In the latest edition of Infrared City Community Talks, Angelos Chronis engaged in an insightful conversation with Giovanni Betti, Head of Sustainability at HENN - Architecture. Their discussion revolved around the nuances of sustainable design, the importance of climate-responsive architecture, and the tools needed to navigate these challenges. Here are some key takeaways from their conversation.

Giovanni Betti kicked off the discussion by stressing the importance of responsibility in architectural design. He underscored that architects have a significant lever in their hands when it comes to reducing carbon emissions. By making informed design choices, architects can have a tremendous impact on the sustainability of buildings.

Key points

• The role of Climate Simulations: The use of advanced simulation tools like like Ladybug, Climate Studio, One Click LCA and of course infrared.city in assessing and optimizing a building’s energy use.
• Locality and Temporality in Climate Data: Hyper-local and future adjusted weather files should be used when possible, for designing climate-responsive buildings.
• From performance to resilience: The goal should be creating buildings that can withstand a variety of uses and changing climate conditions rather than fine-tuning them for specific scenarios.
• Tools and Collaborative efforts: Giovanni is committed to the collaborative development of fools such as CBE Clima developed at UC Berkeley at the University of California Berkeley and open sourced tools he is developing in HENN architecture.
• The architecture curricula must evolve to focus on sustainability and resilience. By educating future architects on the resilient design principles, the industry can foster meaningful change and promote a more sustainable built environment.

Giovanni Betti’s insights underline the critical role architects play in adapting to and mitigating climate change. By leveraging advanced simulation tools, focusing on both operational and embodied carbon, and fostering a culture of responsibility, the architecture community can make significant strides towards sustainability. As tools and knowledge continue to evolve, the path to climate-aware architecture becomes clearer and more attainable.

Resources and links

• https://clima.cbe.berkeley.edu/
• https://www.equa.se/en/ida-ice
• https://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg_tools/it/#TMY
• https://power.larc.nasa.gov/data-access-viewer/
• https://github.com/IMMM-SFA/diyepw