The energy used to operate buildings is one of the most significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions. To lessen the human impact on climate, it is necessary to reduce these building-related emissions. New legislation, as well as market and financial pressures, are driving architects and developers to create low-carbon buildings. While it is possible to achieve many of these reductions through appropriate climate-responsive design, many architects are not trained to do this. Filling an urgent need for a design reference in this emerging field, Carbon-Neutral Architectural Design describes how to reduce building-related greenhouse gas emissions through appropriate design techniques. This full-color book presents strategies and methods to achieve CO2 reductions, with an emphasis on control of energy flows through the building envelope and passive heating and cooling strategies. Strategies for Designing Buildings with a Smaller Carbon Footprint Examining climate change and its relationship with buildings, the book begins with a look at the sources of emissions and how these are produced as a result of interactions between buildings and the surrounding environment. It then introduces a carbon-neutral architectural design process (CNDP) and a roadmap that can be adjusted for different types of projects. Discussing climate analysis and solar geometry, the book explores how understanding the climate where a building is located helps to identify the design strategies that are best suited to that location—whether warm and humid, warm and dry, temperate, or cold. It looks at psychrometrics and how to achieve thermal comfort with minimum emissions. The book also explains how building fabric can be used to control energy flows by conduction, radiation, and convection—helping to reduce overheating and overcooling—and how to incorporate passive cooling and heating systems through appropriate design. The book includes useful references, equations, and illustrations, as well as a comparison of free carbon counting tools that can be used for residential building design. Drawing on the author’s extensive experience in teaching and practice, this is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings. Find more study resources at the American Institute of Architects’ Carbon Neutral Design Project web site. What’s next for green building? See what Dr. La Roche has to say in this video on the HMC Architects blog.

This book describes how to reduce building-related greenhouse gas emissions through appropriate design techniques. This new, revised edition is updated throughout and includes a new section on embodied carbon and new chapters on daylighting and nature-based cooling.

Updated throughout, and adds a chapter on building simulations Presents strategies for new construction and also offers those that can be implemented for existing buildings to improve their energy performance and reduce emissions Explains the origins of CO2 emissions associated with the operation and fabrication of buildings: supplying water, disposing of waste from the building, etc. Covers air-flow analysis and radiation impact surveys, solar heating options, daylighting and window options Examines a building's siting/location within a community, local/regional planning issues, and transportation considerations

A comprehensive approach to design that integrates sustainable principles and design strategies for decarbonized construction Representing an international collaboration between academics and architects in the United States and Europe, Carbon: A Field Manual for Designers and Builders offers professionals in the field an approach to sustainable design that embraces building science principles, life-cycle analysis, and design strategies in carbon neutral construction. The book also contains background information on carbon in construction materials and in the building design process. This book is filled with illustrative diagrams and drawings that help evaluate the potential impact of design decisions for creating carbon emissions. Written by and for designers and builders, the book includes a compelling pair of case studies that explore carbon-reducing strategies, suggests steps for assessing a building's carbon footprint, and reviews carbon storages and circulation of materials. The guidelines detailed in the book can be adopted, replicated, and deployed to reduce carbon emissions and create more sustainable buildings. This important book: Offers an effective approach to sustainable design in construction Integrates building science principles, life-cycle analysis, and design strategies in carbon neutral construction Describes a methodology for quantifying the flow of carbon in the built environment Provides an analysis of carbon-reducing strategies based on a case study of a building designed by the authors Written for practicing professionals in architecture and construction, Carbon: A Field Guide for Designers and Builders is a must-have resource for professionals who are dedicated to creating sustainable projects.

A comprehensive approach to design that integrates sustainable principles and design strategies for decarbonized construction Representing an international collaboration between academics and architects in the United States and Europe, Carbon: A Field Manual for Designers and Builders offers professionals in the field an approach to sustainable design that embraces building science principles, life-cycle analysis, and design strategies in carbon neutral construction. The book also contains background information on carbon in construction materials and in the building design process. This book is filled with illustrative diagrams and drawings that help evaluate the potential impact of design decisions for creating carbon emissions. Written by and for designers and builders, the book includes a compelling pair of case studies that explore carbon-reducing strategies, suggests steps for assessing a building's carbon footprint, and reviews carbon storages and circulation of materials. The guidelines detailed in the book can be adopted, replicated, and deployed to reduce carbon emissions and create more sustainable buildings. This important book: Offers an effective approach to sustainable design in construction Integrates building science principles, life-cycle analysis, and design strategies in carbon neutral construction Describes a methodology for quantifying the flow of carbon in the built environment Provides an analysis of carbon-reducing strategies based on a case study of a building designed by the authors Written for practicing professionals in architecture and construction, Carbon: A Field Guide for Designers and Builders is a must-have resource for professionals who are dedicated to creating sustainable projects.

Providing a complete and in-depth overview of the available knowledge in the area of low energy and low carbon architecture. The scope of this edited book includes several important topics ranging from chapters giving a broad view of the progressing models in ecologically responsible environments to other chapters focussing on recent advances in design strategies and building technologies in low energy heating, cooling, daylighting, materials, and building sustainable systems. The book will give the readers insight to the future of low energy and low carbon architecture in the beyond-green era and discussed in the broader context of the progressing theories of regenerative design.

The energy used to build and operate buildings is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. While it is possible to reduce emissions through low-carbon design, many architects are not trained to do this. Filling an urgent need for a design reference in this emerging field, this book describes how to reduce building-related greenhouse gas emissions through appropriate design techniques. It presents strategies to achieve CO2 reductions, with an emphasis on control of energy flows through the building envelope and passive cooling and heating strategies. This new, revised edition is updated throughout and includes a new section on embodied carbon and new chapters on daylighting and nature-based cooling. Features: Adds new chapters on daylighting and nature-based cooling with numerous updates throughout the rest of the chapters Presents strategies, illustrated with examples, for new construction and existing buildings to reduce energy consumption and reduce emissions Explains the origins of CO2 emissions associated with the operation and fabrication of buildings: supplying water, disposing of waste from the building, and proposes strategies to reduce them Covers carbon calculations, thermal comfort, indigenous technology, climate‐responsive design, passive cooling and heating, solar design, air flow analysis, daylighting, building simulation and microclimate design with abundant examples Examines siting/location to design buildings that adapt and mitigate their effect on climate change