ABSTRACT
Decisions about the basic shape of a building, its orientation, and whether it is heavy or lightweight are crucial to the lifetime performance of the building. They determine its energy use, its effect on the microclimate of the surrounding site, the penetration of daylight into the interior, the available views and its exposure to sunlight. If a building’s overall form is wrong, little can be done to compensate in the detailed design stages. This applies not only to skylight and sunlight but to other measures of building performance, such as noise control, thermal efficiency and structural efficiency.
