Sustainable Architecture Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes about sustainable architecture and climate-responsive design.

The Reason of Climate Change

The change in the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to burning fossil fuels to heat buildings and for transportation.

Population

A group of organisms of the same species that live in the same area at the same time.

Community

Consists of ALL the populations of the different species that live in a given area.

Ecosystem

Consists of all the organisms in an area, a community and abiotic factors that influence the community.

Biosphere

Refers to the entire network of natural systems on Earth that is unaffected by human activity; the planet earth viewed as an ecological system (ecosystem).

Biodiversity

The variety of living things found in various ecosystems.

Sustainability

Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Earth Overshoot Day

Marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year.

Ecological Footprint

The amount of environmental resources necessary to produce the goods and services that support an individual's lifestyle.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Examines the total environmental impact of a material or product through every step of its life – from obtaining raw materials all the way through manufacture, transport to a store, using it in the home and disposal or recycling.

Embodied Carbon

Refers to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions arising from the manufacturing, transportation, installation, maintenance, and disposal of building materials.

Embodied Energy

The energy consumed by ALL the processes associated with the production of a building, from the mining and processing of natural resources to manufacturing, transport and product delivery; it does not include the operation and disposal of the building material.

Thermal Comfort

That condition of mind that expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment.

Air Temperature

The temperature of the air surrounding the occupant.

Radiant Temperature

The average temperature of surrounding surfaces.

Air Speed

The rate of air movement around the occupant.

Relative Humidity

The amount of moisture in the air relative to its maximum capacity at a given temperature.

Metabolic Rate

The rate of energy expenditure by the body.

Clothing Insulation

The thermal resistance of clothing.

Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) Index

Index that predicts the mean response of a large group of people on a 7-point thermal sensation scale, from +3 (hot) to -3 (cold), where 0 is neutral; the metric is designed for fully mechanically ventilated buildings

Dry Bulb Temperature

Refers basically to the ambient air temperature; it is measured with a standard thermometer whose bulb is not wet.

Wet Bulb Temperature

Relates relative humidity to the ambient air or dry bulb temperature; it will vary with relative humidity.

Cloud Cover

Are formed when the air reaches its saturation or dew point, when it contains as much water vapour as it can physically hold; they can form anywhere in the troposphere, even at ground level (at which point it is commonly called fog).