T E AC H I N G W I T H
SUN, WIND, & LIGHT
SUN, WIND, AND LIGHT is a 400 page book for designers who
want to consider the form-generating potential of climatic
forces in the earliest stages of the design process. The
second edition was recently published in January of 2001.
The second edition project expands the original, increasing its
scope by 40%, providing more recent architectural examples,
updating the methods, and incorporating more than a decade
of research in the field.
The Idea of the Book
Sun, Wind, and Light is designed to fit with the rapid,
conceptual, exploratory, and synthetic thinking that
characterizes the beginning of the design process. It
stresses the energy implications of sun, wind, and light,
however, it is organized by the architectural elements
designers manipulate – streets, open spaces and buildings,
rooms and courtyards, walls, roofs, floors, and windows.
These elements are discussed in terms of their
organization and their attributes.
The second edition of Sun, Wind, and Light represents one
of the only sources to fundamentally integrate the formal
language of preliminary architectural design with the
discipline of building science. Climatic forces are impor-
tant in architecture because a building’s response to
climate is directly related to its energy consumption, and
because climate is a powerful local context giving design-
ers a means of regional expression and placemaking. The
book’s audience is practicing architects and architecture
students. Its purpose is to help architects integrate
architectural design and energy, to design more energy
efficient buildings, while also making humane, sustain-
able, aesthetic buildings.
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2 0 0 1 S B S E S U M M E R R E T R E AT
Mark DeKay, assistant professor
College of Architecture and Design
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN 37966
314.935.6282, mdekay@utk.edu
Organization
The book is organized into three parts:
1) Analysis Techniques, which give tools for understand-
ing the climatic context of the design problem, along
with the pre-design implications of program and form;
2) Design Strategies, which give strategies for shaping
architectural form to achieve low energy consumption,
user thermal comfort, and effective lighting; and
3) Supplemental Strategies, which give mechanical/
electrical-assisted strategies for supplementing the
architecturally-based (passive) strategies.
Each design strategy is intended to support designers at
making important schematic-level design decisions about
the form or organization of building groups, sites, build-
ings, or building elements. Each gives a short statement
of the strategy, and explanation of its energy-related
phenomenon, an example of how the strategy has been
used in an elegant way by another architect in buildings
of high design quality, and very importantly, offers a tool
that helps to make a design decision such as size, shape,
organization, color, material, etc. (see diagram on follow-
ing page).
Making Patterns Visual, Translating Science for Designers
The book is graphics-intensive, with one or more hand-
drawn architectural illustrations on every page. It is
graphic for three reasons: 1) to communicate in the
language of architects; 2) to simplify the methods and
reduce calculation, such as with nomographs; and 3) to
make the connection between patterns of form and their
associated energy processes. Patterns must be drawn and
mapped. The illustrations take several forms. First, there
are charts and graphs that make the patterns of phenom-
ena and their relationship to architectural elements
visible. Second, there are analytical and interpretive
diagrams that show how a building works, such as how air
moves through a plan, or explore the interactions of
important variables, such as the effect of latitude and
building height on light in an atrium. Finally, there are
illustrative architectural drawings, such as plans, sec-
tions, and perspectives that show the formal implication
or application of an idea.
The book is also a long series of small, well-defined
research projects. There is a wealth of literature and
research on these topics, increasing at a rapid rate.
Unfortunately, this knowledge explosion has not pen-
etrated very deeply into either education or practice.
Much of the knowledge is inaccessibly stored in engineer-
ing studies, doctoral dissertations, and obscure journals.
What is available is often presented in the language of
engineering and science. Each design strategy and
technique in Sun, Wind, and Light required either assem-
bling and translating existing research into a form useful
to designers or developing a novel technique for designers
to use.
Techniques and Strategies
The matrix on the following page shows all of the 109
analysis techniques and design strategies categorized by
both their part and section within the book’s structure
(horizontal axis) and by their role in building environ-
mental controls issues of daylighting, heating, and
cooling (vertical axis).

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 D E S I G N S T R A T E G I E S

Analysis Building Building Mech/Elec.

Buildings
Techniques Groups Parts Supplement

8. sky cover 32. glazed streets 51. thin plan 78. reflecting surfaces 102. task lighting
9. daylight availability 35. daylight envelope 54. borrowed daylight 84. low contrast 103. electric light zones
Daylighting 10. daylight obstruction 58. daylight zones 85. skylight wells
70. atrium 92. reflected sunlight
71. daylit rm. depth 94. daylight apertures

3. solar radiation 30. tall buildings 52. E-W plan 77. mass absorptance
21. heat losses 34. gradual height 53. deep sun 82. solar reflectors
transitions 60. direct gain 87. breathing walls
Heating 38. E-W bldg. groups 61. sunspaces 91. well-placed window
41. winter outdoor rms. 62. thermal stor. wall 93. solar apertures
42. neighborhood sun 64. thermal collectors 97. movable insulation

16. window solar gain 26. vent. corridors 48. layer of shades 81. double skin mat’ls 105. mech. mass vent.
20. shading calendar 27. shared shade 50. permeable bldgs. 90. ventilation openings 106. mech. space vent.
21. heat gains 36. breezy streets 65. cross-ventilation arrangement
37. dispersed bldgs. 66 stack-ventilation 99. external shading
Cooling 39. bldgs. + plants 67. wind catchers 100. internal shading &
40. bldgs. + water 68. night-cooled mass inbetween shading
44. green edges 69. evap. cool towers
45. overhead shades 73. water edges
75. shady courts

1. sundial 28. topo. microclimate 46. migration 76. skin thickness 104. rock beds
2. sun path diagram 33. loose & dense 47. outdoor rooms 79. ext. surface color 107. ducts & plenums
4. wind rose urban patterns 49. clustered rooms 83. thermal mass 108. buffer zones &
5. wind square 43. windbreaks 55. heat prod. zones 88. insulation outside air/air x-changers
6. air movement prin. 56. stratify zones 95. air-flow windows 109. earth/air heat
Heating & 7. site microclimate 57. buffer zones x-changers
11. bioclimatic chart 59. rms. facing sun &
Cooling 15. skin heat flow wind
17. infil/vent gain & loss 63. roof ponds
18. bldg. bioclimatic cht. 72. earth edges
19. earth contact 74. breezy/calm courts
22. balance point temp.
23. balance pt. profiles

Heating & 29. solar envelopes

Daylighting
Daylighting 96. light shelves
98. daylight-enhancing
& Cooling shades

Heating, 31. balanced urban 89. separated/combo

patterns openings
Cooling & 101. glass types
Daylighting
24. eletric loads 80. PV walls & roofs
Power 25. hot water loads 86. solar hot water

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Use in Different Classes
SWL is really a design process resource manual, not a
conventional textbook. It has been used in seminars,
large lecture courses, architectural design studio courses,
and by professional architects in practice.
The diagrams below show how the content of SWL can be
used to support teaching different types of classes.
Linking Strategies by Topic
Many of the techniques and strategies in SWL are linked
to each other logically. In some cases, one technique is
required as data input for another technique or strategy.
The four matrices on the following pages show the SWL
analysis techniques and design strategies separated out
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by the energy topics of daylighting, cooling, heating, and
power. The techniques and strategies in bold show one
possible suggestion for which sections to address first in
a typical design problem for a daylighted building design,
a solar heated building design, or a natural ventilation
building design.
A set of individual techniques and strategies can be built
up to form a network of concepts and tools that form a
larger integrated system in the student’s design process.
For instance, as shown in the matrix for heating, a solar
heated building design requires assessing the potential
for solar heating in the climate (#7) and on the site
(#18), configuring groups of buildings for solar access in
the site plan (#38), organizing the rooms to get sun (#52
& 53) and shaping the rooms and their enclosure to
collect sun (#60 & 61), sizing the windows and thermal
mass (#83 & 93), and moving heat from where it is
collected and stored to where it is needed (#107).
Depending on the architectural question asked, or the
pedagogical approach of the instructor or particular class,
techniques and strategies can be combined to form class
exercises or design methods in a variety of ways. For
instance, instead of the multi-scalar, singe-issue approach
given above, an instructor could ask students to engage a
multi-issue, single-scale question, such as window design.
A window design exercise (or class!) might include a
range of parts-scale strategies such as reflection, sizing,
positioning, orientation, shading, insulation, and type
strategies – integrating issues of heating, cooling, and
daylighting, along with other architectural window issues
if desired.
Digital Image Library
A full library of the 700 illustrations and tables in the
book has been developed for use by instructors who adopt
the book in their classes. This library is available on CD
from Mark DeKay.
Instructors will soon be able to order full or partial sets of
slides of these same illustrations for use in lectures.
Contact Mark DeKay if you are interested in purchasing
slides.
Additional Climate Data Resources for SWL
The print edition of SWL has data for five climates.
Through a grant from the Hay Fund of the Renewable
Energy Institute at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, data for an
additional 19 climates are being developed in format
similar to that in the SWL appendix. The new data and
analyses will be keyed to SWL techniques. The new
climate reports will include additional data, graphics, and
analyses not found in the print edition.
 D E S I G N S T R A T E G I E S

Analysis Building Building Mech/Elec.

Buildings
Techniques Groups Parts Supplement

8. sky cover 29. solar envelopes 51. thin plan 78. reflecting surfaces 102. task lighting
9. daylight availability 32. glazed streets 54. borrowed daylight 84. low contrast 103. electric light
10. daylight obstruction 31. balanced urban 58. daylight zones 85. skylight wells zones
patterns 70. atrium 89. separated/combo
35. daylight envelope 71. daylit rm. depth openings
Daylighting 92. reflected sunlight
94. daylight apertures
96. light shelves
98. daylight-enhancing
shades
101. glass types

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D E S I G N S T R A T E G I E S

Analysis Building Building Mech/Elec.

Buildings
Techniques Groups Parts Supplement

1. sundial 28. topo. microclimate 46. migration 76. skin thickness 104. rock beds
2. sun path diagram 29. solar envelopes 47. outdoor rooms 77. mass absorptance 107. ducts & plenums
3. solar radiation 30. tall buildings 49. clustered rooms 79. ext. surface color 108. buffer zones &
4. wind rose 31. balanced urban 52. E-W plan 82. solar reflectors air/air x-changers
5. wind square patterns 53. deep sun 83. thermal mass 109. earth/air heat
6. air movement prin. 33. loose & dense 55. heat prod. zones 87. breathing walls x-changers
7. site microclimate urban patterns 56. stratify zones 88. insulation outside
11. bioclimatic chart 34. gradual height 57. buffer zones 89. separated/combo
Heating 15. skin heat flow transitions 59. rms. facing sun & openings
17. infil/vent gain & loss 38. E-W bldg. groups wind 91. well-placed window
18. bldg. bioclimatic 41. winter outdoor rms. 60. direct gain 93. solar apertures
chart 42. neighborhood sun 61. sunspaces 95. air-flow windows
19. earth contact 43. windbreaks 62. thermal stor. wall 97. movable insulation
21. heat losses 63. roof ponds 101. glass types
22. balance point temp. 64. thermal collectors
23. balance pt. profiles 72. earth edges
74. breezy/calm courts

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Preliminary graphic and tabular data are available for End

download from the Climatic Design Resources web site at
http://dell2002.cap.utk.edu/ecodesign/cdr/.
Data currently available are preliminary sets of climate
calendars, in the form of Microsoft Excel workbooks,
giving mean hourly data for several variables, derived
from TMY2 files.
Additional data will be posted by summer’s end and final
products should be posted by late fall 2001. Instructors
teaching fall 2001 classes can be provided with pre-
release data and climatic analyses as available. Contact
Mark DeKay for more information.
The second edition of Sun, Wind, and Light is a large and
complex resource with 382 pages and 700 illustrations
and tables. It has the potential to bridge the two worlds
of design and performance: to make energy a relevant
concern of any designer by revealing both the great
design potential latent in buildings that tap site-based
energy, and the great consequences for resource con-
sumption (and thus the future) of differing design
alternatives.
Check the new SWL web site (appearing late summer
<http://dell2002.cap.utk.edu/ecodesign>) for more
instructor resources!

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 D E S I G N S T R A T E G I E S

Analysis Building Building Mech/Elec.

Buildings
Techniques Groups Parts Supplement

1. sundial 26. vent. corridors 46. migration 76. skin thickness 104. rock beds
2. sun path diagram 27. shared shade 47. outdoor rooms 79. ext. surface color 105. mech. mass
4. wind rose 28. topo. microclimate 48. layer of shades 81. double skin mat’ls ventilation
5. wind square 31. balanced urban 49. clustered rooms 83. thermal mass 106. mech. space
6. air movement prin. patterns 50. permeable bldgs. 88. insulation outside ventilation
7. site microclimate 33. loose & dense 55. heat prod. zones 89. separated/combo 107. ducts & plenums
11. bioclimatic chart urban patterns 56. stratify zones openings 108. buffer zones &
15. skin heat flow 36. breezy streets 57. buffer zones 90. ventilation openings air/air x-changers
16. window solar gain 37. dispersed bldgs. 59. rms. facing sun & arrangement 109. earth/air heat
17. infil/vent gain & loss 39. bldgs. + plants wind 95. air-flow windows x-changers
Cooling 18. bldg. bioclimatic 40. bldgs. + water 63. roof ponds 96. light shelves
chart 43. windbreaks 65. cross-ventilation 98. daylight-enhancing
19. earth contact 44. green edges 66. stack-ventilation shades
20. shading calendar 45. overhead shades 67. wind catchers 99. external shading
21. heat gains 68. night-cooled mass 100. internal shading
22. balance point temp. 69. evap. cool towers & in-between
23. balance pt. profiles 72. earth edges shading
73. water edges 101. glass types
74. breezy/calm courts
75. shady courts

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D E S I G N S T R A T E G I E S

Analysis Building Building Mech/Elec.

Buildings
Techniques Groups Parts Supplement

24. eletric loads 80. PV walls & roofs

Power 25. hot water loads 86. solar hot water

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