Exploring methods to increase the efficiency of the integration between design process and environmental systems: an education and design research experience

This paper explores the integration between environmental systems design and architectural design process. The integration of these two processes is essential from the very early stages of the design process, both to improve and/or efficiently preserve the environmental, and architectural quality of spaces. The paper presents the design teaching and research experience carried out with the students of final atelier of the Master of Sustainability, at the Polytechnic of Turin in the second semester, 2014. The aim of the atelier was to design an institutional educational building by applying sustainability concepts throughout all the stages of the design process delivery. This latter was applied from design conception to construction detailing process, by utilizing a set of tools - such as climatic and microclimatic analysis - to maximize the environmental and sustainability performance of the projects. In particular, this paper analyzes tools such as the site microclimatic matrix, as support to the climatic considerations about different technological choices for heating and cooling systems; and to the architectural approach definition. This paper synthesizes and presents guidelines that can contribute both to the educational and professional design experience.