Creating space for HVAC systems: A new, intuition-building approach to HVAC system integration in architectural education and practice

Abstract

Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems are vital to ensuring a healthy indoor environment in buildings. They are essential to the global shift toward a decarbonized, all-electric future. While integrated design practice has promised cost, energy, and space savings due to earlier and more frequent collaboration between design disciplines, remaining missed opportunities in the HVAC system design and coordination process often lead to spatial conflicts, performance tradeoffs, and uncomfortable spaces. This dissertation aims to understand current coordination practices to identify the root causes of existing problems, timeline issues, and knowledge gaps. Then, it proposes a series of enhancements to address these shortcomings, focusing on National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) accredited architectural education programs that train the next generation of practicing architects. The proposed research hypotheses are validated in a three-part research approach: (1) releasing architecture industry surveys and conducting interviews, (2) designing and testing an early-stage design tool, and (3) developing, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive HVAC curriculum for architecture students. The dissertation demonstrates that with the right tools and educational resources, architecture students can make informed, intuition-based HVAC system selections and integrate them into their building design, with students who studied the comprehensive curriculum demonstrating a 13% improvement in understanding and application of HVAC concepts compared to a control group of students. This work helps bridge the knowledge gap regarding HVAC systems, empowering designers to coordinate more effectively and prioritizing the role of HVAC systems in building performance simulation education.