Building Airflow & Comfort
Air. Sunlight. Thermal Behaviour.
Understanding how natural forces shape the experience, comfort and performance of buildings.
How can the same level of comfort be achieved while requiring less purchased energy?
Why It Interests Me
Questions I Keep Listening To
Some questions seem to return in every project.
How does air move through a space?
How does sunlight shape comfort and experience?
How can natural forces become active elements of design?
How can buildings work with their environment rather than against it?
How can the same level of comfort be achieved while requiring less purchased energy?
These questions continue to guide my work in engineering, simulation and development.
Why It Matters
Many environmental challenges are often addressed by adding more systems, more equipment and more energy consumption.
I am interested in understanding how much can be achieved before those additional systems become necessary.
How can airflow, sunlight, thermal mass, shading and natural ventilation contribute to comfort?
How can engineering support buildings that work with natural forces rather than constantly compensating for them?
In many cases, improving the way a building interacts with its environment can reduce the amount of purchased energy required to achieve the same level of comfort.
Where I Contribute
My interest is not in replacing the work of architects, building engineers or contractors. The most valuable opportunities often exist at the beginning of a project, when the design space is still wide open.
At that stage, airflow, sunlight, thermal behaviour and natural forces can be explored as design partners rather than technical constraints. As a project develops, regulations, budgets, construction methods and engineering requirements gradually shape the solution into a buildable reality.
I see my role as helping to identify and explore opportunities early in that process, in close collaboration with the specialists who carry the project forward.
The goal is simple: To achieve the highest possible level of comfort and performance before additional systems and energy consumption become necessary.
How I Work
The process usually begins with possibilities rather than constraints. At the early stages of a project, the design space is often much larger than it appears.
Questions about airflow, sunlight, comfort and energy use can be explored before technical, regulatory and construction constraints gradually shape the final solution.
My role is to help reveal and evaluate these opportunities early, working alongside architects, engineers and builders as the project develops.
Development Directions
Passive Ventilation Systems
Exploring how airflow, geometry and material selection can be combined to create low-energy ventilation solutions. One of the most exciting challenges is creating systems that improve comfort through geometry and natural forces before mechanical complexity becomes necessary.
Current areas of interest include:
Design, simulation, prototyping and manufacturing can all be carried out within the same development process.
What I Explore
Areas of Interest
Building Airflow
Natural ventilation, wind-driven airflow and indoor air movement.
Thermal Comfort
Understanding how temperature, airflow and solar exposure interact.
Custom Passive Fan Solutions
Development of custom passive ventilation solutions, supported by prototype and small-series composite manufacturing.
Nature-Inspired Engineering
Understanding the principles behind natural systems and exploring how they can inform geometry, airflow, thermal behaviour and energy-efficient design
Simulation-driven Development
Using engineering tools to support design decisions.