Exploring View and Radiation Efficiency Potentials of a Housing Block Morphology in Dhaka

Abstract

This study investigates the environmental performance optimization of high-density urban block housing morphologies in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where conventional plot-based development has historically dominated the urban growth. Although recent planning instruments, including the Detailed Area Plan, propose block based development as a sustainable alternative, empirical evidence validating its environmental benefits remains scarce. To address this gap, we developed a computational framework that integrates parametric modeling and generative design techniques to systematically evaluate block-based configurations using two critical performance metrics: view access and solar radiation mitigation. Our analysis demonstrates that optimized block-based morphologies can simultaneously enhance visual connectivity and reduce solar heat gain compared with traditional plot-based typologies. Advanced statistical modeling revealed a nonlinear relationship between these performance objectives, identifying an optimal design zone that surpassed the baseline conditions for both metrics. Cluster analysis further delineates high-performing design groups that achieve substantial environmental improvements while complying with the density requirements. This study makes three key contributions to the scholarship on urban morphology. First, it establishes an empirical basis for block-based housing performance in tropical, high-density contexts. Second, it advances methodological approaches by demonstrating how parametric tools can resolve complex trade-offs between competing environmental objectives under climate and regulatory constraints. Third, it bridges the theoretical frameworks of architecture, urban planning, and computational design disciplines. These findings provide critical evidence to support policy transitions toward block-based development in Dhaka and similar contexts. They further revealed how strategic morphological interventions can address persistent environmental deficiencies in high density housing. This study offers a transferable framework for performance-driven urban design in rapidly developing cities facing comparable density-climate challenges.