Sustainability Spotlight
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Sustainable Bioclimatic Design
The ASU PAC design incorporates innovative sustainability techniques to adapt to its desert climate. This was accomplished by dividing the campus into 5 LEED Gold rated buildings. In order for the campus to be publicly funded, the project was mandated by the state to achieve a LEED rating of Silver or higher driving it to Gold. The 5 buildings utilize 4 courtyards and covered walkways all incorporating Bioclimatic design. You Tube presentation What is Bioclimatic design? Bioclimatic design is a design that adapts build‐ ings to the special environmental conditions and climatic conditions of their surrounding area or region. The main goals of this design is to provide thermal comfort and to save energy for the occupants through utilization of solar energy, natural lighting, sun shading and cool‐ ing ‐ ventilation. The elements of bioclimatic design are the passive systems, which are combined in the buildings to take advantage of environmental resources (e.g. sun, wind, vegetation, water, land, sky) for heating, cooling and lighting. Pas‐ sive systems operate without any additional power, warm and cool buildings naturally and without mechanical parts. They fall into three categories: • Passive solar heating systems • Passive natural cooling systems and tech‐ niques • Natural light systems and techniques
Photo Credit: Bing IMAGES
The bioclimatic design of a building involves the coexistence of all these systems, in order to combine their benefits. AIA COTE ASU Polytechnic Academic District
Academic Facilities Council 2012 Newsletter