Muthanna Journal of Engineering and Technology
Volume (12), Issue (2), Year (30 December 2024), Pages (100-120)
DOI:10.52113/3/eng/mjet/2024-12-02/100-120
Research Article By:
Zeina Abdulhaq Hammoodi Al-jarah and Asmaa Hassan Al-Dabbagh
Corresponding author E-mail: ziena.22enp52@student.uomosul
ABSTRACT
Universities are experiencing a state of visual chaos that affects the campus environment, due to the diversity of design practices and the varying morphological and visual characteristics of their facades. This arises from the continuous need for universities to change in order to accommodate future developments. Achieving compatibility among the facades creates an integrated and cohesive environment. The study aims to identify the variables that designers focus on to achieve compatibility in the facades at the level of the aggregation (a part of the university’s master plan that includes at least three buildings and the space they contain) and to rank these characteristics according to their priority. The study proposes a theoretical framework that includes variables such as: finishing characteristics, relational characteristics, geometric characteristics, along with their secondary properties. To achieve this goal, four aggregations from the University of Mosul with cumulative construction were selected. The study employed quantitative measurement methods to assess the research variables, where the dimensions and areas of the facades were measured within the geometric characteristics variable using AutoCAD software, and the proportion and diversity were evaluated. Fractal3 software was also used to measure fractal symmetry within the relational characteristics variable. The research concluded that the facade characteristics encompass two levels of variables: some of which holistic and detailed. It was found that in aggregations where designers focus on specific facade detailed variables, the holistic variables are and less concentrated by the designers, and vice versa. Additionally, there are cases where designers are able to achieve of balance between focusing on both levels (detailed and. holistic), which is influenced by the area of the aggregation and the functional requirements of its buildings.
Keywords: Compatibility, Termination characteristics, Relationship characteristics, Geometric properties, Campus.