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How to design thermally efficient buildings - especially everything that's going on with climate crisis. The thermal comfort solution to everything in the last
by a_square_peg 4y ago
How to design thermally efficient buildings - especially everything that's going on with climate crisis. The thermal comfort solution to everything in the last 70 years has been to put an HVAC on it, whereas if the buildings were designed properly, the need to actively maintain internal temperature is minimized.
After talking to architects, I'm dismayed that basic heat transfer is not a part of their curriculum.
- Oarch 4y agoEx architect in Europe here. It definitely is and has been part of standard curriculums for at least the last 20 years.
- a_square_peg 4y agoThanks for the info and I stand corrected. I had based my information talking to a few graduates from MIT/Penn State university.
- sofixa 4y agoHVACs are very rare outside of industrial and some office buildings across most of Europe. Buildings with innovative designs(like opening up during the night to cool itself and using that cool air to refresh during the day) exist. Thermal efficiency is taken very seriously and is a serious part of building codes.
- anamexis 4y agoHVAC includes normal heating systems.
- dublinben 4y agoThere's no secret how to build efficient buildings. There's standards like passive solar, zero energy building design and passive house that have been in practice for decades. These just aren't as widely known in the US as they are in Europe.