Study Outline for Final Quiz on Course Section III
The quiz will cover the following topics discussed during Classes 10,13 and 14.
Sustainable materials
Building envelope
Passive Design using the sun and air resources
** General advice – understand the main concepts. You don’t need to memorize every word on the slides.
Sustainable Materials
1. Concrete (Class 13) – understand the environmental impacts of concrete; what are ways to make
concrete “greener” and reduce its carbon footprint; what are pros and cons of using fly ash.
2. Wood buildings (Class 13) – understand the environmental advantages of building with wood; why it has
a smaller carbon footprint compared to concrete or steel.
Building Envelope
3. Heat Transfer & Insulation (Class 13) – know how heat flows through the envelope (from warm to cold);
what insulation does; how should it be installed (continuous) and why; what does R-value mean; and
what are thermal bridges.
4. Sunlight, Glass & Windows (Class 14)
Sunlight – know the primary components of the solar spectrum (visible light, infrared, ultraviolet);
which of these are beneficial for buildings and which are problematic; know that sunlight typically
brings more solar heat into a building (more sunlight = more solar heat)
Glass – know primary design goals for glass (let in light, block heat and UV); for all-glass buildings
know what are benefits and potential problems; understand what are double-glazed (IGU) and
triple-glazed windows and the pros/cons of triple glazed.
Sunshading – for exterior sunshading, understand best applications for horizontal vs. vertical; know
the difference between exterior and interior sunshades; know what is a light shelf.
5. Roofs (Class 14, Additional Points) understand:
Green, white (cool), and blue roofs – understand what each type is; what are benefits and potential
disadvantages of each.
Urban heat island effect – know what it means; what causes it; what are strategies to address it.
Passive Building Design
6. Passive Design Using the Sun (Class 14) – understand:
How we can use the sun passively (daylighting, passive solar heating, etc)
What building shape and orientation is optimal for using the sun (skinny plan/east-west) and what
are the disadvantages of other shapes/orientations (skinny/north-south, deep/square)
7. Passive Design Using Air (Class 14) – understand:
How we can use air passively for natural ventilation (stack effect, cross ventilation)
What building shape and orientation is best for natural cross-ventilation
READ powerpoint answer question
