Building Physics

This course introduces theoretical foundations and computational approaches about two major fields of building physics: building lighting performance and building thermal performance.

In the first part, the course will introduce fundamental lighting principles in the context of performance-based architectural design and diagnostics. The course will cover relevant aspects of lighting environment that affect the physiological and psychological experience of buildings, performance metrics, design and benchmarking methods, and contemporary simulation tools. Topics include a review of physiological and psychological response to the visual environment, analytical and numeric methods for the prediction of lighting conditions in interior spaces, lighting engineering and design methods, and application of computer-aided lighting simulation tools in architectural design.

In the second part, the course will introduce fundamental thermal principles in the context of performance-based architectural design and diagnostics. The course will cover relevant aspects of thermal environment that affect the physiological and psychological experience of buildings, performance metrics, design and benchmarking methods, and contemporary simulation tools. Topics include a review of basic theory of heat transfer, thermal dynamics, thermal comfort and building HVAC systems, analytical and numeric methods for the prediction of building thermal load and energy consumption, and application of computer-aided thermal simulation tools for building thermal design.