An Approach towards Energy Efficient Building
Through Integrated Design Studio
Prof. Aparna Tarar
Assistant Professor, Priyadarshini Institute of Architecture and Design Studies,
Priyadarshini Campus, Digdoh Hills, Hingna, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
Prof. Shrutee Dhanorkar
Assistant Professor, Priyadarshini Institute of Architecture and Design Studies,
Priyadarshini Campus, Digdoh Hills, Hingna, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
Abstract
A design educator needs to deal with many issues while
teaching. Design studio is an important subject of architecture
education. The conventional approach to design education
follows teaching techniques that are completely different from
the realities of design in practice. In design studio, the
students develop a solution without investigating, identifying
or even understanding the problems to be solved. There is a
definite process involved in creation of architecture. Right
from the movement when the thought of a requirement of a
building steps up in the mind, till it is finally complete there
are various steps involved, which are the parts of the process.
Design is not to be seen as a „subject‟ of learning but an
application of what is learnt from support subjects to design.
The concept of an integrated studio is not necessarily new but
innovative approaches need to be adopted in its
implementation. The rigid format that has been established
and followed till date will have to be loosened up. Dealing
with various issues and integrating the knowledge acquired in
various subjects of architecture curriculum in design studio
must deal systematically at appropriate stages. The design
process should be organized accordingly as a procedure to
solve problems stage wise. While designing any building, our
main aim should make a building habitable and comfortable.
We must be able to control climatic elements such as daylight,
humidity, air movement, thermal conditions etc., by evolving
a design process that utilizes these climatic parameters. The
climatic approach should be integrated with the design
process from the beginning.
So, this paper is an attempt to develop a systematic design
process for design studio teaching with climate responsive
approach to design energy efficient building.
Keywords
Design process, Design Studio, Climate Responsive
Architecture, Experiential Learning
Introduction
We should change our attitude about the environment.
Environmental architecture should become the focus and goal
of architectural education worldwide.
Architectural education should be more responsive to
environmental issues. The academic community should be
involved in providing opportunities for future architects and
urban designers to develop more socially and culturally
responsible and environmentally responsive architecture.
Architectural educators should strive to balance the way in
which students view relationships with the physical and social
worlds. Architecture students should be made aware of
alternative viewpoints including the view of the material
world as something to be respected rather than to be
conquered and controlled.
In the process of architectural design, we often observe
difficulties in resolving the forces that affect the skin of the
building. These forces are thermal, luminous, acoustic and
aqueous environment, which need to be addressed at the
schematic design stage. Because most decisions that affect
building‟s energy use occur during this stage. Each of these
factors needs to be confronted in a serial discipline, using
scientific method. The process could be followed using
analysis techniques, design strategies, evaluation techniques.
Design is a reiterative process of analysis, design, evaluation,
redesign and re-evaluation. Initially the designer works
primarily in the synthesis mode, bringing ideas together and
not in an analysis mode. The schematic design then precedes
rapidly involving experimentation with many ideas and
combinations of ideas.
Energy requirement of a building can be reduced by using
passive, climate responsive design strategies.
It is therefore imperative that we produce design solutions that
are eco-sensitive, energy efficient, and climate responsive,
user-friendly, and cost effective too. Climate is an important
context which greatly influences the amount of energy; a
building would use and therefore needs to be analyzed
accurately.
Architecture Pedagogy
Architecture education is one of the most distinctive branches
of education, which requires various capabilities. The subjects
included in architecture curriculum can be broadly divided into
three types of subjects,
1. Skill related subjects, e.g. Visual arts, Graphics etc.
2. Knowledge related subjects, e.g. History, Climatology,
Building services etc.
3. Application related subjects, e.g. Design, W.D. etc.
All these three types of subjects need to adopt different
methods of teaching.
In education we need to proceed from the simple to complex.
Each branch of instruction must proceed from the empirical to
the rational. The students needs to be told as little as possible
and induced to discover as much as possible through self-
International Journal of Engineering Research and Technology. ISSN 0974-3154 Volume 10, Number 1 (2017)
© International Research Publication House http://www.irphouse.com
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