Structures 3: Building Systems (F20)

ARCH-4316 – Structures 3: Building Systems – Fall 2020
This course begins in understanding that Sudbury lies at 46 degrees North latitude and with the premise that ‘building’ itself can serve as a basis for architectural design. The course continues to increase the knowledge of building systems and environmental performance begun in the Well-Tempered Environment (ARCH 3306) course. Emphasis is placed on building systems integration as students develop an understanding of building performance measurement tools. The approach to systems thinking complements the design work in fourth year design studio.

Course taught by Jean-Philippe Saucier. 

ASG-1 - Building systems design, optimization and integration

In this three-part assignment, the students had to design and optimize a small building all the way from the site analysis to the passive design, the building envelope systems, the selection of building services systems, including the study of compliance with Ontario regulations and the optimization of energy performance through dynamic energy simulation. The students investigated how all of these important considerations affect one another and come together to generate good and beautiful architecture.

In the first part, the students designed the building, based on site site analysis, and then designed a meaningful and poetic, as well as functional and efficient, envelope. They selected the walls above grade envelope materials, from the cladding to the interior finishes, selecting a waterproofing, airtightness and vapour management strategy. They also defined the insulation strategy and verified compliance with the Ontario energy efficiency regulations, including thermal resistance calculations. In the second part, they detailed the windows and doors, in compliance with Ontario regulations and then created a base case model of their building in eQUEST, which they then simulated. In the third part, the students investigated envelope and building services systems optimization strategies through an iterative dynamic energy simulation study, allowing them to redesign their entire envelope and improve services systems to significantly exceed energy efficiency regulations. The students generated a complete and detailed annotated technical section, from the foundations to the roof, reflecting this final efficient design.