Environmental Design in Architecture

Evan Schlenk

ENLG2089-013
University of Cincinnati

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Environmental Design in Architecture

Table of Contents
Context .................................................................................................................. 3
Process .................................................................................................................. 5
Analysis ................................................................................................................ 11
Application ............................................................................................................ 16
Activity .................................................................................................................. 20
Works Cited .......................................................................................................... 22
Appendices .......................................................................................................... 27

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Context
Environmental design, in the field of architecture, is designing a building that
intentionally interacts with factors of the environment related to climate. These factors
are focused largely on temperature, humidity, precipitation, solar gain, and wind speed
and direction. Ideally, an architect will consider each factor individually during the
design process and create a building that, as a whole, successfully reduces energy
consumption through passive means. Passive strategies are methods of regulating
temperature that do not require mechanical ventilation, which are known as active
heating and cooling. Passive strategies have long been used in vernacular architecture
around the world, but have garnered an especially increased interest since the energy
crisis of the 1970s (Cockram 120). Since then, architects, engineers, and planners have
worked together to maximize the efficiency of buildings through techniques including
solar shading, cross and stack ventilation, and the use of thermal mass.
These methods are often disseminated through research in the field and trade
journals targeted at industry professionals, however as a student, the undergraduate
architecture curriculum requires me to learn these strategies and implement them in my
own projects. I was introduced to environmental design in a first year course at the
University of Cincinnati, Design Science I. The semester long course was divided into
three sections covering building construction, interior construction, and environmental
technology. Successive courses, Design Science II and Design Science III, have provided
a deeper study of these technologies through texts such as Lechners Heating, Cooling,
Lighting: Sustainable Design Methods for Architects and Smiths Environmental Issues
for Architecture. The classes focused on case study projects, which provide students with

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clearly documented strategies that are easy to discuss and use as influences in academic
projects that are developed as part of the course.
Assessments in Design Science III are distributed between written examinations
and assignments completed outside of class through an environmental analysis program
called DesignBuilder (Bhiwapurkar, Design Science III Syllabus 2). Typically,
examinations test memorization and application of formulas used to calculate the thermal
properties of a building system. Projects are more thorough in their assessment of my
knowledge because they involve modeling passive strategies in a 3D modeling program
as well as assessing the effectiveness of the strategies through qualitative means using
DesignBuilder. Professors in studio design courses also expect to see environmental
considerations in designs, although typically at a less technical and more functional level.
In the professional field, the knowledge and implementation of passive strategies
is the focus of the United States Green Building Councils LEED (Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design) program. This program certifies professionals knowledge of
environmental strategies as well as the implementation of the strategies in a building.
LEED certification is the industry standard for environmental design, and I will be
expected to earn that certification when I enter the workforce full time. More importantly
to me as an aspiring architect, however, a full understanding of environmental design will
allow me to design buildings that are not only responsibly budgeted for the client, but use
energy in a responsible manner for the environment.

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Process
Dr. Pravin Bhiwapurkar will analyze my literacy. Dr. Bhiwapurkar is an Assistant
Professor in the School of Architecture at the University of Cincinnati. He holds a
Bachelor of Architecture from Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology in Nagpur,
India, a Masters in Building Engineering and Management from the School of Planning
and Architecture in New Delhi, India, and a Ph.D. from the Illinois Institute of
Technology. He focuses on environmental technologies and their use in passive heating
and cooling, especially in an urban context. Dr. Bhiwapurkar has several publications
over the past decade, published both by academic institutions as well as organizations and
conferences (Bhiwapurkar, Architecture Faculty 1).
In my current Design Science class, the most commonly used method of
conveying information is a digital 3D model. These are beneficial to the course because
they can be edited and added on to throughout the course of the semester. In
DesignBuilder, the computer can easily analyze the model and produce useful
information regarding the performance of the building. The professor chose this genre
because of its relation to current trends of digital modeling. The architecture curriculum
emphasizes 3D modeling, so completing projects digitally is not especially challenging.
In addition to digital models, the following textual elements are the most
commonly used methods of documentation in architecture school. Physical models and
sketches can be employed to quickly convey an idea, while construction documents,
photographs, and physical models are typically used for projects that are under
construction or completed.

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Digital Models
Digital models can be used to accurately model buildings in 3D. Additionally,
software can analyze these models for a number of metrics, including solar gain and heat
loss through walls and windows.
Physical Models
Physical models, while not as detailed or accurate as a digital model, can be used
to analyze shading and solar orientation using actual sunlight or a heliodon, an artificial
light source that can be calibrated to provide sunlight equivalent to any time, date, and
location. Physical models are also beneficial to those who prefer a tactile experience
when gathering information.
Construction Documents
Construction documents are scaled drawings that are produced by architects that
contractors use to construct a building. In many cases, they are hard to obtain as they
are protected under copyright laws, but some firms may publish them in magazines and
trade journals. Especially useful are detail drawings, which are at a larger scale to show
the construction of building systems.
Sketches
Sketches can also show details related to passive design, although they are
usually not measured or used for actual construction. They are easier for those outside of
the profession to understand because they are not as technical. Fuller Moore is a notable
architect whose sketches are used in Design Science courses at UC.

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Sun Path Diagrams

Sun path diagrams show the suns altitude and azimuth angles at times and dates
throughout the year. Altitude angle is the angle above the horizon, and azimuth angle is
the angle of the sun in plan, usually noted in relation to a cardinal direction. These are
crucial in passive solar design, especially in designing overhanging shading.

Figure 2.1 (Lechner 593)

Psychrometric Chart
A psychrometric chart displays temperature and humidity relationships. The chart
is divided into 4 sections: cold and wet, cold and dry, hot and wet, and hot and dry. The
human thermal comfort zone is a range of temperatures and humidity measurements on
the chart. If the climate is not located in the comfort zone, the air in a building must be
altered to meet those conditions either actively or passively.
Photographs

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Photographs display parts of building systems that may be difficult to visualize
through 2D drawings or models. Since the building is actually constructed if it is shown
in a photo, the system is implemented in reality and can be gauged by its actual
performance rather than a simulation.
The following terms are important to a full understanding of environmental
design. Definitions come from Lechners Heating, Cooling, Lighting, which covers the
basics of passive design.
Passive strategies and active strategies (Lechner)*
Classifies design methods into two categories, active (the use of mechanical
systems to alter interior air conditions) and passive (changes in air that do not require
mechanical systems)
The principles of passive ventilation linked to cooling are well established, and
have been used in vernacular building for many centuries Ventilation openings are
placed and sized to encourage large air movements at night and limited, controllable
ventilation during the day. Air moves through the building as a result of wind pressure
differences between inlet and outlet openings, and stack pressure differences, which
result from differences in temperature (Gage, Hunt, Linden 1)
The building, designed to be cooled using passive cross ventilation, eliminated the
need for active mechanical ventilation at night.
Solar gain (Lechner)
Thermal comfort (Lechner)*
This is a quantifiable way to determine whether the conditions in a particular
space are comfortable for most people.

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The American Society for Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers
(ASHRAE) defines thermal comfort as that condition of mind which expresses
satisfaction with the thermal environment (Lechner 64).
The goal of a building is to regulate air conditions to meet temperature and
humidity requirements to maximize thermal comfort.
Psychrometrics (Lechner)
Altitude and azimuth (Lechner)*
The two components that measure sun location, used to design shading.
The most useful components are the altitude angle, which is measured in a
vertical plane, and the azimuth angle, which is measured in a horizontal plane (Lechner
136).
At noon in December, the suns azimuth angle is the same as July, although its
altitude angle is much smaller, meaning the sun is lower in the sky.
Thermal envelope (Lechner)*
Used to describe the barrier between interior and exterior.
The term thermal envelope refers to the shell of the building as a barrier to
unwanted heat or mass transfer between the interior of the building and the outside
conditions (IPCC).
By increasing the thickness of insulated materials in the wall, the thermal envelope
prevented greater transfer of energy from interior to exterior.
Heat flow, thermodynamics (Lechner)*
Measuring how energy transfers between materials in a system or the interior and
exterior of a building.

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Heat is lost by transmission through ceilings, walls, floors, windows, and doors.
Heat flow by transmission occurs by a combination of conduction, convection, and
radiation (Lechner 463).
A larger heat flow occurs through windows compared to walls because the walls
have a higher R-Value, indicating that they insulate the room more effectively.
Shading device (Lechner)
Thermal mass (Lechner)
Daylighting (Lechner)
Knowledge of these terms is important to interacting in the discourse community
of architecture school. Professors, especially those whose classes cover environmental
technologies like Design Science, use these terms frequently, so it is critical to have a full
understanding of them. Additionally, applying these terms to design projects in other
classes will produce an environmentally considerate building, which is an important
factor in grading, especially in higher-level studio courses. I have already begun
employing these terms and their related strategies in my studio courses, as demonstrated
in the following analysis section.

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Analysis
This is a shading device designed for my final studio project this semester (ARCH
2002). Using a table, I determined that a building in Newport, Kentucky would need to be
shaded until September 21st (Lechner 226). Using a sun chart for Northern Kentucky
7-8

Louvered Shading
Device

12-0

Opaque Glass
Beginning 10-0
A.F.F.

50

Exterior Wall Section

Scale:

N.T.S.

Figure 3.1

(40 N. Latitude), I determined the altitude angle of the sun at noon on September 21st
to be 50 above the horizon (fig. 2.1, Lechner 593). Using my designed wall height of 12
feet, the shading device needed to be about 7.7 feet to shade the entire window at noon.
The section (fig. 3.1) is cut through the wall, floor, and shading device. This section
serves as a graphical representation of a model that shows my design intent for the
project. The implementation of a shading device in a studio project shows that I can
successfully adapt knowledge gained in Design Science courses in other areas of study.

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The following is an excerpt from a Design Science III (SAID 2063) project
dealing with insulation. The requirements were to develop a wall in DesignBuilder that
met a standard R-Value of 20 (Smith 221). The wall uses common residential

Figure 3.1

construction consisting of a wood frame filled with fiberglass insulation and covered on
both sides with gypsum board. The exterior is coated with stucco, a plaster-like
waterproof finish. Changing the thicknesses of each material changes the R-Value, with a
higher value indicating better insulating properties (fig. 3.2). Because this information is
tied to a digital model, it is easy to gather accurate information about the building. This
proves my expertise of building materials, as well as their relationships in a wall system.
Figure 3.3 is a condensation analysis of the wood frame wall described in figure
3.2. DesignBuilder ran a simulation on the wall type to determine if moisture would be
trapped at any point in the wall, which could result in mold or damage to the materials.
The simulation measures the temperature change across materials based on R-Values, and
found that at no point in the wall would the temperature reach the dew point, which is the

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temperature at which water condenses (Smith 213). Presented as a section, the image
shows how temperature increases along the wall rather than as a set of data points. This

Figure 3.2

visually makes it easy to understand which materials provide the most thermal resistance
and which provide the least insulation for the building. Again, this proves my expertise
on building materials and especially their arrangement in a system to avoid unwanted
moisture buildup in the system.
Appendix 1 is a full submission for Design Science III. Again studying shading,
the assignment compared three types of shading devices: an overhang, a series of louvers,
and side fins. The results showed that louvers were the most successful at reducing heat
gain; with side fins second and a single overhang last. The final deliverable was a
maximum reduction in heat gain, which we achieved using a combination of louvers and
side fins. This assignment was presented in a graphical format to display information

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using DesignBuilder. The program allowed us to quickly cycle through shading devices
while documenting their solar gain properties through simulations. The purpose of this
assignment was to gain literacy on shading, and at the end we demonstrated knowledge
of shading through optimization.
The following project dealt with lighting conditions using shading devices. Figure
3.4 is a control, using unshaded windows to demonstrate how high the daylight factor,

Figure 3.3

which is a measure of light intensity, can be near a window. The recommended daylight
factor for the kitchen area shown is 2.0 (Smith 108), but reached 10.0 with no shading
devices employed. Using louvers (fig. 3.5) significantly decreased the daylight factor to
an acceptable amount for a kitchen, indicated by a reduction in red in the graphic. The
presentation of the information in a heat map-style graphic allows the viewer to
understand easily where the light is most intense. It also makes comparing two scenarios
quicker and easier because of the simple visual layout. This assignment demonstrated
knowledge of the interior lighting properties of shading devices, whereas previously the

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Figure 3.5

assignments dealt primarily with solar gain and energy comparisons. This is an important
part of design that is often overlooked when dealing with environmental technologies, but
interior conditions are also important in architecture.

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Application
The culmination of my study of passive design thus far and shading devices in
particular has been the implementation of a shading device on my final design for
Architecture Studio II, ARCH 2002. My proposal is a facility to house the Cincinnati
Junior Rowing Club, a youth rowing team that is currently located on the banks of the
Licking River in Newport, KY. The building consists of boat storage, locker rooms, and

Figure 4.1

exercise facilities for the team and offices for its leadership. The shading device design,
shown in section on page 11 in the activity section of this paper, considers the location of
my proposed building, Newport, KY, along with the solar geometry associated with that
location. Referencing a table found in Lechners Heating, Cooling, Lighting and a
reference city of Indianapolis, IN, I determined that an envelope dominated building
(meaning that the building has more exterior glazing than solid wall by surface area) will
be overheated by solar gain until September 21st of a given year (226). Next, I found the

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altitude angle of the sun at noon on September 21st at the nearest latitude, which was 40
north. The angle was 50 above the horizon (fig 2.1, Lechner 593). My height from finish
floor to finish floor in my proposed building was 12-0 and using trigonometry I
determined that an overhanging shading device would need to protrude ~7.7 from the
faade of the building to shade it completely on September 21st. In order to maintain the
massing strategies I had already established for my building, I decided to set the glazing
back 7-8 rather than extend the shading device out from the building. This meant that
the foundation, shading overhangs, and roof lined up to visually keep a vertical plane on
the south side of the building (fig. 4.1).
The use of shading devices, even in a theoretical project, is important to reducing
the overall energy use of a building. By reducing heat gain through windows by blocking
direct sunlight, the cooling needs of the building will be significantly lower than a
building with unshaded glazing. When combined with other passive cooling strategies,
the use of mechanical cooling can be completely eliminated. When coupled with
photovoltaic panels (solar panels), the building owner can actually sell energy back to the
electrical company. Not only does the implementation of passive strategies benefit the
building owner by reducing expenditures, but it also benefits the environment by
reducing the need to produce energy, which in Cincinnati is primarily through the
burning of fossil fuels.

Professional Skills

Develop thermally effective wall systems

Calculate heat gains and losses through materials

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Design shading devices that respond to scale, location, and orientation

Create 3D building models digitally using Revit

Produce construction documents, including plans, sections, elevations, and details

Implement passive design strategies in academic projects

Test thermal properties of building systems and determine most effective solution

Analyze building properties digitally with DesignBuilder

Research solar geometry and apply it beginning with schematic design

Skills I Need to Gain

Transfer academic knowledge about passive design into real-world projects

Work with other designers and engineers to implement most effective passive
strategies for a building

Develop further knowledge of building materials and systems

These skills, both the ones I currently have and the ones I need to develop, will be
incredibly beneficial to me as I progress through architecture school as well as gain more
responsibility in the professional world. Passive design, as mentioned above, benefits not
only the client, but also the environment. As the emphasis on environmental design in
architecture grows, employers will be looking for designers who possess the knowledge
to implement passive strategies on a full building scale. Researching for this paper in
conjunction with my studio project has given me extra insight into passive design, and
especially solar shading devices. While this is already a component of the undergraduate
architecture curriculum at Cincinnati, by taking extra interest in passive design, I have set
myself ahead of peers who are taking Design Science courses but have not yet applied the

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information to their projects outside of class. I feel it is the responsibility of the architect
to design the most efficient and environmentally effective building possible, and in
learning as much as I can in the academic world, I am setting myself up to be a forward
thinking designer in the professional world.

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Activity
The audience of the presentation consists of students in an honors section of
ENGL2089, Intermediate Composition. Because it is an honors section, the intelligence
of the students is high, but their majors vary widely. There are an especially high number
of pre-medicine students, including biology and chemistry majors, as well as a cluster of
design majors from DAAP. The students are relatively quiet, so participation may be
difficult to obtain, but it will be critical to keep everyone interested in my presentation, so
I should cater to both creative and technical personalities. The material I am presenting
will most likely be new to most of the audience, but I am expecting it to be easy to
explain my premise using a mixture of common and technical terms.
My topic is architectural shading devices. I will be presenting a brief introduction
to the devices and their purpose, as well as the process of using sun charts and solar
geometry to design them. My presentation will consist of a series of slides that provide
the information I used to design my studio model. I will then use the model and a phone
flashlight to demonstrate its effectiveness during different times of the year. I am
presenting this information because it is one of the focuses of my Design Science class
this semester, as well as an interest of mine in my future profession. The presentation will
show I am literate in the design of shading devices through the demonstration of a model
as well as the technical information behind it.
Since there are no other architecture majors in the audience for this presentation, I
will need to provide enough background information to make my work understandable.
Once they understand a few key terms, the information should not be too challenging so I
do not believe I will need to adapt my presentation to suit the audience much. I will try to

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keep the audience engaged with questions and potentially ask them to use their own
phone flashlights for a personal demonstration. Hopefully keeping them involved in the
presentation will keep them engaged and interested in the material, even if they do not
have an interest in solar geometry and shading outside of this class.
The purpose of this presentation will be to inform. Although it will not be a very
in-depth presentation, I hope that others in the class will be able to identify a shading
device on a building if they see one and remember their purpose. I will not be testing the
audience on their retention of the information I will be presenting, so I will not know for
sure if they fully understand. At the very least I hope they have a good time shining their
flashlights around in class.
Elements I will include in my demonstration and presentation will be a physical
model, images of example devices, a rendered image of my shading device on a building,
sun charts, and diagrams. I selected this genre because I wanted to include a physical
model in my presentation. I feel this is the best way to present information because the
audience will be more engaged with a physical demonstration rather than a conventional
slide presentation. The presentation will show I am literate in the design of shading
devices, both through the demonstration of a model as well as the technical information
behind it.
Materials Needed:

Model

Cellphone(s) with flashlight

InDesign for putting together presentation

Charts and diagrams to put into presentation

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Works Cited
Arsenault, Peter J. "Sustainability, Modular Design, And BIM: Incorporating The Most UpTo-Date Thinking Into An Integrated Design And Construction Process Yields Exciting
Projects." Architectural Record 203.12 (2015): 176-179. Print.
This article discusses sustainable design through the use of modern building information
modeling (BIM) software. The audience is industry professionals, as it was found in a
trade magazine. The context and purpose of the article are to introduce architects and
employees to modular design using BIM software.
Bhiwapurkar, Pravin. "Architecture Faculty." University of Cincinnati. Web. 16 July 2016.
Faculty biography for my Design Science III professor, containing his publications and
education.
Bhiwapurkar, Pravin. Design Science III Syllabus. 2016. School of Architecture, University of
Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH. PDF.
This is the syllabus for my current environmental technologies class, Design Science III. It
includes learning objectives for the course, as well as required and recommended texts
that will be beneficial in research for this project.
Ching, Francis D. K. Building Construction Illustrated. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2014.
Print.
The Ching book is one of the most well known in the architecture profession. Nearly everyone
at my last co-op had a copy on their desk. It contains pertinent details for every aspect of
architecture neatly drawn and clearly explained.
The audience is broad, as it is primarily written for students but many professionals use it in
practices. The text exists to document standard detailing for construction documents and

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explain graphics standards. The information is primarily presented in a graphical
method, with short descriptions for each image. The context of the book is simplifying
complicated drawings for easier understanding and implementation.
Cockram, Michael. "Adapting To New Environs: As Passive House Certification Gains
Ground In The United States, The Standards Are Modified For North America's Diverse
Climate Conditions." Architectural Record 203.4 (2015): 120. Print.
This article discusses standards for passive buildings, which are heated and cooled without
the use of mechanical systems. It compares American standards to their European
counterparts. The audience is industry professionals, and the context is changing
standards that architects need to follow to have construction be certified as passive.
Gage, Stephen A., G. R. Hunt, and P. F. Linden. "Top Down Ventilation And Cooling."
Journal Of Architectural & Planning Research 18.4 (2001): 286-301. Avery Index to
Architectural Periodicals. Web. 4 July 2016.
This article from a trade journal discusses problems and solutions to using passive cooling
strategies in an urban environment. The intended audience is architects and those in the
profession. The text exists to describe strategies that architects may use to cool a building
in a densely populated location without the need for mechanical ventilation.
Hartman, Hattie. "Open The Window And Let The Natural Ventilation In." Architects' Journal
228.4 (2008): 46-48. Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals. Web. 4 July 2016.
This article presents three case studies in passive ventilation from the firm of Foster +
Partners, led by famed architect Norman Foster. The intended audience is architects and
design professionals, as the article is from a British trade journal. The text exists to
document advances in passive strategies from a particular firm.

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Hartman, Hattie, Jonathan Hines, and Justin Bere. "Sustainability In Practice." Architects'
Journal 235.7 (2012): 47. Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals. Web. 4 July 2016.
This article is a write-up about two projects by a British architecture firm that employ passive
strategies. It is from a British journal, so the audience is British architects. The articles
purpose was to describe the techniques used and the process to design the two buildings
using passive strategies.
Lechner, Norbert. Heating, Cooling, Lighting: Sustainable Design Methods for Architects.
Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2009. Print.
The Lechner book contains great case studies of buildings that employ environmental
technologies. It includes photographs and drawings along with technical specifications.
The audience is students. The text exists as an introduction to environmental technologies. The
information is presented in a case study format in which components of a building are
studied and compared to others. The context of the book is a need for an introduction to
green building for students, which is becoming increasingly emphasized in school.
Malin, Nadav. "Making Sense Of The New LEED: The Latest Version Of The Widely
Adopted Green Building Standard Is Set To Debut In November With The Most
Thorough Overhaul Since Its Inception. Here's What You Need To Know." Architectural
Record 201.9 (2013): 133-136. Print.
The article, from Architectural Record, discusses (then) new changes to LEED standards,
which are now currently adopted. The intended audience is professionals, as a way of
keeping them up to date on changes from the US Green Building Council through a
commonly read journal.

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Neuman, Serge, and Alistair Grice. "Dynamic Passive Strategies: Where Architecture And
Facade Automation Merge." Architecture Australia 101.4 (2012): 112-113. Avery Index
to Architectural Periodicals. Web. 4 July 2016.
This article, from an Australian trade journal, discusses the use of variable facades to shade
buildings, reducing heat gain. The article is intended for professionals in the architecture
industry. The purpose is to inform architects about updated technology that could be used
to reduce the need for active cooling strategies.
Schlenk, Evan. Ext. Wall Section. AutoCAD Drawing. 7 July 2016
Schlenk, Evan and Melaina Schneider. Condensation Analysis Report. DesignBuilder
Diagram. 8 June 2016.
Schlenk, Evan and Melaina Schneider. Daylighting Analysis Report. DesignBuilder
Diagram. 6 July 2016.
Schlenk, Evan and Melaina Schneider. Project 7. 22 June 2016. Print
Smith, David Lee. Environmental Issues for Architecture. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons,
2011. Print.
The Smith book contains formulas and technical information about the technology covered in
the Lechner book. It is much more technically written with fewer diagrams and photos,
but has more information.
The audience is students and professionals. The text exists to provide formulas and
calculations for students in relation to environmental design. The information is
presented through text, charts, tables, and graphs. It is more of a reference than a true
textbook.

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"6.4.2 Thermal Envelope." - AR4 WGIII Chapter 6: Residential and Commercial Buildings.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007. Web. 12 July 2016.

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Appendices
Appendix 1

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