Site Considerations and the Building Enclosures

When considering where to place a building on your given site, there are several things to consider such as, where the sun will hit, rain, wind, interior lighting, and so much more. The placement of a building in relation to the site in crucial for not only exterior purposes but interior as well.

The process of creating a building starts with the Architect and a design that will help the energy use of the interior. The sun has a huge role to play when in come to choosing the correct placement on the site plan. When the building is placed in an efficient place in relation to the sun this can help not only the interior lighting but also the energy levels in the interior as well. Another key factor to keep in mind when planning out a buildings position is; what view are you going to be giving to the people inside? The view that you give in the interior of the building can impact the way your interior space can feel because when you choose a place that gives good sunlight and a decent view it allows your interior space to feel open and light.

When choosing where you want the sun to hit on your building it is crucial to optimize daylight, therefore you will not have to use as much electricity and power in your building. In the case where there is too much sunlight penetrating the interior space many designers use shades or window treatments to help control daylight access for the interior space. During the time of the design process it is important for the Architect and Interior Designer to work together so window placements can optimize the best views on the property. 

Moving on toward how designers enclose building, it is important to not that interior designers do have a huge role in the beginning process because it effects the interior space as well as the exterior space. One way interior designers should be incorporated into the foundation process is the size of the foundation. If the client want a crawl space, basement, or no basement, this is all part of an interior designers job to figure out. 

Another part of building enclosures is the type of roof that is chosen. This job might seen like it is only the architects decision but the shape of the roof can effect how the interior space feels as well. Vaulted roofs are known to being more space into the interior rooms rather than a regular 8 foot roof that can make a place feel small and compacted. 

Case Study Analysis: Harm Weber Building 

The Harm Weber Building located at Judson University is a great example of using natural resources to create an efficient way to power a building without using an excessive amount of energy. The building also has strong design concepts that help divide the various purposes of the building while also uniting the building to create a great flow of the building. 

There are three components of this building that is divided into the different function of this building. In the image to the left you can see the the library and studios as the main square and then in between the entrance and the library are where the classrooms are located and finally, where the windows and entrance is, is where the offices are placed. The shape of this building utilized the minimal space given in the site plan because of the three divisions allows the building to be able to fit into the lot given. 

The Weber building has an LEED gold rating on energy efficiency due to the way the building chooses to warm and cool the building. The building utilizes the mild weather that can come with Illinois weather. The building chooses when to naturally heat and cool the building because of the way the windows are constructed and when they are timed to open and close. 

The image to the right is an interior view of the library that showcases the energy efficient windows and the different materials used throughout the building. The middle atrium helps provide efficient ventilation to the rest of the building and by doing this the energy consumption is down by 40%.  The matierials used for this atrium is mostly glazed with some white metal used and the structural framing for the glazing.

The material used in the facade of this building was copper paneling that is used to reflect the sun well. The building was placed on the site to have the facade and the main windows to have natural light coming in when the sun is rising and setting. Another notable material used in the facade is photo voltiac panels behind fixed glassed windows to help retain energy usage. The main material used in this build is concrete because concrete is a thermal mass that helps retain temperature within the rooms of the build to lessen energy costs. 

This Harm Weber Building is a great example of how to build and design an energy efficient building. The architects and designers made thoughtful decision on where to place the building, what materials used, and how to decrease the energy usage in the building to help create a greener and environmental friendly building.