Architecture of Solar Energy

a data centre that leverages the natural environment
link to master’s thesis, Carleton University

Renewable energy is part of a 21st century sustainability paradigm that responds to environmental degradation, forming western society’s existential concern for earth, frequently referred to as the green movement. New tools and technologies, both for building design and construction, have come to assist architects in the creation of buildings that produce their own energy and which consume less of it. Renewable energy production strategies are necessary in order to mitigate the issue of future energy security, as traditional sources of fuel become increasingly scarce. 

This project presents a proposal for a building that can produce power by incorporating a photovoltaic and thermal energy collection system as a programmed design component, offering an architectural solution to what is typically viewed as an engineering problem. From this perspective renewable energy systems can be integrated as both functional and aesthetic elements within buildings.