The design of a commercial building facade may be one of the most complex challenges facing design professionals, as multiple and sometimes conflicting goals are brought into play: architectural expression, transparency, energy, comfort, cost and the combined effects of moisture, thermal and structural loads. This course featured three presentations on tools, methods, research findings and case studies to inform the design of advanced and high-performance facades.

Faculty and researchers at UC Berkeley’s Center for the Built Environment are pursuing wide-ranging research with the goal of improving building energy performance, the quality of indoor environments and the effectiveness of workplaces. This course presented insights and findings from new research, with interesting implications for commercial building stakeholders.

Michelle Malanca Frey was the keynote speaker for CBE’s Industry Advisory Board session in October 2021. In this talk she presents current trends and possible futures that lead towards building electrification, adoption of distributed energy resources, vehicle-to grid-integration, as well as creative branding concepts that may accelerate the adoption of these important technical and societal changes.

Windows and view quality represent a vital field of study at the nexus of the building envelope, occupant experience and energy performance. Advancements in simulation technologies offer new integrated analysis workflows that combine the effects of view, daylight and thermal conditions to inform design decisions. Speakers included researchers, designers and other experts who will discuss significant research results, and help designers to adapt the research findings into building designs.

Low-power personal comfort systems (PCS) allow building occupants to control their individual environments and to remain comfortable over a range of indoor temperatures. This course presented research that demonstrates the practical applicability of PCS devices for improving both thermal comfort and energy efficiency using currently available devices such as desktop and ceiling fans, and also innovative prototypes such as a heated and cooled office chair.

Variable air volume (VAV) HVAC systems dominate the commercial building market but have widely varying performance. Research led by UC Berkeley has demonstrated that energy or cost reductions as high as 29% may be achieved using one of three new VAV control strategies that are simple enough to implement within existing building management systems. This course will be led by leading UC Berkeley researchers who developed these methods and/or who led the field studies, and they will address energy performance, comfort, and guidance for implementation.

A persistent housing shortage in California and beyond is driving demand for affordable, sustainable housing which also serves overarching concerns of equity and social justice. This session featured seasoned professionals — from architecture, engineering and non-profit development — who presented case studies and discussed proven and effective strategies, as well as lessons learned from a new generation of multi-family housing that is both affordable and sustainable, with many reaching LEED Platinum and/or net zero energy targets.

Building decarbonization has emerged as a key topic with a focus on building electrification. This seminar covered policy progress to date, a deep dive on technologies that deliver efficient and reliable electrification for non-residential buildings, and how  grid-harmonized buildings can utilize renewable power when it’s available. Participants engaged over two mornings with our expert panelists to learn, interact and ask questions to inform their own decarbonization work.

To deal with increasing impacts from anthropomorphic climate change, the building industry must revolutionize standard practices for design, construction and operation. This webinar featured industry professionals who are leading efforts in decarbonization of commercial buildings from cradle to grave. They presented new resources, tools and case studies, and the session included time for Q&A. The event was co-sponsored by CBE, SmithGroup, the Carbon Leadership Forum and PG&E, and was free and open to the public.

Radiant cooling and heating systems provide an opportunity to achieve significant energy and peak demand savings compared to conventional systems. Speakers at this full-day symposium included building industry professionals including engineers, architects, builders, commissioning specialist and owners who are creating high-performing non-residential buildings in California and elsewhere. Presenters also included UC Berkeley researchers who recently completed a multi-year study that led to new insights, reports, case studies and design tools.