building form

Interesting article by John Straube at Building Science Corporation. http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/insights/bsi-061-function-form-building-shape-and-energy/

Straube points out that building form for large buildings is less important for energy use than it is for small buildings. In many respects, this is a corollary to the mass/scale/surface area rule in biology. I don't construe Straube's position as giving carte blanche to Architects to get away with crazy geometry and being able to claim that it's inherently green.

Straube also asserts that floor area to surface area of enclosure is a more meaningful way to assess building energy than building volume to surface area of enclosure. I agree with him on this issue, but I'm cautious about advocating minimized ceiling heights as a good idea for buildings. In my experience and observation, ceiling height is a much more important determinant of architectural quality than plan shape or size. I've also seen many examples in residential architecture where low ceilings have been the deciding factor in the renovate vs. demolish debate. Higher ceilings in commercial buildings can mean better daylight penetration to interior spaces.