Climate and building design - tradition, research and design tools

• Published in: Energy and buildings Vol. 7; no. 1; pp. 55 - 69
• Main Author: Shaviv, E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.01.1984; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Buildings. Public works; Climatology and bioclimatics for buildings; Exact sciences and technology; Design; Climatology; Parameter; Thermal comfort; Buildings
• ISSN: 0378-7788
• DOI: 10.1016/0378-7788(84)90045-8

Important design parameters that influence the building thermal behavior and in particular natural cooling are discussed. Among these design parameters are: ventilation, evaporation, proper shading, orientation of the building and its proportions with respect to the orientation, the color of the building's envelope and its conductivity, the thermal mass of the building, night radiation to the sky and the stack effect. The latter is the katabatic and anabatic cooling. Different design tools aimed at the study of the influence of the climatological parameters on the form and characteristics of buildings were developed in recent years. These tools help architects in designing houses with improved indoor thermal conditions without mechanical means, or with minimum energy consumptions. Several design tools, as well as design considerations and traditional constructions, are presented. Emphasis will be put on computer aided design tools.