Sustainable building design in Africa (POK)

The course provides the main information about technological systems and tools for designing climate responsive buildings in Africa. The building sector is a major CO2 emitter, second only to the industry sector, accounting for 27% of global emissions, deriving both by the fossil fuel burnt for building operations viz. space heating, hot water production and cooking and by the one burnt for producing the electricity consumed. Moreover, almost 40% of the raw materials and energy produced worldwide are used in the building sector.

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If the present trend is not changed, the impact of the building sector on global warming is set to grow, because of the combination of factors such as the population growth, the urbanization process, and the improvement of the economic conditions in developing countries. The increase in energy consumption in the building sector can be expected to be even more dramatic, not only because air conditioning will spread and the number of domestic electric and electronic appliances will grow, but also because of the increase in the number of buildings. Among developing countries, the rapid economic and population growth in Africa will have profound implications for the energy sector, both regionally and globally. In this respect, the aim of the course is to provide concepts, tools and necessary information, useful for the development of an environmental conscious approach for designing climate responsive buildings in order to minimise energy demand for adequate thermal and visual comfort in the African countries.

Learning Schedule

The course is structured in 5 weeks hereafter listed:

Week 1 – Integrated design approach in Africa

Week 2 – Principles of Buildings Physics

Week 3 – Climate responsive building design I

Week 4 – Climate responsive building design II

Week 5 – Technical plants

In particular Week 1 introduces the role of building sector in the GHG global emission, pointing out the pivotal role of Africa in the near future. In such respect also the different climates in the Continent are described in detail. In Week 2 the main principles about building physics are provided. The weekes address both heat transfer and the comfort principles. Weeks 3 and 4 are entirely dedicated to the climate responsive design. More in detail Week 3 deals with design choices (e.g. orientation, solar shading devices) able to reduce the energy demand of buildings, while in Week 4 the impact of different glazing components and main rules to enhance the natural ventilation are outlined. Finally, in Week 5 the main high-efficiency technical systems and renewable energy sources able to reduce the energy consumption and the dependency from fossil fuel are discussed.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By actively participating in this MOOC, you will achieve different intended learning outcomes (ILOs).

Week 1

1. Identify the different features of the climates and to define the main design priorities.

2. Apply integrated approach in bulding’s design.

3. Define the competencies required to build a successful team to achieve project goals.

Week 2

1. Recall the main concepts of building physics.

2. Define the competencies required to identify the main suitable building’s materials in relation to the context.

Week 3 and Week 4

1. Apply sustainable strategies to design climate responsive buildings.

2. Demonstrate understanding of the building physics fundamental apply to different contex.

Week 5

1. Recall the main concepts on efficient HVAC systems.

2. Apply active solutions to design climate responsive buildings.