Bioclimatic Design—Where to Start?

Abstract

In a similar manner as plants, through the millennia animals and humans have adapted to the environmental constraints. In addition, buildings have evolved in order to respond to the environment. Bioclimatic building design is an engineering practice where the primary focus is on the building’s performance in respect to the given environmental conditions as well as the occupant’s needs. The stated goal can be accomplished through multiple approaches, either using passive solutions or active mechanical measures. However, in the light of striving for lower environmental impact and energy use of buildings, passive solutions on the level of the building envelope are preferred, as they will directly influence the operational energy performance of buildings without additional energy use, while providing higher levels of indoor comfort. Central to the notion of bioclimatic building design is the understanding that the most sustainable way to design buildings is firstly to adapt them to the environment and its occupants and in the next step to apply the state of the art technologies in order to enable appropriate functioning throughout their life cycle. Within this chapter, a concise introduction to the field of bioclimatic design will be presented.