Robust Climate Design Combines Energy Efficiency with Occupant Health and Comfort

Often, when designing and operating buildings, the goal is to achieve low energy consumption as well as a healthy and comfortable indoor environment. Studies in the US and The Netherlands show a large discrepancy between the predicted and the actual energy consumption of buildings. Some buildings perform better than predicted, while other...

Think designerly! Using multiple simulation tools to solve architectural dilemmas

This paper aims to describe and exemplify the developed concept of ‘designerly’ ways of simulation. Despite the relevance of architectural decisions on thermal and energy performance, the design support frequently relies on qualitative information, which sometimes can be inadequate to specific design situations. Simulation can enhance the...

Understanding envelope design: Survey about architectural practice and building performance

This paper is part of a research that aims to develop simulation methods to support the architectural design practice. To do that, we need to understand how envelope design decisions are taken, which methods are more frequently used and which design definitions are relevant to take specific decisions. An online survey was developed to get...