Tools of the Trade

Written by R. Kirk Johnson, AIA, LEED AP

As designers, we approach effectual architectural design by understanding and interpreting a variety of elements such as the building program, project budget, construction schedule, climate, project context, available materials, aesthetic expression, owner vision, energy impacts, and considerable other elements.  As we build our repertoire of designing ecologically friendly designs, a broader comprehensive perspective of energy influences becomes much more paramount than earlier precedents.  As these energy ingredients are quickly emerging as essential foundations for building analysis, new understandings, reflecting a broader comprehension of building behavior is crucial to our developing appropriate facility designs.  One such elemental methodology is an adoption of Building Performance Modeling into the sustainable design process.