Terri Meyer Boake B.E.S. B.Arch. M.Arch.
Associate Professor School of Architecture University of Waterloo LEED AP
 

Technical Links
for All Architectural
and
Environmental
Courses:



technical links
last updated March 3, 2009 9:19 AM

 

The links below will take you to various websites I have found that may be of interest to you. I will update these links throughout the term. As with any web links, I will not guarantee that they will all keep working! Please advise if they are broken. If it is a "complex" link, try working it backward to its "root". Often people change file folder names, not realizing that it breaks the link!

Also, if you are researching a building from a foreign (non English) country, try searching with words in that language. Many documents are not published in English, so will not show up in an English only keyword search.

I am perptually in the midst of filling this in...

Anyone that FINDS some good links, let me know and I will add them to the matrix!

 

General, but important sites!

John Straube's Website: Building Engineering Group University of Waterloo (lots of great info/links here!)
http://www.civil.uwaterloo.ca/beg/

John Straube's Website for Students:
http://www.civil.uwaterloo.ca/beg/building_science_students.htm
General Information and Articles from Architectural Record on varying technical topics:
http://www.archrecord.com/CONTEDUC/ConteducC.asp

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
http://www.cmhc.ca

National Research Council
http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/main_e.html

IRC Institute for Research in Construction Canada
http://irc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/irccontents.html

Climate links pdf

Joe Lstiburek's Building Science Website:
http://www.buildingscience.com/default.htm

Wood:

Canadian Wood Council
http://www.cwc.ca

American Wood Council
http://www.awc.org

 Wood Building Magazine (lots of details and interesting buildings!)
http://www.woodmags.com/wdb/magazine_rack/index.php3
Steel:

Canadian Institute of Steel Construction
http://www.cisc.ca

American Institute of Steel Construction
http://www.aisc.org

Canadian Sheet Steel Building Institute
http://www.cssbi.ca/

Reusing Steel
http://www.reuse-steel.org/home/
Steel Tube Institute of America
http://www.steeltubeinstitute.org
Concrete:
Eco-Smart Concrete
http://www.ecosmart.ca/  
American Concrete Institute
http://www.aci-int.org/general/home.asp
Concrete Thinker (Sustainable Concrete)
http://www.concretethinker.com
Light Transmitting Concrete
http://www.litracon.com/
Precast Concrete:

Precast Prestressed Concrete Institute
http://www.pci.org/

 
Masonry:
Ontario Concrete Block Association:
http://www.ocba.ca/

Brick Industry Association (including free technical notes on brick construction)
http://www.bia.org/

Arriscraft
http://www.arriscraft.com/archContent/index.html

Canada Masonry Centre
http://www.canadamasonrycentre.com/home.asp

Eco-Block Insulation Concrete Forms
http://www.eco-block.com/
ARXX Insulating Concrete Forms:
http://www.arxxbuildingproducts.com/INTRODUCTION.htm
 
Ground Source Heat Pumps:
Natural Resources Canada
http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/publications/infosource/pub/home/Heating_and_Cooling_with_a_Heat_Pump_Section4.cfm
US Department of Energy
http://www.pnl.gov/fta/2_ground.htm
Heating and Cooling Systems:
Radiant Floor Heating Systems:
http://www.concretenetwork.com/concrete/radiantfloorheating/
Radiant Floor Heating Systems:
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/factsheets/bc2.html
Displacement Ventilation Explanation:
http://www.greenengineer.com/ideas/dv.htm
Displacement Ventilation Ducting:
http://www.tombling.com/ducting/ventilation-duct.htm
Displacement Ventilation vs. Mixed Flow:
http://www.ambthair.com/dispvmixed.html
Displacement Ventilation, diagrams with explanation:
http://www.advancedbuildings.org/main_t_vent_displ_vent.htm
Ventilation Systems:
http://www.renson.be/en/producten/zoek.php?action=zoek
Trickle Vents in Offices:
pdf link
Background Ventilation:
pdf link
 
Photovoltaic Systems:

Great site with lots of case studies and photos:
http://www.oja-services.nl/projects.htm

General Links page by others
http://www.energyi.mccabe.net/links.htm
Sandia PV Systems:
http://www.sandia.gov/pv/
NREL Intro to PV Page:
http://www.nrel.gov/clean_energy/photovoltaic.html
Sustainable Building Sourcebook: PV Systems
http://www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/Photovoltaic.html
NRCAN Introduction to PV Systems:
http://www.canren.gc.ca/prod_serv/index.asp?CaId=143&PgId=765
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Website: PV
http://www.eere.energy.gov/RE/solar_photovoltaics.html
Spheral Solar Systems Cambridge, Ontario
http://www.spheralsolar.com/default.asp
PV Basics:
http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/pvt/pvbasics/
Wind Energy:
Wind Energy:
http://www.windpower.org/en/tour/wres/index.htm
Canadian Wind Energy Atlas:
http://www.windatlas.ca/en/index.php
 
 
Solar Thermal Energy:
EIA Solar Thermal Information
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/solarthermal/solarthermal.html
NREL Concentrating Solar Power Research:
http://www.nrel.gov/csp/
 
Strawbale:
Report on Moisture Issues: CMHC
http://cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/imquaf/hehosu/stbawa/stbawa_001.cfm
Surfin' Strawbale: (lots of links!)
http://mha-net.org/html/sblinks.htm

Camel's Back Construction:
http://www.strawhomes.ca/resources.asp

Strawbale Primer: pdf
 
 
Environmental Agencies or Websites:
Carbon Neutral Design:
carbon-sbse/index.html
High Performance Buildings Database:
http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/highperformance/
Architecture 2030
http://www.architecture2030.org
Carbon Buzz:
http://www.bre.co.uk/carbonbuzz/
Global Warming: links

Square One Group: A fantastic site with lots of environmental design information
http://www.squ1.com/site.html

US Green Building Site
http://www.usgbc.org

Canadian Green Building Organization
www.cagbc.org

US Department of Energy
http://www.eere.energy.gov/

www.greenbuilding.ca
www.advancedbuildings.org
Green Globes Environmental Assessment Tool
http://www.greenglobes.com/design/homeca.asp
+ explanatory pdf of the system link

Oikos Green Building Site
http://oikos.com/index.lasso

Light Pollution Awareness Website
http://members.aol.com/ctstarwchr/

Steel Recycling Institute
http://www.recycle-steel.org/index2.html

Green Steel Resources:
http://www.cisc-icca.ca/green.html

Interstitium: A Dynamic Approach to Solar Access Zoning
http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~rknowles/interstitium/interstitium.html

Sustainable Architecture – General site
http://www1.arch.hku.hk/research/BEER/sustain.htm
http://www.sustainability.ca/
Building Green: Environmental Building News (some free content, a charge applies for full access, but can be done on a one week basis for some concerted research -- great case studies and LEED backup information)
http://www.buildinggreen.com/
BREEAM and BREEAM/Green Leaf Assessment Tools
http://216.58.80.108/index.html
Green Globes Environmental Assessment System
http://www2.energyefficiency.org/design/
Alaska Sun Environmental Site for Northern Applications
http://www.alaskasun.org/
 
 
 
Insulation:
Owens Corning Insulation (fiberglass)
http://www.owenscorning.com/
Cellulose Insulation
http://www.rvalue.net/page5.html
Polyurethane Foam Insulation Information
http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/engineer/facts/93-011.htm
Canadian Urethane Foam Contractors Association
http://www.cufca.ca/home_e.php
Foam Tech
http://www.supergreenfoam.com/case_studies/exterior_wall.htm
General details and specifications on thermal insulation from Canada Wood Council
http://www.cwc.ca/design/building_science/thermal_insulation/http://www.cwc.ca/design/building_science/thermal_insulation/
Landscape:
Sustainable Urban Landscape Information Series: University of Minnesota
http://www.sustland.umn.edu/
A good site on perennial plants:
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/perennials/perennial_index.html
General Indexes of Interesting Buildings (good for case study type research):
Encyclopedia of Great Buildings
http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings.html

University of Washington Cities and Building Database
http://content.lib.washington.edu/cities/

Structurae: International Gallery and Database of Structures
http://www.structurae.de/ 

Emporis (formerly Skyscrapers.com) Huge database of buildings, info and images
http://www.emporis.com/en/

archINFORM International Architecture Database
http://www.archinform.net/index.htm

Curtain Wall and Cladding Systems:
 
Whole Building Design Guide:
http://www.wbdg.org/design/env_fenestration_cw.php

Permasteelisa: Advanced Curtain Wall
http://www.permasteelisa.com.sg/

Alcoa Cladding Systems
http://www.alcoacladdingsystems.com/

Kawneer
http://www.kawneer.com/

Dupont Laminated Glass:
http://www.dupont.com/safetyglass/
http://www.dupont.com/safetyglass/lgn/stories/2301.html

Profilit (or Reglit) Glazing System:
http://www.pilkington.com/the+americas/usa/english/building+products/architectural/products/profilit.htm.htm

Pilkington Glass:
http://www.pilkington.com/

Anderson Windows
http://www.andersenwindows.com/

Ceramic Frit Glass
http://www.garibaldiglass.com/ceramicfrit.shtml

Kalwall Transluscent Wall Systems
http://www.kalwall.com/main.htm

Solera Glazing System
http://www.advancedglazings.com/products/howWorksGlass.php

Roofing:
Sarnafil
http://www.sarnafil.ca/

http://www.jm.com/roofing/ug/epdm/details/index.shtml

http://www.jm.com/roofing/ug/pvc/adhered_details/index.shtml

http://www.jm.com/roofing/ug/pvc/mf_details/index.shtml

http://66.70.87.112/

Soprema Green Roof System:
http://www.soprema.ca/HOMEANG/INDEXEN.HTM

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
http://peck.ca/grhcc/

http://www.firestonebpco.com/roofinghome.htm

http://www.iko.com/commercial/chapter1.html

http://www.archrecord.com/CONTEDUC/ARTICLES/1_00_1.asp

http://www.archrecord.com/GREEN/GREEN_13.ASP

http://www.perkspub.com/archive/roofing_octnov00/7.html

http://www.peck.ca/


Membranes:
Swimming Pool liners:
http://www.sarnafil.com/system_details_sp
The Design of Durable Joints between Windows and Walls
http://www.cmhc.ca/publications/en/rh-pr/tech/03-107-e.htm

Bakor Envelope Systems
http://www.bakor.com/Home/bakor.htm

Double Skin Building Systems:
Building Skins Blog
http://buildingskins.blogspot.com/

Arch 484: Tectonics of the Environmental Skin
http://www.fes.uwaterloo.ca/architecture/faculty_projects/terri/ds/title.html

Article from Architectural Record: General Issues on Double Skin Buildings
http://www.archrecord.com/CONTEDUC/ARTICLES/7_00_2.asp
Pushing the Envelope: The Skin’s the Thing for Conserving a Building’s Energy
http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2001/07.19/10-conserve.html
Survey of the Built Environment: Categorization of the types of double skin buildings and a list of buildings and mini analyses
http://www.battlemccarthy.demon.co.uk/research/doubleskin/casestudies/casestudies14.htm
Space Modulator: The Construction of the RWE Tower in Germany
http://www.nsg.co.jp/spm/sm81~90/sm86_contents/sm86_e_index.html
Harvard University research on Building Envelopes: you have to login here, but membership is free for anyone
http://www.buildingenvelopes.org
Case study: Baltic Square Tower, Finland
http://www.vtt.fi/virtual/try/Terak/csm4-00-1.htm
Article on the Design of Bioclimatic Skyscrapers by Ken Yeang
http://www.arch.wustl.edu/347-F98/Bio_Skyscrapers/default.htm
Solar skin wall building in Norway
http://www.sintef.no/units/civil/ark/ark/Norsk/Prosjekter/BPASolar.html
Double skin buildings and sustainability?? Towards a fourth skin.
http://www.diprose.co.nz/WREC/WREC.htm 
Asian case study: Kadoorie Biological Sciences Building
http://www.hku.hk/estates/page/tkbs.htm
Case Studies:
York University Building by Busby
http://www.architectureweek.com/2002/0403/environment_1-1.html
Sustainable Architecture: Architronic Electronic Journal
3 articles, one on The Center for Regenerative Studies and the YMCA Environmental Learning Center
http://architronic.saed.kent.edu/v4n3/
http://architronic.saed.kent.edu/v5n2/
US Department of Energy - High Performance Buildings
http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/database/mtxview.cfm?CFID=26017421&CFTOKEN=41791377
Concrete Thinker Case Studies
http://www.concretethinker.com/CaseStudies.aspx
 
On line Periodicals: 
Canadian Architect
http://www.canadianarchitect.com
Architecture Week
http://www.architectureweek.com
Canadian Consulting Engineer
http://www.canadianconsultingengineer.com/
Architectural Record (not the entire magazine)
http://architecturalrecord.com/
Architecture (not the entire magazine)
http://architecturemag.com/architecture/index.jsp
Greensource Magazine
http://greensource.construction.com/
McGraw-Hill Construction
http://www.construction.com/
 

Looking for Case Study Based Information?? Try these links!
Arch 684: Advanced Case Studies in Sustainable Canadian Buildings website
Database of all of the Sustainable Case Study Undergrad Papers Received for Three Years website
 

last updated March 3, 2009 9:19 AM