Fuzzy Logic-Based Model for Evaluating Architectural Space Quality

Subject Areas : Space Ontology International Journal

Mansoureh Sadrykia ¹ , Somayeh Sadrykia ^{2 *}

1 - Deptartment of Geomatics Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
2 - Department of Architecture, Urbanism and Art, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

Received: 2024-09-25 Accepted : 2025-03-13

Keywords: Fuzzy Sets, Architectural Quality, Space Evaluation, Qualitative Criteria,

Abstract :

Considering the significance of architectural space quality in human beings lives and the multi-faceted nature of its indicators, there is a need for scientific and reliable methods for modeling space quality that widely integrate and evaluate affecting indicators. Despite the effective role of space quality indicators’ importance in promoting architectural designs, researchers have not yet studied various criteria involved in evaluating architectural space comprehensively. Despite the necessity of taking into account all aspects of space quality for specifying a complete set of influencing criteria and accordingly determining the importance of the considered criteria for creating desirable space quality, this issue has not yet been considered well in previous studies. Currently, architects rely on professional expertise to enhance space quality. However, a mathematical model that systematically evaluates qualitative criteria can serve as a more objective tool for optimizing design outcomes. Fuzzy sets theory provides an efficient tool for considering vagueness uncertainties of the professionals' knowledge in a mathematical framework guaranteeing that outcomes of space evaluation will be concrete and reliable. The novelty of present study includes a) integrating different aspects of space quality in one space evaluation model, b) considering and modeling the fact that some criteria are related to more than one quality indicator and c) considering that expertise on influencing criteria weights of importance are qualitative judgments that include vagueness uncertainty, utilizing fuzzy sets theory to model the uncertainty quantitatively and mathematically. We first studied the most important quality criteria defined by scholars and discussed major relevant criteria. We showed that quality of architectural space have three main indicators, each with various criteria. The weights of the criteria in each indicator were categorized into low, medium and high level. Using fuzzy sets theory the most influential criteria relevant to each of main quality indicators were determined. Among the specified 30 crucial quality criteria, “legibility”, “visual clarity”, “hierarchy”, “objective transparency”, and “diversity” had the highest importance for more than one indicator. Therefore, it can be concluded that they play a more significant role in creating space quality. Finally, we presented a fuzzy space quality evaluation conceptual model. The presented model provides architects with a set of helpful design rules that would enable them to reliably consider the effects of each space quality criterion to design more desirable architectural spaces for users. This study can be a guide for planners, designers, managers and policy makers engaged in designing and assessing various spaces.

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