Human-Centered Adaptive Facade

Evaluating Fuzzy Logic and Human-in-the-Loop Control for Passive Cooling Performance and Occupant Comfort

The Thermal Architecture Lab presents Human-Centered Adaptive Facade, a research project integrating fuzzy logic and human-in-the-loop (HITL) control to enhance passive cooling performance and occupant comfort. The system dynamically responds to environmental conditions, including temperature, solar radiation, and wind velocity, while incorporating real-time occupant feedback.

Through physical experiments and computational simulations, four control strategies were evaluated. The HITL approach achieved a 36.24% improvement in passive cooling, 19.09% improvement in thermal comfort (PMV), and 87.5% improvement in adaptive comfort, demonstrating the potential of intelligent, occupant-responsive building envelopes for climate-responsive architecture.

Research Team:
Zhan Shi, Jihun Kim, Dorit Aviv

Research Institution:
Thermal Architecture Lab, Stuart Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania

Publication: