Environmental Architecture • Energy • Climate
ArchEd Environmentdesigning with climate, not against it
A bright, student-friendly hub for environmental architecture: building energy thinking, climate literacy, and practical tools you can use in studio and field surveys.
What you’ll find here
Clear explanations, practical workflows, and lightweight tools—built to support design decisions.
Climate-first design
Understand degree days, climate zones, comfort, and how to shape massing and envelope strategies.
Building energy basics
From heat transfer to HVAC efficiency—enough physics to reason about performance without heavy software.
Carbon & lifecycle
Operational vs embodied carbon, material cycles, and how to reduce footprint with credible assumptions.
Field survey workflow
Student-ready data collection templates and a calculator to compare ‘measured vs predicted’.
Research themes
We focus on methods that translate cleanly into studio deliverables: diagrams, assumptions, and decision logs.
Envelope strategies by climate
How R/U/SHGC tradeoffs change across heating- vs cooling-dominant locations.
IECC zoneshybrid defaultswindows
Passive + low-energy systems
Ventilation, heat pumps, DHW, and right-sizing: performance first, comfort always.
HVACDHWcomfort
Carbon-aware design moves
Simple accounting that helps you compare options early—before drawings lock in impact.
operationalembodiedmaterials
Tools & projects
Small, focused tools that work well in classrooms and on student laptops—offline-friendly when possible.
Energy Calculator (student survey)
Estimate annual loads and costs; optionally compare against monthly utility bills. Designed for ‘good enough’ decisions.
Climate diagrams kit
A set of lightweight diagram templates: sun paths, shading, ventilation, and seasonal strategies.
Learning
Short modules you can read in 5–10 minutes, with examples you can reuse in studio boards.
Modules
- HDD/CDD what they mean and how to interpret them.
- U-factor vs R-value and 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 (quick)
Keep a simple flow: enter what you measured, document what you assumed, and compare to bills when available. Measured values override estimates.
Tip: In deliverables, include a short note on what is measured vs estimated (Confidence).
Recommended watchlist
Embedded videos are curated introductions. For offline classes, download and host your own MP4s later.
Climate basics: degree days & comfort
Heat pumps: why COP matters
Contact
Want this deployed for a class, studio, or lab? Tell us your constraints (network, devices, location).
Bright, practical environmental architecture resources and tools. Hosted at env.archedstudio.org.