published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

This thesis investigates the structure of the College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) at Ball State University, otherwise referred to as the Architecture Building (AB). The purpose of this study was to examine the use of energy within the two wings of the building. The research focussed on the history of the decision-making process of the design. It studied the geometry of the building. It researches the issue of lighting and daylighting. It examined the behavior of the HVAC systems. It studied the current and potential use of the Solar Chimney. It analyzed the existing windows as well as possible alternatives.The study results in an experimental design for an additional wing for the Architecture Building. It also recommends specific solutions for optimizing the separate parts of the existing building with respect to their use of energy as well as their exposure to daylight. This also helps to identify the limits of rebuilding an existing structure. Therefore, the appendices show new technologies that will help future designs, from the building materials used to the change of the design process itself.With its huge south-facing atrium and the closed north wall this building communicates the idea of utilizing natural energy sources (e.g., maximizing of solar gain) and minimizing the loss of energy through the building envelope.In fact, the biggest energy consuming factor is not the loss of energy during the winter time, but the excessive gain of energy during the summer which puts an extraordinary cooling load on the A/C system of the building. Apart from that, the amount of electricity for lighting due to the unavailability of daylight as well as the very inefficient lighting system and fans of the A/C system is extensive.Recent advances in the development of high efficiency windows and lights would allow for significant savings within the building. Unfortunately, a lot of the problems of the building are "cast in concrete" and therefore cannot be changed. This leads to the realization that architects need tools that allow them to better predict the future behavior of their anticipated structures. New developments in the field of Computer Aided Design (CAD) boost this simulation ability of planned buildings to a point unthought of a few years ago. / Department of Architecture

The thesis presents a comprehensive overview of the context and significance of ventilation cooling techniques and their feasibility in the United States. Passive cooling is one of the more architecturally interesting ways by which architects could make buildings energy efficient. There is great interest in passive systems since they can lead to a huge reduction of energy costs and support more sustainable building solutions. A number of ventilation system options are available to fill the need for a lower cost alternative to active [conventional] systems. It is the non-residential sector where energy consumption is of most concern and integrating passive natural ventilation in new non-residential buildings is receiving a lot of attention internationally and the U.S. building industry. Interest in improving air quality by passive ventilation is also increasing. / Department of Architecture

This thesis explored the energy conservation requirements necessary to retrofit existing historic structures. Residential and small commercial buildings were selected as significant examples. This study discussed and analyzed the historic, climatic, technical, and economic contexts which impact the energy conservation strategy. The major economic and architectural benefits were identified and described. A methodology was developed incorporating feasible retrofitting measures for historic buildings. This included technical and economic ranking of retrofitting measures with prototypical building type studies documenting the theoretical thermal performance before and after incorporation of retrofitting measures. / Department of Architecture

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references.

This study presents a framework for the introduction of energy considerations into the design of office buildings. The method of research and development of this study has been through a literature search combined with personal design experience in the field of commercial buildings, and the previous participation in the national competition for low energy building design. The thesis is in two parts. The first part investigates the historical development of offices up to now and shows that current office design practice establishes a pattern of high energy consumption that is carried forward for decades. It is shown how and where energy is used in office buildings and their urban context. The need to rethink settlement patterns is outlined and the concept of decentralization and mixed use developments is suggested to improve overall energy efficiency in the urban context. The second part presents energy conservation strategies, from a designer's point of view, that improve energy efficiency of office buildings. Five basic strategies are introduced and examined at the planning levels of site, lay-out, form and fabric: i) to control internal heat gains ii) to control solar heat gains iii) to minimize heat losses iv) to optimize natural ventilation v) to maximize daylight capabilities of buildings The thesis shows that the implementation of these strategies presents the architect with considerable scope for innovation rather than imposition. However, it is emphasized that the architect must be aware of the consequences of his design decisions. The factors causing the energy use in office buildings are interrelated. Therefore, once a particular strategy is adopted its consequences have to be recognized and dealt with on all planning levels. The thesis concludes that energy conservation offers architects the opportunity to design offices in a way they need less energy and provide a better working environment than it is the case today. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School of / Graduate

A technique is presented for estimating hourly and seasonal energy consumption profiles in the building sector at spatial scales down to the individual taxlot or parcel. The method combines annual building energy simulations for cityspecific prototypical buildings and commonly available geospatial data in a Geographical Information System (GIS) framework. Hourly results can be extracted for any day and exported as a raster output at spatial scales as fine as an individual parcel (

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

M.Tech. (Architectural Technology) / It is estimated that commercial buildings are responsible for 5.4% of worldwide Green House Gas (GHG) emissions through their construction and on-going operation. In developed countries this figure can go up to 30%. The environmental control industry is one of the large consumers of this energy. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) contribute approximately 15% of South Africa's current peak electrical demand consumption according to Eskom (the South African electricity utility). The purpose of this dissertation is to analyse and evaluate methods to reduce the energy consumption of the HVAC system in a commercial office building. This encompasses careful building design to reduce heat loads and promote the circulation of fresh air; the use of energy-efficient air-conditioning systems and the incorporation of materials and technology to reduce energy consumption. This will be based upon a case study of the new SANRAL (South African National Roads Agency Limited) head office building in Val-DeGrace, Pretoria. A deductive research approach will be followed. The as-designed Actual Building is modelled with the appropriate energy modelling software and its annual energy usage is obtained. A benchmark based Notional Building complying with SANS 204:2008 criteria of the same size, shape, location and operational schedules as the Actual Building is also modelled and its energy usage results compared to that of the Actual Building. This comparison will determine how energy efficient the Actual Building's HVAC system is compared to a conventional Notional Building. Quantitative data collection is performed by empirical measurement of the energy usage of the as-built Actual Building. The raw data (power usageofthe HVAC system) is measured by Schneider Electric PM9c™ power meters located in the HVAC distribution boards of the building. This raw data are collected by Schneider Electric's ION Enterprise' power management software which has a user friendly interface from where the data can be downloaded. The power management software is connected to an ANDOVEWM Building Management System (BMS). Due to commissioning procedures and the timeframe at hand for the completion of this dissertation measurements could only be taken over a 7 month period. Operational data were measured from July 2011 to March 2012 thus accounting for summer, winter and a seasonal changeover period. The modelled energy usage results of the as-designed Actual Building are compared to the measured energy usage data obtained from the as-built Actual Building. This comparison serves to evaluate the accuracy of the software model...

The aim of this thesis was to develop a methodology to systematically investigate the effect of different procurement options on the outcome of a construction project. This methodology combined the qualitative analysis based on experts' performance assessment of each procurement option with quantitative analyses of generic process models for each option, in order to perform a comprehensive analysis of different procurement alternatives. This methodology was further applied to the specific problem of this research which was to assess the performance of Commissioning Delivery Systems (CDS). The goal was to use the findings from the study to provide a comparison between CDS, and assist Construction Owners in identifying the appropriate commissioning delivery option for their project. The process of each CDS was modeled, and systematic differences between different options were analyzed. Five major internal performance aspects of the commissioning process were identified based on literature: PAi1: Communication; PAi2: Validation; PAi3: Collaboration; PAi4: Integration; and PAi5: Integrity. These performance aspects were used as a basis for a Delphi study to obtain commissioning experts assessment of each CDS. Fourteen experts, representing different disciplines in the construction industry, participated in three phases of the Delphi study. A statistical measure was used to validate the expert performance assessments by measuring their level of consensus. Experts did not show any agreement on two performance aspects of Communication and Integration. These aspects were further investigated through quantitative analyses of process models. The developed methodology proved to be a valuable technique in analyzing the effect of procurement options on the outcome of a construction project. Based on the findings of the study, Owner-led Commissioning presented a higher performance rating than Designer-led Commissioning in four out of five performance aspects. Hence, Owner-led Commissioning is identified as a better alternative for procuring commissioning services on construction projects. Designer-led Commissioning presented a higher Communication performance than Owner-led Commissioning. At the same time, the Communication performance of both delivery options was very poor, which further indicates communication difficulties in current commissioning practices. Therefore, this study suggests a more-thorough investigation of the Communication aspect of commissioning process as a follow-up investigation.