Background
Assumptions about the
Users
What Makes Energy Scheming
Special?
Why Is Energy Scheming
Needed?
Who Uses Energy Scheming?
About Energy Scheming - General Information
Background
Energy Scheming for the Apple Macintosh has been developed at the
University of Oregon's Department of Architecture. It is a design
tool (rather than an analysis or evaluation tool) that facilitates
energy considerations in buildings at the preliminary design stages.
Its primary goal is to help you create an energy-efficient building
rather than to evaluate an already conceived one.
The energy use analysis evaluates a single-zone building for 24
hours, for each of four representative days. All information about
the building may be input entirely graphically. The drawings of the
building to be evaluated can be copied into Energy Scheming from
another application -- or you draw it in Energy Scheming's Drawing
Environment.
Assumptions about the Users
We assume that Energy Scheming users are architects,
architecture students or others with some knowledge of energy
analysis and building design. They are also familiar with the Apple
Macintosh computer. Therefore this User Guide does not explain in
detail either the principles of design with energy or Macintosh
conventions such as opening and closing files, saving, and
scrolling.
We recommend that you refer to your Apple Macintosh user's manuals
for information about basic Macintosh procedures. For sources of
information about energy applicable to building design, consult the
bibliography in this manual.
What Makes Energy Scheming
Special?
Energy Scheming's primary goal is to help you create an energy
efficient building rather than to evaluate an already conceived one.
Its user interface is designed to fit the mental processes,
information structures, and graphic methods that a building designer
uses at the beginning of the design process. This allows you to
integrate technical issues while in the creative thinking phase of
the design. The result is a building with architectural expression
that is more likely to be a synthesis of energy, formal, and other
concerns.
Energy Scheming is unique because it allows you to design with energy
in mind right from the very beginning stage of the building design
process -- all within the friendly confines of a Macintosh drawing
environment. Your building data is input graphically from drawings
rather than numerically. Even the energy report is presented
graphically. You can view it on the drawing screen at the same time
as you are modifying your building design, so you can quickly see the
effects of design decisions on energy performance.
Why Is Energy Scheming Needed?
Because energy conserving opportunities are related to
building form and organization, it is essential that the designer
incorporate energy considerations right at the beginning of the
design process -- when the form and organization of the building are
first being considered. Usually, this doesn't happen until later,
after these key decisions are made, especially if the designer is not
an expert in energy analysis.
Who Uses Energy Scheming?
Energy Scheming is for experienced designers who want quick
preliminary confirmation about the energy performance of schematic
design ideas. They will find it convenient for making quick massing
studies at the "napkin phase" as well as for making specific changes
to one building element, such as the windows of the south
elevation.
Energy Scheming is for beginning designers who will learn energy
conscious design habits at the start of their design education,
rather than having to incorporate energy concerns after their design
habits have become set and consequently difficult to change.
Top of page
About Energy Scheming - main
page
Energy Scheming & The
Creative Process
Energy Scheming
Conceptual Overview
Energy Scheming Technical
Considerations
Energy Scheming Guided
Tour
Energy Scheming Manual (.pdf version)
Energy Scheming Manual (.html version)