“Due to diminishing resources and a rapidly changing climate, sustainable design requires a thorough understanding of energy performance as a dynamic design parameter. Natural ventilation and daylight are complex and ever-changing phenomena,” Ulrike Passe tells us.

Passe is an ISU assistant professor of architecture and director of the ISU Center for Building Energy Research. Along side Passe, visiting professor, Robert Demel from Beuth University developed and led the 2011 program at the Beuth University of Applied Sciences in Berlin.

Eleven undergraduate and graduate students from Iowa State University participated in a five- week program, ARS Berlin Summer Academy 2011. The program included issues of reorganization and sustainable development in organizations.

The students were put into teams and asked to work from an existing master plan for the urban brownfield rehabilitation site in Berlin called the European Energy Forum (EUREF).

Energy modeling, dynamic daylight stimulation software and illumination were included in the teams’ design. “Students benefit from addressing those challenges of climate change creatively, as architects and designers to be equipped during the early design phase with the knowledge and design tools to integrate and predict the dynamic performance of natural light, solar energy and air movement to achieve these sustainable, high performance buildings,” Passe says.

Once back at the Iowa State a smaller group of students continued to work on the project in fall 2011 semester. “Students also benefit tremendously from working collaboratively with students from other cultural background and within the inspiring environment of a European capital like Berlin.”

Passe is planning to offer a similar study abroad experience to Berlin this summer and students are allowed to apply for this program now.

As a part of the exhibition held on January 17, the students’ designs were featured. Also, through February 3 these designs will be showcased in the Lightfoot Forum.