Solar architecture

Strictly defined, the term ‘passive cooling’ applies only to those processes of heat dissipation that will occur naturally, that is without the mediation of mechanical components or energy inputs. The definition encompasses situations where the coupling of spaces and building elements to ambient heat sinks (air, sky, earth and water) by means of natural modes of heat transfer leads to an appreciable cooling effect indoors. However, before taking measures to dissipate unwanted heat, it is…

Solar Mountain by NUDES, a Mumbai-based architecture firm, is designed to be both an interactive installation as well as a source of clean energy for the community. Each unit will have 182 solar panels of 300-watt capacity that will generate 1.2kwh/day. NUDES calculates the estimated total clean energy that can be harvested from the four units containing a total of 728 solar panels. READ 7 VIEW MORE NOW!

What does the future portend for the home? Ten international architecture firms paired with a forward-thinking manufacturers to entertain that enquiry in “China House Vision,” an exhibition assembled last fall in Beijing. MAD Architects collaborated with solar-energy equipment firm Hanergy to conjure Living Garden, a 2,200-square-foot open-sided pavilion that dismantled spatial boundaries, creating “an architectural landscape” for en plein air, or outdoor, living.

The Endesa Pavillion aka Solar House 2.0, is a beautiful project designed by Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) with the support of Endesa,…

Image 6 of 41 from gallery of Welcome to the Jungle House / CplusC Architectural Workshop. Photograph by Murray Fredericks

Balenciaga opens a new boutique in Miami's Design District

Passive solar is harnessing the sun's energy to reduce the need for mechanical heating and cooling. It increases energy efficiency and comfort in the home by adding insulation and improved ventilation. In a passive solar house, the sun's heat is absorbed

Image 8 of 24 from gallery of Freiburg Town Hall / ingenhoven architects. Courtesy of ingenhoven architects

This diagram shows how passive ventilation can be utilized differently depending on the season. when it's winter the warm air is trapped to provide insulation & in the summer the warm air is flushed. cool air is constantly flowing through. I think it is successful because of how the air movement ribbons are a gradient to accurately show warm + cool air. Having the summer & winter conditions next to each other is a successful use of showing the passive design during different times of the…

Thanks to these innovations and the public’s growing appreciation for clean power, photovoltaic façades are finally having their moment in the sun.