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A Novel Methodology to Assess Mean Radiant Temperature in Complex Outdoor Spaces
The increasing complexity of modern architectural geometries emphasizes the need for more accurate simplified calculations of comfort analysis in architectural design. Such computations often require to solve complicated equations, among which the calculation of Mean Radiant Temperature (MRT) is notable. … Continue reading
Is Exterior Glare Problematic? Investigation on Visual Discomfort Caused by Reflected Sunlight on Specular Building Facades
Highly reflective and specular building envelopes have been widely adopted to help maximize energy performance of buildings and to achieve occupant thermal and visual comfort. This strategy has ensured these benefits inside the building envelope while making a significant and … Continue reading
Crisis Architecture: Colonising unfinished residential structures
This paper tackles the environmental and social challenges that have emerged in the aftermath of the recent economic crisis. The acute recession that has dramatically struck Europe has had devastating consequences, not only for national economies but also for the population. In … Continue reading
Migrant Centre and Primary School in Lampedusa (IT)
The island of Lampedusa has been the main gateway to Europe for thousands of African and Middle-East migrants seeking asylum. Current national and international policies have aimed to deal with this phenomenon by containing the refugees in detention centres that are separated from … Continue reading
Passive Town Kurobe Model – A sustainable community project in Kurobe
Passive Town Kurobe Model is conceptualised to be a sustainable community project in Kurobe City, Japan with a population of about 42000, and home to several international industries. This housing complex with 36 units will be rented to the employees’ families and other … Continue reading
Changes in Culture and Architecture from Vernacular to Modern: M.P., India
India is known for its rich cultural heritage. The culture plays an important role in defining the architecture of a place or people with time. Madhya Pradesh is one of the states of India. The objective of the paper is … Continue reading
A quiet revolution: Mapping energy use in low carbon communities
Recent Government funding in the UK has enabled 22 low carbon community organisations to work with the private and academic sector to understand and reduce energy consumption in domestic and non-domestic buildings. This has helped communities prepare for policy mechanisms such as … Continue reading
The Catalyst Role of School Architecture in Enhancing Children’s Environmental Behavior
The interrelationships between school design and children learning are well established. Less evident is the relationship between sustainable school design and the level of environmental behaviour of the children in attendance. Newly erected primary schools in Australia have been broadly graded as … Continue reading
Design, Development and Construction of an Outdoor Testing Facility for STPV Modules
Building-integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) is one of the most promising technologies enabling buildings to generate on-site part of their electricity needs while performing architectural functionalities. A clear example of BIPV products consists of semi-transparent photovoltaic modules (STPV), designed to replace the … Continue reading
Ideahaus: A Comfortable Home for the UK’S Future Climate
This paper describes the result of a project to develop climate adaptation design strategies funded by the UK’s Technology Strategy Board. The aim of the project was to look at the threats and opportunities presented by industrialised and lightweight housebuilding techniques in … Continue reading