Autonomous Building Design

ElementsBy Salma Mohamed Abdul Rahman

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Building Orientation

The relationship of the home to the land, the sun, and the wind will greatly affect the overall efficiency of the home. In hot climates, where more building energy is used for cooling, building orientation is especially important. Careful consideration should be given to the east and west orientations as these exposures will have more significant solar heat gain. Thus, the most energy efficient building design in a hot climate area is the one with a long east-west axis 

Tall buildings Pros:•increase the effectiveness of natural ventilation, because wind speeds are faster at greater heights.•can also reduce unwanted gains in hot climates, as the sun's heat strikes more strongly on roofs than on walls in warm latitudes, and tall buildings have less roof area per unit volumeCons: •they also increase the exposed area for heat transfer through the building envelope.  

Shallow buildings Pros:•increase the ratio of surface area to volume.  This will make utilizing natural ventilation for passive cooling easy Cons: •a deep floor plan will make natural ventilation difficult-especially getting air into the core of the building

Building Geometry

Shallow buildings Pros:•increase the ratio of surface area to volume.  This will make utilizing natural ventilation for passive cooling easy Cons: •a deep floor plan will make natural ventilation difficult-especially getting air into the core of the building

Building Geometry

Passive Cooling SystemsBuilding Envelope

Tight Envelope:Insulation is all about the R-value. Although there's lot of science behind it, R-value is simply a measure of a material's resistance to heat traveling through it. There are a variety of building techniques and technology to ensure the proper R- value in the walls of a home. One building approach that is gaining popularity is the insulated concrete form.Insulated concrete forms (ICFs) are rigid plastic foam forms that hold concrete in place during curing and remain in place afterwards to serve as thermal insulation for concrete walls. The foam sections are lightweight and result in energy-efficient, durable construction.

Passive Cooling SystemsBuilding Envelope

Sustainable Curtain Walls:Mullions:Aluminum and steel frames are typically recycled at the end of their service life. Salvage and demolition contractors generally require a minimum of 1,000 sq ft or more of window/curtain wall to make material recycling economical (smaller amounts are generally disposed as general trash). Recycling is less economical if the aluminum is contaminated with sealants, fractured glazing, etc., as salvage companies pay considerably less for the material. There is a limited market for salvaged steel and wood frames.

Passive Solar DesignBuilding Envelope

Sustainable Curtain Walls:Spectral Selective Glass (Smart Glass):Smart glass or glazing is glass that changes light transmission properties under the application of voltage, light or heat.