OASIS An Online Architectural Sketching Interface for Simulation

What is OASIS?

Daylighting plays a significant role in architecture; its creative and efficient use offers aesthetics visuals, increased productivity, and reduced energy demand. However, poor implementation of daylighting systems can have adverse impacts such as visual discomfort, solar heat gain, and an absence of energy savings.

OASIS is a novel interface that is easily accessible to non-experts providing them with the ability to generate 3D models for daylighting simulation from 2D architectural sketches. This online interface allows users to both quickly create 3D models and analyze daylighting simulation results. I propose that this interface will aid both experts and non-experts during the schematic design phase where ease of expressing 3D geometries and speed of analyzing simulation results is most significant.

Technology behind OASIS

• Photon mapping to simulate global illumination
• WebGL to display interactive 3D models and simulation results
• Optimization algorithm to interpret sketches and generate 3D models
• Nvidia Optix to run our daylighting simulations at interactive rates on the GPU
• Previous research technologies used in the Virtual Heliodon

My Contributions to OASIS

• Lead initial researcher and developer of OASIS
• Implemented an easy-to-use sketching architectural interface
• Management of computational heavy lighting algorithms via a client-server approach
• Conduction a large scale prototype user study on OASIS