Our Books

Climate Driven Design I

Christoph Reinhart | Available Fall 2024

Learn the fundamentals of net zero building design.

This book offers a systematic study of the atmospheric conditions around and thermal conditions within buildings. The goal is to empower the reader to design thermally comfortable and resource-efficient indoor environments. Part 1, Energy Use in Buildings, explains how to measure and evaluate environmental performance in terms of energy, carbon emissions and costs. Part 2, Climate and Comfort, shows how to analyze a site’s microclimate and discusses our evolving understanding of thermal comfort. Passive Design Strategies introduces physical phenomena that determine the relationship between indoors and outdoors, namely internal gains, thermal mass and heat flow. Each process description is accompanied by a review of technologies and design interventions to manipulate these phenomena to benefit the occupants of a building.

Daylighting Handbook I

Christoph Reinhart | 2014

Learn the fundamentals and how to design with the sun.

This is volume I of the Daylighting Handbook series. The book is organized into two parts, Fundamentals and Designing with the Sun. Fundamentals serves as a general introduction to daylighting, its implementation and daily and seasonal availability. It also explains how light helps us to perceive the world around us and to maintain our circadian rhythm. A practical approach to building massing via rules of thumb is followed by methods to determine where the sun is located in the sky throughout the year. This information is then used to design static shading devices. The book closes with an introduction to heliodon studies using physical models.  

Daylighting Handbook II

Christoph Reinhart | 2018

Learn how to analyze the performance of complex façades.

This is volume II of the Daylighting Handbook series. The book is organized into two parts, Daylight Simulations and Dynamic Façades. Part 1 discusses how to predict the overall amount of daylight in and around buildings at any given site using manual methods and computer simulations. Part 2 presents an integrated design analysis framework to evaluate façades with dynamic shading and lighting systems that negotiate between occupant comfort and energy efficiency. The book closes with a hypothetical design study of a sidelit office as well as a discussion of how the framework can be combined with other performative design aspects such as structures. 

Close Hauled

Multiple authors | Under preparation

Teaching exercises for architectural educators.