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Environmental Building Design
Weitzman School of Design
University of Pennsylvania
@weitzman_arch
@weitzman_school
@uofpenn

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Fall semester is underway and our first year students are getting started with required course : ARCH 7520 Fundamentals of Bioclimatic Design.
As their first assignment, they conducted a series of tests to modify the climate of different spaces within their apartment. They tracked real-time temperature and humidity patterns across these spaces, learning the relationship between them.

@weitzman_school @weitzman_ebd
#weitzmanschoolofdesign #weitzman_ebd #bioclimaticdesign

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Congratulations to the 2025–2026 Tulane Prize for Climate Change Curriculum in the Built Environment awardees!

The Center on Climate Change and Urbanism at the Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment has honored faculty whose courses are redefining how students in architecture, landscape architecture, and urban planning approach the climate crisis.

Top honors went to Professor William W. Braham (University of Pennsylvania) in Environmental Building Design, Professor Zachary Colbert (Carleton University) in Architecture, and Professors Philipp Urech (USI Mendrisio / ETH Zürich) and Susann Ahn (TU Wien) in Landscape Architecture. Six Honorable Achievement awards were also presented.

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يسعدني أن أشارككم أنني قد اجتزت اختبار الترشح للدكتوراه في تكنولوجيا العمارة والذي اشتمل على مناقشة وقبول مقترح أطروحتي بعنوان "نحو منظومة تبريد صحراوية: مشاهد حرارية للسكن في الكويت."
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يناقش البحث واقع تبريد المباني في الكويت على الصعيدين التقني والسلوكي، ويسعى إلى تطوير بدائل توازن بين الاستدامة وجودة التجربة الحرارية للسكان. كما يهدف البحث إلى الإسهام في تطوير تقنيات بديلة وواعدة مثل التبريد بالتبخير عالي الكفاءة والتبريد بالإشعاع، واستكشاف سبل توظيفها معمارياً في السياق السكني الكويتي. ويعتمد البحث على مجموعة من المنهجيات المتكاملة، تشمل التقييم النظري باستخدام المحاكاة الرقمية، وتصنيع النماذج الأولية، واختبار كفاءتها وأثرها عملياً من خلال أجهزة الاستشعار بالإضافة إلى التجارب البشرية.
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أتفرغ في المرحلة القادمة للعمل على البحث، داعياً الله لي ولكم دوام التوفيق والسداد✨.
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I am pleased to share that I have successfully completed my candidacy exam in architectural technology, which included the discussion and approval of my dissertation proposal titled “Towards a Desert Cooling Paradigm: Thermal Vignettes for Housing in Kuwait”.
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The project discusses the behavioral and technical dimensions of space cooling in Kuwait and contributes to the development of promising alternative approaches for cooling, including dew-point evaporative cooling and radiant cooling. It aims to balance concerns for sustainability with those for the quality of occupants’ thermal experience, while exploring means for architectural implementation within Kuwait’s residential context. The research utilizes complementary methods, including digital simulation, physical prototyping, and human subject surveys.
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Grateful for the continued support from Penn and KU, as well as from family and friends, and look forward to what lies ahead!

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Congratulations to Director of the MSD-EBD Program and Andrew Gordon Professor of Architecture Bill Braham, on winning the 2025-2026 Tulane Prize for Climate Change Curriculum in the Built Environment: Environmental Building Design.

Bill won the Tulane Prize for his course ARCH 7520 Fundamentals of Bioclimatic Design. This class is grounded in the classic, mid-century practices that emphasize the “passive” properties of the building envelope, of the ability of the walls, windows, and thermal mass of the building to modulate the interior climate. We also enhance and extend those practices by adapting smarter technologies, which can leverage more environmental resources to make buildings comfortable, healthy, and energy efficient. It combines principles of biology, climatology, and building science empowering architects to develop new forms of building that improve habitability. The course begins with structured exercises using analytical tools and techniques which are then developed in case studies of exemplary bioclimatic buildings.

The Tulane Center on Climate Change and Urbanism awards this prize annually to faculty members who demonstrate excellence in the development of core and elective curriculum in climate change and the built environment. The selected awardees and honorees represent benchmark contributions for their work in developing cutting-edge curriculum relating to climate change mitigation and adaptation in the training of future urban planners, architects, landscape architects, urban designers, and other allied professions of the built environment.

@weitzman_arch @weitzman_ebd @brhamwww #weitzmanschoolofdesign #penndesign #universityofpennsylvania #upenn #environmentalbuildingdesign

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Enrollment is now open for Fundamentals of Bioclimatic Design: Techniques for Architectural Innovation, a new online course to expand access to environmentally responsive design. Developed and taught by William Braham, the Andrew Gordon Professor of Architecture and the director of the Center for Environmental Building Design, the course empowers architects with essential strategies to design buildings that are energy-efficient, healthy, and comfortable.⁠
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As the built environment accounts for nearly 40% of annual greenhouse gas emissions, and buildings represent approximately 30% of total energy consumption worldwide, bioclimatic design is no longer optional. This course addresses the architectural sector’s most urgent challenge: how to design for both people and the planet.⁠
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This seven-module Coursera program is tailored for a broad audience, with one pathway for a general audience and a more technical pathway for learners ranging from undergraduate and graduate architecture students to mid-career professionals in architecture, construction, and real estate. There is a certificate available, and learners are prepared for future academic credentials such as LEED AP or Passive House certification, and ultimately, leadership roles in high-performance building design.⁠

“Innovation isn’t just about new tools—it’s about new ways of thinking,” says Braham. “After taking this course, learners will have a framework for understanding the building envelope as a living interface between people and their environments.”⁠
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Braham also directs the 1-year Master in Environmental Building Design (MEBD) program and 2-year Master of Science in Design with a concentration in Environmental Building Design (MSD-EBD) program. ⁠
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To learn more or register, visit the link in bio. ⁠

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We’re grateful to everyone who joined us last week at The Bottling House for an evening of art and conversation in celebration of our newest exhibition, “Sidewalk Meditations from Powelton Village.”

On view through August 15, the show features ceramic works by Philadelphia-based sculptor Jennifer Johnson.

We also extend our gratitude to panelists William Braham, Inga Saffron, Stephen Kieran, and Jennifer Johnson for a lively discussion about the rowhome typology and Powelton Village’s cultural memory.

The Bottling House exhibition program engages artists, designers, and future-thinkers whose work aligns with KieranTimberlake’s mission to create meaningful, innovative, and environmentally-ethical architecture. This forum invites discussion and knowledge-sharing around ideas ranging from supply chain equity and environmental justice to embodied history and conservation of memory and materials.

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The Bottling House at KieranTimberlake invites you to an evening of art and conversation in celebration of our newest exhibition, Sidewalk Meditations from Powelton Village, featuring ceramic mosaics by Philadelphia artist Jennifer Johnson.

In a discussion moderated by Penn Professor William W. Braham, the artist will be joined by architecture critic Inga Saffron, and architect Stephen Kieran to explore themes from the exhibition, including Powelton Village’s cultural memory and neighborhood change within Philadelphia.

📅 Thursday, May 29 | 5 - 8pm
📍 KieranTimberlake, 841 N American St., Philadelphia
🎟 Free with Eventbrite registration, see link in bio

📷 Jennifer Johnson, Orange Sky (2023)

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Another week brings another book in the mail! We are featured in a new book titled “Teaching Carbon Neutral Design in North America: Twenty Award-Winning Architectural Design Studio Methodologies,” edited by Robin Z. Puttock @robinzputtock

In 2 book chapters, Dorit Aviv, William Braham, and Billie Faircloth @billiefaircloth share their experiences and insights teaching the “Bioclimatic Studio” and the “Environmental Building Design Research Studio” at the University of Pennsylvania, Weitzman School of Design, Environmental Building Design program.

@weitzman_school @weitzman_arch @weitzman_ebd

Great to have our teaching work featured amongst 20 innovative architectural design studio methodologies - each addressing the critical challenge of carbon-neutral design.

#design #pedagogy #innovation #highereducation #architecture #architecturestudent #studio
#Sustainability #CarbonNeutralDesign #education #ClimateAction
#FutureOfDesign #ArchitectureEducation #GreenBuilding

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Buildings aren’t just structures; they’re one of the biggest opportunities to slash emissions, improve efficiency, and create healthier, more resilient urban spaces. 💡🌆.

Join us for an energizing panel on how deep retrofits are transforming cities by reducing carbon footprints, cutting energy waste, and driving economic value. ♻️🏗️

We’ll explore:
⚡ How deep retrofits cut costs & increase asset value
🌱 The role of energy efficiency in global climate goals
🏙️ Real-world projects proving sustainability = profitability

📍 Moderator: Bill Braham, Weitzman Environmental Building Design @weitzman_ebd

Speakers:
🎤 Rishika Ghosh Partnerships and Clean Energy Products, Philadelphia Green Capital Corps
🎤 Rich Freeh - Executive Director @greenbuildingunited
🎤 Laura Bowler - Manager, Ramboll Management Consulting @rambollgroup

If you care about building performance, urban sustainability, and making our cities greener—this panel is for you!

@weitzman_ebd @weitzman_arch @weitzman_school @pennsustainability #sustainability #greenbuilldingdesign #greenbuilding #cleanenergy #energyefficiency #decarbonization #buildingdecarb #environmentaldesign #weitzmanschool #architecture #design

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‘Integrating Hydrophilic Material in Constructed Wall for Evaporative Cooling in Desert Climate’ by Ming Yan, Hemant Diyalani, Xiang Zhang, Max Hakkarainen, William Braha, and Dorit Aviv

Published in Multiphysics and Multiscale Building Physics, as part of the 9th edition of the official triennial conference of the International Association of Building Physics.

Extreme heat poses a major obstacle for human settlements in desert regions. Such hot and dry regions possess favorable conditions for passive evaporative cooling. This study aims to design and investigate the performance of porous evaporative cooling surfaces used to cool down indoor environments in desert climates. A case study with a porous evaporative cooling wall in a thermal shelter in Arizona is examined. First, a physical experiment was set up in a climate chamber to compare the evaporative cooling performance of evaporative surface modules made of three different hydrophilic materials. Subsequently, energy simulation models were used to determine the cooling load demand for the proposed thermal shelter building.

@hemant_diyalani @mingy_yy @hakkarainenmax @wujie1232 @brahamwww

#buildinginnovation #energyefficiency #sustainabledesign #sustainability #buildingdesign #climate #weitzmanschoolofdesign #upenn #universityofpennsylvania

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‘Thermal Performance of Radiantly Cooled Rammed Earth’ by Dishanka Kannan, Ningxu Luo, Yujia Cui, Max Hakkarainen, Xiang Zhang, William Braham, and Dorit Aviv

Published in 'Multiphysics and Multiscale Building Physics,' as part of the 9th edition of the official triennial conference of the International Association of Building Physics.

This study assesses the effectiveness of radiant cooling to mitigate higher temperatures resulting from direct heat exposure. The core hypothesis proposes that integrating an externally cooled closed-loop hydronic system (CLHS) within the building structure can deliver indoor comfort with relatively low energy expenditure compared to conventional designs. A sectional prototype module of a radiant cooling wall embedded with water pipes is physically tested. In addition, the thermal performances of cement versus rammed earth as structural materials are compared.

@_deekay22_ @jennyjia0112 @hakkarainenmax @wujie1232 @brahamwww

#buildinginnovation #energyefficiency #sustainabledesign #sustainability #buildingdesign #climate #weitzmanschoolofdesign #upenn #universityofpennsylvania

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