BArch Bachelor of Architecture Environmental Systems & Sustainability 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In HVAC design, what does the term 'psychrometric chart' help engineers determine?
- Properties of air-water vapor mixtures including temperature, humidity, and enthalpy (Correct answer)
- Structural loads imposed by mechanical equipment
- Duct sizing based on airflow velocity
- Refrigerant pressure-temperature relationships
Correct answer: Properties of air-water vapor mixtures including temperature, humidity, and enthalpy
The psychrometric chart graphically represents thermodynamic properties of moist air — dry-bulb and wet-bulb temperature, relative humidity, dew point, and enthalpy — essential for HVAC system design.
Question 2: What does 'daylighting' in architectural design primarily aim to achieve?
- Use natural light from the sky to illuminate building interiors, reducing electric lighting energy use (Correct answer)
- Maximize views to the outdoors from every workspace
- Eliminate all artificial lighting from commercial buildings
- Ensure sunlight reaches all rooms for one hour per day
Correct answer: Use natural light from the sky to illuminate building interiors, reducing electric lighting energy use
Daylighting is the controlled admission of natural light into a building to reduce dependence on electric lighting, improving occupant well-being and reducing lighting energy consumption.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of a building's 'thermal mass' in passive solar design?
- Absorb heat during the day and release it slowly at night to moderate temperature swings (Correct answer)
- Increase the building's insulation value per inch
- Reduce solar heat gain through the roof
- Provide structural stability against seismic forces
Correct answer: Absorb heat during the day and release it slowly at night to moderate temperature swings
Thermal mass (concrete, masonry, water) absorbs solar heat during the day, moderating peak daytime temperatures, then releases stored heat at night when outdoor temperatures drop.
Question 4: In mechanical systems, what does a VAV (Variable Air Volume) system control to match heating and cooling loads?
- The volume of conditioned air delivered to each zone while maintaining constant supply air temperature (Correct answer)
- The supply air temperature while keeping airflow constant
- The refrigerant flow rate in the chiller
- The speed of the cooling tower fan only
Correct answer: The volume of conditioned air delivered to each zone while maintaining constant supply air temperature
VAV systems vary the quantity of conditioned air supplied to each zone through dampers, maintaining a relatively constant supply air temperature while matching the actual heating or cooling load.
Question 5: In architectural acoustics, what does the 'reverberation time' (RT60) measure?
- Time for sound to decay 60 dB after the source stops (Correct answer)
- The delay between direct and reflected sound in milliseconds
- Maximum allowable background noise level in a space
- Speed of sound transmission through a partition
Correct answer: Time for sound to decay 60 dB after the source stops
RT60 is the time in seconds for a sound to decay 60 decibels (a factor of one million in energy) after the source ceases, determined by room volume and total sound absorption.
Question 6: What does the Energy Use Intensity (EUI) metric measure for a building?
- Energy consumed per square foot of floor area per year (kBtu/sf/yr) (Correct answer)
- Peak electrical demand in kilowatts
- Percentage of energy from renewable sources
- Cost per kWh of electricity consumed
Correct answer: Energy consumed per square foot of floor area per year (kBtu/sf/yr)
EUI normalizes a building's annual energy consumption by its gross floor area (kBtu/square foot/year), enabling meaningful comparisons of energy performance across different building types and sizes.
BArch Bachelor of Architecture Environmental Systems & Sustainability 1
In HVAC design, what does the term 'psychrometric chart' help engineers determine?