Text III what is meant by

“BIOCLIMATIC ARCHITECTURE”

What Is Meant by "Bioclimatic Architecture"

Bioclimatic architecture is a way of designing buildings and manipulating the environment within buildings by working with nat­ural forces around the building rather than against them. Thus it concerns itself with climate as a major contextual generator, and with benign environments using minimal energy as its target. Biocli­matic architecture aims to protect and enhance the environment and life. It is developing on many different levels from rethinking basic concepts about our need for shelter and the function of the "city" in our lives to developing recycled or sustainable building materials.

The impact of traditional building on the environment and nat­ural resources is enormous. However, the ideal of designing and building structures that are environmentally friendly has become fairly widespread throughout the community of architects and build­ers in developed nations. In many areas there is the necessity of complying with new regulations and standards aimed at protecting the environment. In addition, there are an increasing number of in­centives for putting up buildings with more efficient energy consumption and that reduces the negative impacts on natural resources by using recycled or sustainable materials. While these vary around the world, there is awareness that our need for shelter must not jeopar­dize the environment.

There is growing interest in "green" building practices, which offer an opportunity to create environmentally sound and resource-efficient buildings by using an integrated approach to design.

"Green" buildings promote resource conservation through energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation features. They take into consideration the environmental impact of the building and minimize waste. Other goals are to create a healthy and com­fortable environment, reduce operation and maintenance costs, and address issues such as historical preservation, access to public trans­portation and other community infrastructure systems. The entire rife cycle of the building and its components is considered, as well as the economic and environmental impact and performance.

*As public awareness of environmental issues increases¹, the con­struction developers are also beginning to see that "green building" can be profitable and a selling point. Market surveys are showing that a surprising number of potential buyers are interested and will pay the higher prices for a home that is environmentally friendly. In the last few years there has been much talk concerning environmentally responsible architecture, that is, architecture respectful of the earth's resources and its natural beauty. Unfortunately, many of the archi­tects and designers *who profess interest in the concept of sustainable architecture² do not practice it in their own work for whatever reason, be it their client's lack of interest or their own lack of conviction. In fact, most architects ignore the issue altogether, preferring to regard architecture as fashion. This is a terribly irresponsible view, because in terms of energy use and visual pollution, "buildings have had an increasingly severe and damaging impact on the environment,³ this makes the issue of sustainable architecture not only an important con­sideration but also a necessary one. As for a building philosophy for national parks, which were created to conserve nature for future gen­erations, it seems that sustainable architecture, or integrated bioclimatic architecture", is the only logical and responsible approach.

What is integrated bioclimatic architecture? It is the architecture that arises out of the landscape, with the site determining the ori­entation and construction of a building, not just aesthetically, but also mechanically, determining its heating, cooling, and lighting too. Thus, it is an architecture that respects nature and its resources and provides its occupants with the most comfortable and pleasing environment possible. However, this architectural approach need not be a restrictive one for imaginative practitioners. As integrated bioclimatic architecture encompasses examples of vernacular architecture, like the typical “white stucco Mediterranean fishing village”, as well as mimetic architecture, which draws on the materials, textures, even the plants of the surrounding landscape for its inspiration. Indeed, good integrated bioclimatic architecture shoukd exist in harmony with the site.

2. LANGUAGE

LEVEL A

Ex. 1. Learn to recognise international words. Check pronunciation in the dictionary.

Architect, aesthetics, human, guide, paradox, civilisation, illustrate, empire, unique, harrnonious, acoustical, interior, procedure.

Ex. 2. Choose the right word.

1. The placement and form of buildings in relayion to their … is one of the fundemantal elements in the aesthetics of architecture.

square

comfort

sites

2. Major expenses in the building are for … , materials, and labour.

habits

land

phase

3. Utility and communication may be of … importance in churches and city halls.

simple

practical

equal

4. In many areas there is the necessity of complying … new regulations and standards aimed at protecting the environment.

To

with

at

5. The … of traditional building on the environment and natural resources is enormous.

site

impact

influence

6. There is awareness that our need for shelter must not … the environment.

enhance

confine

jeopardise

Ex.3. Find an odd one out.

develop	evolve	destroy	Change
impact	collision	blow	Contribution
immense	Tiny	huge	enormous
immitate	mimic	duplicate	Produce
Incentive	view	stimulus	inducement
spread	restrict	confine	Bound
profitable	luctative	prominent	benefitial

Ex. 4. Find the continuation of the sentence.

1) To make building habitable and comfortable the architect	a) shade and reduce or intensify wind.
2) Trees, land formation, and other buildings create	b) otherwise man is confined to a primitive struggle wih elements.
3) It is necessary to produce architecture	c) is architecture respectful of the earth’s resources and its natural beauty.
4) Bioclimatic architecture aims	d) must control the effects of the natural environment
5) Environmentally responsible architecture architecture	e) Light and sound penetrate into the interior.
6) Extremes of heat and cold,	f) the environment by the design of architectural forms.
7) Planning may control	g) to protect and enhance the environment and life

LEVEL B

Ex. 5. Find in the texts synonyms to the following words.

To look for, to resist, to diminish, people, subversive, to vary, basic, a task, review, local.

Ex. 6. Find Russian equivalents.

Settled society

utilitarian function

absorption of solar rays

hearth area

environmentally friendly

set forth the principle

triple implication

bioclimatic architecture

sustainable materials

jeopardise the environment

environmentally sound and resource-efficient building

reduce operation and maintenance cost

Ex. 7. Find English equivalents.

последний штрих

природные ресурсы

экономное энергопотребление

комплексный подход

осведомленность общественности

визуальное загрязнение

стоимость рабочей силы

архитектурное произведение

сбережение ресурсов

соответствовать новым положениям

постоянное взаимодействие

помнить

Ex. 8. Match words to the definitions.

1) incoherent	a) the amount of oil, electricity, etc. that is used
2) heritage	b) the imaginary line around which a large round object, such as the Earth , turns
3) mankind	c) something that encourages you to work harder
4) abundant	d) to improve something
5) consumption	e) important qualities, customs and traditions that have been in a society for a long time
6) enhance	f) something that makes it difficult for you to do something successfully
7) axis	g) a product that can be sold to make a profit
8) commodity	h) all humans considered as a group
9) hindrance	i) available in large quantities so that there is more than enough
10) incentive	j)thoughts, ideas that are badly expressed and are difficult to understand

Ex. 9. Find in the text all synonyms to the phrase “green building”.

Ex. 10. Explain the following in English.

Bioclimatic architecture, sustainable architecture, environmentally responsible architecture, visual pollution, mimetric architecture, vernacular architecture.