Garde-Bentaleb, F.; Miranville, F.; Boyer, H.; Depecker, P.
June 2002
Energy and Buildings, vol 34-5, p. 511-521
The need for construction projects to be sustainable is becoming more widely recognized, partly because of diminishing world energy resources, and partly because recent world developments (for example, global warming and increasing oil prices) have made those involved in construction more aware of a new approach to building. We often hear now of buildings with a high environmental rating, of sustainable development, and of improved comfort. The stated objective is to construct comfortable buildings, which use little energy and produce little pollution. This desire on the part of construction project leaders has led to some problems amongst architects, engineers and university researchers who tend to work in isolation from each other. However, the only way to achieve an overall improvement in building design is by close collaboration between the various participants, from when the first sketch of the future building is made. Of course, this task appears difficult because these participants have different approaches, training and `tools of the trade'. This article aims to show that efficient cooperation between the professionals involved is possible. We will see that by producing an instructive working document, understandable by all and based on expert rules, it is possible to produce buildings which are adapted to the climate, and to spread the scientific knowledge to the more practical professions. We will illustrate our ideas by describing the methodology we used for a building project in the tropics. Finally, we will present a summary for the period 1997–2001 and will show the impact that such collaborations have had on the design of buildings in tropical climates.
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