AA EE | courses

Design Research Workshop

Terms 01 and 02

This is a hands-on workshop providing traning on the application of the digital tools introduced by the Environmental Analysis Tools course

Environmental Design Primer

Terms 01 and 02

The course deals with key topics in building science focusing on current thinking and research in sustainable environmental design as it applies to architecture and urbanism.

Myths and Theories of Sustainable Architecture

Term 01

Many architects and students take sustainable design for granted, as if it were now standard practice. Others see environmental performance as a mere corollary of the digital revolution. The course introduces key concepts and performative criteria providing the cognitive grounding and critical framework needed for design research and applications.

Lecture courses review theories and practices of sustainable design, define criteria for an environmentally performative architecture, present case studies by leading researchers and designers, and provide training in the use of environmental simulation software. The following core courses are offered this year:

-  Myths & Theories of Sustainable Architecture (Autumn Term)
-  Environmental Design Primer (Autumn & Spring Terms) 
-  Lessons from Practice (Spring Term) 
-  Environmental Analysis Tools (Autumn &  Spring  Terms)
-  Design Research Workshop (Autumn & Spring Terms)

Lessons from Practice

Term 02

The theory and practice of sustainable environmental design as seen by its practitioners. These presentations together with those in the Autumn Term courses, provide the opportunity to study some of the best examples of environmental architecture. Recent contributors to this course have included Architype Architects, Bill Dunster, Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects, Brian Ford, Foster & Partners, Grimshaw Architects, Dean Hawkes, Mario Cucinella of MCA Integrated Design, PCKO Architects, Alexandros Tombazis and other UK and international practices with a stated commitment to environmentally responsive architecture.

Environmental Analysis Tools

Terms 01 & 02

This is a technical course on the use of analytic tools and environmental design software for studying solar, thermal and lighting processes in and around real or virtual buildings. The digital tools introduced in this course allow designers to generate and analyse climate data for any geographic location, predict microclimatic conditions on urban sites, perform shading, daylighting, airflow, heating and cooling simulation studies, predict indoor temperatures and other environmental conditions, calculate energy requirements and assess environmental impact and life cycle costs of buildings. Software demonstrations are followed by workshops. The purpose of using such software on team and individual projects is to provide reliable predictions that can inform design decisions by guiding the research toward achieving thermal and visual comfort in buildings with little or no need for conventional energy sources and mechanical appliances.