Architecture and Wind Visualization
For architectural competitions, especially for high-rise buildings, landscape architecture and when larger (public) spaces are involved, wind architecture is often part of the requirements for a successful entry. At Rheologic, we do not only have the know-how to simulate wind more accurately than the simple algorithms included by some 3D drawing applications, but can also visualize the results in a number of ways, from rendered stills to full-fledged animations, in order to give a tangible impression of the air flow that moves invisibly all around us and is heavily influenced by the built environment.
Wind Flow Visualization
Wind is a force of nature that is hard to grasp with our senses, even more so when sitting in an office doing architectural planning. However, it does have a profound influence on well-being (and safety) when you are in the middle of it. It can be the difference between creating drafty, uncomfortable places and cozy corners with a gentle breeze where people enjoy to linger.
We at Rheologic are highly experienced in turning our simulations into stunning renders of the wind flow, either as static images or as videos with static or dynamic flow, thus giving visual substance to something that will strongly influence the comfort and safety of the people that will eventually populate the planned environments.
Below, you will find a number of wind visualization renders that we have created for two of our customers for various architectural competitions, specifically Soyka/Silber/Soyka, finalist for Quartier Althan in Vienna, Austria, and Progress (an architectural firm in Moscow) for Admiral Serebryakov Embankment in Novorossiysk, Russia - 2nd place after Zaha Hadid Architects.
Simulation Quality
A basic requirement for the visualization of wind in the built environment is of course the quality of the underlying flow simulation. Even for experts, it is often difficult to impossible to correctly imagine a flow, or to judge its accuracy just by looking at the visualizations. This is why our validations are so important: they allow us to verify that a particular simulation model (of the dozens that are commonly used) and the chosen parameters deliver accurate results for a particular case.
Another question concerns the number of effects that are included in a model - e.g. does it include buoyancy, accurate vertical wind profiles, ground roughness, ground cover and trees…?
We at Rheologic have a lot of experience choosing the right models for any given situation, including effects of terrain, surrounding structures, trees & bushes and much more, and hitting the sweet spot of simulation accuracy vs. speed of delivery. Whatever your particular case looks like, we probably have a good idea what works best. Drop us a line and let’s talk! We are happy to take a look!
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