brian healy

The massing, material, and coloring of Brian Healy Architect’s Chicago Design Competition for Mixed-Income Housing provides a protective thermal buffer for its residents. This thermal buffer, made of concrete and masonry, tempers daily temperature fluctuations by retaining solar heat gain within its walls during the winter. These same thick walls stay cool in the heat of the summer, as their mass slows the rate of heat transfer from outside in. The complex’s exterior courtyard also benefits from this buffer. It is sheltered and private, making a temperate landscape pleasant for all residents. Green roofs on the perimeter buildings aid in the control and management of rainwater; they also assist in the dissipation of excess heat absorbed by the building mass throughout the day. The individual units have been designed to enable residents to control their own individual climates, with minimal environmental impact. The units have few interior walls and many operable windows, provide all residents with the ability to determine both how the spaces are configured, and how they adapt to a changing climate. The diversity of opening sizes that perforate the planes, along with many operable windows, allow the residents to control their environment by directing the wind and sun into, and out of, their units. These techniques enhance the opportunities for passive heating, cooling, and lighting, and allow for effective cross ventilation and controllable solar penetration. The height of the units also enhances the potential for buoyancy-driven airflow–another method for moving air naturally throughout the space.