This title offers a critical look at the issues of sustainability and environmental impact in the field of building design and architecture. As the environmental impact of buildings becomes increasingly acknowledged, the role of architects/designers and the initial decision-making process which determines materials, systems, and construction processes, become more critical. This timely book addresses sustainability in building design through development of a series of examples presented as three dimensional models of well-integrated building systems. Each model is composed of two paired integrated systems analysed with full graphical display, text, analytical drawings, graphs, and tabulated values, to demonstrate the models' performance in a particular environment. A performance metrics provided for each model will serve as a basis to evaluate the sustainability of the system based on its performance in the thermal environment, luminous environment, acoustic environment and its ability to address life-safety issues.
