Marcello Turrini, University of Parma and Green.Building.Solutions Summer University Vienna, used his expertise in computational modelling and sustainable energy applications to guide the students. His step-by-step explanations helped bridge theoretical concepts with practical implementation.
In the morning, the in-person workshop for Sustainable Energy Engineering students’ year 4, led by Marcello Turrini and Tom O’Brien, SETU, offered a comprehensive and hands-on experience using Rhino and Grasshopper for modelling solar distribution and calculating the Universal Thermal Comfort Index (UTCI). The main objective of this workshop was
- to equip students with the skills to evaluate solar distribution patterns and
- to assess outdoor thermal comfort based on UTCI in architectural and urban contexts
- to develop grasshopper scripts for an environmental site analysis.
The workshop was structured around real-world case studies. In the afternoon, B.Arch Students of year 4 would join the workshop, to discuss the findings and to reflect on their importance for early design development considerations such as
- Understanding how design elements affect energy efficiency and comfort metrics
- Appreciation of different approaches to optimising solar shading or improving thermal comfort in design scenarios
- Discussions on trade-offs between aesthetics and performance enriched the learning experience
- Harnessing computational tools for addressing sustainability challenges (Rhino/Grasshopper/Ladybug/Honeybee)
