Advances in computer technology over recent years now mean building simulation can be used in the design process and even in the construction and daily operation of most buildings. The techniques are sophisticated and require a good deal of expertise, so relatively few designers, builders and practitioners understand the full potential of the field even though simulation can inform design decisions, enable performance analysis and diagnostic studies. This book should provide these readers with an overview of building simulation and its current advancements, and a grasp of current limitations and future directions. To begin, the book introduces recent trends in building simulation and outlines its historic development. The book then takes the reader on a journey into three major areas of investigations: simulation with uncertainty, combined air and heat flow in whole buildings, in particular the applications of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to the built environment, and the introduction of new paradigms for the effective use of building simulation including issues of integration and potentially very significant ways for users to interact and to engage in immersed simulation.
Leading experts in the field both in the US and Europe have written the chapters. The book provides a graduate-level student textbook as well as a guide to advanced methods for architects, engineers and other construction professionals. D. Michelle Addington, Harvard University, USA Qingyan (Yan) Chen, Ph.D., Purdue University, USA Larry Degelman, Texas A&M, USA Jan Hensen, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, The Netherlands