Design

Designing High Performance Buildings

Doug King can assist project design teams in numerous ways to achieve the objective of high performance, delightful buildings. He approaches sustainability issues collaboratively from the start of a concept design and champions sustainability throughout the design and procurement process.

Diagram: Rooflight section

High performance design requires a thorough understanding of requirements. A lecture theatre had problematic orientation and using conventional roof-lighting in the sloping roof risked blinding the speaker with direct sunshine. Doug developed this roof form to light the speaker indirectly, avoiding glare and overheating. The curved roof shells are also curved in plan and collectively act like a fresnel lens for daylight.

“All too often sustainability is addressed by bolting technology on to a largely completed design. However, if we question the precepts of building performance early on, sustainability becomes a creative force leading to a far more coherent and legible design.”

Master Planning
These days a master plan is incomplete without energy, water and waste.
Doug King understands the interactions of buildings and people in urban (and wilderness) environments, the flows of energy and resources needed to sustain them and how waste can be recycled for beneficial use. He can help master plan at any scale from a self sufficient island house to a new city.

Concept Design
You think you have a great idea, but you want to test it out with someone.
Doug has collaborated with some of Europe’s leading architects on the concept designs behind some of the leading sustainable building exemplars. He believes that a concept design should arise from a continuous dialogue between architect, engineer and their client.

Zero Heatloss Natural Ventilation Wall Diagram

Doug designed a zero heatloss wall at the Hampton Court Palace Education Centre as a response to site constraints and the desire for low energy, passive operation. Sustainable Innovation of the Year.

Schematic Design
You know you have a great idea, but you are not sure how to implement it.
From extensive experience of designing high performance buildings using both active and passive approaches, Doug can quickly evaluate and advise on the impacts of plant and distribution, daylight and natural ventilation strategies, thermal mass, novel construction materials and methods and renewable energy systems.

Design Review
Everyone knows the value of having a fresh view of a problem.
At heart a creative designer, Doug approaches design reviews from the position of augmenting rather than criticising the existing design work. Doug has been involved in design review for many years through South West Design Review, CABE and numerous schools of architecture.

Design Validation
The client wants proof that your brilliant idea will deliver what you say it will.
Doug has developed some of the most innovative low carbon building designs. He has also diagnosed many dysfunctional buildings and systems. He can bring all this experience, and his scientific method, to bear on developing tests and analyses to demonstrate the benefits of a new design approach.