – Assembling the sensor using open-source materials 
– Logging data over a 24-hour period  
– Validating the usability of the sensor  
– Extracting and extrapolating logged data  

Hardware requirements:

Participants will also have to bring their own laptops to conduct the simulations.

Software requirements:

Rhino, ladybug