Week 3 The Building Fabric Post Lecture Resources

In today's class, we looked at the importance of the area:volume ratio and compactness and how this has a considerable influence on the heating energy demand of buildings. The Building Research Establishment (BRE) have produced a useful tool to calculate your area:volume ratios. To supplement our class discussion on passive solar design principles the SEAI have produced a useful guide Solar Homes Catch the Sun and the Low Carbon Homes Programme in the UK have produced a guide on Passive Solar Estate Layouts. The passipedia resource provides some more information on the thermal insulation building fabric and airtight layers that are required in a passive house.