lectures.(C) Ecology, comfort and well-being. Buildings are similar to our bodies. This image taken from the lecture is a sketch of Francesco Di Giorgio Martini relating a well balanced building (it qualities & characteristics) to the human body. Environmental elements such as temperature, light, wind, water source should be considered and be distributed in balanced proportions, along with the buildings physicality (the form, fabric, mechanical systems, controls etc.) The human body is adaptable in many environments. Buildings can be viewed similarly as well in that it can host different programs and uses. This sketches also highlights nature, where a lot of modern buildings fail to create a connection (due to factors such as comfort, convenience) relying on high powered machineries to create system of comfort over designing with consideration on existing natural elements.
Concept of thermal comfort. We are all gaining and shedding heat from our environment, and it affects our comfort. If we gain heat and retain it we get hot, and if we’re not able to retain heat and discharge heat faster, we get cold. Heating means creating flow of heat from inside the body into the environment. Similarly, buildings react the same when it comes to climatic changes. For buildings to resist heating up, we have to avoid direct solar access by creating shades or louvres. Another factor to be considered are the ventilation systems as they aid releasing the heat exiting out of the building. To stop a building from dropping temperature, we need to do the opposite. This is done by increasing the access to solar gains, extract heat from mechanical ventilations and limiting air flows by having increased insulation. Another factor for consideration would be the materiality of the building as surface area increases heat exchange. 48
