ABSTRACT
The underlying principle behind climate responsive design is understanding the climatic parameters in which the building is situated. Climate, by definition, is related to the atmospheric conditions of temperature, humidity, wind, vegetation and light specific to a geographical location. Within this location, a series of climate conditions can be found. These can be categorized into three levels. First, there are the global conditions of the region created by dominant geographical features of land, sea, sun and air. Next, these are modified by local conditions that are dependent upon dominant features of water, topography and vegetation. Finally, there are the site conditions and building context, which are an interaction of local conditions and the building. These three levels of climatic conditions combine to create a complex inter-relationship between both macroand microclimatic conditions. This complex interrelationship is what designers have to deal with to produce a building design that is both functional and comfortable for the climate in which it is situated. This becomes a complex task because of the nature of the ever-changing and unpredictable environmental patterns, associated with different environmental zones throughout the world.
