Toward a Sustaining Architecture for the 21st Century/The Promise of Cradle to Cradle Design
by William McDonough

Download article in UNEP document and read pages 9 (13 in the text)-12 (16). Browse through for other great articles.

Choices - by David Nye (on reserve in the library)

In the closing chapter of his book, Consuming Power: A Social History of American Energies, author David Nye questions how the U.S. became the world's largest consumer of energy. Through a discussion of the design of cities, buildings, building technologies and energy crises. Nye examines the multitude of cultural choices that have influenced our patterns of use, and makes a powerful argument for how our vast consumption shapes everything from our economic well-being to the quality of our environment.

Establishing Priorities with Green Buildings - by Alex Wilson and Nadav Malin

In this article, the editors of Environmental Building News outline the critical factors in prioritizing measures in ecological design, and present their own ranking of the eleven most important measures. The ranking of energy efficiency as first highlights the role of Arch140 in training for sustainable design.

Fundamentals of Energy - by CBE Staff

This summary page sets out the common quantities we will deal with in Arch140. It defines and shows the symbol and units for energy, heat, specific heat, volumetric heat capacity, thermal mass, and power. Use this page as reference while you get used to these quantitites.

Introduction to Solar Geometry - adapted from Damon Watson and Raymond Glover

This reading discusses how the sun appears to move in the sky (when in fact it is the rotation and tile of the earth that is changing and not the position of the sun). Using several graphical models, the reading presents an overview of the relation between the sun and earth and highlights the terminology we wil use in this course to discuss different angles relating to how solar radiation strikes a surface or how an object casts a shadow. Shading masks, the solar path finder and the concept of the analemma is also covered in this reading.

Solar Transit - by CBE Staff

A solar transit is a device that can be used to determine solar access at a site. It helps a user model the seasonal path of the sun across the visible sky at a site and locate horizon obstructions. This article explaiE how a solar transit works and how to use one. A supplement is posted on the website with plans for building one of your own.

Shading Masks and Shadow Casting - by CBE Staff

This reading explains the concept of a shading mask and how to calculate the shadows cast by a building ­plan for a specific day and time. Shading masks are powerful tools for designing overhangs and other sun controls on buildings. The reading details the steps for constructing a shading mask. It also explains how to calculate and draw connect shadows on a plan drawing for any day and time. A shadow mask example and a cast shadow example are worked out for the Wurster Hall courtyard.

A Building’s Energy Balance - by CBE Staff

This reading introduces the concept of a physical system and its boundary. In Arch 140 we'll consider energy flowing in and out of a system as the basis for setting up the equations to handle thermal performance problems. This reading lays the foundation for working thermal mass problems introduced in ltcture.

Heat Transfer Mechanisms - by CBE Staff

Thermodynamics and its three laws are defined in this reading, as is the concept of heat transfer and the transfer mechanisms: conduction, convection, radiation, and phase changes. Then, the reading presents a narrative introduction of heat transfer through walls, heat transfer in series, and heat transfer in parallel.

Thermal Delight - by Lisa Heschong
This reading is on reserve in the CED library.

This is an excerpt from the 1979 article by Lisa Heschong Thermal Delight in Architecture. It presents a poetic and thought provoking description of human thermal comfort and its mechanisms. It's an article you will always remember when you sit on a cold rock or walk into a hot room after skiing. Read it to help you figure out what thermal comfort means.

Notes on Radiation - by McGuinness, Stein & Reynolds

The physical process of radiation is explained in detail in this reading. It defines and explains emissivity, absorptivity, reflectivity, and transmissivity, and the equations that govern their behavior. In order to relate this material to buildings, the article uses these concepts to show how glass works. Glass is a critical mati in building and design, and this discussion of its behavior in relation to solar radiation is an important pi for understanding how buildings inhabit their environment.

Heat Flow in Series and Parallel - by CBE Staff

Introduction to Series & Parallel Heat Transfer This reading explains how to calculate the resistance (R-value) and U-value for typical building walls made up of many different materials. It starts with simple assemblies of material in series (like a sandwich), and then in parallel (side-by-side, such as a stud wall with insulation). These methods are the fundamental building blocks for understanding conductive heat flow through a building's envelope.

Determining Intermediate Temperature - by CBE Staff

If the temperature inside a house if 75°F and the temperature outside is 40oP, then the temperature in the that separates these two will be somewhere between these two. This reading presents a method for calculating the temperature inside a wall at various points. It also gives some examples of these calculations.

Infiltration - by CBE Staff

Infiltration is the industry term for leaky windows. This article goes into detail explaining the reasons for infiltration and how to deal with it in buildings. Many of the terms commonly used when discussing infiltration are defined here.

Perimeter Heat Loss - by CBE Staff

This one-page reading presents some wall-floor section drawings and talks briefly about how heat can flow out of a building at these points. It points out how significantly different construction methods influence heat loss here.

Energy Estimating Methods- by CBE Staff

This reading introduces a method for estimating how much energy a building will use-the Balance Point method. It presents an overview of the method and then goes into the details of how the method works and how to apply it. This is a simple but powerful concept that brings together many of the topics in Arch 140 so far.

Thermal Comfort & Psychrometrics - by Fuller Moore

We use energy to heat and cool buildings to make people comfortable, and so the study of thermal comfort is an essential part of understanding how to use that energy most efficiently. This reading talks about the major environmental variables that influence our comfort, and introduces a graphic tool- the psychrometric chart - as a way of understanding the temperature and humidity properties of air and how they are linked. The reading ends with an introduction to the Building Bioclimatic Chart, a powerful tool for assessing the potential for climate responsive design strategies.

Title 24 & LEED

Explore the Title 24 California state energy efficiency standards, remembering that this is the baseline for buildings in California.

Explore the USGBC website for an introduction LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

Solar Geometry Variables - by CBE Staff

The nomenclature and equations involved in solar geometry are defined and explained in this reading. It serves as a useful reference as you become familiar with this topic and expands on the basics covered in Reading 5: Introduction to Solar Geometry.

Introduction to Sundials - by CBE Staff

Sundial Introduction The geometry and construction of sundials are presented in this introduction. It shows an overview of sundial types and explains how each works. It explains the terminology associated with sundials and shows how to construct a geometrically correct sundial.

Shading Masks and Fenestration Design - by CBE Staff

This reading explains how to use shading masks as a tool for designing the fenestration on a bUilding. It demonstrates in detail how to construct a shading mask for many different solar control configurations and orientations. It also shows completed shading masks for typical fin configurations.

Daylighting Applications - by Cris Benton

The case for proper use of daylight in building design is made clearly and strongly in the article by Berkeley Professor Cris Benton. It introduces the topic, and lays out some of the history of daylight design in the United States. It makes the argument for daylighting based on conserving energy, reducing the peak energy demands in a building, and for the benefit of building occupants. It then goes on to explain how to design daylighting systems by breaking down the different ways light can be admitted to a building. Two techniques for designing with daylight are introduced-calculating light levels with equations and using scale models for analysis. Finally, some case studies in the use of daylight are presented, including a large office building and a small public library.

Testing Daylighting Designs Using Models

Physical models of a building provide a means of accurately predicting interior daylight illumination. Thi~ article explains how to building and use scale models as a tool for daylighting design. It covers model construction, testing, and measurement, and provides photos of example models.

Cool Glazing - by Jennifer Schuman

This article from Progressive Architecture explains the art and science of designing high tech windows that admit light but not heat. It lays out the terminology and physics behind these special windows and provides an overview on how to select the best window for different situations. (Jennifer Schuman, the author of this article, is a Berkeley graduate.)

Processes Affecting Climate on the Building Site - by CBE Staff

ThIs paper summarized the climatic processes that cause the local climate-microclimate-on building sites. The local climate can influence among other properties a building's efficiency, the comfort of its occupants and its resistance to the effects of weather. Some of the characteristics and causes of microclimates are examined and explained in this article.

Passive Solar Systems - by CBE Staff

Direct gain, indirect gain, and isolated gain passive solar design schemes are explained and compared in summary article. Section diagrams for each type of design accompany each description and clearly illustrates the fundamental concepts being applied.

Mechanical Systems - by Allen & Iano

This reading was designed to help people select heating and cooling systems for the preliminary design p of small buildings. It provides a useful overview of the terminology and components in mechanical syste The material in this reading forms the foundation of lectures 26, 27, and 28.

Unit Conversions

Energy Sources and Uses

Psychrometrics

Glossary of Terms

Thermal Properties of Materials

Regional Climate Data