Publisher:October university for modern sciences and Arts MSA
Series Info:Faculty of Engineering;
Type:Article
Keywords:MSA University
,
October university for modern sciences and Arts MSA
,
sustainability
,
self-sustained buildings
,
zero energy buildings
,
analytical hierarchy process
,
multi-criteria decision making
Abstract:
Nowadays self-sustained buildings have gained a great attention to
minimize the ecological impact of buildings on the environment. Houses are one
of the building types that have tremendous effect on the environment and need to
be self-sustained. Their design need to encounter a holistic approach that deals
with a large number of criteria. Most of these criteria are qualitative and are often
in conflict with each other making decisions during the preliminary design stage
a hard task for architects.
Architects need an easy evaluation method that can deal with multi- criteria
and can quantify subjective data into numerical values to give the right decisions.
The aim of this paper is to present a comprehensive application of Analytical
Hierarchy Process (AHP)-a Multi Criteria Decision Making Method (MCDM). It
can aid architects in selecting the most optimal design alternative while taking
into account multiple, and even conflicting decision criteria. Herein, it will beapplied for evaluating three proposed design alternatives for a self-sustained
house and consequently resolving the alternatives' selection problem.
AHP deals with complex decisions and suits the uncertainty and vagueness
that characterize most of the design criteria. It uses math and psychology and can
be an easy powerful tool for decision making. Basic AHP calculations will be
performed using Python programming language to facilitate and automate the
process.