An Approach to the Effects of Environmental Change on Building Design and Construction

ABSTRACT: The environment, both the natural and the anthropogenic, is in a state of constant change. So, too, are the factors influencing the environmental behaviour of buildings. The construction or demolition of a building, for example, implies a change in a set of environmental parameters which may have influenced the design and construction of the buildings already present in the area and controlled their environmental performance. These changes depend upon the buildings ’ relative position, as well as their size and other characteristics of form and shell. This paper studies the changes in environmental parameters that may occur in an area and are related to the architectural design and the environmental and energy behaviour of buildings. It also evaluates and classifies the consequences of such changes and, wherever applicable, attempts to propose measures that could predict and control their results