Active Design

An evidence-based approach to the development of buildings and urban spaces that encourages physical activity and social engagement. It integrates architectural and urban planning strategies to promote health and well-being through increased movement and social interaction.

Adaptive Reuse

The process of repurposing existing buildings or infrastructure for new uses while retaining their historic features. This approach conserves resources, reduces waste, and preserves cultural heritage. It often involves creative solutions to meet modern building codes and sustainability standards while maintaining the integrity of the original structure.

Aerogel Insulation

A synthetic ultralight material derived from a gel, where the liquid component is replaced with gas. It exhibits exceptional thermal insulation properties, with thermal conductivity as low as 0.015 W/mK, making it highly effective for building envelope applications where space is at a premium.

Albedo

The measure of surface reflectivity of solar radiation, expressed as a value between 0 (total absorption) and 1 (total reflection). In sustainable architecture, high-albedo materials are used for roofing and paving to mitigate the urban heat island effect and reduce cooling energy demands.

Anthropogenic Heat

The heat generated by human activities, including building operations, transportation, and industrial processes. In urban environments, this contributes significantly to the urban heat island effect and must be considered in sustainable urban design strategies.

Architectural Salvage

The practice of recovering and reusing building materials, fixtures, and decorative elements from demolition sites. This approach reduces construction waste, conserves resources, and can add unique character to new or renovated buildings.

Bioclimatic Design

An architectural approach that takes into account local climate conditions to maximise occupant comfort while minimising energy consumption. It involves careful consideration of building orientation, form, materials, and passive systems to create harmonious relationships between buildings, occupants, and the environment.

Biodegradable Materials

Construction materials that can decompose naturally through biological processes, reducing long-term environmental impact. These may include certain types of insulation, flooring, or temporary structures designed to have a minimal ecological footprint at the end of their life cycle.

Biophilic Design

An innovative approach that incorporates natural elements and patterns into the built environment to satisfy the innate human affinity with nature. This design philosophy goes beyond aesthetic considerations, aiming to improve health, well-being, and productivity through connection with natural systems and processes.

Biomimicry in Architecture

The practice of emulating nature's time-tested patterns and strategies to solve human design challenges. In architecture, this might involve designing building systems that mimic natural ventilation in termite mounds or creating structural forms inspired by tree growth patterns.

Bioretention Systems

Landscaped depressions or shallow basins used to slow and treat on-site stormwater runoff. These systems combine physical filtering, biological uptake, and soil adsorption to remove pollutants and reduce the volume of runoff entering municipal stormwater systems.

Blue Roof

A non-vegetated roof design that is explicitly intended to store water, typically rainfall. Blue roofs can provide stormwater management benefits, reduce urban heat island effects, and potentially supply non-potable water for building use.

Brownfield Redevelopment

The process of cleaning up and redeveloping contaminated sites, often in urban areas. This approach reclaims underutilised land, reduces sprawl, and can catalyse neighbourhood revitalisation while addressing environmental health concerns.

Building Automation System (BAS)

An intelligent network of electronic devices designed to monitor and control building systems, including HVAC, lighting, security, and fire safety. Advanced BAS incorporate machine learning algorithms to optimize energy efficiency and occupant comfort continuously.

Building Envelope

The physical separator between the interior and exterior of a building, including the foundation, roof, walls, doors, and windows. An optimised building envelope is crucial for energy efficiency, moisture control, and indoor environmental quality.

Building Information Modeling (BIM)

A digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility. BIM goes beyond 3D modeling to include time (4D), cost (5D), and operations (6D) data, enabling more efficient design, construction, and facility management processes.

Carbon Sequestration in Buildings

The process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide in building materials or systems. This can include the use of carbon-negative materials like hempcrete or the integration of algae bioreactors in building facades.

Circular Building

A structure designed according to circular economy principles, emphasising material reuse, waste reduction, and adaptability. Circular buildings are designed for disassembly, with components that can be easily separated and repurposed at the end of the building's life.

Climate-Responsive Design

An architectural approach that adapts to local climate conditions to reduce energy consumption and enhance occupant comfort. This involves strategies such as passive solar design, natural ventilation, and appropriate material selection based on regional climate characteristics.

Cognitive Architecture

An emerging field that applies findings from cognitive science and environmental psychology to architectural design. It focuses on creating spaces that support cognitive functions, emotional well-being, and human behaviour.

Cool Roof

A roofing system that reflects more sunlight and absorbs less heat than a standard roof. Cool roofs can be made of highly reflective paint, sheet covering, or reflective tiles or shingles. They reduce cooling energy use and mitigate the urban heat island effect.

Cradle-to-Cradle Design

A biomimetic approach to architecture that models human industry on nature's processes, viewing materials as nutrients circulating in healthy, safe metabolisms. This concept aims for a beneficial ecological footprint rather than just reducing negative impacts.

Daylighting

The practice of placing windows, skylights, or light shelves to maximise the use of natural light in buildings. Effective daylighting strategies can significantly reduce energy consumption for artificial lighting and improve occupant well-being and productivity.

Deconstruction

The selective dismantling of building components for reuse, repurposing, and recycling. This approach is more labor-intensive than traditional demolition but significantly reduces waste and conserves resources.

Design for Disassembly

An approach to building design that facilitates future deconstruction and material reuse. This involves using reversible connections, modular components, and easily separable materials to enable efficient adaptation or end-of-life recovery.

Dynamic Facade

Building envelopes with movable elements that can adapt to changing environmental conditions. These may include automated shading systems, operable windows, or electrochromic glazing that responds to solar radiation levels.

Ecological Footprint

A measure of human demand on the Earth's ecosystems, expressed as the amount of biologically productive land and sea area necessary to supply the resources a human population consumes and to assimilate associated waste.

Eco-Industrial Park

An industrial park designed to reduce environmental impact through shared resources and symbiotic relationships between tenant businesses. This may involve sharing energy, water, and material flows to create closed-loop systems.

Embodied Carbon

The total amount of CO2 emitted during the extraction, manufacture, transportation, assembly, maintenance, and disposal of building materials. Reducing embodied carbon is becoming increasingly important as operational energy efficiency improves.

Embodied Energy

The sum of all energy required to produce goods or services, considered in sustainable building material selection. This includes energy used in raw material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, and installation.

Energy MODELLING

The process of creating a computer simulation of a building to analyze its energy performance. Advanced energy modelling tools can account for complex interactions between building systems, occupant behaviour, and environmental conditions.

Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)

A standardised way of quantifying the environmental impact of a product or system based on life-cycle assessment. EPDs are increasingly used in green building certification systems to evaluate material choices.

Extensive Green Roof

A low-maintenance roof with a thin layer of vegetation, primarily for environmental benefits such as stormwater management, urban heat island mitigation, and biodiversity enhancement. These systems typically have a substrate depth of 2-6 inches.

Facade System

The exterior face of a building, often designed for energy efficiency, daylighting, and aesthetic appeal. Advanced facade systems may incorporate smart materials, integrated renewable energy technologies, or bioreactive elements.

Geothermal Heat Pump

A central heating and cooling system that transfers heat to or from the ground. These systems leverage the relatively constant temperature of the earth to provide highly efficient space conditioning.

Green Building Certification

Systems for rating the sustainability of buildings, such as LEED, BREEAM, or Green Star. These frameworks provide standardized metrics for environmental performance across various aspects of building design, construction, and operation.

Green Infrastructure

An approach to water management that protects, restores, or mimics the natural water cycle. In urban contexts, this may include bioswales, rain gardens, and permeable pavements integrated into the built environment.

Green Roof

A roof partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. Green roofs provide insulation, reduce stormwater runoff, and can create habitats for urban wildlife.

Green Wall

Vertical growing systems for plants on building facades or interior walls. These systems can improve air quality, reduce energy consumption for cooling, and enhance the aesthetic and biophilic qualities of a space.

Greywater System

A water recycling system that reuses wastewater from sinks, showers, and laundry for irrigation or toilet flushing. These systems reduce overall water consumption and alleviate pressure on municipal water supplies.

Heat Island Effect

The phenomenon where urban areas are significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas due to the concentration of heat-absorbing surfaces and anthropogenic heat sources. Mitigation strategies include increasing urban vegetation, using high-albedo materials, and improving urban ventilation.

High-Performance Building

A building that integrates and optimises energy efficiency, durability, life-cycle performance, and occupant productivity. These buildings often incorporate advanced technologies and control systems to achieve superior environmental performance.

Hydroponics

The technique of growing plants using a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil, and can include an aggregate substrate, or growing media, such as vermiculite, coconut coir, or perlite. Hydroponic production systems are used by small farmers, hobbyists, and commercial enterprises.

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)

The conditions inside a building, including air quality, lighting, thermal conditions, and ergonomics. High IEQ is crucial for occupant health, comfort, and productivity and is a key consideration in sustainable building design.

Integrated Design Process

A holistic approach to building design that considers all aspects and systems from the outset. This collaborative method brings together diverse expertise to optimize building performance and sustainability from early conceptual stages through operation.

Intensive Green Roof

A roof garden with a wide variety of plants, often accessible as a recreational space. These systems typically have a substrate depth greater than 6 inches and can support larger plants, including trees and shrubs.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

A technique to assess environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product's life, from raw material extraction through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair and maintenance, and disposal or recycling.

Light Shelf

An architectural element that reflects daylight deep into a building's interior. Light shelves are typically horizontal surfaces placed above eye level that reflect sunlight onto the ceiling and deeper into the space.

Living Building Challenge

A green building certification program and sustainable design framework that visualises the ideal for the built environment. It uses the metaphor of a flower to illustrate its seven performance categories: Place, Water, Energy, Health & Happiness, Materials, Equity, and Beauty.

Low-E Glass

Glass coated with a microscopically thin, transparent layer that reflects heat while allowing light to pass through. This technology significantly improves the insulating properties of windows, reducing heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter.

Mass Timber

Wood products made of smaller pieces laminated together, used as a sustainable alternative to steel and concrete. Mass timber construction can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of buildings while providing excellent structural and fire-resistant properties.

Material Passport

A digital set of data describing defined characteristics of materials in products, providing information on how they can be reused, recycled, or disposed of, thus facilitating circular economy practices. Material passports help track the lifecycle of materials, ensuring they can be efficiently recovered and reused.

Mixed-Use Development

A type of urban development that blends residential, commercial, cultural, or industrial uses. This approach promotes walkability, reduces transportation needs, and can create more vibrant, sustainable communities.

Natural Ventilation

The process of supplying and removing air through a building using natural forces such as wind pressure differences and stack effect. Effective natural ventilation strategies can significantly reduce or eliminate the need for mechanical cooling in suitable climates.

Net-Zero Energy Building

A building with zero net energy consumption, meaning the total amount of energy used by the building on an annual basis is equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site or nearby.

Night-Flush Cooling

A passive cooling technique that uses cooler nighttime air to remove heat from a building's thermal mass, reducing daytime cooling needs. This strategy is particularly effective in climates with significant diurnal temperature variations.

Off-Site Construction

The planning, design, fabrication, and assembly of building elements at a location other than their final installed location. This approach can improve quality control, reduce waste, and shorten construction timelines.

Operational Carbon

The carbon emissions associated with the energy used to operate a building over its lifetime. This includes emissions from heating, cooling, lighting, and powering equipment and appliances.

Passive House (Passivhaus)

A rigorous, voluntary standard for energy efficiency in buildings, reducing ecological footprint. Passive House principles emphasize superinsulation, airtight envelopes, high-performance windows, balanced mechanical ventilation, and minimal thermal bridging.

Passive Solar Design

Architectural approach that uses the building's site, climate, and materials to minimize energy use for heating, cooling, and lighting. Key elements include building orientation, thermal mass, insulation, and strategic placement of windows and shading devices.

Permeable Pavement

A porous urban surface which allows rainwater to replenish groundwater and reduce stormwater runoff. Types include pervious concrete, porous asphalt, and interlocking pavers designed to allow water infiltration.

Phase Change Materials

Materials used in building construction to absorb, store and release large amounts of heat. These materials can help regulate indoor temperatures by melting and solidifying at specific temperature ranges.

Photovoltaic Glass

A type of glass that incorporates solar cells to convert solar radiation into electricity. This technology allows windows and building facades to generate renewable energy while maintaining transparency.

Pre-Fabrication

The practice of assembling building components in a factory or other manufacturing site before transportation to the construction site. This approach can improve quality control, reduce waste, and accelerate construction timelines.

Rainwater Harvesting

The collection and storage of rainwater for reuse on-site, rather than allowing it to run off. Harvested rainwater can be used for irrigation, toilet flushing, and other non-potable applications, reducing demand on municipal water supplies.

Regenerative Design

A process-oriented approach to design that focuses on restoring and renewing natural systems. This goes beyond sustainability to create net-positive impacts on the environment and community.

Resilient Design

The intentional design of buildings, landscapes, communities, and regions in response to vulnerabilities to disaster and disruption of normal life. It emphasizes adaptability to changing conditions and maintaining operations during and after extreme events.

Sick Building Syndrome

A condition affecting building occupants, linked to time spent in a building with poor indoor environmental quality. Addressing sick building syndrome involves improving ventilation, removing contaminant sources, and enhancing overall indoor environmental quality.

Smart Building

A structure that uses automated processes to control various building operations including heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, security, and other systems. Smart buildings use sensors, actuators, and microchips to collect and manage data according to business functions and services.

Solar Chimney

A way of improving the natural ventilation of buildings by using convection of air heated by passive solar energy. Solar chimneys can be particularly effective in hot climates to induce air movement and passive cooling.

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)

High-performance building panels used in floors, walls, and roofs for residential and light commercial construction. SIPs consist of an insulating foam core sandwiched between two structural facings, typically oriented strand board.

Sustainable Landscaping

An approach to landscaping that focuses on environmental stewardship and resource conservation. This includes using native plants, minimizing water use, reducing chemical inputs, and creating habitats for local wildlife.

Sustainable Materials

Building materials that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout their life-cycle. This includes materials with recycled content, rapidly renewable materials, and materials with low embodied energy.

Thermal Bridge

An area of a building envelope where heat is transferred at a substantially higher rate than through surrounding areas. Minimizing thermal bridges is crucial for achieving high energy efficiency in buildings.

Thermal Mass

A material's capacity to absorb, store, and release heat. High thermal mass materials like concrete, brick, and water can help regulate indoor temperatures by dampening temperature fluctuations.

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)

A mixed-use residential and commercial area designed to maximize access to public transport. TOD typically incorporates features to encourage transit ridership and often includes higher-density development within walking distance of transit stations.

Urban Heat Island Mitigation

Strategies to reduce the higher temperatures found in urban areas compared to their rural surroundings. These may include increasing vegetation, using reflective materials, and enhancing natural ventilation to cool urban environments.

Vertical Forest

A model for sustainable residential buildings with trees and plants on the facade to combat air pollution, improve urban biodiversity, and enhance the aesthetic appeal of urban environments.

Waste-to-Energy Architecture

Building design that incorporates systems to convert waste into usable heat, electricity, or fuel. This approach supports circular economy principles by turning waste into a resource.

Water-Sensitive Urban Design

An approach to urban planning and design that integrates the urban water cycle into city development, promoting sustainable water management practices such as rainwater harvesting, stormwater management, and the use of permeable surfaces.

Whole Building Design

An approach to building design that considers all building systems together to create high-performance buildings. This holistic strategy aims to optimize overall building performance, including energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and occupant satisfaction.

Zero Waste Design

An approach to the built environment that focuses on reducing waste at all stages of a building's lifecycle, from construction to demolition. Zero waste design aims to design out waste and ensure that all materials can be reused, recycled, or composted.

Zoned HVAC

A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system that allows you to control the temperature in different areas of a building independently. Zoned HVAC systems improve energy efficiency and occupant comfort by providing precise control over heating and cooling