Essay 2
Your goal in this assignment is to demonstrate your understanding of concepts from the course and to
conduct independent research related to the essay questions. You will be assessed on your accuracy and clarity in describing course concepts in your own words; on the successful application of course concepts in responding to the essay questions, and on the quality of research demonstrated in your responses. Quality of research will be measured in terms of a) accurately identifying and applying readings and course materials relevant to the essay questions; and b) going beyond the course materials to identify relevant sources of information on the web, in books and in academic journals. Please note that you will be graded on the quality of your sources (see ‘marking criteria’ below).
There are five essay questions; please provide a response to three of the questions.
Each response must contain the following elements:
- 1) A clear indication of which question you are responding to
- 2) Citations of relevant assigned readings and course material
- 3) Citations identified by you through a process of web and library research
- 4) List of references
The minimum length for each response is 450 words and the maximum length is 650 words (not including
references). Images are strongly encouraged and should contribute to the argument.
Question 1:
The essay question from Essay 1 asked you to choose a building or building type and explain why it can be
called ‘climate balanced’.
Choose one feature from the building or building type you selected from essay 1, and describe in detail how this feature addresses the challenges of the climate in which your building or building type is located. This
question is an opportunity to investigate in greater depth a building feature that you mentioned but did not
have the opportunity to explore thoroughly in essay 1.
Question 2:
On the first day of class, you were asked write a short response to the following question: “If you could
introduce any (single) government policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and tackle climate change,
what would you do?”.
Please respond to this question by providing a detailed description in your own words of your chosen policy, and by providing an argument for the benefits of this choice.
Question 3:
Describe two ways in which climate change can be expected to impact human comfort in the coming decades in regions with a tropical climate (Af in the Koppen climate classification). Please reference the
ASHRAE Standard 55 definition of comfort in your description.
Describe two strategies that can be used by designers of cities to respond to these challenges while
reducing the energy required to maintain thermal comfort throughout the year.
Question 4:
(a) (b)
Describe the challenges to comfort presented throughout the year by the climate shown in the
psychrometric chart (a) and monthly diurnal averages chart (b) above.
Describe two passive design strategies that can be used by designers of buildings to respond to these challenges while reducing the energy required to maintain thermal comfort throughout the year, and explain why these strategies are suitable in the climate shown. You may wish to use the psychrometric chart to
illustrate how the chosen strategies produce comfort in this climate.
Question 5:
Describe two passive design strategies that can be used to reduce the energy consumption of a
residential building in Winnipeg. This may include a combination of landscape elements (for example vegetation and landforms), building elements, and building materials.
Include a description of the challenges to comfort in Winnipeg’s climate.
Notes:
All responses should be submitted as a single PDF, with a separate list of references for each question
response.
You will need to back up all claims with evidence. Course readings, course lectures and other bibliographic materials that you identify may be cited as evidence. It is essential to provide a citation for each statement of fact in your responses. Citations must be provided in a consistent citation style (Chicago style is recommended).
Your responses to each question should follow essay format with an introduction, body and conclusion. The
The introductory paragraph should indicate which question you are responding to and provide an introduction to your response. The body should contain one paragraph for each element of the question (for example in question 5 you can dedicate one paragraph to describing each design strategy). The conclusion should provide a summary of your response.
Due date:
This assignment is due on Wed November 27 by 5pm. Please submit on UMLearn as a PDF.
Marking criteria:
Quality of Research:
Information presented is accurate:
An effort has been made to assure that all information is scientifically accurate.
An argument supported by evidence:
The argument is supported by evidence from readings and course materials (Climate Consultant,
lectures, case studies, and other relevant materials).
Quality of references:
Books and peer-reviewed journal articles are always preferable to non-peer-reviewed
sources. The basic expectation is that you will reference assigned readings. Extra credit for referencing unassigned books and articles in addition.
Responds to the question:
The essay constructs an argument in response to the question:
Attention to Detail:
Sources clearly cited:
Sources are cited using a consistent citation style; the reference list is complete; the source is
provided for all images.
Verbal and visual communication (spelling, grammar, use of images):
Please avoid any errors in spelling or grammar. Use images to enhance your argument.