Our Books

Climate Driven Design I

Christoph Reinhart | 2025

Net zero is now. This book gives architects and students the science-backed toolkit to design thermally efficient, carbon-neutral buildings that perform in the real world. Master the fundamentals of building energy modeling and thermal comfort theory while learning to read and interpret local microclimate data and thermal simulation results. Two case studies—one new construction, one retrofit—show how to apply these methods in practice.

Improve occupant well-being while reducing energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions—contributing to healthier communities and a more resilient planet.

Daylighting Handbook I

Christoph Reinhart | 2014

Learn the fundamentals of daylighting 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 evaluate the daylighting 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.

HVAC Design For Architects

Ali Irani, Ellen Reinhard and Christoph Reinhart | 2025

Interactive online guidebook for practitioners and students interested in better understanding the environmental, spatial and economic implications of different HVAC systems.

Close Hauled

Multiple authors | Under preparation

Teaching exercises for architectural educators. Coming soon!