Environmental design: an introduction for architects and engineers

304 Pages·1999·1.82 MB·English

by  Randall Thomas (edt)

Environmental Design
Environmental Design
An introduction for architects and
engineers
Second edition
Edited by
Randall Thomas
Max Fordham & Partners
London and New York
First published 1996 by E & FN Spon
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001
Spon Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005.
“To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of
thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.”
Second edition © 1999 Edited by Randall Thomas, Max Fordham & Partners
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
The publisher makes no representation, express of implied,
with regard to the accuracy of the information contained
in this book and cannot accept any legal responsibility or
liability for any errors or omissions that may be made.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data
Environmental design:an introduction for architects and engineers/
edited by Randall Thomas. —2nd ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Architecture—Environmental aspects. 2. Environmental
engineering. 3. City planning. 4. Engineering design. I. Thomas,
Randall.
NA2542.35.E575 1999
720′.47–dc21 98–46545
CIP
ISBN 0-203-47800-2 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-203-78624-6 (Adobe eReader Format)
ISBN 0-419-23760-7 (Print Edition)
CONTENTS
Contributors vi
Foreword by Edward Cullinan vii
Preface by Max Fordham viii
Apologies and acknowledgements ix
Units and abbreviations x
Part One 1
1 Strategies 2
MAX FORDHAM
2 Comfort, health and environmental physics 6
BILL WATTS
3 Buildings and energy balances 30
BILL WATTS and RANDALL THOMAS
4 Building planning and design 37
RANDALL THOMAS
5 Site planning 57
RANDALL THOMAS
6 Materials and construction 71
RANDALL THOMAS
7 Energy sources 91
RAMIRO GODOY
8 Lighting 107
RANDALL THOMAS
9 Engineering thermal comfort 123
RANDALL THOMAS
10 Water, waste disposal and appliances 162
MIKE ENTWISLE and RANDALL THOMAS
v
Summary 171
RANDALL THOMAS
Part Two 173
11 RMC International Headquarters 174
BART STEVENS
12 Grove Road Primary School 183
BILL WATTS
13 Queens Building, De Montfort University 188
EDITH BLENNERHASSETT
14 The Charles Cryer Studio Theatre 208
COLIN HAMILTON
15 Sutton House 215
RICHARD QUINCEY
16 The Environmental Building, Building Research Establishment 222
RANDALL THOMAS and BART STEVENS
17 The Millennium Centre, Dagenham 245
RANDALL THOMAS
18 The Bedales Theatre 252
RANDALL THOMAS
Appendices 257
A Environmental data and the psychrometric chart 258
RANDALL THOMAS
B Calculation procedures 267
RANDALL THOMAS
C Acoustics 271
RANDALL THOMAS
D Photovoltaics 273
RANDALL THOMAS
Illustration acknowledgements 280
Index 282
CONTRIBUTORS
Edith E.Blennerhassett, BE, MIEI, Part-time Lecturer, Kingston University
and the Architectural Association, Former Partner, Max Fordham Associates
Mike Entwisle, MA, PhD, Partner, Max Fordham & Partners
Max Fordham, QBE, MA, FEng, FCIBSE, MConsE, Hon FRIBA, Visiting
Professor in Building Environmental Design, University of Bath, Senior
Partner, Max Fordham & Partners
Ramiro Godoy, MSc, DipIng, CEng, MCIBSE, Partner, Max Fordham
Associates
Colin Hamilton, BSc, Partner, Max Fordham & Partners
Richard J.Quincey, MEng, Partner, Max Fordham Associates
Bart Stevens, BSc, CEng, FCIBSE, Partner, Max Fordham Associates
Randall Thomas, PhD, Eurlng, CEng, FCIBSE, MASHRAE, Visiting
Professor in Architectural Science, Kingston University, Senior Partner, Max
Fordham & Partners
Bill Watts, MSc, Senior Partner, Max Fordham & Partners
FOREWORD
You can look at the making of workplaces in two very different ways. The first
is to make buildings that are air-conditioned, have the deepest possible (or
bearable) plans and are sealed, smooth and roughly as long as they are wide. An
elegant classic of this first kind is the Willis, Faber & Dumas building in Ipswich
in Suffolk.
The second way is to allow yourself to open the Pandora’s box labelled
‘Environmental Design’. As soon as the seal on the box is broken you find
yourself tossed about in a welter of considerations that fundamentally alter the
form and the aesthetic of buildings. The smooth, sealed, minimalist building box
becomes impossible; the overall shape of the building must cause ventilating air
to move through it, façades must open and close and shelter and protect;
elevations that face into the Sun and away from the Sun may be different;
materials needing small amounts of energy for their production might be used;
heavy mass for energy retention, high levels of insulation and ventilating rain
skins may be appropriate; and so the list would go on.
It is hard to see how such considerations might be incorporated without a
change in the way that we think about architecture. It is hard to see how to make
that change without thinking about the composition of architecture in a more
expressive way than is common today. If we are to make this move towards
responsive expressionism we will need all the help we can get from clear
thinking, cool headed environmental designers. It is here that this book
Environmental Design has a most important part to play. It is clear, logical, well
illustrated and good to read; and it has the great quality of all profound work—it
is easy to understand. Now let us use it to help us with our architecture.
Edward Cullinan
London, September 1995
PREFACE
In our practice we believe in a stimulating architecture that provides for the long-
term needs of humanity—health and comfort—which the planet can sustainably
provide. As environmental engineers, we try to ensure that the functional
performance of the building and its servicing systems contribute to these ends.
In the following chapters we have tried to provide a primer and guide to the
environmental principles of architecture and engineering. The whole practice has
contributed by ongoing and often spirited discussion and by working together on
the projects cited and many others. We owe a debt to all the authors and we
would also like to thank the many architects whose ideas have helped to form
our own.
Since the first edition of this book was published, the interest in energy
efficient buildings has increased. The basic science has remained unchanged but
more buildings have been designed and built embodying the principles
introduced here. Our governments have given undertakings at the Kyoto
conference which call for radical approaches to the design of buildings. This
book provides the basic information which is needed to initiate new designs and
shows how the ideas can be implemented— the rest is up to all of us. Good luck!
Max Fordham
APOLOGIES AND
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We owe an apology to Matisse for the woman in robes in Figure 2.1 and to
Rembrandt for the elephant of Figure 4.9. A number of building outlines are
loosely based on projects, by Le Corbusier and Philip Johnson, that the editor
admires.
We would like to thank Christine Trinder and Hannah Fulford for their
exceptional patience in preparing the manuscript, Charles Parrack for his help
with Chapter 6, Kitty Lux for her administrative assistance and Tony Leitch for
his work on the illustrations. Colin Rice kindly read and commented on the
original text. Caroline Mallinder, Lynne Maddock and Regina McNulty of E&FN
Spon have been understanding, enthusiastic and friendly throughout.
Kingston University has provided stimulation and assistance for the book.
The Building Centre Trust has been most generous in its support.
The students we have taught in schools of architecture and engineering
throughout the UK have helped refine our ideas.
We cannot thank our clients, and the architects with whom we work, too much.
Without them the book would never have been published.
NOTE TO READERS
One intention of this publication is to provide an overview for those involved in
building and building services design and for students of these disciplines. It is
not intended to be exhaustive or definitive and it will be necessary for users of
the information to exercise their own professional judgement when deciding
whether to abide by or depart from it.
It cannot be guaranteed that any of the material in the book is appropriate to a
particular use. Readers are advised to consult all current Building Regulations,
British Standards or other applicable guidelines, Health and Safety codes and so
forth, as well as up-to-date information on all materials and products.