Building physics constitutes a fundamental prerequisite for sound architectural design. Whether it pertains to the development of zero-carbon or energy-positive buildings, the imperative to ensure a healthy and sustainable built environment, or the capacity to complement, reinforce, and intrinsically inform architectural concepts, building physics remains an indispensable component of a rigorous and responsible design practice.

The aim of the course is, on the one hand, to enable students to gain a deeper understanding of their own design decisions, and on the other hand, to prepare them to communicate and further develop these decisions in the context of interdisciplinary collaboration in their future professional practice.

The lecture series will regularly address a range of topics including climate and building thermal performance, thermal comfort, moisture in buildings, daylighting, airborne and impact noise control, room acoustics, and fire safety requirements, including the European classification system.

The lectures relate to the main fields of building physics: I. Energy, II. Heat Transfer, III. Humidity, IV. Climate, V. Daylighting, VI. Sound Protection, VII. Acoustics, VIII. Fire Protection

The content is divided across a two-year cycle: Topics I. to IV. are covered in even-numbered years, while Topics V. to VIII. are taught in odd-numbered years.

This semester focuses on Topics V.-VIII.: Daylighting, Sound Protection, Acoustics, and Fire Protection.

chapters:

- in even-numbered years:

1.humans as thermodynamic systems   2.sick building and the architecture of well being a.thermal comfort (P.O.Fanger) b.visual comfort c.acoustic comfort d.humidity, mould and decay   3.climate and climate change (Arrhenius, Tyndall) a.greenhouse effect and gases b.IPCC scenarios, Radiative Forcing   4.losses and gains a.architecture and its environment b.solar architecture and internal gains c.architecture as a thermodynamic system   5.what is energy (Joule, Clausius, Maxwell) a.laws of thermodynamics b.entropy c.enthalpy d.atoms and energy (Mach, Boltzmann, Planck, Einstein)   6.ecology and life of a building a.embodied energy b.life cycle analysis   7.systems of energy conversion a.fire and steam b.wind, sun, biogenic c.the carnot cycle and environmental heat d.photovoltaics (Becquerel) e.cooling systems   8.politics and physics a.EU Taxonomy b.Energy Performance of Buildings Directive  

- in odd-numbered years:

Building physics constitutes a fundamental prerequisite for sound architectural design. Whether it pertains to the development of zero-carbon or energy-positive buildings, the imperative to ensure a healthy and sustainable built environment, or the capacity to complement, reinforce, and intrinsically inform architectural concepts, building physics remains an indispensable component of a rigorous and responsible design practice.

The aim of the course is, on the one hand, to enable students to gain a deeper understanding of their own design decisions, and on the other hand, to prepare them to communicate and further develop these decisions in the context of interdisciplinary collaboration in their future professional practice.

The lecture series will regularly address a range of topics including climate and building thermal performance, thermal comfort, moisture in buildings, daylighting, airborne and impact noise control, room acoustics, and fire safety requirements, including the European classification system.

The lectures relate to the main fields of building physics: I. Energy, II. Heat Transfer, III. Humidity, IV. Climate, V. Daylighting, VI. Sound Protection, VII. Acoustics, VIII. Fire Protection

The content is divided across a two-year cycle: Topics I. to IV. are covered in even-numbered years, while Topics V. to VIII. are taught in odd-numbered years.

This semester focuses on Topics V.-VIII.: Daylighting, Sound Protection, Acoustics, and Fire Protection.

chapters:

- in even-numbered years:

1.humans as thermodynamic systems   2.sick building and the architecture of well being a.thermal comfort (P.O.Fanger) b.visual comfort c.acoustic comfort d.humidity, mould and decay   3.climate and climate change (Arrhenius, Tyndall) a.greenhouse effect and gases b.IPCC scenarios, Radiative Forcing   4.losses and gains a.architecture and its environment b.solar architecture and internal gains c.architecture as a thermodynamic system   5.what is energy (Joule, Clausius, Maxwell) a.laws of thermodynamics b.entropy c.enthalpy d.atoms and energy (Mach, Boltzmann, Planck, Einstein)   6.ecology and life of a building a.embodied energy b.life cycle analysis   7.systems of energy conversion a.fire and steam b.wind, sun, biogenic c.the carnot cycle and environmental heat d.photovoltaics (Becquerel) e.cooling systems   8.politics and physics a.EU Taxonomy b.Energy Performance of Buildings Directive  

- in odd-numbered years:

9.light, colour, transparency and the photo-electric effect (Young, Maxwell, Boltzmann, Planck and Einstein)   10. daylight factor and daylight autonomy   11.sound as noise - health and law (Fasold, ÖAL, DEGA, Fraunhofer and ift Rosenheim) 12.sound and psychology (Berger, Winckel, Zwicker, A. G. Bell and the Bell Labs, the Psycho-Acoustic Laboratory of Harvard)   13. sound and protection (VOLV) 14. NEW: sound and ecology - timber structures, acoustic behaviour, construction details, dataholz.eu 15.space and time a.communication, speech and concert halls (Helmholtz, Sabine, Beranek) b.frozen music (Scharoun and Berlin, Boulez and the IRCAM, Yasuhisa Toyota and the Elb Philharmonie, Peter Heimerl) c. the well-tempered instrument (Werckmeister and Bach, Mahler and the natural tone tuning and  Karajan and the Sony CD)  16. Fire! Architecture for a Disaster That Must Not Happen (EN 13501, fire protection in building codes)

Frequent and active participation is obligatory.

Option A: Each student adopts one of the sub-chapters above and contributes (responds) by an illustration that describes a process, an interdependancy or sorts scales and relationships - the goal is to make the presented content more and visually comprehensible. For this you have to understand the chosen sub-chapter yourselves.

Option B: Alternatively, you also can hand in a paper on a specific problem related to the chapters. For instance, you could compare the changes of the performance of different components or space when altering geometries, materials or usages. But any research question can be proposed and will be discussed..

This seminar is part of the teaching of the Energy Design department. Take a look at the work of our students and our projects and research:
https://energy-design.tumblr.com/