The Bioclimatics of Science and Research Buildings

Science and research facilities are among the most energy intensive forms of building, but we miss tremendous architectural opportunities if we approach them solely as an energy issue. In contrast, bioclimatic design begins with the experience of the occupants and the potentials of the building envelope. This directly empowers architects in their primary role, and by designing for comfort and indoor environmental quality, we produce better buildings that use less energy.

This talk with review the original principles of bioclimatic design from the 1950s, which focused on the building envelope to mediate between human comfort and local climate conditions. That analysis will be expanded to include the potentials of local environmental resources combined with smarter envelopes and HVAC systems in case studies of recent science and research buildings.

Speakers:
Dr. William W. Braham, FAIA, Professor, University of Pennsylvania, Department of Architecture

About the Speaker:
William W. Braham, PhD, FAIA, is a Professor of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania, where he previously served as Department Chair and Chair of the Faculty Senate, and is currently Director of the Master of Environmental Building Design and of the Center for Environmental Building + Design. He has worked on energy and architecture for over 35 years as a designer, consultant, researcher, and author of numerous articles and books. His most recent projects include energy and carbon plans for Nakashima Woodworkers and Chautauqua Institution and building performance modeling for Daikin Open Innovation Lab, Silicon Valley.