Heating, Cooling, Lighting: Sustainable Design Methods for Architects

Being an architecture student, I understand the future of architecture is held in sustainable design. I found this textbook to be an extremely reliable source for my Environmental Systems class. When designing, we now put a greater emphasis on sustainable techniques and how future generations are effected by how we design today. Lechner describes a wide variety of methods that can be used in modern architectural design. The textbook covers everything from basic sunlight integration to complex ventilation strategies. He develops these ideas based off precedent studies and historical influence. He goes into great detail when describing how and why past and future methods can be effective. A nice thing that Lechner does is he describes the pros and cons to many sustainable techniques. It's really nice to see what has worked, and what hasn't. He also summarizes each chapter, allowing the reader to pick up on the most essential ideas. Visual diagrams and images also assist the reader in understanding key components. All of the information presented is well thought out and executed to get the important concepts exposed. It's filled with relatively simple yet effective information anyone can understand. I would absolutely recommend this textbook to anyone, especially if they are looking to grasp a firm understanding of sustainable design strategies.

Not only is this book an excellent source of sustainable architecture information, it is a recommended source for the ARE (which I am almost finished with), it’s very interesting, and a book I’ll refer to throughout my career.

Needed for school

I purchased this book for a course I'm taking on Environmental Design. The course is required for my Master's of Architecture (first professional) program. The book is very comprehensive and provides a great amount of information that can IMMEDIATELY start influencing your designs and make them more sustainable. Great book!

Very helpfull text regarding sustainable design principles.Several information and recommendations about the best and most adequate interventions for different climates.I definitively recommended it as a base for architects, engineers, etc.Patricio Cabal

I'm mid-career in architecture. I bought this book to get better acquainted with MEP systems and sustainability. This book admits that it is designed to help with schematic design-level decisions, and the basic information it gives is generally solid. My biggest concern is that the book is in need of an update. Over and over again the author says the best way to analyze passive solar techniques is by making physical models. Physical models are great, but software can accomplish solar analysis faster, for less money, and more accurately. Many of the book's pages are given over to explanations of heliodynes. This technology is ancient history. The case studies are all at least ten years old. Many of the diagrams and illustrations are from the 70s and 80s. There was a lot of good thinking done 20, 30 or 40 years ago, but certainly a book on sustainability can do better than that. The book passingly mentions LED lighting as a potential technology in the future; that statement is typical in being out of date. The publication date is 2009, but the book reads like a much older text. One last thing: it has a residential bias. If you are primarily interested in commercial architecture, this book is a little thin.

A very thorough book on renewable systems and understanding how to design based on climatic conditions.

A great book for anyone interested in sustainable design. It explains every issue in great detail, and with ease. I totally recommend it. And it is also helpful if planing to take the licensing exams!