Architects today incorporate principles of sustainable design as a matter of necessity. But the challenge of unifying climate control and building functionality, of securing a managed environment within a natural settingâand combating the harsh forces of wind, water, and sunâpresented a new set of obstacles to architects and engineers in the mid-twentieth century.
First published in 1963, Design with Climate was one of the most pioneering books in the field and remains an important reference for practitioners, teachers, and students, over fifty years later. In this book, Victor Olgyay explores the impact of climate on shelter design, identifying four distinct climatic regions and explaining the effect of each on orientation, air movement, site, and materials. He derives principles from biology, engineering, meteorology, and physics, and demonstrates how an analytical approach to climate management can merge into a harmonious and aesthetically sound design concept.
This updated edition contains four new essays that provide unique insights on issues of climate design, showing how Olgyayâs concepts work in contemporary practice. Ken Yeang, John Reynolds, Victor W. Olgyay, and Donlyn Lyndon explore bioclimatic design, eco design, and rational regionalism, while paying homage to Olgyayâs impressive groundwork and contributions to the field of architecture.
"Design with Climate has had an extremely important impact on the practice of sustainable design, and is perhaps even more relevant today than when it was when originally published in 1963. In many ways the book was ahead of its time."--Peter Anderson, author of Prefab Prototypes: Site-specific Design for Offsite Construction
"Design with Climate is a seminal work of continued relevance, and is especially needed as architects relearn the basics of climatic design in order to right the causes and effects of global warming."--Bruce Haglund, University of Idaho
Victor Olgyay (1910-70) was associate professor in the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at Princeton University. He was a leading researcher on the relationship between architecture, climate, and energy.
I. GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1
The Earth and Life - Animal Life and Shelter - Human Life and Shelter - Adaptation of Shelter to Climate - Similarities Around the World - Community Layouts and Climate - Regional Character - Climate Balance - To Find a Method - Summary
II. THE BIOCLIMATIC APPROACH 14
The Effects of Climate on Man - Shelter and Environment - The Comfort Zone - Relation of Climatic Elements to Comfort - The Bioclimatic Chart
III. REGIONAL EVALUATION 24
Climatic Evaluation by Region - Bioclimatic Needs by Region
IV. CLIMATIC ELEMENTS 32
Factors in Weather - Radiant Heat Transfer
PART 2. INTERPRETATION IN ARCHITECTURAL PRINCIPLES
V. SITE SELECTION 44
Microclimatic Effects - Effect of Topography - Natural and Built-Up Surroundings - Criteria for Site Selection
VI. SOL-AIR ORIENTATION 53
Bound to the Sun - Recent Theories - Sol-Air Approach - Regional Adaptation - Regional Application
VII. SOLAR CONTROL 63
The Structure - Transmission of Radiation and Heat - Economy of Shading Devices - Design of Shading Devices - Shading Effects of Trees and Vegetation - Obstruction of Surroundings - Summary of Method
VII. ENVIRONMENT AND BUILDING FORMS 84
Morphology in Nature - Impact of External Forces on Buildings - Criterion of Optimum Shape - Conclusions for Basic Forms of Houses - Regional Effects on Large Building Shapes - Morphology of Town Structures
IX. WIND EFFECTS AND AIR FLOW PATTERNS 94
Wind and Architecture - Wind Analysis - Local Factors in Wind Orientation - Windbreaks - Flow Patterns Inside Buildings - Summary of Procedures in Wind Control
X. THERMAL EFFECTS OF MATERIALS 113
Opaque Materials and Indoor Temperature Balance - Heat Entry on the Surface - Moisture Effects - Deterioration of Materials - Heat Transmission of Materials - Resistance Insulation, or Heat Capacity Effects - Time Lag and Calculation Methods - Balanced Insulation - Summary
PART 3. APPLICATION
XI. HELIOTHERMIC PLANNING 126
Comfort Criteria - Calculating Thermal Behavior of Structures - Method of Approach for Heliothermic Planning - Thermal Behaviors - Heat Analysis of Structures in Temperate Zone, Cool Area, Hot-Arid Area, Hot-Humd Area - Summation of Regional Conclusions
XII. EXAMPLES IN FOUR REGIONS 153
Architectural Application to Community Layouts
APPENDIX A. Technical Notes 178
APPENDIX B. The Thermoheliodon 180
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES 186
INDEX 189