A House as a System

A House as a System

A building is a very complex system, wherein each part of the system affects every other part of the system. Consequently, and in turn, each individual system is made up of components. Each component is further made up of individual products, technologies which dictate how the products function, and particularly the relationships between the different products. How things function as a whole is the focus of our investigation.

To begin, lets’ use the analogy of a building envelope (herein referred to as the cumulative parts of all the systems) being similar to the human body. Our bodies have a cooling system, a heating system, and a waste system. They all work together. In order to maintain personal health and comfort, we all must cool down when we are too hot, heat up when we are too cool, and get rid of waste. Just as our bodies change to maintain equilibrium, so must our homes in which we live.

As we breathe, so do our houses. As we sweat when we’re too hot, or shiver when we’re too cold, our houses act in a similar fashion. This is probably the most important factor to understand when following the above analogy. The walls, roofs and foundations in our homes (ie: the skin on our bodies) are the most important parts of the building envelope (our bodies). They regulate the temperature and overall condition of what is inside, and is directly related to how the inside reacts to the outside, the external environment.

Building should work to utilize the benefits of the surrounding environment. Instead of using the same building plans for projects in completely different climates, homes should reflect their surroundings. Responding to these varied climates will result in more efficient home building.

Whereas temperature, humidity, and wind are some of nature’s characteristics which affect us personally (and dictate how well we feel and how our body reacts), they also affect our homes to much the same degree.

Though there are many important factors to keep in mind, here are the basics. Houses should:
• Control heat, air, and water vapor flow
• Control rain penetration, and water infiltration
• Control light and solar radiation
• Control noise transmittance between rooms
• Be durable, strong, and rigid
• Be economical to construct, and maintain
• Be aesthetically pleasing
• Meet the psychological and social needs of its’ inhabitants
• Designed to fit the surrounding climate