Carbon-Neutral Architectural Design (eBook)

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