The integration of urban agriculture into cityscapes necessitates a comprehensive understanding of multiple engineering and environmental factors, including urban fabric, building configurations, and dynamic energy and material flows. In contrast to rural settings, urban areas introduce complexities such as hygrothermal fluctuations, variable sunlight exposure and shadow patterns, diverse plant dimensions and shapes, and material interception. To address these challenges, this study presents an open-source Digital Twin model based on the use of a geographical information system (GIS) for near-real-time solar radiation mapping. This methodology aims to optimize crop productivity, enhance resilience, and promote environmental sustainability within urban areas and enables the near-time mapping of the salient features of different portions of the city using available open data. The work is structured into two main parts: (i) definition of the GIS-based Digital Twin model for mapping microclimatic variables (in particular solar radiation) to support sustainable urban agriculture design and (ii) application of the model to the city of Milan to verify its replicability and effectiveness. The key findings are connected to the possibility to integrate open data (solar radiation) with measurements in situ (illuminance and data referred to the specific crops, with related conversion coefficient) to develop a set of maps helpful for urban farmers but also for designers dealing with the synergy between buildings and urban farms. Initially tested on a neighborhood of Milan (Italy), the model will be applied in the Singapore context to verify analogies and differences. This correlation facilitates a more practical and straightforward examination of the relationships between solar irradiation and illuminance values of natural sunlight (involving both incident and diffuse light). The consistency of measurements allows for the precise documentation of these fluctuations, thereby enhancing the understanding of the influence of solar radiation on perceived luminance levels, particularly in urban environments characterized by diverse contextual factors such as vegetation, nearby structures, and geographical positioning.

The increasing trend of employing glazed façades to utilize daylight in the buildings has made it necessary to develop measures to avoid excessive sunlight penetration in such daylit spaces. In Thailand, only a few studies have focused on daylight glare, and therefore, applicable criteria are required to fulfill the local preference. This study aimed to determine daylight glare thresholds on the basis of the occupants’ responses. A post-occupancy evaluation with a simplified daylight glare probability (DGPs) model was performed in eight open-plan office spaces located in Bangkok, Thailand. The occupants participated in a survey including a subjective questionnaire; the results showed that the DGPs model performed effectively for glare prediction, with a preference for a lower level than that found in the current references. Statistical analysis helped mark the threshold values for each glare sensation level: imperceptible–perceptible = 0.22; perceptible–disturbing = 0.24; and disturbing–intolerable = 0.26. The findings of this study can be considered as initial evidence for improving the understanding of local occupants’ perspectives and illumination standards, which currently encourage daylight utilization without any specific glare control strategies.

Background: Aging is key to inclusion, and it should be taken into account when designing every place of human activity. However, the implementation of such guidelines often fails the human-centric aspiration as health and design domain interpretation gaps impede the suitable reading and implementation strategies. Purpose: This study aimed to understand critical factors in the place-of-aging and to examine the gap in domain interpretation affecting age-friendly housing. Methods: Using grounded theory as a base, questionnaire interviews were implemented either face-to-face or through an online process by health and design domain experts. Overall, 40 respondents (20 health and 20 design experts) evaluated the key criteria to prioritize according to their value of importance. The factor analysis resulted in the stated deviation, suggesting a necessity to redefine the attributes of the dwelling based on a people, place and process framework. Results: The systemic analysis affirmed the inter-disciplinary gap to enhancing the dwelling provision. The health domain experts consistently ranked the criteria higher or equal than the design domain except for safety and security criteria. Both domains agreed that affordability is a main concern, as elders must be able to afford their dwelling choice. Conclusion: The valuable finding of the key criteria in the study is to uphold the value of the urban health resilience implication as the core of this study.

The scarcity of land resources and food security challenges have prompted more effective uses of the rooftop as well as façade spaces in the urban city of Singapore. Urban rooftop spaces are used for mechanical and electrical (M&E) amenities such as air-conditioning cooling units and water tanks, so the spacious span of the roof area on HDB flats in Singapore is not available. Urban-metabolic farming modules (UmFm) built on 1.5 to 2 m terrace-step terrains have been modelled using BIM Revit to mimic such constraints in rooftop spaces. CFD simulation was conducted for the structure with consideration of the prevailing wind directions at different months of the year. The airflow with the inclusion of mesh netting and varying tiltings of the polycarbonate side façade was simulated to understand their impact on airflow in the growth envelope of the UmFm units under different prevailing wind directions. The amount of solar irradiance received by the crops at different heights in the UmFm due to the sun’s path, and shading of crops grown on the A-frame, was studied using Climate Studio. A comparative verification was done with a scaffold modular unit mounted with temperature, humidity, airflow, and Photosynthesis Photon Flux Density (PPFD) sensors. The digital model of the UmFm unit enables a prior assessment of site feasibility before actual physical implementation on an existing rooftop. It also facilitates plug and play for the UmFm unit to generate an eco-resilient farmscape for an urban city.