Introduction To The Environmental

Studies (ARC251)

Dr. Rania Khalifa

Eng. Rana Osama
Introduction
 Credit Hours

Lecture: 90 min

On Monday 1st session (9:15-10:45)

Attendance will be taken max at 9:30 am for excuses only

 Grades
 Total Grades: 100 marks

 Final Exam: 60 marks

 Performance: 40 marks
◦ Mid term exam (week 7 or 8): 12 marks
◦ Quiz 1 (week 4-6): 6 marks
◦ Quiz 2 (week 10-12): 6 marks
◦ Assignments & Research & Project: 14 marks
◦ Attendance: 2 marks
 Course Specification
Definitions and concepts related to the environment that qualify
the student to know the environment and its studies to provide
qualification for the environmental design courses. The concept of
environment, its types and resources, levels of dealing with environment,
the concept of thermal comfort, climatic regions in the world and Egypt
and the characteristics of each of them and the method of dealing with
them in design and planning. Various climatic factors such as solar
radiation, temperature, humidity, air movement and environmental
treatment of buildings. Environmental design principles related to thermal
comfort, natural illumination and distinctive views.
 References

- Rosa Urbano Gutierrez, Laura de la Plaza Hidalg, 2020, "Elements of

Sustainable Architecture", Taylor & Francis.
- Vidar Lerum, 2016, "Sustainable Building Design Learning Form
Nineteenth-Century Innovations", Routledge.
- Annie R. Pearce, Yong Han Ahn, HanmiGlobal, 2018, "Sustainable
Building and Infrastructure, paths to the future", Routledge.
 References

- Cathy Strongman , " The Sustainable Home " , 2008.

- Lisa Baker , " Architecture Of Low Energy Consumption I " , 2011.
- Vidar Lerum , " Sustainable Building Design Learning Form Ninteenth-
Cenntury Innovations " , 2016.
- Fuller Moore, 1993; ‘ Environmental control system ,heating, cooling,
lighting”, MC Graw – Hill,Inc , Singapore.
- Heinz W. Krewinkel, 1998;” Glass Buildings ,materials , structure , &
details” , Birkhauser , Germany.
 References
- Christian Schittich ,2001;” Building Skins, concepts, layers, materials”,
Birkhauser , Germany.
- Michael Wigginton& Jude Harris, 2002 ; “Intelligent Skins” a member of
educational & professional publishing, England.
- Raymond Peat, 2007; “ Smart materials in architecture, interior architecture
and design “,Birkhauser , Germany.
.1998‫ مصر‬،‫ جهاز تخطيط الطاقة‬،" ‫ " دليل الطاقة والعمارة‬،‫ شفق الوكيل وشركاء‬-
،‫ القاهرة‬،‫ مكتبة مدبولى‬،" ‫ نحو عمارة خضراء‬- ‫ " التصميم البيئي الصديق للبيئة‬،‫ يحي وزيري‬-
.2003 ،‫مصر‬
 References

- Robins, C., Daylighting Design and Analysis, Van

Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1986.

- Avoidance Guzowski, M., Daylighting Sustainable

Design, McGraw Hill, Co. 2000.

- Brown, G. Z., Sun, Wind and Light, Architectural

Design Strategies, John Wiley and Sons Inc., 2000.
Course Content
 Course Content
- Environment various definitions, its components, types, environmental
control and shelters, ecosystem, pollution, sustainability and decrease
energy consumption
- Environmental architecture and its types (green, sustainable, dynamic
and smart architecture)
- Climate and weather, elements, measuring devices, factors, global
warming and greenhouse effect
- Thermal comfort, factors, measuring methods and control
- World climatic regions, Egypt climatic regions and design process
from an environmental control perspective
 Course Content
- Natural lighting, its affect on the building shape and orientation and
the architectural solutions
- Natural ventilation, its traditional and latest techniques, the air flow in
and around the building
- Heat transfer and heat exchange in buildings
- Energy crisis, non renewable and renewable natural energy resources
- International green building rating systems, building rating system in
Egypt
- Energy efficient design and energy optimization
Course Timetable
 Topic Week Date
Introduction to the course, the environment, pollution and
Week 1 2/10/2023
sustainability, energy crisis

Climate, weather, global warming and greenhouse effect Week 2 9/10/2023

Thermal comfort Week 3 16/10/2023
Climatic regions and environmental design principles / Quiz1 Week 4 23/10/2023
Natural lighting Week 5 30/10/2023
Natural ventilation Week 6 6/11/2023
Mid Term Exam Week 7 13/11/2023
Heat transfer and heat exchange Week 8 20/11/2023
Green rating systems Week 9 27/11/2023
Research discussion / Quiz 2 Week 10 4/12/2023
Project presentation Week 11 11/12/2023
Project presentation Week 12 18/12/2023
Final project submission (Poster)/ Revision Week 13 25/12/2023
Lecture no.1
 Environment
Definition:
- Anything that surrounds us.

- The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant

lives or operates.

- It’s the combination of living organisms and the non living organisms

and their affect on the mankind.

- It is the natural world.

 Environment
Environment elements:

1- Natural elements: all what god created

- Living organisms: any organisms that breath, grow, … as animals,

plants and bacteria

- Non living organisms: as air, water, soil, minerals, rocks…

2- Manmade elements: all what man made to shelter himself as

buildings, factories, dams, schools,
infrastructure, …
 Environment
Types of environment:

1- Natural environment: coastal, desert, snowy,

green, …
 Environment
2- Manmade environment (invented):

industrial, agricultural, built up environment,

Ecosystem
Ecosystem
 Ecosystem
Definition:
- The ecosystem is the community of living organisms in conjunction
with non-living components of their environment, interacting as a
system.

- An ecosystem is a geographic area where plants, animals, and other

organisms, as well as weather and landscape, work together to form a
bubble of life.

- It may be big as an ocean or small as a pond, it works very accurate to

achieve natural balance and stability.
 Pollution
Definition:
- Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment.
- It is the presence in or introduction into the environment of a substance
which has harmful or poisonous effects which negatively impacts the
environment or organisms that live within the affected environment.
- These harmful materials are called pollutants. Pollutants can be
natural, such as volcanic ash and can also be created by human
activity, such as trash or runoff produced by factories.
- There are different types of pollution: water pollution, air pollution,
solid waste pollution and noise pollution, …

-
 Sustainability
Definition:
- The ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level.

- Avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an

ecological balance.

- It is meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future

generations to meet their own needs.

- Sustainability improves the quality of our lives, protects our ecosystem

and preserves natural resources for future generations.

 Sustainability

Defining sustainability from an architectural point of view

- Minimizing the negative impact of buildings on the surrounding

environment by efficiency and moderation in the use of materials,
energy, development space and the ecosystem at large. This happens
when applying the 3R:
- Reduce (discuss & explain)
- Reuse (discuss & explain)
- Recycle (discuss & explain)
 Environmental Architecture

Definition:
- It is the architecture that takes in consideration the surrounding
environment to keep the natural balance and stability of the environment
through reduce the consumption of natural resources and energy, reduce
the negative impact and achieve the sustainability.

Types of environmental architecture:

Green architecture, dynamic architecture, smart architecture, …
 HW

1- Start reading about green buildings and collect examples

to discuss in class later.

2- Read about the global warming and greenhouse effect to

discuss in class next lecture.
Thanks