Empirical Studies and Laboratory Investigations Promote Environmental Design Knowledge in Architectural Schools

Environmental Design (ED) in buildings, theory, knowledge, technology, and performances' measurement tools are still perceived by many as being architects-unfriendly, complicated, and expensive. ED applications considered expensive to develop as well as challenging to operate. This paper shows number of current developments, trials, and efforts in order to promote ED knowledge at an early stage for architectural students. The research work displayed in this paper represents number of simple-experimental and onsite investigations carried out in the “Physical Environment in Buildings” (which the author is the main lecturer and course developer) module (PEB) for architectural students at the AAST. This is a RIBA part 1 core-module at the Architectural Engineering and Environmental Design Department at the AAST, in Alexandria, Egypt. The Environmental Design Department at the AAST is RIBA part 1 and 2 accredited. Generally, the module focuses on how architectural students should be committed to environmental and climatic contexts. Students are encouraged to explore sustainability, renewable energy technologies, and passive design techniques. The paper describes simple approach that effectively can introduce such knowledge and experience to the architectural students. The paper also concerns about the integration of ED and built environment into the academic curriculum of architecture schools. The process and end results of implementing the integration of ED applied, experimental and onsite investigations are discussed. The paper illustrates the challenges of introducing ED appropriate knowledge to the students as well as establishing an unsophisticated Environmental Design Lab (EDL). The paper explains that onsite investigations can also create acceptance of such teaching/learning techniques by academic staff and students. The paper highlights the consequence of construction industry interests in terms of financial -support for such educational techniques and projects. The study shows that simpleminded ED experiments, if integrated appropriately within architectural academic program, demonstrate clear promise to provide a foundation for more widespread ED knowledge in architecture.