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Smart Building Design: Daylight & Ventilation Essentials

🌞🏗️ Smart Building Design: Master Daylighting & Ventilation Essentials

Skills you will gain:

This course explores essential strategies for daylighting and natural ventilation in smart buildings. Through lectures, hands-on projects, and case studies, participants will learn to design energy-efficient, comfortable, and sustainable spaces using climate data, simulation tools, and integrated building systems.

Aim: To equip participants with the knowledge and practical skills to design energy-efficient, comfortable, and sustainable buildings by integrating effective daylighting and natural ventilation strategies. Participants will learn to analyze climate data, apply simulation tools, and develop holistic design solutions that enhance occupant well-being while reducing energy consumption.

Program Objectives:

What you will learn?

Module 1: Fundamentals of Sustainable Building Design

  • Introduction to sustainability in architecture
  • Importance of energy efficiency and occupant comfort
  • Overview of building performance metrics

 

Module 2: Climate Analysis and Site Context

  • Understanding solar paths and wind patterns
  • Site orientation and its impact on design
  • Utilizing climate data for design decisions

Module 3: Daylighting Principles and Strategies

  • Designing for optimal natural light
  • Use of reflective surfaces and light shelves
  • Glazing options and shading devices
  • Daylight harvesting techniques

Module 4: Natural Ventilation Techniques

  • Cross ventilation and stack effect
  • Placement of openings and vents
  • Integration with building layout
  • Passive cooling strategies

Module 5: Simulation Tools and Performance Analysis

  • Introduction to software like Radiance and EnergyPlus
  • Modeling daylight and airflow
  • Interpreting simulation results
  • Case studies using simulation tools

Module 6: Integration with Building Systems

  • Combining daylighting and ventilation with HVAC systems
  • Smart controls and automation
  • Energy monitoring and management

Module 7: Codes, Standards, and Certifications

  • Understanding LEED, WELL, and other certifications
  • Compliance with local building codes
  • Documentation and performance verification

Module 8: Advanced Topics and Emerging Trends

  • Biophilic design and occupant well-being
  • Adaptive comfort models
  • Integration of renewable energy sources

Module 9: Final Project

  • Design a building incorporating daylighting and natural ventilation strategies
  • Present simulation results and design rationale
  • Peer review and feedback

🌞 Mentor Lecture Modules

Module 1: Foundations of Daylighting in Sustainable Buildings

  • Importance and benefits of daylighting
  • Human comfort, productivity, and health impacts
  • Site analysis and solar orientation
  • Types of daylighting systems (skylights, light shelves, clerestory windows)
  • Assessing daylight availability
    Learning Objectives:
  • Understand daylighting’s role in building sustainability
  • Identify suitable daylighting systems for different building types
  • Analyze site and orientation for optimal daylight use

Module 2: Practical Daylighting Design & Simulation Tools

  • Daylighting design strategies for various spaces
  • Shading, glazing, and reflectance control
  • Integration with electric lighting (daylight harvesting)
  • Hands-on introduction to simulation tools (DIALux, Radiance, Velux Daylight Visualizer)
  • Evaluating daylight performance metrics (DF, UDI, DA, etc.)
    Learning Objectives:
  • Apply effective daylighting strategies in real projects
  • Use digital tools to simulate and optimize daylight in building designs
  • Interpret simulation results to improve designs

Module 3: Principles & Techniques of Natural Ventilation

  • Fundamentals of airflow and ventilation
  • Types: cross ventilation, stack effect, atrium design
  • Passive vs. hybrid ventilation systems
  • Placement and sizing of openings (windows, vents, louvers)
  • Impact of climate, wind, and building geometry
    Learning Objectives:
  • Explain how natural ventilation reduces energy consumption
  • Design effective passive ventilation solutions for different climates
  • Optimize building geometry and opening placement for airflow

Module 4: Integrated Design & Real-World Applications

  • Integrating daylighting and natural ventilation for high-performance buildings
  • Smart controls and automation (IoT, sensors, AI applications)
  • Review of global case studies and best practices
  • Common design challenges and solutions
  • Group design activity: apply learning to a sample project
    Learning Objectives:
  • Synthesize daylight and ventilation strategies in integrated designs
  • Evaluate real-world examples for lessons learned
  • Collaborate on a capstone design challenge with mentor guidance

Intended For :

This course is designed for architects, building designers, engineers, sustainability consultants, and students in architecture or related disciplines who are interested in sustainable building design and energy-efficient solutions.

Career Supporting Skills