In this episode of Infrared Cities Community Talks, we have the pleasure of hosting Mostapha Sadeghipour Roudsari, co-founder of Ladybug Tools and Pollination Cloud. Mostapha is a renowned expert in the field of building performance simulation and has made significant contributions to the development of accessible and user-friendly tools for sustainable design. In our conversation, we delve into the evolution of building performance simulation, the challenges faced by the industry, and the potential for innovative tools and platforms to drive the adoption of environmentally responsive architecture.

Mostapha emphasized the crucial role of the open source community of Ladybug Tools had in making building performance simulation more accessible and collaborative. By fostering knowledge sharing and enabling collective innovation, these communities have become a driving force in the development of user-friendly and continuously evolving tools.

Key points

• Specialist communities have emerged as a driving force in making building performance simulation more accessible, collaborative, and continuously evolving, by fostering knowledge sharing and collective innovation among users and developers
• Seamless integration of simulation tools into the architectural design process encourages a more holistic and iterative approach to sustainable design, enabling designers to explore the performance implications of their decisions in real-time
• Cloud computing and AI are revolutionizing building performance simulation by enabling more complex, integrated, and scalable analysis workflows, allowing processes to be distributed without the limitations of local machine processing power
• Effective use of simulation tools requires not only powerful software but also education and a deep understanding of building science principles, to ensure that users can interpret results accurately and make informed design decisions
• The building industry faces significant challenges in adopting performance-based design at scale, requiring a shift in mindset, workflows, and collaboration among stakeholders, as well as better integration of simulation into decision-making processes

Mostapha’s insights highlight the importance of accessible, integrated, and community-driven tools in advancing sustainable building design. As the industry moves forward, a combination of powerful tools, education, collaboration, and a willingness to adopt new workflows change will be essential in creating a more sustainable and resilient built environment. The future of architecture lies in the hands of those who are passionate about driving change and empowering others to make a difference.