Software / Optimization
The Effect of Muqarnas on Daylight and Acoustic Performance
Tavuk Pazarı Bath, Bursa
Are muqarnas purely decorative elements, or do they directly affect the physical performance of an interior? This study measured the effect of muqarnas on daylight and acoustic performance in the women's warm room of the Tavuk Pazarı Bath in Bursa; the parametric muqarnas geometry was then optimized with genetic-algorithm-based methods.
Fotogrametri
- Bath survey
- Point cloud
Parametric Model
- 6 geometric parts
- 4 variables
Simulation
- Honeybee / Ladybug
- Pachyderm acoustics
Optimization
- Octopus (SPEA-2)
- Galapagos (GA)
Results & Publications
- DA 21%→35%
- 2 international articles
Geometric parts of the bath model: dome, under-dome muqarnas, transition grid, transition muqarnas and octagonal muqarnas.
Parametric Model
The bath was modeled with photogrammetry and encoded parametrically in Grasshopper as six geometric parts. Muqarnas cells were generated automatically from point data, making it possible to produce thousands of variations during optimization.
Parametric Variables
Four core variables were defined for the optimization: Cell Height (HY), Cell Count (HS), Cell Projection (HC) and Cell Detail (HD). Different combinations of these variables produced distinct formal differences in the muqarnas geometry.
The four variables used to parametrize the muqarnas.
Variable Ranges
| Variable | Min | Max | Original |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cell Height (HY) | 10 cm | 50 cm | 25 cm |
| Cell Count (HS) | 7 | 9 | 8 |
| Cell Projection (HC) | 5 cm | 8 cm | 7 cm |
| Cell Detail (HD) | 1 cm | 3 cm | 2 cm |
Muqarnas variations generated by assigning different values to the variables.
Muqarnas are usually treated as purely decorative elements. This study measures and optimizes their direct effect on interior performance.
Performance Analysis
Daylight simulations (Honeybee/Ladybug) showed that muqarnas reduce the light entering the interior, while acoustic simulations (Pachyderm) showed they lower reverberation time and improve speech clarity (C50). The recessed, projecting form of the muqarnas helps sound scatter more evenly.
Optimization with Genetic Algorithms
The parametric model was optimized with the multi-objective Octopus and the single-objective Galapagos solvers. Daylight-focused optimization raised the DA value from 21.81% to 35.04%, while acoustic optimization lifted the C50 value from 1.337 dB to 1.499 dB. Cell height was observed to be the most influential parameter.
Multi-objective optimization results obtained with Octopus.
While controlling the distribution of daylight, muqarnas also have a positive effect on speech clarity.
Thesis & Publications
This project was carried out as a master's thesis, and two international peer-reviewed journal articles were published from it.
Master's Thesis
The Effect of Muqarnas in the Dome Transition Element on Interior Daylight and Acoustic Performance
Enes Yıldız · Advisor: Assoc. Prof. Aslı Ağırbaş · FSM Vakıf University, 2021
YÖK Thesis Center →
1. Agirbas, A., Yildiz, E. (2024). Investigating the Impact of Muqarnas on the Daylighting Performance of Historical Turkish Baths. METU Journal of the Faculty of Architecture, 41(2), 91–106.
DOI: 10.4305/METU.JFA.2024.2.4 · Index: AHCI
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2. Agirbas, A., Yildiz, E. (2023). The Effect of Muqarnas on Acoustic Quality of Traditional Turkish Bath Interior Space. ACM Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage, 16(3), 1–20.
DOI: 10.1145/3589248 · Index: SCI-Expanded
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