An architectural design tool to be used in the initial design phase of supertall super-slender buildings with wind escape floors

Date

2026-2-20

Author

alevsaçanlar, yeliz

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This research develops an architectural design tool aimed at the early design phase of supertall and super-slender buildings, with a particular focus on the integration of wind escape floors combined with outrigger floors. The growing demand for high-rise construction, driven by urban densification and real estate market dynamics, makes such structures inevitable, yet their design introduces significant architectural and engineering challenges. Wind escape floors are employed as an aerodynamic modification to mitigate wind-induced oscillations and enhance occupant comfort, but they also reduce rentable space, intensifying the architectural–structural trade-off. To address this problem, the study introduces a computational workflow that integrates Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Finite Element Analysis (FEA), and optimization modules within a parametric design environment. By employing plug-ins such as Butterfly and Geometry Gym in Grasshopper, the tool enables architects to define geometry, conduct aerodynamic simulations in OpenFOAM, perform structural analyses in ETABS, and explore optimization strategies. The methodology follows a constructive research framework, where the tool is developed and its reliability is tested through systematic validation and case study implementation. The results of the validation process and the case study demonstrate that the proposed computational interface is highly suitable for the early design phases of supertall and super-slender buildings. Furthermore, the findings confirm the tool's capability to effectively simulate and analyze complex architectural configurations that integrate wind escape and outrigger floors. By providing a reliable bridge between steady-state CFD data and structural feedback, this study contributes to the literature by offering architects a validated decision-support tool. The proposed method demonstrates how automated simulation-based workflows can empower designers to maintain control over aerodynamic and structural performance in complex high-rise projects.

Subject Keywords

Supertall buildings, super-slender buildings, Outriggered Frame System, Wind Escape Floors, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/119004

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Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis