56:T5cb,More in Studio 1... 9.4 CLIMATE FUTURE RISKS FUTURE RoFRS RISK HIGH CHANCE RISK ( >3.3%) LOW CHANCE RISK ( 0.1%~1%) MEDIUM CHANCE RISK (1% ~ 3.3%) VERY LOW CHANCE RISK (<0.1%) Data source: Environment Agency, Risk of Flooding from Rivers and Sea - Climate Change 1 dataset, Defra Data Services Platform (2025). The dataset of Risk of Flooding from Rivers and the Sea (RoFRS) estimate the annual probability of flooding from rivers and the sea, taking into account the presence and condition of flood defences. The climate change allowances are based on UKCP18 projections using the RCP 8.5 pathway for the 2050s (“Central” allowance for rivers and “Higher Central” for the sea). For Trafford Park, the processed results show that future river (canal) flood risk is mainly concentrated along the Manchester Ship Canal and dock edges on the northern side of the site. Most of these waterfront areas fall within the low and medium chance bands, with only small pockets of high chance risk. The central industrial area and the southern parts of the site are largely in the very low chance band. This flood mainly driven by increased river flows and higher downstream tide levels. Heavy and prolonged rainfall sends more water into the canal system. Under climate change, more intense winter rainfall and gradual sea level rise are expected to make these high-water conditions more frequent and more severe. 1357:T5c4,More in Studio 1... 9.4 CLIMATE FUTURE RISKS RoFSW OVERVIEW (2040-2060) Data source: Environment Agency, Risk of Flooding from Surface Water – Climate Change 1 dataset, Defra Data Services Platform (2025). Although the RoFSW for depths ≥0.3 m classifies most of the site as having a very low annual probability of deep surface water flooding, this does not mean that surface water can be ignored. The >0.3 m threshold only captures deeper ponding; shallower events (0–0.3 m), which are more frequent and still disruptive for access and urban function. Evidence shows that around 4.6 million properties in England are already at risk from surface water flooding, potentially rising to over 6.1 million by 2040–2060, with a 66% increase in properties at high risk under climate change. Most of the study area falls within the low to medium combined flood–heat risk band. The high-risk zones are mainly concentrated on large industrial and commercial footprints and along key access corridors, particularly where wide roof areas and hardstanding dominate and local depressions or drainage constraints are likely. These patches indicate locations where, under the climate-change scenario, intense rainfall is more likely to generate damaging surface water ponding or fast overland flow. HIGH CHANCE RISK ( >3.3%) LOW CHANCE RISK ( 0.1%~1%) MEDIUM CHANCE RISK (1% ~ 3.3%) VERY LOW CHANCE RISK (<0.1%) 1558:T752,This project prioritizes the development of a waterfront area designed for public use. This area was selected due to its high climate risk, significant public space value, and high daily usage intensity. During the design process, some necessary existing building structures within the site will be preserved. The site was selected because the future climate risks, especially flood risk, in the area making it the most direct testing ground for a climate-resilient neighbourhood within the Trafford Park brief. The location also has a rare waterside setting and strong place-making potential. It sits on the southern bank of the Manchester Ship Canal, opposite Salford Quays, close to MediaCity and Old Trafford Stadium. This mix of waterfront landscape, culture, and sport provides a realistic base for attracting residents, visitors, and mixed-use activity. In this project, the site is planned as a residential-led mixeduse neighbourhood. Homes and local amenities are positioned separatly from heavy industrial logistics routes, while the wider estate remains productive. The surrounding area is served with Metrolink and bus routes, which supports everyday travel without relying on cars. The intervention is focused on plots with relatively low industrial occupancy, so most of Trafford Park’s productive land can remain in use. Large-scale demolition and rebuild can lock in high upfront embodied carbon. At the same time, manufacturing can remain productive with fewer jobs as automation production increase, so industrial land does not always translate into strong daily footfall. For this reason, the wider industrial areas are largely kept unchanged. WHY CHOSE THIS SITE? 10.3 SITE SELECTION CLIMATE RISILIENCE LOCATION POTENTIALS RESIDENTIAL-LED MIXED-USE CARBON DECISION Tram Stop Tram Route 2159:T569,10.3 SITE SELECTION PROJECT POSITIONING This project is located on a site in Trafford Park beside the Manchester Ship Canal. It is designed as an experimental integrated community that aims to improve climate resilience. The project proposes a mixed-use community led by housing, workspace, and commercial uses. It is positioned as a complete urban cluster that brings living, working, and daily activity together, while testing a new model for climateresilient development in Trafford Park. Although the project may differ from the surrounding industrial fabric in pattern and visual character, it is not designed as an isolated enclave. It remains strongly connected to the wider area through transport, geography, and urban structure, allowing it to act as a new urban plug-in within Trafford Park. The design responds to surrounding infrastructure and site conditions, but it does not directly follow the existing industrial pattern. Instead, it uses the pattern dictionary developed in Studio 1 as its main reference, allowing the project to build a new climate-led identity while remaining part of the wider urban system. AN INTEGRATED COMMUNITY DISTINCT IN FORM, CONNECTED IN CONETXT More in Appendix... 22 Ai Image edited by author. Please see appendix for further details. AN INTEGRATED CLIMATE-RESILIENT COMMUNITY5a:T5d3,10.5 SITE PRIMARY LAYOUT HOW TO DEFINE? The primary layout is used to structure the site and naturally subdivide it into plot series, following a set of fixed spatial drivers and climate-led rules of thumb. 1. Primary and secondary axes The primary axis is set as the direct connection between the two ends of the site, while keeping geometry simple. And consider reducing difficult turning and servicing issues. The primary axis is planned as an east-west corridor. In the UK, since the sun rises from the south, east-west streets can be wider to capture sunlight, while north-south streets can be narrower to block excessive sunlight. The conclusion regarding the axial direction was derived from 12.4. 2. Connections to surrounding network The southern edge connects to A5081 and the western edge connects to A576, creating multiple access points. To support the project goal of reducing vehicle dominance at ground level, the existing entrances are classified as primary and secondary. Secondary entrances are treated as optional and can be removed in later design stages. 3. Existing Metrolink corridor The existing Metrolink alignment is retained and treated as a fixed spatial constraint. Road hierarchy and plot boundaries respond to this corridor to avoid conflicts and to reinforce legible movement structure across the site. 1. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY AXES 2. CONNECTIONS TO SURROUNDING NETWORK 3. EXISTING METROLINK CORRIDOR 245b:T75b,More in Studio 1... 11.2 The project’s climate resilience objectives are defined as improving the city’s overall resilience and ability to adapt under three key climate challenges: Extreme Heat, Extreme Rainfall, and Winter Cold. These hazards can act as climate impact drivers that increase urban risk, so the design aims to reduce vulnerability through measurable, performance-led strategies. CLIMATE RESILIENCE OBJETIVES CLIMATE OBJECTIVES DEFINATION THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES The S category is treated as the most suitable integrated response for the future scenario of Trafford Park, but it is not a “one-size-fits-all” solution that can perfectly solve H, R, and C at the same time. In practice, climate adaptation is strongly shaped by local conditions, and there is no universal model that works equally well everywhere. The S category therefore represents a local optimisation for Trafford Park’s context, rather than a perfect answer to all climate risks. In this project, the following abbreviations are used for climate conditions: H = Extreme Heat R = Extreme Rainfall C = Winter Cold For compound climate conditions, the following abbreviation is used: HR = Extreme Heat + Extreme Rainfall, HC = Extreme Heat + Winter Cold, RC = Extreme Rainfall + Winter Cold When all three climate conditions act together, the abbreviation is used: S (Synthesis) = Extreme Heat + Extreme Rainfall + Winter Cold DEFINITION OF CONDITIONS H: Strongly summer-peaking seasonal and is trending towards more frequent, longer-lasting, and more intense heatwaves. R: Seasonally structured risk, with wetter winters on average and an increasing importance of high-intensity downpours. C: A long-standing baseline seasonal condition in the UK, which may become milder on average but still includes intermittent cold spells. 315c:Tac7,Under Extreme Rainfall, the key flood issues on this site are surface water flooding and river flooding. This page focuses on surface water flooding, and sets a performance-led optimisation goal. And make this computable in a parametric workflow, the optimisation targets can be translated into measurable indicators. SURFACE WATER FLOODING 11.3 CLIMATE OBJECTIVES SETTING OPTIMISATION OBJECTIVES RAINFALL WATER BEHAVIOUR To reduce urban impacts under extreme rainfall, the optimisation focuses on UK SuDS-aligned outcomes: 1. Reduce total runoff volume and peak flow. 2. Keep water as close to where it falls as possible through source control and temporary storage. 3. Ensure safe exceedance routes when rainfall exceeds design capacity or systems become overloaded. In accordance with these principles, this project shall formulate corresponding strategies (detailed in Section 11.10) and convert their performance into calculable assessment metrics for optimisation. SCOPE OF OPTIMISATION This optimisation does not include the detailed design of underground pipe networks or centralised water collection systems, because these elements sit outside the focus of this project and are typically resolved in later delivery stages. Instead, this work targets performance improvements through urban form and surface-based measures. COMPUTABLE BEHAVIOURS & METRICS For computational design, surface water behaviour can be simplified into 3 modes: Retention, Infiltration, and Collection. The urban surface can be classified by surface type, and each type is assigned a runoff coefficient and/or infiltration and storage parameters. An index can be calculated by summing (area × coefficient) across the site to produce one value for optimisation and comparison. 32 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-standards-for-sustainable-drainage-systems/national-standards-for-sustainable-drainage-systems-suds?utm RETENTION INFILTRATION COLLECTION Rainwater remains on impermeable surfaces or in shallow surface storage, rather than soaking into the ground. It can only be reduced through evaporation, or by slowly spilling to another location. Rainwater enters the ground and moves into soil and sub-surface layers. Infiltration has a limited capacity, so when rainfall arrives faster than the soil can absorb, the excess becomes surface runoff. But it depends on soil type, compaction, moisture level, and vegetation. Runoff is gathered from surrounding surfaces and directed into connected storage and treatment points. It can be done with gutters and controlled links that convey water into a Water Square, where it can be stored, filtered, and managed as a single system. 5d:Tcdb,OPTIMISE OBJECTIVES 11.3 CLIMATE OBJECTIVES SETTING WHAT NEED TO BE REMOVED? HOW TO CALCULATE IT? BASE ALGORITHM 33 Xie, M., He, D., Dong, Z. and Cheng, Y. (2024) ‘Storage Scale Assessment of a Low-Impact Development System in a Sponge City’, Water, 16, 1427. doi: 10.3390/w16101427. Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China (2014) Sponge City Construction Technical Guide: Low Impact Development Stormwater System Construction (Trial) [in Chinese]. Beijing: MOHURD Sharma, T. (2024) A comparative scenario analysis of WSUD measures for stormwater management in Amman, Jordan. Master’s thesis. Hamburg: HafenCity University Hamburg. Urban surface water flooding is basically rainwater that lies on or flows over the ground because it cannot drain away through drainage systems or soak into the soil fast enough. This standing water affects daily life in very direct ways, such as blocking pavements and crossings, slowing or closing roads, disrupting buses and trams, and letting water reach building entrances or basements. To make this a measurable design target, it can be expressed as the average surface ponding depth across the site (mm per m²). In this project, I simplify rainfall behaviour into three processes: Retention, Infiltration, and Collection. The calculation logic is straightforward: 1. Start from the total rainfall falling on the whole site. 2. Then break the site into plots by surface type (explained on the next page). 3. For each plot, estimate how much water is: 1) infiltrated into soil, 2) absorbed or held by local storage, 3) collected and moved into the connection system After that, the water that is still left on the ground is treated as surface ponding. We add up this remaining ponded water from all plots to get the total standing water across the site. Finally, we divide it by the total assessed area to get the average ponding depth, which becomes the optimisation target. This is the base method used for optimisation. The next pages explain the plot types, and how each type is assigned its retention, infiltration, and collection capacity. hmean =Vretain÷ A total Algorithm Source The calculation approach is informed by the Sponge City planning method. In that method, a target for annual runoff volume control (also described as annual runoff capture) is set first, then converted into a design rainfall depth. A runoff coefficient is used to estimate the runoff volume that needs to be controlled, and SuDS/LID facilities are sized so their combined storage and infiltration capacity meets that required volume. This workflow is widely used for larger-area planning and compliance checks. For this project, the algorithm is adjusted to fit the design scale and the optimisation workflow. Instead of starting from annual control targets, performance is measured more directly by the average surface ponding depth, because this value links clearly to everyday disruption on streets and public space. The introduction of Water Squares also requires a collection-focused logic, where runoff is gathered and managed through connected storage and treatment spaces. (Further details are provided in the following pages.)5e:T711,DETAILED ALGORITHM WORKFLOW 11.3 CLIMATE OBJECTIVES SETTING NOTATION AND VARIABLE DEFINITIONS CORE ALGORITHM TYPE 1: IMPERVIOUS SURFACE TYPE 2: PERVIOUS SURFACE TYPE 3: COLLECTION FACILITIES This section explains how the site average ponding depth is calculated and used as a performance value to evaluate surface water flooding. This average ponding depth is used as an optimisation objective, so design options can be compared consistently and improved through iterative runs. Examples: asphalt roads, concrete pavements, parking lots, dense-paved plazas. This surface type has little to no ability to infiltrate rainfall. Most precipitation must be managed mainly through collection and conveyance . Examples: parks and lawns, planted strips/green corridors, permeable pavements for walkways and bike paths. This surface type allows rainfall to infiltrate and can temporarily store water within soil or aggregate layers. However, infiltration and storage are not unlimited. Examples: water square system It is designed as a temporary stormwater storage facility during heavy rainfall. In this evaluation, the water square is treated as a non-overtopping storage asset and it is assumed to reduce ponding in surrounding areas by collecting excess runoff. 34 H: Rainfall height hret : Retained water height hinf : Infiltrated water height V: Rainwater volume A: Calculation area i: Type index used for surface a: Collection area Ccol: Collection coefficient hinf: Infiltrated height hret_i =(V- Ai ×hinf - ai ×H×Ccol)/Ai hret_mean =(Vret_1 +Vret_2 )/Atotal Vret_1 = H×A1 - Ccol×H×a1 Vret_2 = max[ 0, H×A2 - Hinf×A2 - Ccol×H×a1] Vret = 0 The definition of the collection area a will be explained in detail in the following sections.5f:T907,SCENARIOS AND DATA 11.3 CLIMATE OBJECTIVES SETTING THE COEFFICIENTS The optimisation requires a defined scenario and a set of input data for calculation. Two scenarios are used in this study: 1) An extreme scenario 2) A typical scenario The input values applied here are estimated from existing data and published studies (the derivation process is not detailed in this section). Met Office thunderstorm warnings communicate downpour severity using shortduration rainfall totals. Based on the definition of heavy persistent rain, the typical scenario is defined as a single rainfall event lasting more than 3 hours with a total rainfall height bigger than 0.04 m (40 mm). The New Year 2025 rainfall event in Manchester recorded 81.4 mm. This observed total is used as the baseline extreme value in the optimisation. Met Office projections indicate that rainfall intensity is expected to increase in the future. Therefore, the future extreme scenario is set at 0.10 m (100 mm) to test site performance under a more severe rainfall event. The values were derived from a review of published guidance and available datasets. They do not fully reflect the real variation between specific surface materials and soil conditions. These values are therefore used as approximate indicators for comparison and optimisation (the derivation process is not described in this section). VEGETATED GREEN SAPCE PERVIOUS PAVING TYPICAL SCENARIO EXTREME SCENARIO 35 Met Office (n.d.) *Making use of the weather layers: Hazard Manager user guide*. Available at: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/business/public-sector/hazard-manager/making-use-of-the-weather-layers.pdf (Accessed: 5 February 2026). Manchester City Council (2025) Lead Local Flood Authority: Section 19 Formal Flood Investigation Report – New Year 2025 (Version 5.0, 11 November 2025). Available at: https://www.manchester.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/30338/section_19_report_-_new_year_2025.pdf (Accessed: 5 February 2026). Met Office (n.d.) Climate change in the UK. Available at: https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/climate-change/climate-change-in-the-uk (Accessed: 5 February 2026). Ht = 0.04 m hinf = 0.05m Ccol = 0.6 He = 0.10 m hinf= 0.02 m INFILTRATION COLLECTION60:T7be,EARLY-STAGE OBJECTIVES SETTING AND TESTING 11.3 CLIMATE OBJECTIVES SETTING This section compares two test prototypes: 1) a randomly arranged urban model 2) a redesigned model that introduces water squares and increases the proportion of grass/green space The comparison supports calibration of the workflow and helps define consistent seasonal test settings. The simulation dates are set as 1) ⬆ Winter: 15 January (full day) 2) ⬇ Summer: 15 July (11:00-17:00) Two performance metrics are applied: 1) Buildings: the average incident radiation across all façades within the test period 2) Outdoor space: direct sun hours within the test period. The tests indicate a negative relationship between summer and winter targets. Given the heightened risk of extreme heat, and winter targets can be effectively supplemented through building materials, later optimisation prioritises the summer objective once both seasonal requirements are met, while the winter objective is used as a threshold to filter out underperforming options. At the early testing stage, the optimisation targets are kept simple to support rapid, large-sample testing of building form and key parameters. Only two metrics are used: average incident radiation (building façades) and direct sun hours (outdoor space). These provide a clear baseline for comparing massing options with low modelling complexity. As the design develops, the optimisation will shift to more detailed performance targets and more advanced calculations. Summer mean incident radiation on façades (11:00-17:00) 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 kWh/m² Summer mean outdoor direct sun hours (11:00-17:00) 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 hours 37 S1: S2: W1: W2: S1: S2: W1: W2: 0.80 kWh/m² 1.51h 0.49 kWh/m² 1.35h ✅ ✅ ❎ ❎ ❎ ❎ ✅ ✅ 0.90 kWh/m² 4.71h 0.59 kWh/m² 2.71h PROTOTYPE 01 SCENARIOS RESULT SCENARIOS RESULT PROTOTYPE 02 SUMMER WINTER SUMMER WINTER61:Tc7a,LATER-STAGE OBJECTIVES FUTURE WEATHER SCENARIO DATA WHAT IS UTCI? DATA COLLECTION METHODOLOGY 11.3 CLIMATE OBJECTIVES SETTING The Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) is an outdoor thermal comfort and thermal stress index expressed as an equivalent temperature (°C). UTCI is driven by four key inputs: 1) Mean Radiant Temperature (MRT) 2) Air Temperature 3) Wind Speed (affected by context) 4) Humidity In later stages of this project, UTCI is used to screen patterns and evaluate design options. The calculation applies specific timeperiod mid-January and mid-July and surface-type adjustments at sampling points (for example, water and vegetated green space) before running the UTCI comfort evaluation. The methodology adjusts surface temperature (surface_temp) and ground reflectance (ground_ref) by classifying ground conditions and defining their local influence ranges. Future climate inputs are generated using the Manchester EPW weather file. Then processed with the Future Weather Generator, which morphs present-day hourly EPW data to match selected climate-change scenarios. 1) RCP8.5 _2050 2) RCP8.5 _2080 This stage establishes a broader evaluation framework for generating and filtering urban options. Future climate inputs are introduced, so performance is tested against plausible warmer and wetter conditions rather than only presentday weather. These inputs support a new set of screening and assessment criteria for later-stage design rules and optimisation. 38 SURFACE TYPE CLASSIFICATION Rodrigues, E., Carvalho, D. and Fernandes, M.S. (n.d.) Documentation – Future Weather Generator. Future Weather Generator (ADAI-UC). Available at: https://future-weather-generator.adai.pt/documentation/ (Accessed: 16 February 2026). Ladybug Tools (n.d.) Outdoor Solar MRT. Ladybug Primer. Available at: https://docs.ladybug.tools/ladybug-primer/components/1_analyzedata/outdoor_solar_mrt (Accessed: 16 February 2026). Jacobs, C., Klok, L., Bruse, M., Cortesão, J., Lenzholzer, S. and Kluck, J. (2020) ‘Are urban water bodies really cooling?’, Urban Climate, 32, 100607. doi: 10.1016/j.uclim.2020.100607. Aram, F., Higueras García, E., Solgi, E. and Mansournia, S. (2019) ‘Urban green space cooling effect in cities’, Heliyon, 5(4), e01339. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e01339. SURFACE_TEMP CORRECTION (5 CLASSES) GROUND_REF CORRECTION (3 CLASSES) Where influence areas overlap, the category with the larger adjustment magnitude takes priority, ensuring that the dominant surface effect is captured. The reference inputs for ground reflectance are taken from the Ladybug Tools Outdoor Solar MRT documentation. Indicative surface temperature adjustments are informed by urban microclimate studies on the thermal influence of water bodies and urban green space, which helps define representative coefficients (Jacobs et al., 2020; Aram et al., 2019). OFFSET: 40m DEFINITION: Grass Influence Area DEFINITION: Water Influence Area GRASS RING: ΔT = - 0.3°C OFFSET: 20m WATER RING: ΔT = - 0.1°C GRASS: ΔT = - 0.5°C GRASS: 0.25 WATER: ΔT = - 0.2°C WATER: 0.06 GROUND: ΔT = 0.0°C GROUND: 0.1562:T6fc,WIND SPEED ADJUSTMENT 11.3 CLIMATE OBJECTIVES SETTING To reflect the effect of urban sheltering, each sample point is then checked against nearby buildings in the upwind direction within a defined search radius and direction sector. ADJUSTMENT FACTORS This approach follows the same key drivers used in pedestrian wind comfort practice, where local wind conditions depend on surrounding geometry, height and massing, nearby obstacles, and orientation to prevailing winds. P: Sample Position (height =1.5m) B: Building H: Building Height C: Building Center (height = 1.5) D: Distance between P and C v: Vector of Building and Position u: Wind Direction R: Serch Radius Rp: Search Parameters (Set as 20) Hmax: Maximum Building Height AL: Sector angle (Set as 30) φ: Angle of Deviation of Building Relative to the True North Wind Direction WF: Shading Factor WS: Original Wind Speed V: Local Wind Velocity A building is treated as an effective wind shelter for a sample position only when it can plausibly sit “between” the incoming wind and the point. If both conditions below are met, the building is marked as an upwind obstruction and can contribute to wind-speed reduction in the subsequent correction step. In the case shown in the right diagram, B1 was selected as the obstructing structure for testing, while B2 and B3 were not. When multiple buildings satisfy the condition during calculations, the closest obstructing building is selected for calculation. WIND SHELTERING CONDITIONS WIND VELOCITY CALCULATION WITH FACTOR CONDITION A : Within the Search Radius CONDITION B : Within the Upwind Sector D < R , R = Rp × Hmax x = d/H ∠ (v,u) ≤ AL WF = 1−(1−WF0(x))×cos(ϕ) WF ∈ [0.25,1.0] V = WS× WF 3963:T851,SETTINGS + OBJECTIVES 11.3 CLIMATE OBJECTIVES SETTING FUTURE SCENARIO DATA 1) RCP8.5 _2050 2) RCP8.5 _2080 TESTING PERIODS 1) Winter: 13 January to 17 January (9:00-18:00) 2) Summer: 13 July to 17 July (9:00-18:00) METRICS 1) ⬆ The area share where the proportion of “comfortable hours” is above 80% 2) ⬇ The area share where this proportion is below 30% 3) ⬆ The site-wide mean comfort ratio (average of comfort proportions across all sampled locations) DEFINITION OF COMFORTABLE The standard UTCI definition treats 9°C to 26°C as “no thermal stress”. Because this range is difficult to achieve during winter conditions in Manchester, the winter assessment in this project uses an “acceptable comfort” band of 0°C to 25°C. The underlying assumption is that people can wear warmer clothing and remain active outdoors, which aligns with the fact that UTCI is built on a thermo-physiological model coupled with an adaptive clothing model. UTCI is calculated by defining two testing period (summer and winter) and a future climate scenario, and then evaluating outdoor comfort across the public realm. Using corrected data to calculate the final result (whether in the comfortable range). Performance is reported through three metrics and presented in a visual format. 40 PROTOTYPE 01 PROTOTYPE 02 2050 SUMMER 1) Average：85.36% 2) >80%：0.70% 3) <30%：0% 2080 SUMMER 1) Average：74.31% 2) >80%：0.24% 3) <30%：0% 2050 SUMMER 1) Average：82.84% 2) >80%：0.62% 3) <30%：0% 2080 SUMMER 1) Average：70.36% 2) >80%：0.08% 3) <30%：0% 2050 WINTER 1) Average：14.50% 2) >80%：0% 3) <30%：0.97% 2080 WINTER 1) Average：24.79% 2) >80%：0% 3) <30%：0.48% 2050 WINTER 1) Average：8.94% 2) >80%：0% 3) <30%：0.98% 2080 WINTER 1) Average：18.35% 2) >80%：0% 3) <30%：0.75% ✅ ❎ Comfort (0°C to 25°C) Ratio 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 % In the initial screening, results above 80% and below 30% are not compared in detail. Only the mean values of the two scenarios are used for a fair, high-level comparison.64:T5f5,More in Studio 1... WHAT IS NEEDED? Trafford Local Plan Re g u l a t i o n 18 draft policies (April 2025) The project sets its development brief by aligning with Trafford Council’s emerging planning direction, using the Trafford Local Plan Regulation 18 draft policies (April 2025) as the primary reference. The project defines the required housing and workspace delivery as its core programme. Based on this demand, supporting uses and facilities are planned around these two primary functions, including everyday services, community infrastructure, transport connections, and public realm. The programme is also coordinated with the needs and constraints of surrounding land uses, so the proposal fits local patterns of activity while avoiding conflict with nearby functions. 11.4 URBAN LOCAL PLAN TARGETS ALLOCATION IN NORTH MAIN SITES “ ” To meet future development needs, we are required to allocate sites for housing, employment and other purposes in Trafford. These requirements are set in Places for Everyone (PfE), as well as national planning policy. 90% of proposed development sites are on brownfield land, making efficient use of previously developed land. +17,485 NEW HOMES Homes proposed 2022-2042 +144,610 NEW EMPLOYMENT SPACE Industry / warehousing floorspace proposed (sqm) +97,010 NEW EMPLOYMENT SPACE Office floorspace proposed (sqm) 8,000 HOMES WHARFSIDE FOR MIXED USE 2,000 HOMES80,000 SQM OFFICES TRAFFORD WATERS FOR MIXED USE 4165:T51b,THE REQUIREMENTS MHCLG Design and Placemaking PPG draft (January 2026). The project uses the MHCLG Draft Design and Placemaking Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) as the main reference, with a focus on Part 1: the seven features of welldesigned places. These seven features, Liveability, Climate, Nature, Movement, Built Form, Public Space, and Identity, are treated as requirements for the proposal. This provides a clear, nationally recognised framework for turning design intentions into checkable rules and metrics. 11.5 URBAN PLAN GUIDANCE 42 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (2026) Draft for consultation: Design and Placemaking Planning Practice Guidance. London: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/696a5c77e13af2b11d3b04a6/Design_and_placemaking_planning_practice_ guidance_-_draft_for_consultation.pdf (Accessed: 10 February 2026). LIVEABLITY: Healthy, mixed and integrated communities CLIMATE: Mitigating and adapting to change NATURE: Enhanced and optimised MOVEMENT: Accessible and easy to move around BUILT FORM: A compact and connected pattern of development PUBLIC SPACE: Safe, social and inclusive IDENTITY: Safe, social and inclusive66:T799,FUNCTION ALLOCATION GUIDANCE DOCUMENT LAND USE ALLOCATION OBJECTIVES RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL BGOS TOURISM OFFICE EDUCATION TRANSPORT COMMUNITY Residential includes a range of housing types and living formats to support different needs across the site. Commercial in this project covers uses such as food and drink, retail, leisure, and everyday services. Blue-Green Open Space includes green infrastructure and water-based public space. Tourism includes cultural destinations and visitor-facing programmes. Office includes workplaces, studios, and flexible creative spaces for business and innovation. Education includes primary and secondary schools and their supporting outdoor spaces. Transport includes streets, movement corridors, and parking provision to support access and mobility. Community includes local services and shared spaces that support daily life social activity. 11.6 URBAN FUNCTION OBJECTIVES “ ” The suggested floor area distribution for a mixed-use sustainable neighborhood is 40% to 60% for economic use, 30% to 50% for residential use and 10% for public services. It is recommended that at least 30% of land is allocated for roads and parking and dedicated non-motorised transit paths, and at least 15%-20% is allocated for open public space in high density mixed-use urban areas. My Neighborhood (UN-Habitat) serves as a reference to guide initial functional zoning development. Subsequent adjustments and refinements to objectives are made based on site-specific constraints and development opportunities. My Neighbourhood（(UN-Habitat Urban Lab, Octorber 2024) 43 Ignatova, A. (2024) MY Neighbourhood. Nairobi: UN-Habitat Urban Lab, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), October. Available at: https://unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/2023/05/my_neighbourhood_publication_19.05.2359.pdf (Accessed: 20 February 2026).67:T842,URBAN SPATIAL DESIGN STRATEGIES 12.3 CLIMATE SPATIAL STRATEGIES DEVELOPED INTO DESIGN RULES FOUR STRATEGIES IN STUDIO 1 This section uses computational simulation, validation, optimisation, simplification, consolidation and filtering to refine and integrate these four urban design strategies. The final output will be a set of computer-implementable urban generation rules ready for direct application. Water squares in this project are used as sunken public spaces that temporarily store stormwater from surrounding, then release it into the wider SuDS network. When dry, they work as everyday public spaces. Sunward Steps arranges buildings in a south-low north-high gradient, using stepped heights and spacing to keep winter sun on streets and courtyards while concentrating taller volumes on the colder, north side. Narrower Streets reduces oversized road widths and pulls building fronts closer together to create medium-proportion street canyons that give more shade, lower sky view factor and a more comfortable microclimate in summer. It stacks and raises new “ground levels”, turning the city floor into a multi-layer system that separates transport and supports everyday public life. It does delay and store stormwater, provide shaded summer routes, create more sheltered “under-ground” spaces with better winter comfort. In Studio 1, four potential urban design strategies have been proposed： Narrower Streets (H-Led Strategy) Water Square (R-Led Strategy) Sunward Steps (C-Led Strategy) New Horizons (Intergrated Strategy) However, these strategies were simply introduced and scenario-designed within Studio 1, followed by subsequent evaluation through desktop studies. The depth of Studio 1 requires further research before these strategies can be directly applied as rules for urban design within this project. SUNWARD STEPS NEW HORIZONS More in Studio 1... 47 WATER SQUARE WATER SQUARE WITHOUT RAIN WATER SQUARE WITH RAIN CONVENTIONAL NARROWER STREETS CURRENT INDUSTRIAL SITE CONDITIONS MIXED-USE SITE WITH APPLICATION68:T408,FROM STRATEGIES TO PARAMETERS 12.4 CLIMATE STRATEGY ITERATION STRATEGY MERGE PARAMETER EXTRACTION Research shows that both Sunward Steps and Narrower Streets can be translated into the same set of urban-form variables that drive microclimate performance. The two strategies are merged into one parametric system, then decomposed into testable inputs for simulation and optimisation to identify site-fit ranges, refine the design logic, and filter out less relevant factors. These variables affect solar access, shading, and sky view factor, which in turn influence resilience under extreme heat and winter cold. S: Building Spacing L: Building Length W: Building Width H: Building Height D: Height Difference R: Orientation NARROWER STREETS SUNWARD STEPS 48 REFINE COMBINE Building Spacing (S) Building Height (H) Orientation (R) Height Differences(D) H/S W/L W/S SUMMARISE L W H D S R TEST DESIGN RULES REFINE NARROW REVISE FILTER OPTIMISE SUMMARISE TEST VALIDATE69:T448,EXPERIMENT FEEDBACK LOOP 12.4 CLIMATE STRATEGY ITERATION EXPERIMENT RATIONALE INITIAL EXPERIMENTAL SETUP (the test numbers indicate types rather than total runs) Because the regeneration area is mainly office and housing, this chapter sets an indicative high-rise office floor plate area range as the baseline. The optimisation is then run as a progressive test series to identify useful variables, remove weak drivers, and narrow the parameter ranges step by step based on each round of results. More in Studio 1... 49 PERIOD SELECT: Winter: 15 January (full day) Summer: 15 July (full day) OPTIMISATION OBJECTIVES: FO1. ⬇Summer mean incident radiation on façades FO2. ⬇Summer mean outdoor direct sun hours FO3. ⬆Winter mean incident radiation on façades FO4. ⬆Winter mean outdoor direct sun hours EXPERIMENTAL PARAMETERS: 1. Building spacing (S) 2. Building width-to-spacing ratio (W/S) 3. Building length-to-width ratio (L/W) 4. Overall building orientation angle (R) 5. Height difference between each row (D) 6. Minimum building height (H)6a:T9b4,EXPERIMENT RESULTS 12.4 CLIMATE STRATEGY ITERATION HOW TO READ THE RESULTS BEST ITERATION RESULTS DESIGN RULES NORTH SIDE SOUTH SIDE Summer mean incident radiation on façades (11:00-17:00) Summer mean outdoor direct sun hours (11:00-17:00) 3.0 5.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 2.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 kWh/m² hours FINAL EXPERIMENTAL SETUP These experiment results are used as guidance for later design decisions and are organised into strong requirements and soft requirements. Strong requirements should be applied consistently in the subsequent urban design as key constraints. Soft requirements act as preferred targets within the design rules, meaning proposals do not need to match them exactly, but should follow the same direction and trend where possible. S: Building Spacing L: Building Length W: Building Width H: Building Height D: Height Difference R: Orientation L W H D S R More in Studio 1... 50 PERIOD SELECT: Winter: 15 January (full day) Summer: 15 July (11:00-17:00) OPTIMISATION OBJECTIVES: FO1. ⬇Summer mean incident radiation on façades FO2. ⬇Summer mean outdoor direct sun hours RESULT DATA: Building Spacing (S): 50 m Building Length (L): 29.5 m Building Width (W): 27.14 m Building Height (H): 109.5m Rotate Angle (R): 41.4° (Short facade oriented E41.4°N) Footprint Area (per buidling): 800 sqm STRONG REQUIREMENTS: Spacing (S): 40-70m Height (H): 80-110m Rotate Angle (R): 40°- 46° (Short facade oriented) SOFT REQUIREMENTS: Height/Spacing (H/S): 2.0-2.4 Length/Spacing (L/S): 0.5-0.7 Width/Length (W/L): 0.8-1.0 FITNESS VALUES: FO1. ⬇Summer mean incident radiation on façades 0.70 kWh/m²/day (11:00-17:00) FO2. ⬇Summer mean outdoor direct sun hours 2.69 hours/day (11:00-17:00) FO3. ⬆ Winter mean incident radiation on façades 0.45 kWh/m²/day (full day) FO4. ⬆ Winter mean outdoor direct sun hours 1.67 hours/day (full day) CONSTRAINTS: 1. Winter mean outdoor direct sun hours must be ≥ 1.5 hour/day. 2.Winter mean incident radiation on building façades must be ≥ 0.45 kWh/m². 3. Building footprint area must be within 600–2,500 m². 4. Builidng height must be within 40-150m. EXPERIMENTAL PARAMETERS: 1. Building height-to-spacing ratio (H/S) 2. Building width-to-spacing ratio (W/S) 3. Building length-to-width ratio (L/W) 0.20 0.80 0.40 1.60 4.00 1.50 2.19 0.92 PARAMETERS: Length/Spacing: 0.59 Height/Spacing: 2.19 Width/Length: 0.92 0.596b:T970,This section develops the New Horizons strategy in Studio 1 into a three-level system that strengthens both climate resilience and everyday mobility. By lifting part of the circulation network, ground space is released for green infrastructure, while alternative routes are created for different users and different weather conditions. This strategy will be developed into a detailed design in Studio 3. MULTI-LEVEL STRATEGY 12.4 CLIMATE STRATEGY ITERATION CLIMATE RESILIENCE LEVEL 3 - SKYLINE WALK LEVEL 2 - DRIVE DECK LEVEL 1 - URBAN NEXUS TRANSPORT FUNCTION LEVEL 3 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 1 The multi-level elevation strategy reduces flood and heat risk by releasing ground space for green infrastructure and SuDS measures. Street trees and linear planting also improve summer comfort through shade and cooling. Proper placement can effectively shield against strong winds during winter. Skyline Walk creates a continuous high-level promenade that links buildings, public spaces and everyday destinations, supporting safe active travel. Continuous shading, planting, and wind management become essential design requirements. Drive Deck shifts most car circulation to an upper layer, which can reduce traffic pressure and conflicts on the ground level and make the Urban Nexus more comfortable. For climate resilience, elevating key vehicle routes can help maintain network connectivity during flooding events, with drainage on the deck is carefully designed so water is captured and discharged safely. Urban Nexus organises the ground plane as the main city exchange layer, keeping tram movement and essential vehicle access. Clear, accessible footways and cycle ways support everyday mobility for a wide range of users. From a climate angle, this level does the heavy lifting: less hard surface, more trees and rain gardens, and more permeable ground can cut heat build-up, and improve shade comfort. Separating movement across three layers makes the site more legible and pedestrianfriendly by reducing conflicts between fast and slow users. The drive deck supports efficient vehicle access and parking without dominating the ground public realm. 51 This diagram is for illustrative purposes only. The road design method and key dimensions will be explained in detail in the following chapters. Vertical Parking Residential Building6c:T78e,NORTH SIDE 12.4 CLIMATE STRATEGY ITERATION HOW TO OPTIMISE? STANDARD WIDTH BEST ITERATION RESULTS RESULT ANALYSIS PARAMETERS RESULTS SOUTH SIDE Based on the optimisation settings established in Section 11.3, the number, width and height of Level 2 and Level 3 are defined as decision variables within realistic ranges. An iterative search is run to test combinations of these parameters. Winter performance is treated as a hard constraint. Summer performance is treated as the optimisation objective, so the remaining options are compared to identify patterns and extract design rules for later design stages. The iterations show a clear boundary trend. To maximise summer performance, the number of Level 2 and Level 3 elements (n₂, n₃) tends to the upper limits of the tested range. To satisfy the winter threshold, the heights (h₂, h₃) also move towards their maximum bounds. The Level 2 width (w₂) converges to 8.8 m, which aligns with functional traffic needs and design realism, so it can be adopted as a working standard. The Level 3 width (w₃) tends towards its maximum bound, but this may be excessively wide for later spatial and programme requirements. In the next stage, functional performance should carry more weight. Summer mean incident radiation on façades (11:00-17:00) 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 kWh/m² Summer mean outdoor direct sun hours (11:00-17:00) 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 hours SETTING OPTIMISATION DESIGN RULES Level 2 Width (w2): 8-10m Maximise Level 2 height (h₂) within practicable limits. Maximise Level 3 height (h₃) within practicable limits. Maximise Level 3 width (w₃) within practicable limits. LEVEL 3 LEVEL 2 52 PARAMETERS OF LEVEL 3: Number: Height: Width: 0 7.2 5.0 20 20.0 20.0 19.8 20.0 20 PARAMETERS OF LEVEL 2: Number: Height: Width: 0 7.2 5.0 20 20.0 20.0 19.7 8.8 186d:T57b,More in Studio 1... PATTERN GUIDANCE The pattern dictionary is constructed from an initial set of patterns distilled from the H R C case study analysis, where different cities under extreme heat, extreme rainfall and winter cold were compared. After synthesis, patterns and levels that were found to be weakly related to climate resilience were deliberately removed, so that the dictionary only retains layers that have a clear, evidence based link to climate performance. On this basis, new building-form hypotheses are introduced by abstracting and recombining the H R C building typologies, and then extended to cover the composite HR HC RC scenarios as well. The final dictionary therefore organises patterns by situation and by spatial level, while also identifying a group of universal patterns that are applicable across multiple scenarios. This structured catalogue is intended to support subsequent computational design workflows, allowing patterns to be called, combined and tested systematically rather than treated as isolated design intuitions. 12.5 PATTERN DICTIONARY HOW IT BE COMPILED ? Studio 2’s pattern rule development is grounded in the outcomes of Studio 1. It uses the Pattern Dictionary as the core reference, ensuring that all subsequent rules are consistent with the established patterns and their tested logic. 536e:T69b,BUILDING FORM TESTING 12.6 PATTERN BUILDING FORMS Testing _L3 S1: 1.24kWh/m² S2: 4.82h W1: 0.40kWh/m² W2:1.82h Testing _U3 S1: 0.97kWh/m² S2: 4.27h W1: 0.30kWh/m² W2:1.32h Testing _P3 S1: 0.95kWh/m² S2: 4.12h W1: 0.31kWh/m² W2:1.39h Testing _T3 S1: 0.20kWh/m² S2: 4.86h W1: 0.06kWh/m² W2:1.48h Testing _L4 S1: 1.22kWh/m² S2: 5.79h W1: 0.41kWh/m² W2:1.34h Testing _U4 S1: 0.96kWh/m² S2: 4.27h W1: 0.28kWh/m² W2:1.33h Testing _P4 S1: 1.01kWh/m² S2: 4.30h W1: 0.31kWh/m² W2:1.36h Testing _T4 S1: 1.22kWh/m² S2: 4.68h W1: 0.07kWh/m² W2:1.52h Testing _L1 S1: 1.21kWh/m² S2: 4.72h W1: 0.40kWh/m² W2:1.48h Testing _U1 S1: 0.93kWh/m² S2: 4.24h W1: 0.29kWh/m² W2:1.35h Testing _P1 S1: 0.88kWh/m² S2: 3.84h W1: 0.27kWh/m² W2:1.24h Testing _T1 S1: 1.22kWh/m² S2: 4.58h W1: 0.39kWh/m² W2:1.50h Testing _O1 S1: 1.00kWh/m² S2: 4.55h W1: 0.31kWh/m² W2:1.47h Testing _L2 S1: 1.24kWh/m² S2: 4.81h W1: 0.41kWh/m² W2:1.83h Testing _U2 S1: 0.96kWh/m² S2: 4.22h W1: 0.28kWh/m² W2:1.33h Testing _P2 S1: 0.91kWh/m² S2: 3.89h W1: 2.86kWh/m² W2:1.23h Testing _T2 S1: 1.20kWh/m² S2: 4.72h W1: 0.39kWh/m² W2:1.48h Testing _O2 S1: 0.91kWh/m² S2: 4.55h W1: 0.28kWh/m² W2:1.47h OPTIMISATION OBJECTIVES S1. ⬇ Summer mean incident radiation on façades S2. ⬇Summer mean outdoor direct sun hours W1. ⬆Winter mean incident radiation on façades W2. ⬆Winter mean outdoor direct sun hours STANDARD FITNESS VALUE 1.21 kWh/m² 4.55 h 0.38 kWh/m² 1.47 h L-SHAPE U-SHAPE PARALLEL TWIST OFFSET orientation orientation orientation orientation distance spacing strength 556f:T991,BUILDING FORM SELECTIONS NEXT STAGE 12.6 PATTERN BUILDING FORMS Based on comparative testing of multiple building typologies and formal variations, several configurations demonstrated stronger overall performance than the standard cube massing. These higherperforming forms are selected as the project’s preferred options and will be assigned to suitable programme types through a rational distribution strategy. In the next stage, these typologies will be further developed, detailed, and adapted to site conditions to support a coherent spatial plan and improved environmental outcomes. This testing stage is used as a design reference only. The typologies will be deconstructed, recombined, and sometimes merged into new hybrid forms based on specific programme and performance needs. The revised outcomes will be tested again, so the later design may differ from the initial typology set. TWIST S1: 1.24kWh/m² S2: 4.58h W1: 0.39kWh/m² W2:1.50h CHARACTERISTICS The mass rotates clockwise within a 0–90° range. FUNCTIONAL DISTRIBUTION It improves both winter and summer performance through flexible orientation, while remaining suitable for high-rise development and efficient floorplate planning. RESIDENTIAL PARALLEL S1: 0.95kWh/m² S2: 4.12h W1: 0.31kWh/m² W2:1.39h CHARACTERISTICS Arranged with a larger separation running from north-west to south-east. FUNCTIONAL DISTRIBUTION It is suitable for retail and other active ground uses because its parallel arrangement and larger gap naturally creates a clear pedestrian corridor, and street activity. RESIDENTIAL OFFSET S1: 1.00kWh/m² S2: 4.55h W1: 0.31kWh/m² W2:1.47h CHARACTERISTICS The blocks are set at a greater offset distance, f o r m i n g a n i n t e r n a l courtyard in the center. FUNCTIONAL DISTRIBUTION It is suitable for retail and other active ground uses because its parallel arrangement and larger gap naturally creates a clear pedestrian corridor, and street activity. EDUCATION EDUCATION COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL COMMUNITY L-SHAPE S1: 1.21kWh/m² S2: 4.72h W1: 0.40kWh/m² W2:1.48h CHARACTERISTICS An L-shaped form with its opening facing south. FUNCTIONAL DISTRIBUTION It is used for residential and office programmes because it can strengthen seasonal performance while creating semi-enclosed spaces. RESIDENTIAL OFFICES OFFICES 5670:T473,TYPE 1: TWIST TOWER DESIGN STRATEGY ALLOCATION STRATEGY FLOORS SETTING PLAN The tower is rotated clockwise to respond to Manchester’s prevailing south-west wind quadrant, reducing the amount of façade directly facing the incident wind. By changing the wind incident angle, the form and the podium helps limit downwash and corner acceleration at pedestrian level, improving winter wind comfort and reducing wind chill. The south-east side of the tower is shaped into terraces, providing outdoor amenity space with better access to daylight and sunlight. This also supports a more varied residential experience, with different views and more articulated floorplates created by the rotation. The podium programme is defined as a commercial-led mixed use base, focused on food, leisure, and community activity spaces. This brings daily services closer to homes, increases street-level activity, and supports a more convenient and walkable living environment. 40-60 Floors 12.9 INTEGRATED PLOT DESIGN RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL COMMUNITY PLOT BUILDING MATERIALS MASSING STRATEGIES ADD-ON ELEMENTS 5971:T44a,12.9 INTEGRATED PLOT DESIGN TYPE 2: MID-RISE RESIDENTIAL DESIGN STRATEGY ALLOCATION STRATEGY This plot type combines a commercial-led mixed-use podium with mid-rise residential above. The podium provides daily, community-facing uses. The residential massing uses stepping and mutual selfshading on the south-facing sides to reduce unwanted solar gains in summer, while still allowing lower-angle winter sun to reach façades and amenity areas. The stepped form also creates shared roof terraces that act as outdoor amenity space and can contribute to surface water control through interception and temporary attenuation, reducing pressure on ground-level runoff collection during intense rainfall. For wind comfort, the plot responds to the region’s frequent south-westerly wind by using the building geometry and podium layer to limit direct wind exposure at pedestrian level and to support sheltered community platforms. RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL COMMUNITY PLOT FLOORS SETTING PLAN 20-40 Floors BUILDING MATERIALS MASSING STRATEGIES ADD-ON ELEMENTS 6072:T416,12.9 INTEGRATED PLOT DESIGN TYPE 3: COURTYARD HOUSING DESIGN STRATEGY ALLOCATION STRATEGY This plot type is a low-rise, four-sided courtyard block designed for family living and inclusive access. Sunlight access is managed through two sun corridors to the east and south, so the courtyard and key rooms receive useful winter sun. Summer gains are controlled through stepped massing and self-shading, limiting high-angle summer sun while allowing lower-angle winter sun. The north-west wing is set one storey higher to provide additional late-day summer shading, while keeping the south and east edges lower to protect winter sun access. A shared green courtyard sits at the centre as everyday amenity space. It also acts as a simple SuDS feature by holding and slowing rainfall during heavy events, reducing pressure on surface runoff and local ponding. The roof is pitched to drain efficiently. RESIDENTIAL FLOORS SETTING PLAN 2 or 3 Floors PLOT BUILDING MATERIALS MASSING STRATEGIES ADD-ON ELEMENTS 6173:T47f,12.9 INTEGRATED PLOT DESIGN TYPE 4: CONNECTED CLUSTER DESIGN STRATEGY ALLOCATION STRATEGY This plot type can be used for either office or residential (confirmed later through the site allocation). It is a midrise cluster formed by four enclosed buildings, linked by skybridges to create continuous routes and shared internal connections across the plot. The massing steps in height, with the north block highest and the south block lowest, to support seasonal solar performance. This arrangement helps protect useful winter sun access while reducing summer overheating risk through self-shading, consistent with UK passive solar and shading guidance. The skybridges are designed as a garden corridor at the top level. This provides a connected public terrace for everyday use, while also supporting surface water control through interception and temporary attenuation, aligned with SuDS principles and source-control thinking. RESIDENTIAL OFFICE FLOORS SETTING PLAN 5 -12 Floors (office) 4 -10 Floors (residential) 1 Grid BIG SMALL 4 Grids PLOT BUILDING MATERIALS MASSING STRATEGIES ADD-ON ELEMENTS 6274:T485,12.9 INTEGRATED PLOT DESIGN TYPE 5: TWIN OFFICE BLOCKS DESIGN STRATEGY ALLOCATION STRATEGY A commercial-led mixed-use podium as the base, with offers aimed beyond local daily needs to also serve visitors and surrounding destinations. Rain arcades are integrated along the active frontages to provide summer shading and reliable rain shelter for the main pedestrian routes. A shared roof deck links the podium to the towers, creating an outdoor activity platform and supporting rainwater control through roof planting and temporary retention. The twin towers are set with the north tower higher to support solar access and self-shading logic across seasons. The gap between the towers works as a controlled wind passage at higher levels, which can improve ventilation and reduce wind pressure build-up. At pedestrian level, this gap can also create wind tunnelling if aligned with prevailing winds, so the podium massing and arcade edges act as mitigation to limit downwash and discomfort. OFFICE COMMERCIAL FLOORS SETTING PLAN 40 - 50 Floors 2 Grids PLOT BUILDING MATERIALS MASSING STRATEGIES ADD-ON ELEMENTS 6375:T9bd,COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN 13.4 DESIGN SYSTEM Computational design is used to translate each plot typology into a rule-based language that the computer can generate and test. After plot allocation is applied, the system produces an urban form for each run and evaluates its performance through iteration. METHODOLOGY ITERATION EXAMPLE EVALUATION The workflow assigns plot typologies by recognising rule conditions at plot level and applying an allocation logic. Plots are grouped into plot series (A, B, C, D), and each series follows its own subdivision rules. Different allocation ratios are tested through three iteration types in Section 13.3, and the preferred ratio is selected before moving into the next round of iteration. The process can be summarised as: 1. Identify the plot series (A, B, C, or D) 2. Subdivide the plot using the series-specific rules 3. Allocate plot typologies using a random factor within defined ratios 4. Generate each plot using its typology rules At this stage, the design language uses one global random variable to control how typologies are distributed across the site. This stage evaluates both urban function metrics and climate resilience metrics. As detailed in Chapter 10, the focus is on the 2050 RCP8.5 scenario, comparing: the mean façade radiation, the mean outdoor direct sun hours in summer and winter, and the mean surface ponding depth under both normal and extreme rainfall scenarios. 73 BASIC BUILDING METRICS URBAN FUNCTION METRICS CLIMATE PERFORMANCE METRICS Summer Mean Facade Incident Radiation (SR): Winter Mean Facade Incident Radiation (WR): Summer Mean Outdoor Direct Sun Hours (SH): Winter Mean Outdoor Direct Sun Hours (WH): Normal Scenario Surface Water Height (NH): Extreme Scenario Surface Water Height (EH): Total Building Footprint (BF): Site Coverage (SC): Gross Floor Area (GFA): Floor Area Ratio (FAR): Residential Ratio: Office Ratio: Commercial Ratio: Blue-Green Open Space Ratio: Transportation Ratio: 1.35 kWh/m² 0.23 kWh/m² 1.36h 0.23h 17.7mm 51.1mm 289,986 m² 22.0 % 2,676,500m² 2.03 12.3 % 18.4 % 8.0 % 55.3% 23.1% During the iteration stage, UTCI calculations are not included because the simulation process is computationally complex and cannot be efficiently applied to large batches of design runs. The UTCI are introduced later in Studio 3, where they are used to assess and verify the final selected design scheme.76:T7e6,TYPE a SETTING 13.5 DESIGN ITERATION TYPE EVALUATION SR: WR: SH: WH: NH: EH: SR: WR: SH: WH: NH: EH: SR: WR: SH: WH: NH: EH: SR: WR: SH: WH: NH: EH: SR: WR: SH: WH: NH: EH: SR: WR: SH: WH: NH: EH: BF: SC: GFA: FAR: BF: SC: GFA: FAR: BF: SC: GFA: FAR: BF: SC: GFA: FAR: BF: SC: GFA: FAR: BF: SC: GFA: FAR: Residential: Office: Commercial: BG Open Space: Transportation: Residential: Office: Commercial: BG Open Space: Transportation: Residential: Office: Commercial: BG Open Space: Transportation: Residential: Office: Commercial: BG Open Space: Transportation: Residential: Office: Commercial: BG Open Space: Transportation: Residential: Office: Commercial: BG Open Space: Transportation: 1.37 kWh/m² 0.24 kWh/m² 6.32 h 2.67 h 19.3 mm 55.0 mm 1.32 kWh/m² 0.23 kWh/m² 6.34 h 2.60 h 17.7 mm 51.1 mm 1.32 kWh/m² 0.23 kWh/m² 6.42 h 2.90 h 17.6 mm 51.9 mm 1.35 kWh/m² 0.23 kWh/m² 6.37 h 2.88 h 17.8 mm 51.7 mm 1.35 kWh/m² 0.23 kWh/m² 6.76 h 3.37 h 16.8 mm 50.6 mm 1.40 kWh/m² 0.24 kWh/m² 7.17 h 3.66 h 17.7 mm 52.1 mm 291,045 m² 22.1 % 2,282,600m² 1.72 289,212 m² 21.9 % 2,663,500m² 2.01 281,018 m² 21.3 % 2,728,600m² 2.06 310,614 m² 23.5 % 2,546,800m² 1.93 255,463 m² 19.4 % 2,463,000m² 1.87 273,956 m² 20.8 % 1,704,000m² 1.29 16.1 % 14.1 % 10.7 % 47.4% 23.1% 12.3 % 18.4 % 8.0 % 55.3% 23.1% 12.3 % 16.1 % 8.4 % 53.8 % 23.1% 8.6 % 15.6 % 12.1 % 53.7 % 23.1% 8.5 % 15.6 % 6.4 % 59.1 % 23.1% 10.3 % 16.0 % 9.7 % 54.4 % 23.1% ITERATION_a4 PLOT SERIES A PLOT 1 PLOT 2 PLOT 4 PLOT 5 PLOT 7 PLOT 8 PLOT 9 30 % 20 % 10 % 20 % 5 % 10 % 5 % PLOT SERIES B PLOT 2 PLOT 4 PLOT 5 PLOT 6 PLOT 8 PLOT 9 15 % 30 % 10 % 20 % 20 % 5 % PLOT SERIES C PLOT 3 PLOT 4 PLOT 7 PLOT 8 PLOT 9 30 % 15 % 5 % 30 % 20 % 74 ITERATION_a1 ITERATION_a3 ITERATION_a6 ITERATION_a2 ITERATION_a577:T7e8,TYPE b SETTING 13.5 SR: WR: SH: WH: NH: EH: SR: WR: SH: WH: NH: EH: SR: WR: SH: WH: NH: EH: SR: WR: SH: WH: NH: EH: SR: WR: SH: WH: NH: EH: SR: WR: SH: WH: NH: EH: BF: SC: GFA: FAR: BF: SC: GFA: FAR: BF: SC: GFA: FAR: BF: SC: GFA: FAR: BF: SC: GFA: FAR: BF: SC: GFA: FAR: Residential: Office: Commercial: BG Open Space: Transportation: Residential: Office: Commercial: BG Open Space: Transportation: Residential: Office: Commercial: BG Open Space: Transportation: Residential: Office: Commercial: BG Open Space: Transportation: Residential: Office: Commercial: BG Open Space: Transportation: Residential: Office: Commercial: BG Open Space: Transportation: 1.29 kWh/m² 0.23 kWh/m² 6.91 h 3.67 h 17.2 mm 50.1 mm 1.35 kWh/m² 0.23 kWh/m² 6.89 h 3.55 h 17.9 mm 52.1 mm 1.35 kWh/m² 0.23 kWh/m² 6.46 h 2.94 h 19.1 mm 54.2 mm 1.34 kWh/m² 0.23 kWh/m² 6.40 h 2.73 h 18.6 mm 51.6 mm 1.33 kWh/m² 0.23 kWh/m² 6.90 h 3.62 h 18.4 mm 53.6 mm 1.34 kWh/m² 0.23 kWh/m² 6.48 h 3.07 h 20.0 mm 54.9 mm 293,926 m² 22.3 % 1,642,000m² 1.24 288,681 m² 21.9 % 1,360,300m² 1.03 319,719 m² 24.2 % 1,987,200 m² 1.50 319,771 m² 24.2 % 2,051,500m² 1.55 292,598 m² 22.2 % 1,378,400m² 1.04 321,500 m² 24.3 % 1,664,000m² 1.26 11.3 % 19.4 % 8.0 % 54.7% 23.1% 12.9 % 17.0 % 7.4 % 54.2% 23.1% 10.6 % 20.9 % 6.9 % 57.2 % 23.1% 13.7 % 20.2 % 8.6 % 52.2 % 23.1% 12.3 % 17.6 % 7.5 % 55.0 % 23.1% 10.6 % 22.8 % 6.9 % 57.0 % 23.1% ITERATION_b4 PLOT SERIES A PLOT 1 PLOT 2 PLOT 4 PLOT 5 PLOT 7 PLOT 8 PLOT 9 35 % 15 % 15 % 15 % 5 % 5 % 10 % PLOT SERIES B PLOT 2 PLOT 4 PLOT 5 PLOT 6 PLOT 8 PLOT 9 15 % 40 % 10 % 20 % 10 % 5 % PLOT SERIES C PLOT 3 PLOT 4 PLOT 7 PLOT 8 PLOT 9 25 % 20 % 5 % 20 % 30 % DESIGN ITERATION TYPE EVALUATION 75 ITERATION_b1 ITERATION_b3 ITERATION_b6 ITERATION_b2 ITERATION_b578:T7e5,TYPE c SETTING 13.5 SR: WR: SH: WH: NH: EH: SR: WR: SH: WH: NH: EH: SR: WR: SH: WH: NH: EH: SR: WR: SH: WH: NH: EH: SR: WR: SH: WH: NH: EH: SR: WR: SH: WH: NH: EH: BF: SC: GFA: FAR: BF: SC: GFA: FAR: BF: SC: GFA: FAR: BF: SC: GFA: FAR: BF: SC: GFA: FAR: BF: SC: GFA: FAR: Residential: Office: Commercial: BG Open Space: Transportation: Residential: Office: Commercial: BG Open Space: Transportation: Residential: Office: Commercial: BG Open Space: Transportation: Residential: Office: Commercial: BG Open Space: Transportation: Residential: Office: Commercial: BG Open Space: Transportation: Residential: Office: Commercial: BG Open Space: Transportation: 1.31 kWh/m² 0.22 kWh/m² 6.19 h 2.72 h 19.8 mm 54.2 mm 1.30 kWh/m² 0.22 kWh/m² 6.66 h 3.29 h 20.4 mm 56.1 mm 1.30 kWh/m² 0.22 kWh/m² 6.07 h 2.61 h 19.6 mm 53.0 mm 1.34 kWh/m² 0.23 kWh/m² 6.71 h 3.51 h 17.9 mm 50.8 mm 1.33 kWh/m² 0.23 kWh/m² 6.49 h 3.11 h 19.1 mm 53.1 mm 1.31 kWh/m² 0.22 kWh/m² 6.41 h 3.08 h 18.5 mm 51.3 mm 346,216 m² 26.2 % 1,267,300m² 0.96 311,053 m² 23.5 % 1,859,500m² 1.41 352,085 m² 26.7 % 2,143,900m² 1.63 305,247 m² 23.1 % 1,513,100m² 1.15 315,573 m² 23.9 % 1,432,200m² 1.09 332,178 m² 25.2 % 1,426,300m² 1.08 10.6 % 26.2 % 6.1 % 57.5% 23.1% 15.8 % 16.6 % 9.4 % 48.9% 23.1% 13.2 % 24.3 % 7.9 % 53.4 % 23.1% 13.9 % 17.9 % 7.7 % 52.9 % 23.1% 12.9 % 20.8 % 7.6 % 53.8 % 23.1% 11.4 % 22.3 % 8.2 % 54.6 % 23.1% ITERATION_c4 PLOT SERIES A PLOT 1 PLOT 2 PLOT 4 PLOT 5 PLOT 7 PLOT 8 PLOT 9 35 % 20 % 20 % 10 % 5 % 5 % 5 % PLOT SERIES B PLOT 2 PLOT 4 PLOT 5 PLOT 6 PLOT 8 PLOT 9 20 % 45 % 10 % 15 % 5 % 5 % PLOT SERIES C PLOT 3 PLOT 4 PLOT 7 PLOT 8 PLOT 9 40 % 25 % 5 % 25 % 15 % DESIGN ITERATION TYPE EVALUATION 76 ITERATION_c1 ITERATION_c3 ITERATION_c6 ITERATION_c2 ITERATION_c579:T66b,CRITERIA SELECTION PRIMARY CRITERIA SECONDARY CRITERIA REFERENCE CRITERIA 13.5 SERIES A PLOT 1 PLOT 2 PLOT 4 (office+residnetial) PLOT 5 PLOT 7 PLOT 8 PLOT 9 35 % 20 % 20 % 10 % 5 % 5 % 5 % SERIES B PLOT 2 PLOT 4 PLOT 5 PLOT 6 PLOT 8 PLOT 9 20 % 45 % 10 % 15 % 5 % 5 % SERIES C PLOT 3 PLOT 4 PLOT 7 PLOT 8 PLOT 9 40 % 25 % 5 % 25 % 15 % DESIGN TYPE SELECTION The evaluation criteria were organised into three groups: 1. Basic Building Metrics 2. Urban Function Metrics 3. Climate Performance Metrics These were then structured by hierarchy, with primary and secondary criteria clearly separated, and the evaluation method for each category was confirmed. This framework made it possible to compare the three allocation t ypes in a consistent way and identify the most suitable distribution ratio. Based on the selected option, further adjustments were made to form the basis for the next stage of iteration. TYPE a TYPE a TYPE b TYPE c 77 CLIMATE PERFORMANCE METRICS Summer Mean Facade Incident Radiation: Winter Mean Facade Incident Radiation: Summer Mean Outdoor Direct Sun Hours: Winter Mean Outdoor Direct Sun Hours: Normal Scenario Surface Water Height: Extreme Scenario Surface Water Height: ⬇ ⬆ ⬇ ⬆ ⬇ ⬇ BASIC BUILDING METRICS Total Building Footprint (BF): Site Coverage (SC): Gross Floor Area (GFA): Floor Area Ratio (FAR): 20%-30% 1.8-2.5 URBAN FUNCTION METRICS Residential Ratio: Office Ratio: Commercial Ratio: Blue-Green Open Space Ratio: Transportation Ratio: 10%-20% 8%-15% 3%-10% 35%-55% 20%-25%

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