(Background) (Site Visits & Objectives) (Strategies & Results) (Conclusion) (References)

Conclusion

Figure 20: The main entrance to the Phoenix Central Library.

The Phoenix Central Library is an impressive building. It is evident that a lot of thought was invested in both the form making and the solar aspects of the design. The choice to use intricate mechanical computer controlled systems of solar control has its drawbacks. They require maintenance and if the system is down so is its effectiveness. Proven devices such as brise soleil can be as effective and less troublesome. In any design in a desert climate, the roof is a significant source of access for solar gain. Skylights should be designed in such a manner as to minimize this solar gain, while fulfilling their function as a source of daylight. The decision to use copper as a major cladding element was definitely made for aesthetic reasons, rather than for thermal performance. This decision has impacts on energy consumption due to the lack of separation between the conditioned spaces in the central box, and those in the "saddlebags". The independent zoning of these two major functions, as investigated in Strategy Three, showed the most significant results in the case study. The conditioning of secondary spaces such as restrooms, storage areas and others, could be provided by alternate sources such as evaporative cooling, especially in desert climates. Basically, even though internal sources of heat are the primary issues in internal load dominated buildings, envelope design is still critical in extreme climates. Also important is mechanical efficiency, which can include equipment which consumes less energy, whether it be gas chillers or evaporative coolers.

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Created: 03/19/96
Revised: 09/09/02

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