Design with Climate: Exploring Climate Balanced Buildings

Characteristics of Local Climate and Challenges to Human Comfort

The opening chapter of ‘Design with Climate’ includes the statement: "The structure which in a given environmental setting reduces undesirable stresses, and at the same time utilizes all natural resources favorable to human comfort, may be called 'climate balanced'" (Olgyay 2015, p.10). Select 1 example of a building that you believe to be climate balanced in the sense described by Olgyay. Note that many passive buildings may be considered climate balanced. Your building may be selected from examples provided in the lectures, readings, or case studies; you are also welcome to choose a building that has not been mentioned in class. Construct a compelling argument for why your example is 'climate balanced' based on the definition above and on your reading of the first three chapters of ‘Design With Climate’. Your essay should include the following elements: - A description of the most important characteristics of the local climate and challenges to comfort. All statements must be supported with evidence, including (but not limited to) graphs from ClimateConsultant. - A detailed description of 2-3 selected features of the building, with an explanation of how these features respond to the local climate by absorbing or repelling “environmental elements according to their beneficial or adverse contributions to [human] comfort” (Olgyay 2015, p. 15). - An assessment of how this building could be adapted to adapt to the anticipated climate in 2080 in this location