The Room Is Empty. Why Is the HVAC Still Running?
Occupancy sensing connects building operation with actual use, but accuracy alone cannot prove energy savings. An architectural review of control zones, comfort and evidence.
Building Performance
2026-2027 ASHRAE High School Design Competition
Organizer: ASHRAE Student Activities Committee. Eligibility: teams of 1–5 students aged 13–18. Fee: not stated. Cash prizes: USD 1,800 total. Registration: 7 December 2026. Submission: 5 January 2027. Both deadlines are described as midnight EST; the start/end-of-day interpretation needs confirmation.
The Building Has Room. Its Services Do Not.
Why spacious buildings can struggle at peak demand: waste collection, restroom queues, lift cycles and the overlooked time needed for services to recover.
The Shoeshine Problem
Cover: An editorial adaptation of the author’s original photograph, with visual enhancements and added title typography. © Ibrahim Fawakherji /…
The Gym Floor Looks Clean. Is Exercising at Home Safer?
What surface studies can and cannot tell us about gym-floor hygiene, with a design and operations framework for comparing shared exercise spaces and homes.
Concrete Flakes: A Lasting Frame for a Changing Workplace
Concrete Flakes in Hanoi separates a lasting concrete structure, a patterned metal screen and shared workplace facilities to accommodate everyday use and later change.
Why the Gandarillas House Raises Its Mass: Freeing the Ground and Letting Water Pass Beneath It
The Open Ground as a Living SpaceUpon entering the site, the visitor does not encounter a mass occupying the ground,…
Otway Beach House: Bushfire Protection and Coastal Views
Topographic Integration and Scenographic FramingOtway Beach House takes shape as a monolithic concrete volume that uses the regulatory requirements associated…
The Building’s Other Footprint
Buildings possess both a physical ground footprint and a dynamic annual shadow footprint created as the sun moves throughout the…
Old Trafford Before the Whistle
An architectural perspective on Old Trafford highlights how the stadium balances operational demands with its historical legacy. Key features include…
The Performance Gap: The Lie Every Green Building Lives
The Building That Betrays Itself: How a Green Certificate Becomes an Unkept PromiseImagine a building that wins the highest green…
What Collapsed Rock Already Knows And Architecture Has Yet to Learn
When Geological Thermal Mass Becomes a Lesson in Building Envelope PhysicsThere is a striking paradox unfolding between one hundred and…
Government Energy Efficiency Failures Pose New Design Questions for Architects
The UK’s home energy efficiency sector has faced intense scrutiny following the failures of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), a…
The Role of IoT in Smart Architecture: Transforming Building Performance
The Internet of Things (IoT) is revolutionizing architecture, making buildings more efficient, intelligent, and responsive. By integrating smart sensors, automation,…
The growing trend towards increased energy efficiency
The savings resulting from green construction depend on the type of construction and materials used.Passive green building requires very little…
