EFFICIENCY & BUILDING ENCLOSURES
CCNY / FALL 2015
CCNY / FALL 2015
There are two ways to read this research: first as a study of a concept and the second as a study of enclosures. Both readings are equally important, even though the title suggests that we favor the former.
The first reading of this research is about the study of efficiency, a widely used concept, albeit often, without a precise definition as to what it really means. In architectural discourse, the use of efficiency oscillates between loosely-defined anecdotal claims of ‘buildings being highly efficient’ and the short-sighted analytical approach of simple ratios, usually reported in a single percentage like useable-to- gross floor area. There is a lack of a cohesive discussion on efficiency that takes into account the complexity of various building attributes and how they relate to each other. Moreover, there is an urgent need to begin an analytical discourse that demystifies some of the metaphorical claims of efficiency, and build a real foundation that can be used as a tangible model. In our attempt to formulate one, we have chosen building enclosures for towers as case studies because of their following characteristics: a) large scale and b) repetition. Even though these characteristics are intrinsic to enclosures in tall buildings, they are not exclusive to them. That is why the research for these characteristics took a broader perspective. For each of these, the students looked at natural and manufactured landscapes, works of art, utilitarian objects, highly engineered products, work processes, behavioral patterns, etc. Their findings were presented in the class in a Pecha Kucha format.
The second reading of this research is about the study of enclosures. Students, organized in groups of two, were assigned a case study for the semester. As they dissected their case studies to mine for information, the students analyzed these buildings with the measuring eye of the surveyor. They catalogued them diligently to create a data base of information. Even though the measuring and cataloguing was done quite carefully based on the available information on each case study, it should be acknowledged here that there may have been some numerical errors in the measurements and respective charts presented in this book.
The first reading of this research is about the study of efficiency, a widely used concept, albeit often, without a precise definition as to what it really means. In architectural discourse, the use of efficiency oscillates between loosely-defined anecdotal claims of ‘buildings being highly efficient’ and the short-sighted analytical approach of simple ratios, usually reported in a single percentage like useable-to- gross floor area. There is a lack of a cohesive discussion on efficiency that takes into account the complexity of various building attributes and how they relate to each other. Moreover, there is an urgent need to begin an analytical discourse that demystifies some of the metaphorical claims of efficiency, and build a real foundation that can be used as a tangible model. In our attempt to formulate one, we have chosen building enclosures for towers as case studies because of their following characteristics: a) large scale and b) repetition. Even though these characteristics are intrinsic to enclosures in tall buildings, they are not exclusive to them. That is why the research for these characteristics took a broader perspective. For each of these, the students looked at natural and manufactured landscapes, works of art, utilitarian objects, highly engineered products, work processes, behavioral patterns, etc. Their findings were presented in the class in a Pecha Kucha format.
The second reading of this research is about the study of enclosures. Students, organized in groups of two, were assigned a case study for the semester. As they dissected their case studies to mine for information, the students analyzed these buildings with the measuring eye of the surveyor. They catalogued them diligently to create a data base of information. Even though the measuring and cataloguing was done quite carefully based on the available information on each case study, it should be acknowledged here that there may have been some numerical errors in the measurements and respective charts presented in this book.
