Regarding high-rise buildings in urban contexts, there is a paradox of intensifying the land by designing infrastructure vertically while still getting optimum natural exposures (e.g. sunlight) to ensure high living quality. The phyllotaxis pattern – the arrangement of leaves by which the plant can minimize self-shading to absorb enough light – is one inspiring solution that can be applied. How different parameter definitions on the phyllotaxis pattern affect the total floor area and solar exposure performances were studied through experimental digital modeling and simulations. The results show that the divergence angle is strongly related to the jugacy and that the jugacy is linearly proportional to the total floor area and inversely proportional to the solar exposure performance. In contrast, internode length is linearly proportional to the solar exposure performance and inversely proportional to the total floor area.

As one application example, urban farming in Singapore was chosen for this preliminary study. 6-jugate phyllotaxis pattern with 30° divergence angle, and 8 meters internode length was recommended since its sun exposure performance meets the leafy vegetables farming requirements and has the largest total floor area. The 280-meter-high tower using that pattern can reduce the land needed to make horizontal farming with the same crop yield by 92%. In conclusion, the phyllotaxis pattern can solve the urban problems by land intensification and solar exposure maximization.

Regarding high-rise buildings in urban contexts, there is a paradox of intensifying the land by designing infrastructure vertically while still getting optimum natural exposures (e.g. sunlight) to ensure high living quality. The phyllotaxis pattern – the arrangement of leaves by which the plant can minimize self-shading to absorb enough light – is one inspiring solution that can be applied. How different parameter definitions on the phyllotaxis pattern affect the total floor area and solar exposure performances were studied through experimental digital modeling and simulations. The results show that the divergence angle is strongly related to the jugacy and that the jugacy is linearly proportional to the total floor area and inversely proportional to the solar exposure performance. In contrast, internode length is linearly proportional to the solar exposure performance and inversely proportional to the total floor area.

As one application example, urban farming in Singapore was chosen for this preliminary study. 6-jugate phyllotaxis pattern with 30° divergence angle, and 8 meters internode length was recommended since its sun exposure performance meets the leafy vegetables farming requirements and has the largest total floor area. The 280-meter-high tower using that pattern can reduce the land needed to make horizontal farming with the same crop yield by 92%. In conclusion, the phyllotaxis pattern can solve the urban problems by land intensification and solar exposure maximization.

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