Introduction to Bio-Climatic Design

Bio climatic design refers to the relationship between the climate and living matter. Accordingly, bio climatic design is about designing for human beings in a way that considers this relationship. The relationship between the climate and living matter is also central to the pursuit of reduced energy usage in buildings that does not sacrifice human comfort needs. The amount of energy used for heating and cooling a building is determined by (i) the local climate, (ii) the thermal preferences of the occupants and (iii) the form and construction of the building. Within this framework, the primary focus of this course is human thermal comfort and the design of the building. The course starts with an introduction to the theoretical principles of human thermal comfort and methods of climate measurements and thermal comfort assessments. In addition, students will do lab work where they put to use this knowledge and learn the basics of field measurement, thermal comfort assessment and reporting.