What is a construction drawing? A construction drawing or set of construction drawings form part of the pre-construction information that is used to construct a building. Before we dive in to construction drawings, what they look like and what they...
Metric Data 05: Approach, Entrance and Horizontal Circulation In Visitable Dwellings In Metric Data 05 we look at the approach to dwellings, entrance and circulation. This includes details such as requirements for ramps, steps, corridors and...
What is straw bale construction? Straw bale construction uses the renewable material of straw, in bale form to act as an infill material to timber frame structures or as a load bearing structure to buildings of no more than two storeys. The...
I am delighted to announce that the long awaited Understanding Passivhaus - A Simple Guide to Passivhaus Detailing and Design is now available! The book explores the Passivhaus key principles and looks at the various building methods that can be employed...
Metric Data 03: Average dimensions of man and woman in wheelchair In Metric Data 03 we look at the average dimensions of a wheelchair, and average dimensions of a wheelchair user. This includes details such as average height, average width, average...
Metric Data 02: Average dimensions of man and woman sitting In Metric Data 02 we look at the average dimensions of a man sitting and the average dimensions of a woman sitting. This includes details such as average height of man when seated, average height...
What is rammed earth construction? Rammed earth construction is the process of ramming a mixture of aggregates, like gravel, sand, silt and clay into a formwork to create walls. When the earth is dry the formwork is removed to reveal solid...
Metric Data 01: Average dimensions of man and woman standing In Metric Data 01 we look at the average dimensions of a man standing and the average dimensions of a woman standing. This includes details such as average male height, average female height,...
Understanding and measuring U-values has become increasingly important as we aim to improve the sustainability and performance of our buildings. What is a U-Value? U-Value - is the measure of the overall rate of heat transfer, by all mechanisms under standard...
You can download a handy pdf of this post Understanding Scale Drawings by clicking the download button below! Understanding the concept of architectural scales and scale drawings Scale drawings allow us to accurately represent sites, spaces,...
What is biomass? Biomass is a fuel that is produced by organic means. It is derived from burning of trees or plants which have absorbed CO2 during their lifetime. So, the CO2 that is absorbed during the life of the tree or plant, is then re-released when...
What is a heat pump? A heat pump is a system that extracts heat from a source, such as the ground, and upgrades the heat to a useful temperature. The heat is then used for space heating. Electricity is required to convert the heat that is harvested into...
What is Combined heat and power (CHP)? Combined heat and power (CHP) generates electricity by burning fuel, and captures the usable heat that is produced in the process. Essentially, it is a system that is able to produce both electricity, and heating....
Solar Energy Using the energy of the sun is one of the most effective strategies of the renewable technologies, in part because buildings can benefit from both passive and active systems. Passive solar design can provide between 20% and 40%...
What are low and zero carbon technologies? Low and zero carbon technologies (LZC) are systems that emit low levels of CO2 or no net CO2 emissions. The application of these systems are more effective when designed with an efficient building fabric, and...
I have curated a list of some of the tools and resources I would strongly recommend for anyone studying or working in Architecture.
