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Bridging the gap between climate and design: A bioclimatic design course for architectural students in Argentina
Energy and Buildings, 15 - 16 (1990/91) 43 - 50
43
Bridging the Gap between Climate and Design: A Bioclimatic Design Course for Architectural Students in Argentina JOHN MARTIN EVANS and SILVIA de SCHILLER
Research Programme "Habitat and Energy", Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning, University of Buenos Aires, Pabellon 3, Piso 4 (SIP), Ciudad Universitaria, (1428)Federal Capital, Buenos Aires (Argentina)
~uazu
ABSTRACT
Architects in Argentina practise in a wide variety of climates which stretch from the tropics to Antarctica. A specialized course for architectural students has been developed in the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning at Buenos Aires University which incorporates bioclimatic concepts in the design teaching process. Three ideas have guided the development of this course: firstly, that students should discover for themselves the requirements for each climate; secondly, that techniques and concepts of climatic design are best understood when they are applied in a design project; finally, that the teaching of climatic design for architects must include the urban scale. The course allows the students to discover the differing character of designs in a regional context through a comparison between proposals for a variety of climates. This paper presents the theoretical basis of the course, the development during six years, the course structure, the climatic design techniques that are used, and the resulting projects which illustrate the relation between specific climate conditions and the design of building groups.
INTRODUCTION Continental Argentina stretches f r o m 22 ° S to 56 ° S; a distance of 3 7 9 9 k m (see Fig. 1). The m a x i m u m distance f r o m east to w e s t is 1423 km, while over 10% of the n a t i o n a l territ o r y is over 2000 m a b o v e sea-level, r e a c h i n g a m a x i m u m h e i g h t of 6959 m. The c o r r e s p o n d i n g climatic v a r i a t i o n is also v e r y wide with h o t dry, w a r m humid, t e m p e r a t e , cold a n d A n t a r c tic climates. The n u m b e r of degree-days varies from 250 to over 5000. 0378-7788/91/$3.50
30 °
Fig. 1. Argentina: bioclimatic design zones defined in IRAM Standard 11.603 [3] and locations of students' projects in this paper. Zone
Characteristics
Ia Ib IIa IIb IIIa IIIb IVa IVb IVc IVd V VI
Very hot, humid Very hot, dry Hot, humid Hot, dry Temperate, humid Temperate, dry Temperate cool, high altitude Temperate cool, high altitude Temperate cool, transitional Temperate cool, maritime Cold Very cold
The t r a i n i n g of a r c h i t e c t s m u s t i n c l u d e a p r e p a r a t i o n in climatic design to enable t h e m to r e s p o n d to this c h a l l e n g e [1]. To meet this need, the c o u r s e " B i o c l i m a t i c Design a n d Solar A r c h i t e c t u r e " is offered as a specialized o p t i o n a l subject for final y e a r a r c h i t e c t u r a l s t u d e n t s at the U n i v e r s i t y of B u e n o s Aires. It was i n t r o d u c e d by the new a u t h o r i t i e s in 1984, ~ Elsevier Sequoia/Printed in The Netherlands
44
when the present professors were invited to establish the Chair of Bioclimatic Design. During the subsequent years, the course has developed with a common course structure and different programmes which are included in this paper.
OBJECTIVES AND METHODS
The principal objective of this course is the application of bioclimatic design criteria in the design process through the development of a project which relates to the natural environment and the climate variables, using locally available resources and respecting the social and cultural background of the region. Each student chooses one of the alternative localities proposed for the development of the project. Students produce a variety of design solutions for each locality, which favour the understanding of the differing requirements of each region through the comparison of design proposals developed during the course.
PROGRAMME CHARACTERISTICS
The outline programme is designed to provide ample scope for the application of bioclimatic design and climate-conscious planning 'of grouped buildings. The requirements for the project comprise about 50 dwellings with services and community facilities. These dwellings should have private and shared external spaces whose size, proportion and design is related to the climatic conditions and characteristics of the region. The programme requires solutions at two scales: a building group and a house type. The integration of the two scales, group and individual unit, is completed by studies of site selection and use of suitable materials. The solutions and proposals related to the environmental variables should incorporate the benefits of the favourable aspects of the climate, while offering protection from the unfavourable elements and achieving rational use of energy resources through the conservation of non-renewable energy and the use of renewable sources, especially solar energy. The studies and projects developed by the students allow them to see for themselves the
differing climatic design character that corresponds to different regions. This arises from a systematic application of climate and comfort analysis in a design and the subsequent verification and improvement of the design in a series of technical exercises. LOCALITIES
The alternative localities selected for students' projects developed during the programme in the last few years are indicated in Table 1. The locations of the projects illustrated are shown in Fig. 1. The summary of the climatic data, with average monthly temperatures and annual rainfall, does not fully convey the wide range of climatic conditions found in the different regions of Argentina. Patagonia is not only cold and dry; it also suffers from high winds; annual average speeds often exceed 30km/h and gusts of 100 km/h occur at monthly frequencies. Lack of vegetation and wind-blown sand are additional problems that the designer must face. Bariloche has heavy snowfalls in winter and nearby localities receive an annual average rainfall of over 2000 ram. However, the rainfall drops to less than 500 within a distance of 100 km, producing cold desert conditions. Formosa, in the subtropical north, hardly ever experiences ground frosts, while temperatures below zero occur on more than 100 days each year in Ushuaia. Freezing conditions are even more frequent in La Quiaca (155 days) at an altitude of 3460m in the Andes, although this station is located in the tropical belt. COURSE STRUCTURE
The course is based on climatic design techniques and methods of analysis which are applied in design, avoiding abstract or isolated exercises. However, it is not easy for the students to link the understanding of climate and the development of a design which reflects local requirements. They should first understand influence and interaction of different climatic factors with comfort conditions and design strategies. In order to structure the development of the design proposals, the course is organized in three stages.
45 TABLE 1 Localities chosen for students' projects Locality
La Quiaca Juj uy Salta Formosa Posadas Catamarca La Rioja Jachal Mendoza Buenos Aires Azul Mar del Plata S Antonio O. Viedma Bariloche Paso Indios C, Rivadavia P Deseado Gr. Gregores Rio Gallegos Ushuaia
Latitude (deg. S)
22 06' 24 23' 24 54' 26 12' 27 22' 28 29' 29 23' 30 15' 32 53' 34 34' 36 45' 38 03' 40 44' 40 51' 41 09' 43 49' 45 47' 47 44' 48 47' 51 37' 54 48'
Altitude (m)
3459 905 1250 60 133 525 429 1165 827 6 132 5 7 7 840 460 46 80 357 19 14
Bioclimatic zone (IRAM)
Temperature
Very cold Temperate Temperate Very warm humid Very warm humid Hot dry Hot dry Temperate dry Temperate cool Temperate Temperate Temperate cool Cool dry Cool dry Cold humid Cold dry Cold dry Cold dry Very cold dry Very cold dry Very cold
VI IIIb IIIb Ib Ib IIa IIa IVa IVa IIIb IIIa IVd IVc IVc VI V V V VI VI VI
Rainfall (mm/year)
Summer
Winter
12.3 21.1 21.2 27.4 26.3 27.1 27.4 24.5 23.6 24.1 21.0 20.0 22.4 21.5 13.9 18.0 18.6 15.1 13.6 13.1 9.4
3.9 11.0 10.2 16.8 16.1 12.0 11.0 8.7 8.0 11.4 7.4 9.0 8.2 7.0 1.9 3.9 6.0 2.9 0.5 0.6 0.7
330 950 634 1375 1604 437 382 142 231 1062 1004 1011 228 362 907 174 301 254 211 270 499
References: National Meteorological Service (Servicio MeteorolSgico Nacional) [2] and the Argentine Standard (Norma IRAM) 11.603 [3].
(1) Introduction During this initial stage the students analyse the climate of the selected location, studying the degree of comfort and the favourable and unfavourable climatic variables. A series of exercises are used to draw up design guidelines related to climate and prepare an initial design proposal. At this stage, the students do not have the detailed knowledge required to ensure an optimum climatic design solution. The principal themes of this first stage are as follows: - - concepts of bioclimatic design; - - i n t r o d u c t i o n to the principal world climates; analysis of meteorological data; - - comparison with desirable comfort conditions; - - development of design recommendations; initial design proposals. -
-
further design guidelines, modifying and improving the outline project. The following technical exercises form this second stage: - - design of outdoor spaces for sunlight in winter; solar protection in summer; estimation and use of solar radiation intensities; - - penetration of direct sunlight in building interiors; - - p r o t e c t i o n from winds through building form and grouping; - - wind and comfort conditions in external spaces; use of vegetation in different regions; design of openings for natural ventilation; material selection for thermal requirements using regional resources: insulation, reflection, inertia, heat storage; use of passive solar systems. -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
(2) Development During the second stage of the course, the students incorporate theoretical concepts and apply practical techniques of bioclimatic design to analyse the initial proposals, develop
(3) Synthesis In this stage of the course, the students develop and present the final design proposals.
46
They incorporate bioclimatic resources and integrate the results of the exercises in a project for a specific locality, based on the design guidelines established in the first stage and the analytical techniques and detailed studies developed in the second stage.
ORGANIZATION OF THE DESIGN WORKSHOP
Nearly two hundred students select this optional subject each year, though the number who successfully complete the course is considerably less. The teaching team consists of two professors and eight other members (two assistant professors and six tutors), most of whom are former students. The programme can be developed individually or by a group of two students. Alternatively a team of four may study two localities. The evaluation of the work carried out during the year is based on attendance and individual contributions to the studio work, content and results of the exercises, development of the project and final presentation. The portfolio of exercises and design development is evaluated during the different stages of the course.
PROGRAMME 1984
In this first annual course, the programme consisted of a housing group of 100 dwellings to be developed in a suburban site of two hectares. The main lesson learned from this first exercise was the difficulty of accommodating a standard number of dwellings in a standard site in different localities. In the high latitudes in the south of the country, the low-angle winter sun requires larger spaces between buildings. In the warm humid climates of the northeast, wider spaces are also desirable to improve air movement in the outdoor spaces between buildings. In the hot dry northwest, higher densities can be achieved with closer groupings and controlled spaces between buildings.
climatic zone. A slightly irregular site was given, requiring considerable design skill to resolve the conflicts between urban design requirements, wind protection and winter sunlight. The different dimensions of the site helped the students to achieve a character that reflects the climatic design requirements. The resulting projects were strongly influenced by the pre-defined site size and shape, which defined the required densities and suitable proportions of outdoor spaces.
PROGRAMME 1987 AND 1988
To improve the didactic value of the programmes and encourage the students to discover for themselves the climatic design character that responds to each region, a new programme was introduced in 1987. This proposed a rural service centre with a "standard" site with varying topography. The theme of a rural housing group provides additional scope for the development of regional design. The choice of a rural site, inspired by the examples shown by Olgyay [4], allowed the students to investigate or take advantage of differing microclimates due to topography, vegetation, expanses of water, etc. The general characteristics of the site are shown in Fig. 2. The students had to determine which sectors of the site offered an advantageous microclimate for the region they had selected: exposed ridges to catch cooling breezes in
PROGRAMME 1985 AND 1986
During the next two years, a suburban site was also chosen, with similar form and characteristics but different dimensions for each
Fig. 2. Site for the rural centre with different locations selected to take advantage of microclimatic variations according to the regional climate requirements.
47 warm humid climates, north-facing slopes in cooler climates, protected low-lying sites close to a water course in hot dry climates, and a slope facing northwest to catch sun and avoid the prevailing west wind in Patagonia. The community facilities and other services (primary school, shops, dispensary, etc.) were included in the programme to satisfy the needs of the rural service centre and the population in the vicinity. Although the detailed designs of these buildings were not required, their form and grouping was to be shown and related to the building use, access, external spaces, functional relation with the dwellings and the climatic design objectives established for the locality. These uses introduced additional formal and climatic design requirements to enrich the design content of the exercise.
PROGRAMME 1989: HOUSING DESIGN IN DIFFERENT REGIONS OF ARGENTINA During the present academic year, 1989, the programme requires the development of a Climatic Design Manual. The principal objective in this case is not to develop a project but climatic design recommendations, showing how they are applied in an example demonstrating the resulting character of the dwelling unit and the housing group. Recommendations are required for the design of low-cost housing related to the climatic conditions of a specific locality. The guidelines and recommendations that emerge from the exercises carried out during the year will form a Bioclimatic Design Manual for each locality, with outline projects to show the resulting architectural character. In order to indicate the typical characteristics of conventional housing projects, the plan of a single-storey one-family dwelling and a housing layout are presented. These are used as a basis for exercises during the second stage of the programme in order to evaluate the conditions and environmental standards of internal and outdoor spaces. The climate analysis and exercises follow the sequence established in a recent publication [5]. The dwelling shown is a typical project financed by the National Housing Fund
(FONAVI) and developed according to the regulations of the Secretary of State for Housing and Urban Development. The typical plots have a 12.5 m frontage and a depth of 25 m, with a net area of 312.5 m 2. The standard housing type is a semi-detached dwelling of 69 m 2 (9.20 m × 7.50 m). The students modify these variables according to the design requirements they establish, within the economic limits used for social housing. Examples of the results are shown in Fig. 3.
CONCLUSIONS During the last six years, a Climatic Design Course has been developed t h a t has achieved the three objectives set out in the introduction to this paper: integration of technical exercises in a design project; - - discovery of bioclimatic design character by the students, not as an imposed recipe; - - emphasis on the urban design and building group scale. The course itself still requires modifications and improvements to achieve better results within the limited time available. Another long-term objective has not yet been achieved as Climatic Design is still not programmed in the design exercises for the first years of the Architectural Course. However, a series of introductory talks has been given to students studying design. Nevertheless, the course has also produced other positive results related to the insertion of climatic and energy-conscious design in the Faculty: - - three subjects in the Advanced Postgraduate Course of Technology and Production have been introduced since 1986: Energy and Habitat, Bioclimatic Design and Use of Nonconventional Energy Systems in Buildings, given by Prof. John Martin Evans. research programme " H a b i t a t and Energy" has been established as a direct result of the modest research programmes initiated by professors and students of the course and directed by the authors of this paper [6]. The results of the work carried out in the research programme are already applied in the course and have been published to achieve wider application, not only in architectural faculties, but also in architectural - -
- - a
48
L
i__!
Fig. 3. Examples of students' projects for rural centres in different climates. Fig. 3(a). Wide spacing for breezes in a warm humid c l i m a t e - Iguazu. Students: Salesi and Vekstein.
"O
Fig. 3(b). Close clustering in a dry climate with high temperature r a n g e -
Jachal. Students: Kumabe and Gentile.
49
/
i
C'C
Fig. 3(c). Controlled grouping and spacial definition in a temperate c l i m a t e - - A z u l . Students: Fernandez and Snoj.
Fig, 3(d). Wider spaces for low-angle winter sun and grouping for wind protection in a cold dry climate - - Paso de Indios. Student: Pegito,
50
studios and governmental organizations. The teaching of bioclimatic design as part of professional training helps to bridge the gap between climate and design in theory and practice.
REFERENCES 1 J. M. Evans and S. de Schiller, Insercion de los conceptos del U.R.E. y el enfoque bioambiental en la carrera de arquitectura, (Incorporation of the concepts of rational energy use and the bioclimatic approach in architectural training), H Congreso Argentino sobre el Uso Racional de la Energia (II Argentinian Congress on Rational Energy Use), Buenos Aires, 1986.
2 Estadistica Meteoroldgica 1971 - 1980 (Meteorological Statistics 1971 - 1980), Servicio Meteorol6gico Nacional, Buenos Aires, 1986. 3 Acondicionamiento Tdrmico de Edificios: Zonificaci6r~ Bioambiental de la Republica Argentina, Norma I R A M 11.603, Buenos Aires, 1980. 4 V. Otgyay and A. Olgyay, Design with Climate: Bioclimatic Approach to Architectural Regionalism, Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1963. 5 J. M. Evans and S. de Schiller, Diseno Bioambiental y Arquitectura Solar (Bioclimatic Design and Solar Architecture), Ediciones Previas, Eudeba, Buenos Aires, 1989. 6 S. de Schiller and J. M. Evans, Bridging the gap between climate and design at the urban and building scale: research and application, Proc. Int. Conf. on Urban Climate, Planning and Building, Kyoto, Japan, November 6-11, 1989, Energy Build., 15-16 (1990/91) 51 - 55 (these Proceedings).
43
Bridging the Gap between Climate and Design: A Bioclimatic Design Course for Architectural Students in Argentina JOHN MARTIN EVANS and SILVIA de SCHILLER
Research Programme "Habitat and Energy", Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning, University of Buenos Aires, Pabellon 3, Piso 4 (SIP), Ciudad Universitaria, (1428)Federal Capital, Buenos Aires (Argentina)
~uazu
ABSTRACT
Architects in Argentina practise in a wide variety of climates which stretch from the tropics to Antarctica. A specialized course for architectural students has been developed in the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning at Buenos Aires University which incorporates bioclimatic concepts in the design teaching process. Three ideas have guided the development of this course: firstly, that students should discover for themselves the requirements for each climate; secondly, that techniques and concepts of climatic design are best understood when they are applied in a design project; finally, that the teaching of climatic design for architects must include the urban scale. The course allows the students to discover the differing character of designs in a regional context through a comparison between proposals for a variety of climates. This paper presents the theoretical basis of the course, the development during six years, the course structure, the climatic design techniques that are used, and the resulting projects which illustrate the relation between specific climate conditions and the design of building groups.
INTRODUCTION Continental Argentina stretches f r o m 22 ° S to 56 ° S; a distance of 3 7 9 9 k m (see Fig. 1). The m a x i m u m distance f r o m east to w e s t is 1423 km, while over 10% of the n a t i o n a l territ o r y is over 2000 m a b o v e sea-level, r e a c h i n g a m a x i m u m h e i g h t of 6959 m. The c o r r e s p o n d i n g climatic v a r i a t i o n is also v e r y wide with h o t dry, w a r m humid, t e m p e r a t e , cold a n d A n t a r c tic climates. The n u m b e r of degree-days varies from 250 to over 5000. 0378-7788/91/$3.50
30 °
Fig. 1. Argentina: bioclimatic design zones defined in IRAM Standard 11.603 [3] and locations of students' projects in this paper. Zone
Characteristics
Ia Ib IIa IIb IIIa IIIb IVa IVb IVc IVd V VI
Very hot, humid Very hot, dry Hot, humid Hot, dry Temperate, humid Temperate, dry Temperate cool, high altitude Temperate cool, high altitude Temperate cool, transitional Temperate cool, maritime Cold Very cold
The t r a i n i n g of a r c h i t e c t s m u s t i n c l u d e a p r e p a r a t i o n in climatic design to enable t h e m to r e s p o n d to this c h a l l e n g e [1]. To meet this need, the c o u r s e " B i o c l i m a t i c Design a n d Solar A r c h i t e c t u r e " is offered as a specialized o p t i o n a l subject for final y e a r a r c h i t e c t u r a l s t u d e n t s at the U n i v e r s i t y of B u e n o s Aires. It was i n t r o d u c e d by the new a u t h o r i t i e s in 1984, ~ Elsevier Sequoia/Printed in The Netherlands
44
when the present professors were invited to establish the Chair of Bioclimatic Design. During the subsequent years, the course has developed with a common course structure and different programmes which are included in this paper.
OBJECTIVES AND METHODS
The principal objective of this course is the application of bioclimatic design criteria in the design process through the development of a project which relates to the natural environment and the climate variables, using locally available resources and respecting the social and cultural background of the region. Each student chooses one of the alternative localities proposed for the development of the project. Students produce a variety of design solutions for each locality, which favour the understanding of the differing requirements of each region through the comparison of design proposals developed during the course.
PROGRAMME CHARACTERISTICS
The outline programme is designed to provide ample scope for the application of bioclimatic design and climate-conscious planning 'of grouped buildings. The requirements for the project comprise about 50 dwellings with services and community facilities. These dwellings should have private and shared external spaces whose size, proportion and design is related to the climatic conditions and characteristics of the region. The programme requires solutions at two scales: a building group and a house type. The integration of the two scales, group and individual unit, is completed by studies of site selection and use of suitable materials. The solutions and proposals related to the environmental variables should incorporate the benefits of the favourable aspects of the climate, while offering protection from the unfavourable elements and achieving rational use of energy resources through the conservation of non-renewable energy and the use of renewable sources, especially solar energy. The studies and projects developed by the students allow them to see for themselves the
differing climatic design character that corresponds to different regions. This arises from a systematic application of climate and comfort analysis in a design and the subsequent verification and improvement of the design in a series of technical exercises. LOCALITIES
The alternative localities selected for students' projects developed during the programme in the last few years are indicated in Table 1. The locations of the projects illustrated are shown in Fig. 1. The summary of the climatic data, with average monthly temperatures and annual rainfall, does not fully convey the wide range of climatic conditions found in the different regions of Argentina. Patagonia is not only cold and dry; it also suffers from high winds; annual average speeds often exceed 30km/h and gusts of 100 km/h occur at monthly frequencies. Lack of vegetation and wind-blown sand are additional problems that the designer must face. Bariloche has heavy snowfalls in winter and nearby localities receive an annual average rainfall of over 2000 ram. However, the rainfall drops to less than 500 within a distance of 100 km, producing cold desert conditions. Formosa, in the subtropical north, hardly ever experiences ground frosts, while temperatures below zero occur on more than 100 days each year in Ushuaia. Freezing conditions are even more frequent in La Quiaca (155 days) at an altitude of 3460m in the Andes, although this station is located in the tropical belt. COURSE STRUCTURE
The course is based on climatic design techniques and methods of analysis which are applied in design, avoiding abstract or isolated exercises. However, it is not easy for the students to link the understanding of climate and the development of a design which reflects local requirements. They should first understand influence and interaction of different climatic factors with comfort conditions and design strategies. In order to structure the development of the design proposals, the course is organized in three stages.
45 TABLE 1 Localities chosen for students' projects Locality
La Quiaca Juj uy Salta Formosa Posadas Catamarca La Rioja Jachal Mendoza Buenos Aires Azul Mar del Plata S Antonio O. Viedma Bariloche Paso Indios C, Rivadavia P Deseado Gr. Gregores Rio Gallegos Ushuaia
Latitude (deg. S)
22 06' 24 23' 24 54' 26 12' 27 22' 28 29' 29 23' 30 15' 32 53' 34 34' 36 45' 38 03' 40 44' 40 51' 41 09' 43 49' 45 47' 47 44' 48 47' 51 37' 54 48'
Altitude (m)
3459 905 1250 60 133 525 429 1165 827 6 132 5 7 7 840 460 46 80 357 19 14
Bioclimatic zone (IRAM)
Temperature
Very cold Temperate Temperate Very warm humid Very warm humid Hot dry Hot dry Temperate dry Temperate cool Temperate Temperate Temperate cool Cool dry Cool dry Cold humid Cold dry Cold dry Cold dry Very cold dry Very cold dry Very cold
VI IIIb IIIb Ib Ib IIa IIa IVa IVa IIIb IIIa IVd IVc IVc VI V V V VI VI VI
Rainfall (mm/year)
Summer
Winter
12.3 21.1 21.2 27.4 26.3 27.1 27.4 24.5 23.6 24.1 21.0 20.0 22.4 21.5 13.9 18.0 18.6 15.1 13.6 13.1 9.4
3.9 11.0 10.2 16.8 16.1 12.0 11.0 8.7 8.0 11.4 7.4 9.0 8.2 7.0 1.9 3.9 6.0 2.9 0.5 0.6 0.7
330 950 634 1375 1604 437 382 142 231 1062 1004 1011 228 362 907 174 301 254 211 270 499
References: National Meteorological Service (Servicio MeteorolSgico Nacional) [2] and the Argentine Standard (Norma IRAM) 11.603 [3].
(1) Introduction During this initial stage the students analyse the climate of the selected location, studying the degree of comfort and the favourable and unfavourable climatic variables. A series of exercises are used to draw up design guidelines related to climate and prepare an initial design proposal. At this stage, the students do not have the detailed knowledge required to ensure an optimum climatic design solution. The principal themes of this first stage are as follows: - - concepts of bioclimatic design; - - i n t r o d u c t i o n to the principal world climates; analysis of meteorological data; - - comparison with desirable comfort conditions; - - development of design recommendations; initial design proposals. -
-
further design guidelines, modifying and improving the outline project. The following technical exercises form this second stage: - - design of outdoor spaces for sunlight in winter; solar protection in summer; estimation and use of solar radiation intensities; - - penetration of direct sunlight in building interiors; - - p r o t e c t i o n from winds through building form and grouping; - - wind and comfort conditions in external spaces; use of vegetation in different regions; design of openings for natural ventilation; material selection for thermal requirements using regional resources: insulation, reflection, inertia, heat storage; use of passive solar systems. -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
(2) Development During the second stage of the course, the students incorporate theoretical concepts and apply practical techniques of bioclimatic design to analyse the initial proposals, develop
(3) Synthesis In this stage of the course, the students develop and present the final design proposals.
46
They incorporate bioclimatic resources and integrate the results of the exercises in a project for a specific locality, based on the design guidelines established in the first stage and the analytical techniques and detailed studies developed in the second stage.
ORGANIZATION OF THE DESIGN WORKSHOP
Nearly two hundred students select this optional subject each year, though the number who successfully complete the course is considerably less. The teaching team consists of two professors and eight other members (two assistant professors and six tutors), most of whom are former students. The programme can be developed individually or by a group of two students. Alternatively a team of four may study two localities. The evaluation of the work carried out during the year is based on attendance and individual contributions to the studio work, content and results of the exercises, development of the project and final presentation. The portfolio of exercises and design development is evaluated during the different stages of the course.
PROGRAMME 1984
In this first annual course, the programme consisted of a housing group of 100 dwellings to be developed in a suburban site of two hectares. The main lesson learned from this first exercise was the difficulty of accommodating a standard number of dwellings in a standard site in different localities. In the high latitudes in the south of the country, the low-angle winter sun requires larger spaces between buildings. In the warm humid climates of the northeast, wider spaces are also desirable to improve air movement in the outdoor spaces between buildings. In the hot dry northwest, higher densities can be achieved with closer groupings and controlled spaces between buildings.
climatic zone. A slightly irregular site was given, requiring considerable design skill to resolve the conflicts between urban design requirements, wind protection and winter sunlight. The different dimensions of the site helped the students to achieve a character that reflects the climatic design requirements. The resulting projects were strongly influenced by the pre-defined site size and shape, which defined the required densities and suitable proportions of outdoor spaces.
PROGRAMME 1987 AND 1988
To improve the didactic value of the programmes and encourage the students to discover for themselves the climatic design character that responds to each region, a new programme was introduced in 1987. This proposed a rural service centre with a "standard" site with varying topography. The theme of a rural housing group provides additional scope for the development of regional design. The choice of a rural site, inspired by the examples shown by Olgyay [4], allowed the students to investigate or take advantage of differing microclimates due to topography, vegetation, expanses of water, etc. The general characteristics of the site are shown in Fig. 2. The students had to determine which sectors of the site offered an advantageous microclimate for the region they had selected: exposed ridges to catch cooling breezes in
PROGRAMME 1985 AND 1986
During the next two years, a suburban site was also chosen, with similar form and characteristics but different dimensions for each
Fig. 2. Site for the rural centre with different locations selected to take advantage of microclimatic variations according to the regional climate requirements.
47 warm humid climates, north-facing slopes in cooler climates, protected low-lying sites close to a water course in hot dry climates, and a slope facing northwest to catch sun and avoid the prevailing west wind in Patagonia. The community facilities and other services (primary school, shops, dispensary, etc.) were included in the programme to satisfy the needs of the rural service centre and the population in the vicinity. Although the detailed designs of these buildings were not required, their form and grouping was to be shown and related to the building use, access, external spaces, functional relation with the dwellings and the climatic design objectives established for the locality. These uses introduced additional formal and climatic design requirements to enrich the design content of the exercise.
PROGRAMME 1989: HOUSING DESIGN IN DIFFERENT REGIONS OF ARGENTINA During the present academic year, 1989, the programme requires the development of a Climatic Design Manual. The principal objective in this case is not to develop a project but climatic design recommendations, showing how they are applied in an example demonstrating the resulting character of the dwelling unit and the housing group. Recommendations are required for the design of low-cost housing related to the climatic conditions of a specific locality. The guidelines and recommendations that emerge from the exercises carried out during the year will form a Bioclimatic Design Manual for each locality, with outline projects to show the resulting architectural character. In order to indicate the typical characteristics of conventional housing projects, the plan of a single-storey one-family dwelling and a housing layout are presented. These are used as a basis for exercises during the second stage of the programme in order to evaluate the conditions and environmental standards of internal and outdoor spaces. The climate analysis and exercises follow the sequence established in a recent publication [5]. The dwelling shown is a typical project financed by the National Housing Fund
(FONAVI) and developed according to the regulations of the Secretary of State for Housing and Urban Development. The typical plots have a 12.5 m frontage and a depth of 25 m, with a net area of 312.5 m 2. The standard housing type is a semi-detached dwelling of 69 m 2 (9.20 m × 7.50 m). The students modify these variables according to the design requirements they establish, within the economic limits used for social housing. Examples of the results are shown in Fig. 3.
CONCLUSIONS During the last six years, a Climatic Design Course has been developed t h a t has achieved the three objectives set out in the introduction to this paper: integration of technical exercises in a design project; - - discovery of bioclimatic design character by the students, not as an imposed recipe; - - emphasis on the urban design and building group scale. The course itself still requires modifications and improvements to achieve better results within the limited time available. Another long-term objective has not yet been achieved as Climatic Design is still not programmed in the design exercises for the first years of the Architectural Course. However, a series of introductory talks has been given to students studying design. Nevertheless, the course has also produced other positive results related to the insertion of climatic and energy-conscious design in the Faculty: - - three subjects in the Advanced Postgraduate Course of Technology and Production have been introduced since 1986: Energy and Habitat, Bioclimatic Design and Use of Nonconventional Energy Systems in Buildings, given by Prof. John Martin Evans. research programme " H a b i t a t and Energy" has been established as a direct result of the modest research programmes initiated by professors and students of the course and directed by the authors of this paper [6]. The results of the work carried out in the research programme are already applied in the course and have been published to achieve wider application, not only in architectural faculties, but also in architectural - -
- - a
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Fig. 3. Examples of students' projects for rural centres in different climates. Fig. 3(a). Wide spacing for breezes in a warm humid c l i m a t e - Iguazu. Students: Salesi and Vekstein.
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Fig. 3(b). Close clustering in a dry climate with high temperature r a n g e -
Jachal. Students: Kumabe and Gentile.
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Fig. 3(c). Controlled grouping and spacial definition in a temperate c l i m a t e - - A z u l . Students: Fernandez and Snoj.
Fig, 3(d). Wider spaces for low-angle winter sun and grouping for wind protection in a cold dry climate - - Paso de Indios. Student: Pegito,
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studios and governmental organizations. The teaching of bioclimatic design as part of professional training helps to bridge the gap between climate and design in theory and practice.
REFERENCES 1 J. M. Evans and S. de Schiller, Insercion de los conceptos del U.R.E. y el enfoque bioambiental en la carrera de arquitectura, (Incorporation of the concepts of rational energy use and the bioclimatic approach in architectural training), H Congreso Argentino sobre el Uso Racional de la Energia (II Argentinian Congress on Rational Energy Use), Buenos Aires, 1986.
2 Estadistica Meteoroldgica 1971 - 1980 (Meteorological Statistics 1971 - 1980), Servicio Meteorol6gico Nacional, Buenos Aires, 1986. 3 Acondicionamiento Tdrmico de Edificios: Zonificaci6r~ Bioambiental de la Republica Argentina, Norma I R A M 11.603, Buenos Aires, 1980. 4 V. Otgyay and A. Olgyay, Design with Climate: Bioclimatic Approach to Architectural Regionalism, Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1963. 5 J. M. Evans and S. de Schiller, Diseno Bioambiental y Arquitectura Solar (Bioclimatic Design and Solar Architecture), Ediciones Previas, Eudeba, Buenos Aires, 1989. 6 S. de Schiller and J. M. Evans, Bridging the gap between climate and design at the urban and building scale: research and application, Proc. Int. Conf. on Urban Climate, Planning and Building, Kyoto, Japan, November 6-11, 1989, Energy Build., 15-16 (1990/91) 51 - 55 (these Proceedings).