ENVIRONMENT RESPONSIVE DESIGN

Unit 1
INTRODUCTION TO MACRO CLIMATE

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ELEMENTS OF CLIMATE
• Elements of climate Climate is described by referring to its elements:
1. Temperature
2. Precipitation
3. Humidity
4. Pressure and winds
● Temperature Temperature is the degree* of hotness and coldness of a place. Temperature is affected by solar radiation reaching* the
Earth’s surface. Amount* of solar radiation is determined by: Latitude Altitude Distance from the sea .
● Humidity :Humidity is the amount of water vapour in the air. It is invisible. Humidity indicates the probability of precipitation, dew* or
fog*.
● Precipitation Precipitation is water falling from the atmosphere onto the Earth’s surface, in the form of rain, snow or hail. Form of
precipitations depends on the temperature of the place where it falls
● Pressure and winds AIR PRESSURE is the force caused by the weight* of air on the Earth’s surface. Low* pressure occurs when altitude

is higher. High* pressure occurs when altitude is lower. WIND is the movement of air.
WEATHER

• Weather is the state of the atmosphere, describing for example the degree to which it
is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. On Earth, most weather
phenomena occur in the lowest level of the planet's atmosphere, the troposphere, just
below the stratosphere. Weather refers to day-to-day temperature and precipitation
activity,
• whereas climate is the term for the averaging of atmospheric conditions over longer
periods of time. When used without qualification, "weather" is generally understood to
mean the weather of Earth.

WATER CYCLE

• Water is essential to life on Earth. In its three phases (solid, liquid, and gas), water ties
together the major parts of the Earth’s climate system — air, clouds, the ocean, lakes,
vegetation, snowpack, and glaciers.
• The water cycle shows the continuous movement of water within the Earth and
atmosphere. It is a complex system that includes many different processes. Liquid water
evaporates into water vapour, condenses to form clouds, and precipitates back to earth in
the form of rain and snow. Water in different phases moves through the atmosphere
(transportation). Liquid water flows across land (runoff), into the ground (infiltration and
percolation), and through the ground (groundwater). Groundwater moves into plants
(plant uptake) and evaporates from plants into the atmosphere (transpiration). Solid ice
and snow can turn directly into gas (sublimation). The opposite can also take place when
water vapour becomes solid (deposition).
CARBON CYCLE

• Carbon is the foundation of all life on Earth, required to form complex molecules like proteins and DNA. This
element is also found in our atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2). Carbon helps to regulate the
Earth’s temperature, makes all life possible, is a key ingredient in the food that sustains us, and provides a major
source of the energy to fuel our global economy.

• The carbon cycle describes the process in which carbon atoms continually travel from the atmosphere to the
Earth and then back into the atmosphere. Since our planet and its atmosphere form a closed environment, the
amount of carbon in this system does not change. Where the carbon is located — in the atmosphere or on Earth
— is constantly in flux

ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

• "Environmental Quality" is a set of properties and characteristics of the environment, either generalised or
local, as they impinge on human beings and other organisms. It is a measure of the condition of an
environment relative to the requirements of one or more species, any human need or purpose.
• Environmental quality includes the natural environment as well as the built environment, such as air, water
purity or pollution, noise and the potential effects which such characteristics may have on physical and mental
health.
DEFORESTATION

• Deforestation is the permanent removal of trees to make room for something besides forest. This can include clearing the land for agriculture or grazing,
or using the timber for fuel, construction or manufacturing.

• Forests cover more than 30% of the Earth's land surface, according to the World Wildlife Fund. These forested areas can provide food, medicine and fuel
for more than a billion people. Worldwide, forests provide 13.4 million people with jobs in the forest sector, and another 41 million people have jobs
related to forests.

• Forests are a resource, but they are also large, undeveloped swaths of land that can be converted for purposes such as agriculture and grazing. In North
America, about half the forests in the eastern part of the continent were cut down for timber and farming between the 1600s and late 1800s, according to
National Geographic.

CLIMATIC CHANGE

• Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in
weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented
impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.
OZONE DEPLETION AND IMPLICATIONS
• Ozone depletion, gradual thinning of Earth’s ozone layer in the upper atmosphere caused by the release of chemical compounds
containing gaseous chlorine or bromine from industry and other human activities. The thinning is most pronounced in the polar regions,
especially over Antarctica. Ozone depletion is a major environmental problem because it increases the amount of ultraviolet (UV)
radiation that reaches Earth’s surface, which increases the rate of skin cancer, eye cataracts, and genetic and immune system
damage. The Montreal Protocol, ratified in 1987, was the first of several comprehensive international agreements enacted to halt the
production and use of ozone-depleting chemicals. As a result of continued international cooperation on this issue, the ozone layer is
expected to recover over time.

SOLUTION:
• The depletion of the ozone layer is a serious issue and various programmes have been launched by the government of various
countries to prevent it. However, steps should be taken at the individual level as well to prevent the depletion of the ozone layer.
Following are some points that would help in preventing this problem at a global level:
• Natural methods should be implemented to get rid of pests and weeds instead of using chemicals. One can use eco-friendly chemicals
to remove the pests or remove the weeds manually.
• Minimise the Use of Vehicles
• The vehicles emit a large amount of greenhouse gases that lead to global warming as well as ozone depletion. Therefore, the use of
vehicles should be minimised as much as possible.
• Use Eco-friendly Cleaning Products
• Most of the cleaning products have chlorine and bromine releasing chemicals that find a way into the atmosphere and affect the ozone
layer. These should be substituted with natural products to protect the environment.
 Unit : 2

Introduction to Micro Environment

Micro Environment
● The microclimates of a region are defined by the moisture, temperature, and winds of the atmosphere near the ground,
the vegetation, soil, and the latitude, elevation,and season. Weather is also influenced by microclimatic conditions. Wet ground,
for example, promotes evaporation and increases atmospheric humidity.
● The initial fragmentation of rocks in the process of rock weathering and the subsequent soil formation are also part of the
prevailing microclimate.

Natural environment
● Natural environment means all living and non-living things occurring naturally, meaning not because of humans. The universe is
natural, but often the term "natural environment" only means nature on Earth.

Built environment
● In urban planning, architecture and civil engineering, the term built environment, or built world, refers to the human-made
environment that provides the setting for human activity, including homes, buildings, zoning, streets, sidewalks, open spaces,
transportation options, and more.[1] It is defined as "the human-made space in which people live, work and recreate on a
day-to-day basis.
Characteristics of living organisms
● All living organisms share several key characteristics or functions: order, sensitivity or response to the environment, reproduction, growth and
development, regulation, homeostasis, and energy processing. When viewed together, these characteristics serve to define life.

● Order

● A toad represents a highly organized structure consisting of cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems.Organisms are highly organized,
coordinated structures that consist of one or more cells.

● Sensitivity or Response to Stimuli :Organisms respond to diverse stimuli.

Growth and Development :

● Organisms grow and develop following specific instructions coded for by their genes.

Regulation :
● Even the smallest organisms are complex and require multiple regulatory mechanisms to coordinate internal functions, respond to stimuli, and
cope with environmental stresses.

Energy Processing :
● All organisms use a source of energy for their metabolic activities. Some organisms capture energy from the sun and convert it into chemical
energy in food (photosynthesis); others use chemical energy in molecules they take in as food (cellular respiration).
Solar radiation
● Sunlight is a portion of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun, in particular infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. On Earth, sunlight is
scattered and filtered through Earth's atmosphere, and is obvious as daylight when the Sun is above the horizon.
● When direct solar radiation is not blocked by clouds, it is experienced as sunshine, a combination of bright light and radiant heat. When blocked by
clouds or reflected off other objects, sunlight is diffused.

Heat flow
● Heat transfer is a discipline of thermal engineering that concerns the generation, use, conversion, and exchange of thermal
energy (heat) between physical systems.
● Heat transfer is classified into various mechanisms, such as thermal conduction, thermal convection, thermal radiation, and
transfer of energy by phase changes. Engineers also consider the transfer of mass of differing chemical species, either cold or
hot, to achieve heat transfer.
 Air movement
● Air flows horizontally at top of the troposphere; horizontal flow is called
advection. The air cools until it descends. Where it reaches the ground, it
creates a high pressure zone. Air flowing from areas of high pressure to low
pressure creates winds. Warm air can hold more moisture than cold air.

Land use
● Land use refers to the purpose the land serves, for example, recreation, wildlife habitat or
agriculture; it does not describe the surface cover on the ground. For example, a
recreational land use could occur in a forest, shrubland, grasslands or on manicured lawns.

Drainage and sanitation

● In urban areas, where there are large sections of the population that live in informal settlements or
in poor quality housing,.

● people do not have access to clean water and sanitationThe lack of the basic services results in
malnutrition and poor health, loss of life and livelihoods, and has devastating consequences on
public health and environment.