Space and Place: Lessons from National School Buildings in the North of Ireland

Forms of integrated schooling are currently promoted in post-conflict Northern Ireland, but an earlier attempt to establish secular education in Ireland during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries – the Irish National Schools system – is often forgotten. A preliminary archaeological study of former National Schools indicated differences in size, placement and external appearance between rural and urban buildings, possibly linked to the expression of divergent cultural and religious traditions in conflict with the reforming principles of the national system. This paper uses archaeological and anthropological perspectives to examine the social and cultural significance of such schools, including the first recorded excavation of an Irish National School, in relation to their past and current significance for education, identity, landscape, place and kinship.

Topographical optimisation of single-storey non-domestic steel framed buildings using photovoltaic panels for net-zero carbon impact

A methodology is presented that combines a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm and artificial neural networks to optimise single-storey steel commercial buildings for net-zero carbon impact. Both symmetric and asymmetric geometries are considered in conjunction with regulated, unregulated and embodied carbon. Offsetting is achieved through photovoltaic (PV) panels integrated into the roof. Asymmetric geometries can increase the south facing surface area and consequently allow for improved PV energy production. An exemplar carbon and energy breakdown of a retail unit located in Belfast UK with a south facing PV roof is considered. It was found in most cases that regulated energy offsetting can be achieved with symmetric geometries. However, asymmetric geometries were necessary to account for the unregulated and embodied carbon. For buildings where the volume is large due to high eaves, carbon offsetting became increasingly more difficult, and not possible in certain cases. The use of asymmetric geometries was found to allow for lower embodied energy structures with similar carbon performance to symmetrical structures.

An efficient genetic algorithm for the design optimization of cold-formed steel portal frame buildings

The design optimization of a cold-formed steel portal frame building is considered in this paper. The proposed genetic algorithm (GA) optimizer considers both topology (i.e., frame spacing and pitch) and cross-sectional sizes of the main structural members as the decision variables. Previous GAs in the literature were characterized by poor convergence, including slow progress, that usually results in excessive computation times and/or frequent failure to achieve an optimal or near-optimal solution. This is the main issue addressed in this paper. In an effort to improve the performance of the conventional GA, a niching strategy is presented that is shown to be an effective means of enhancing the dissimilarity of the solutions in each generation of the GA. Thus, population diversity is maintained and premature convergence is reduced significantly. Through benchmark examples, it is shown that the efficient GA proposed generates optimal solutions more consistently. A parametric study was carried out, and the results included. They show significant variation in the optimal topology in terms of pitch and frame spacing for a range of typical column heights. They also show that the optimized design achieved large savings based on the cost of the main structural elements; the inclusion of knee braces at the eaves yield further savings in cost, that are significant.

Advanced design optimization of cold-formed steel portal frame buildings

The design optimization of cold-formed steel portal frame buildings is considered in this paper. The objective function is based on the cost of the members for the main frame and secondary members (i.e., purlins, girts, and cladding for walls and roofs) per unit area on the plan of the building. A real-coded niching genetic algorithm is used to minimize the cost of the frame and secondary members that are designed on the basis of ultimate limit state. It iis shown that the proposed algorithm shows effective and robust capacity in generating the optimal solution, owing to the population's diversity being maintained by applying the niching method. In the optimal design, the cost of purlins and side rails are shown to account for 25% of the total cost; the main frame members account for 27% of the total cost, claddings for the walls and roofs accounted for 27% of the total cost.

Topographical optimisation of single-storey non-domestic steel framed buildings using photovoltaic panels for zero carbon impact

The optimisation is based on a combination of neural networks and evolutionary algorithm. It has selected buildings with different midpoint configurations with zero carbon impacts. With operational energy included the structures could be offset with asymmetry.

Energy and environmental forensic analysis for public buildings.

This paper outlines a forensic method for analysing the energy, environmental and comfort performance of a building. The method has been applied to a recently developed event space in an Irish public building, which was evaluated using on-site field studies, data analysis, building simulation and occupant surveying. The method allows for consideration of both the technological and anthropological aspects of the building in use and for the identification of unsustainable operational practice and emerging problems. The forensic analysis identified energy savings of up to 50%, enabling a more sustainable, lower-energy operational future for the building. The building forensic analysis method presented in this paper is now planned for use in other public and commercial buildings.