Thermal performance simulation from an architectural design viewpoint

The present paper is an attempt to bridge the gap between building designers and simulationists by proposing a common framework for discussion. It is a positional paper written from a building designer’s viewpoint that basically agrees with the proposition that design is no longer dominated by physical structure thinking but by performance and system based concerns. However, the authors still recognise the need to find appropriate criteria, which are directly related to design actions, to evaluate performance and therefore effectively relate design decisions to simulation results. The proposed framework operates within an integrated dynamic system methodology in which outputs, performance goals, optimisation and controls are dealt with at the level of the building envelope response instead of the overall building response. It is believed that the best way to set up a conversation between designers and simulationists is not to swing between the two points of view but to establish a unified framework for discussion disconnected from any specific tool or performance target.