Gail Brager and Tom Parkinson April 15, 2020
Using an extensive trove of thermal comfort research data, CBE’s research team recently published a set of ‘nudges’ to the existing adaptive comfort standards to improve comfort in commercial buildings while potentially reducing energy use. This work updates the landmark study from 1998 by Gail Brager and Richard de Dear on the Adaptive Comfort Model (ACM), which demonstrated that people in naturally ventilated buildings were more comfortable with seasonal temperature variation compared to people in air-conditioned buildings.
David Lehrer April 15, 2020
Millions of people are working at home to prevent the spread of Covid-19, creating stress and impacting our well-being and productivity. Science shows that time spent in nature may improve our health and emotions, however, when we are not able to be in nature physically, we may derive benefits simply by access to windows with views. A study recently published by CBE found that a view from a window has positive impacts on emotion, cognitive performance and thermal comfort.
Centerline Team February 13, 2020
CBE recently launched an online tool for designing with ceiling fans, making it easier for designers to create highly energy efficient and comfortable spaces. The tool was created based on years of research that have demonstrated that ceiling fans can keep a person cool while using only a fraction of the energy required by air conditioning.
Centerline Team February 13, 2020
Joining CBE this spring, McKinstry is a national leader in designing, constructing, operating and maintaining high-performing buildings. With offices throughout the U.S., their mission is to make every building they touch more efficient.
Jessica Uhl January 23, 2020
CBE researchers, students and visiting scholars will present recent findings and design tools at the 2020 ASHRAE Winter Conference on February 1-5 in Orlando.
Centerline Team December 16, 2019
As we count down the days until the start of a new decade, it’s a good time to reflect on this year’s events, including ones that have increased our sense of urgency for environmental concerns. Here at CBE, our research team is celebrating number of important milestones along our path to improve the way buildings are designed, operated and occupied. In this blog post we highlight some of our accomplishments from 2019.
David Lehrer November 15, 2019
Two buildings that demonstrate excellence in architectural design and sustainability, and are well liked by building users, have been recognized with Livable Buildings Awards by UC Berkeley’s Center for the Built Environment. Bluestone Elementary School of Harrisonburg, Virginia, by a design team led by VMDO Architects, received the top award. The jury also conferred an honorable mention to HGA’s office relocation in San Francisco. The award results were announced at CBE’s industry advisory board meeting last October.
Centerline Team November 13, 2019
CBE’s newest industry partner, CallisonRTKL, understands that buildings have significant impacts on human health, natural resource use, environmental quality and climate change. They have partnered with CBE, as they believe that without forward-thinking research, today’s high-performance buildings would not be designed, and tomorrow’s regenerative buildings would never be conceived.
Centerline Team October 7, 2019
KieranTimberlake, an award-winning Philadelphia-based architecture firm, joins CBE as an industry partner. Throughout its 35-year commitment to advancing the field of architecture, they have paired research with design. Their practice is transdisciplinary — out of 100 full-time staff, 14 are dedicated to its Research Group and represent the fields of ecology, chemistry, physics, anthropology, materials engineering, and architecture.
Gail Brager September 12, 2019
Building standards and conventional practice are all about ’reducing the negative‘ — but what if the goal is to ’enhance the positive‘ instead? Aiming to create environments that are not only comfortable and healthy, but are connected to nature, provide a sense of place, and are a delight to be in. Designing for experience requires us to embrace a broader view of experiential aesthetics, going beyond the primacy of vision to recognize broader sensual qualities that contribute to the beauty and memorability of space.
