Modeling Habitability Conditions, Today and Tomorrow
Adapting to climate change is a major challenge for anticipating the living and usage conditions of tomorrow. To this end, the design of all our projects integrates a forward-looking climate vision and a multi-scalar approach, from the smallest unit to the region at large.
Our approach consists of carrying out all of these studies well in advance and in direct contact with the design teams (architects or town planners, landscapers, technical design offices, etc.) in order to design projects that have a positive impact on health outcomes and are geared towards climate resilience and sobriety.
Our primary objective is to ensure the health of users through thermal comfort, visual comfort, acoustic comfort, and air quality.
Consequently, we carry out multiple simulations to guide design choices at every project scale.
At the urban level, our expertise stands out for the highly detailed analysis we perform on the thermal comfort of outdoor spaces. We investigate this subject by analyzing all the parameters having an impact on thermal comfort (insolation, air flow, materiality, landscaping strategy, relative humidity, cloud cover, etc.). We carry out simulations of insolation, solar irradiation, and air flow independently, and we also simulate thermal comfort via perceived temperature indicators (Universal Thermal Climate Index, UTCI).
All these studies are carried out with a forward-looking approach based on meteorological forecasts of current and future climates (2050).
We also carry out simulations for visual comfort such as access to the sky, the daylight factor, and views of green spaces.
At the building level, we also carry out all studies to guide the design and verify the best performances in terms of comfort and health: dynamic thermal simulations (DTS), light simulations (DF, DA, glare, views), external or internal airflow simulations (CFD), regulatory calculation of summer comfort (DH indicator in the RE2020).
Furthermore, we strive to improve indoor air quality, through specifications and checks on ventilation equipment and materials, in accordance with certification targets. Finally, we always work in collaboration with acousticians for cross-cutting design subjects (facade design, natural ventilation, etc.) and for achieving acoustic targets with regard to certifications.
The monitoring of low-nuisance construction sites and environmental permits are also an important aspect of achieving quality in projects in terms of health and comfort for users and local residents.
Our studio handles all of these processes and actions to the highest standards, on certified projects as well as on non-certified projects.