The application of a ventilation system in a new building is a multidimensional complex problem that involves both quantifiable and non-quantifiable data e.g. energy consumption, indoor environment, building integration and architectural expression. This paper presents a structured method for evaluating the performance of a ventilation system in the design process by treating quantifiable and non-quantifiable datasets together.

A workshop was held in the fall of 2006 for the purpose of developing courses related to “Energy Efficient Integrated Sustainable Design for the Built Environment” for university, college, and vocational schools. The objectives of this workshop were to de

Integral design shows high promises to reduce failure costs and to improve design quality. Based on this assumption, the Royal Institute of Dutch Architects (BNA), the Dutch Society for Building Services (TVVL) and Delft University of Technology (TUD) started a research project on Integral Design in year 2000, which resulted in a series of workshops for architects and HVAC consultants.

The focus on the needs and drives for adaptation of the building automatically leads tochanging needs and demands of the occupants of the building. Building should really takecare of its occupants and show adaptable behaviour and reaction to the changing outdoorenvironment during the day. Design for adaptability should start with the occupants needs forcomfort and indoor air quality. These are partly influences by the changing environmentalforces as wind and sun.

Close to Zermatt (Switzerland) the new Monte Rosa mountain cabin is going to be built in2008 at 2810 metres above sea level. This hut is designed to accommodate 120 mountaineers.Furthermore, it is going to mark a milestone in high alpine building presenting an attractive,unconventional architecture combined with both a surpassing comfort and a high degree ofenergy autarky of over 90%.Of course several measures have to be taken to achieve such a high degree of autarky whilealways keeping a limited budget in mind.

Concepts of sustainability in buildings and cities are many and there are various programmes for healthy cities and researches on indoor air quality. Wellbeing indoors depend on external factors also. The fourth skin or microbiosphere above the building envelope has not been studied well. Sustainable building or green building is being designed but such building functions well only in sustainable cities and often indoor air quality is creating sick building syndrome.

In recent years, there has been an increasing number of publications on the thermal and daylight performance of double skin facades in moderate climates. However, there is a scarcity of research on how different configurations of the cavity and its height can lead to an impact on internal cooling/ heating loads and the availability of daylight indoors in hot arid climates.

To realize a desirable building environment by saving energy and low global emission, the author has been investigating passive systems in buildings where the environment is controlled biomimetically and autonomously by simulating the physiological functions of human and other organisms. An environmental harmonized Biomimetic Building, which simulates the environment physiology mechanism of a human body and human wisdom for environment symbiosis, has been developed.

A multiple film based daylight control system for window has been developed to maintain theilluminance level at task plane. The developed system consists of three films with a visualtransmittivity (Tvis) range of 0.159 - 0.015 and a 2x55W dimmable compact fluorescent lamp(CFL) fixture.

Ventilated façades have become an increasingly employed feature in the design of low energy buildings over recent years in that they offer the attractive features of a conventional glass façade but without the thermal disadvantages. These façades consist