Building Science

Part of the School of Architecture

Please help by expanding on this leading article and Resource Collection.

Architectural Science or Building Science is as old as building itself and broadly characterizes any studies of environmental effect on architecture, theoretical or practical/built, that diverge from the norm of the day. Some scientist, patrons and critics hold that architectural science can be considered as the nature's experiment.

Fundamental drivers in the public, university and private contexts seem to require at least some level of building science as it is usually an absence in architectural schools. This is certainly the case in the current university context, where research (which many use as a development engine for science) is a fundamental requirement imposed by the degree assessment bodies (RIBA/ARB/AIBC or IEA).

Building Science in the School of Architecture context is a prime need. The schools have to concentrate and specialized on the scientific areas of; Environmental Science, Structural Science, Building Energy Efficiency, Seismic Design and so on to maintain a new direction.

Whilst this need of architectural education initially sounds problematic, it is effective and ultimately essential to remove some element of the research and experimentation gamut from the commercial pressures of traditional architecture practice. In this way, Architectural Science in the university context can be seen as a manifestation of the 'science and technology' metaphor in its truest sense, such that the output is an advancement of the field that is also commercially marketable.

Current Building Science Resources include:
 * - Natural Resources Canada
 * - UW BEG Building Science and Engineering - University of Waterloo
 * - Architectural Association School of Architecture
 * - EDG Emergent Design Group - MIT
 * - IUST BTD (Building Technology Department - School of Architecture - IUST) This Department unfortunately due to leave and retirement of two active faculties no longer exist.