Images of Your 3 Design Proposals
Option 1: Circular, narrower base, 7 stories
Option 2: Square with open center, 5 stories
Option 3: Circular, wider base, 5 stories
Side-By-Side Comparisons of Your Analysis Results
Your Recommendation for the “Best” Design Option
The best option based on my analysis is option 2 (square building with an open center). The daylight potential is the best in this scenario, which is important because I want to implement a lot of glass to allow for natural light to aid with lightning needs and reduce heating and cooling load. This option also yields the largest solar energy potential (same as option 3). I plan to add solar panels on the roof, so this is vital to the shape as well. This design also allows me to have the center of the building be the garden-like exhibit I was planning with a glass roof while having it be a part of the outside of the building making it feel even more nature-esque.
I had originally envisioned a circular building, but based on my findings through this analysis and the knowledge that more traditional building shapes tend to be easier and more cost-efficient to construct, this option seems to be the best one. It allows me to achieve my visual design goals while focusing on my sustainability-focused ones.
The only trade-off with this design is deviating from the circular look, but I plan to think of other ways (ex. landscaping, unique textures, interesting shading mechanisms) to give the building a unique look despite its square shape. The benefits of this design outweigh the visual gains of the circular shape, making me feel confident that this design is the right choice.