The work reported here is a contribution by the authors to the search for reliable metric method for spatial evaluation, related to human perception of ‘openness’ and to the development of evaluation tools for urban planning and design. A recent innovation, the ‘spatial openness index’ (SOI), a quantitative index, based on a three-dimensional visual analysis of space is applied here. This approach reflects the hierarchical order found in the urban environment: dwelling unit, building, neighbourhood, etc. This index expresses oppenness to natural light, air, and near and distant views, for each level in the hierarchical order. At the basis of this work is the assumption that the SOI is correlated with the ‘perceived density’, evaluated by people responding to alternative spatial configurations. A preliminary indication test was carried out in order to justify this assumption. In this test, groups of spatial configurations with equal built masses were ranked both by their calculated SOI and by statistical analysis of perceived density evaluated by participating individuals. Good agreement was found between pairs of results obtained for most of the spatial configurations.
With the introduction of ‘sponge polyhedra’, the polyhedral universe has exploded to ‘cosmological proportions’. ‘The Periodic Table of the Polyhedral Universe’ was conceived to provide an overview, deal with it's evolving complexity and to gain insights into it's defining topological-symmetrical – structural properties, their hierarchical characteristics and order. Arranged on the basis of primary parameters, considered to be Val., Σα & g, a Cartesian environment is constructed in which every polyhedron has a unique point representation and all shared properties are posing as mathematically embraced location patterns. The article claims to resolve the apparent dichotomy between space lattice configurations and polyhedral tessellations, thus permitting the lattices to share in the ‘Periodic Table’ and benefit from its insights.
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