SUSTAINABLE DESIGN PROCESS 2022

Running head: SUSTAINABLE DESIGN 1
Architectural Theory and Practice
Sustainable Design
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SUSTAINABLE DESIGN 2
Architectural Theory and Sustainable Design
Introduction
Architectural design of buildings has been in practice for centuries, undergoing a gradual
development and increased use of technology to enhance efficiencies in the long run. This has
seen increased use of technologies like Building Information Modeling (BIM) for safety
purposes, using energy efficient designs to enhance economic efficiencies, and the concept of
Whole Life Cycle Costing (WLC) of buildings which evaluates the costs involved in the
construction, maintenance, running and disposal of buildings accounting for energy use.
This paper therefore explores the theories applicable in architectural design of sustainable
buildings and analysis of the rationale used for their application.
Aims of the project
The main objective of this paper is to present an analysis of theories used in sustainable
architectural design and rationale behind their application. It reviews a number of literatures
exploring the history of architectural design and use of technologies to enable efficient
sustainable design of buildings.
Architectural theories for sustainable design
Theoretical frameworks are important to architecture since they form the basis on which modern
architecture relies upon (Yasmeen, 2007). However, every design process has specific design
methodology that may depend on a single or multiple architectural theory/ies.
Sustainability plays a critical role in the design of buildings in an environment (Kumar, 2014).
Further, the aim of sustainability in design is to come up with simpler building spaces/
components and avoid waste generation, having multiplicity and replicability in design.

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN 3
According to (Santiago, 2016), adoption of technology in design results to simple and
economical working systems, since there is a reduction in energy consumption without
compromising on the comfort of the occupants.
Integration of energy efficient design in buildings like the use of solar energy for lighting and
having architectural design concepts of light, acoustics and other aspects of green building are
elemental in sustainability of buildings (David Grierson and Carolyn Moultrie, 2011).
The concept of Whole Life Cycle Costing of a building is significantly reduced with such
designs enabling efficiency and sustainability of buildings. Sustainable design of buildings must
be in line with principles of resource conservation, cost efficiency and design for comfort and
human adaptations (Akadiri, 2012, p. 126). The figure below illustrates a sustainable
framework in the architectural design of buildings.
Figure 1. A sustainable framework in design of buildings. Source:
(David Grierson and Carolyn Moultrie,
2011)