Course Information
Description
Among the many layers that inform architectural design, carbon emissions must be one. Every project has a carbon impact and a carbon budget, whether established by code, by the owner, or by our own commitment as professionals. This seminar asks how architects can make informed design decisions within that budget: where should carbon be spent, and what does that investment achieve?
The first part of this course introduces operational and embodied carbon, carbon budgets, trade-offs, and diminishing returns. Each student is assigned an existing building with distinct challenges and establishes an initial position on the spectrum from renovation to demolition and rebuilding, supported by sound architectural and carbon reasoning.
The second part introduces the principles of KlimaEngineering. Topics include climate and comfort, daylighting, passive design, building envelopes, and simple mechanical strategies. The focus is on how these design decisions can reduce operational carbon while accounting for the embodied carbon required to implement them.
The third part brings these questions together through the development of an architectural concept that meets defined programmatic and environmental requirements within a given carbon budget. Students may continue with their assigned project, bring a project from one of their studios, or work on both. The final proposal must explain what is retained, transformed, added, or replaced; where carbon is spent; what trade-offs are made; and what architectural and performance benefits those investments produce.
The goal of the seminar is to provide the fundamental tools to understand the carbon implications of design decisions and the practical knowledge needed to lead carbon-conscious architectural projects.
Available for Harvard Cross Registration
