Process
Voxel size - decision making
For the optimal voxel size, we considered the sizes 1.5 and 1.8 due to the common use of multiples of these numbers within building constructions. To set a limit, we mainly looked at how these voxel sizes would fit into a staircase. Therefore, we investigated two types of staircases: a straight stair and a landing stair. The information we rely on is shown in the following Figure X.
| Stair No. | Voxelsize | Staircase type | Voxels in x, y, z | meters in x, y, z | Steps | Height of step | Angle of staircase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stair 1 | 1.8 | Straight | 1, 2, 2 | 1.8, 3.6, 3.6 | 18 | 0.2 | 45° |
| Stair 2 | 1.5 | Straight | 1, 2, 2 | 1.5, 3.0, 3.0 | 15 | 0.2 | 45° |
| Stair 3 | 1.8 | Landing | 1, 2, 2 | 1.8, 3.6, 3.6 | 20 | 0.18 | 31° |
| Stair 4 | 1.5 | Landing | 1, 2, 2 | 1.5, 3.0, 3.0 | 17 | 0.2 | 32.1° |
| Stair 5 | 1.8 | Straight | 1, 3, 2 | 1.8, 5.4, 3.6 | 20 | 0.18 | 33.7° |
| Stair 6 | 1.5 | Straight | 1, 3, 2 | 1.5, 4.5, 3.0 | 17 | 0.176 | 33.7° |
| Stair 7 | 1.8 | Landing | 1, 3, 2 | 1.8, 5.4, 3.6 | 24 | 0.15 | 23.4° |
| Stair 8 | 1.5 | Landing | 1, 3, 2 | 1.5, 4.5, 3.0 | 20 | 0.15 | 23.7° |
Concluding, we can see that Stair 3 and Stair 5 (both stairs within the 1.8 grid) are the optimal stairs within the voxel sizes 1.5 and 1.8. Stair 3 fits into a voxel grid of one voxel in the x-direction (1.8 m), two voxels in the y-direction (2 * 1.8 m = 3.6 m) and two voxels in the z-direction (2 * 1.8 m = 3.6 m). Stair 5 fits in a voxel grid of one voxel in the x-direction (1.8 m), three voxels in the y-direction (3 * 1.8 m = 5.4 m) and two voxels in the z-direction (2 * 1.8 m + 3.6 m). For both of these stairs, the amount of steps fits into 1.8 * 10 plus a micro voxel of 2 and the height of the steps also fits within the 18 centimeters. The visualisation of the stairs is shown in Figure 21.
Besides in the notebooks, such as in Notebook 1 where we changed the code so the building would be built of smaller voxels, the voxels are also used for various calculations and design decissions. For example, in voxel amount for each function calculated how many voxels are needed for all the facilities and here you can see how we implemented the voxel sizes in the floorplans of the residences.
Later on, in the design process, we made the decision to work with the voxel size 3,6 x 3,6 meters, but this did not change the stairs. The decision is based on the fact that 3,6 is a better size for the computation. This change also effected the tables shown in chapter Programme of requirements, so we adjusted these calculations.