Archive for February, 2009
While any structure built in a way that lessens its footprint is welcomed, some of the buildings that people try to turn green simply make no sense. LEED certification, in all its greatness, does not take the building’s intended purpose into account; this leaves us with some hilarious, unabashedly self-contradicting buildings. Here are the ten [...]
THERM is a state-of-the-art, Windows-based computer program developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) for use by building component manufacturers, engineers, educators, students, architects, and others interested in heat transfer. Using THERM, you can model two-dimensional heat-transfer effects in building components such as windows, walls, foundations, roofs, and doors; appliances; and other products where thermal [...]
This annual list of the 10 best planning, design, and development websites (along with a few honorable mentions) represents some of the top online resources for those interested in planning, design, and development. Planetizen listed the websites alphabetically, with host organization listed in italics if different from the website name. This list is based on [...]
I thought of passive survivability as a smart design criterion that could provide another motivation for creating energy-efficient and environmentally responsible buildings. In a future of more intense storms that could cause extended power outages, with an ever-present risk of terrorism that could target energy distribution networks, and with higher energy costs and the prospect [...]
Researchers with the UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design have released an updated version of Climate Consultant. This free, easy-to-use, graphic-based computer program displays climate data in dozens of ways useful to architects, builders, contractors, and homeowners, including temperatures, humidity, wind velocity, sky cover, and solar radiation in both 2-D and 3-D graphics for [...]
Greg Lynn talks at TED about the mathematical roots of architecture — and how calculus and digital tools allow modern designers to move beyond the traditional building forms. A glorious church in Queens (and a titanium tea set) illustrate his theory. TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the [...]
Sustainable by design provides a suite of shareware design tools on sustainable energy topics: Sun Angle Tools Window Overhang and Louvres Shading Tools Other Tools If you use the program, it is suggested to pay a small shareware fee to compensate the author for his work and to encourage him to continue to maintain and [...]
IMSI/Design announced today it is entering the corporate CAD market with DoubleCAD XT, an AutoCAD LT work-alike that will be distributed online at no charge. It is a 2D CAD application for drafting and detailing. The UI is very similar to AutoCAD so that it should be easy to learn if you know AutoCAD’s classic [...]
Ecotect is a (3D) building analysis program that integrates lighting, energy, acoustics and environmental analyses. The software allows the same model to be used for the different analyses, within the same GUI. This saves time and effort by avoiding having to learn and use multiple software. Ecotect is designed for architects; the graphical presentation of [...]
Ground-source heat pumps have been around for decades but every year seem to attract more homeowners and organizations who are looking for alternatives to traditional space heating and cooling. They can hook into existing forced hot air and hot water systems but not steam heat. Read more of this story at cnet Green Tech News [...]
