Developing building performance in the comprehensive design studio

Abstract

Building performance metrics such as those used to evaluate energy consumption, light levels and temperature are often used by architects and owners to assess environmental parameters that affect the function, comfort and economics of building designs. A majority of architects in practice rely on collaboration and recommendations from design professionals, in specialized technical fields, such as mechanical engineers, lighting designers and acousticians to help develop efficient and effective architectural solutions to meet the required technical demands. This collaboration and coordination positions the architect as ageneralist who shepherds all of the disparate and broad-ranging aspects of the project towards a common design vision. To be effective at this task presumes the architect is knowledgeable and experienced enough in the project's quantitative and qualitative design parameters to balance the positives and negatives of the many factors and to not only lead the project towards a common goal but to help maximize its potential. It is this exact juncture between technical and artistic design which often is the crux of the comprehensive design studio in architectural education.This paper examines pedagogical research in building performance analysis that supports qualitative design objectives. This paper proposes that one of the difficulties that students and designers have in technical integration stems from a lack of iterative design opportunities requiring relevant technical analysis in studio. To explore this proposition the author reviewed pertinent literature in the design of technical design curriculum and surveyed instructors and students in building technology courses and design studios. The results of this research suggest that when studio requirements in the comprehensive design studio are mapped closely with technical objectives initiated in the building technology courses, students have a greater likelihood of developing long-term skills and confidence in technical design integration.