HDD / CDD
What they mean and how to interpret them.
Environmental Architecture · Energy · Climate
Put climate into the design loop
Building-energy thinking, climate literacy, and light tools for studio and field surveys — including on a student laptop.
What you’ll find here
Short explanations, practical workflows, lightweight tools.
Climate-first design
Degree days, climate zones, comfort, massing, and envelope strategies.
Building energy basics
From heat transfer to HVAC efficiency — enough physics to reason without heavy software.
Carbon & lifecycle
Operational vs embodied carbon, material cycles, and documenting assumptions.
Field survey workflow
Student-ready templates that separate measured from estimated, then compare to bills.
Research themes
Methods that translate into studio deliverables: diagrams, assumptions, decision logs.
Envelope strategies by climate
How R/U/SHGC tradeoffs change in heating- vs cooling-dominant locations.
IECC zones · hybrid defaults · windows
Passive + low-energy systems
Ventilation, heat pumps, DHW, and right-sizing. Performance first, comfort always.
HVAC · DHW · comfort
Carbon-aware design moves
Simple accounting so you can compare options before drawings lock in.
operational · embodied · materials
Tools & projects
Small tools that behave well in classrooms and on student laptops.
Energy Calculator (student survey)
Estimate annual loads and costs; optionally compare against monthly utility bills. Built for good-enough decisions.
Climate diagrams kit
Lightweight templates: sun paths, shading, ventilation, seasonal strategies.
Licenses
Billing is a Stripe subscription inside the calculator. Sign in, then subscribe.
Short modules
Readable in 5–10 minutes, with examples you can reuse on studio boards.
U-factor vs R-value
Where students usually get confused.
AFUE / SEER / COP / UEF
How to read efficiency labels on real systems.
Measured vs estimated
How to document assumptions responsibly.
How to use
Enter what you measured, document what you assumed, and compare to bills when available. Measured values override estimates.
In deliverables, include a short note on what is measured vs estimated (Confidence).
Contact
Want this for a class, studio, or lab?
Tell us the constraints: network, devices, location.