W 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Anderson Hall, Room 154
There is an inherent complexity to building energy performance, in particular in the context of our rapidly changing world. This course examines how architects can respond to such nuanced context, studying the ways in which buildings respond to both climatic and cultural conditions. The students will be introduced to digital and manual energy-efficiency tools—including a highly effective hand-calculation method—empowering them to make important environmental design decisions quickly, efficiently and elegantly. Supplementing these manual methods, a graphic-based software will enable the students to engage the subtle attributes of climate and energy flows, including the impact of different materials, climate zones and cultural approaches on built forms and typologies.
The course is intended to demystify the fact that architects must always rely on simulation software to make important decisions about building performance, instead empowering the students to be the main drivers of their own design approach to larger environmental issues. The course is intended to advance architecture’s relevance in today’s world, considering various global warming and heat wave scenarios. It examines the energy responses to the dynamic heating and cooling needs, considering various approaches to reduce carbon emissions, with a particular focus on passive strategies. By studying how a single building design changes its environmental footprint in various ecological contexts of Mexico—from humid to dry, from coastal to mountainous, from urban to rural—the students will consider thermal comfort and energy consumption both as empirical and cultural categories that vary greatly around the world (and even within a single country).
Small, focused, intermediate-level course in discussion, workshop and/or design-based format on topics related to current research in architecture. Open to qualified non-architecture students, juniors, and above. Space is limited and registration does not guarantee a space in this course. The final course roster is formulated on the first day of class by the individual instructor.