¶ … passive solar architecture is nothing new. Socrates observed, more than 2400 years ago, that when a house is facing to the south, the sun's rays penetrate through the windows of the house in the winter, giving heat to the inside, and shines right above the house in the summer, giving shade and cooling on the inside. At that time, this house probably lost heat as fast as it was collected, because of the convective and radiation losses. But the idea was there, which the Romans built upon, by using windows, covered with glass, to trap the solar energy. This caused the internal temperature to stay constant throughout the night.
Passive solar architecture has come a long way since the time of Socrates. Most passive solar homes have the same characteristics in each that make them more energy efficient than they were back then. In the Northern Hemisphere, the windows are facing south, and in the Southern Hemisphere, the windows face north, in order to get the most efficient use of the sun.
Solar radiation passes through solar-oriented glass windows, or solar spaces, and is absorbed by surfaces of the materials inside the insulated envelope of the building. These heated surfaces will re-radiate energy into the interior of the house; the air temperature rises, but the heat does not get rerouted back outside, nor can it escape, resulting in trapped thermal energy.
Light strikes the interior surfaces that are made from high density materials, such as concrete, brick, stone, or adobe. These materials can absorb energy and re-radiate it over time, which results in a very smooth temperature swing...
The occupants and owners of a building are losing money on every green feature they discard. Architects are in a position to save their clients a great deal of money in the operational costs of a building. After all, a great deal more will be spent on the operations, maintenance, and employees in a building than ever was spent upon initial construction costs. Green architecture not only provides a healthier
Glass Fa�adeIntroductionGlass is becoming an essential component of many facades. This material is easily shaped and installed, allowing for the creation of gripping and dominating structures. However, a contemporary construction must meet a number of criteria in addition to esthetic standards to create enough comfort within a structure. It is vital to imagine a structure with an �interactive� shell to improve occupant comfort by increasing the quality of interior space
Residential Construction Project Version description/reason for updating the document Initial version The company will provide project management services to the client for all stages of the residential home construction. Our process consists of the following phases, which are greatly simplified here: Initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing. Project scope: This project is being undertaken in order to build a new residence for the Jones family. The construction project is for a single-family swelling on a
applying to the Making + Meaning summer program is to enhance my understanding of, and ability to create, interesting, thought-provoking, and purpose-driven design. To that end, I am particularly interested in learning more about the tenets of earth sheltering and its practical applications in our modern world. While in many respects we have become divorced from the sustainable design practices of the earliest humans, earth sheltering remains a viable means
Green BuildingExecutive OverviewGreen building is an excellent strategy by which the necessity for applying sustainability and lasting development in the construction business could be dealt with. This report is an evaluation of the green building - The Commons. The Commons is a multiple-residential condominium building situated in Brunswick, Melbourne (approximately 7km from the CBD). The venture was created by a local designer, Jeremy McLeod of Breathe Architecture. This particular case
Renewable Energy and Interdependencies: Six Council Properties Approach and uncertainty: What is the general approach that you will take to reduce carbon emissions associated with the issue that you are looking at and what sources of uncertainty are likely to be important? The six council properties being constructed by regeneration specialist St. Modwen are situated on a brownfield site that was a former oil refinery and production site used by British Petroleum
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now