Fahad Al Tamimi considers the key principles of green building.

Fahad Al Tamimi bases his work on sustainable building and is a strong believer in green philosophy and protecting the environment. Green building practices, as well the selection of the appropriate building materials, revolve around a few basic principles of science. Science is what sustainable building relies on and here are some of the key principles Fahad Al Tamimi Architecture believes anyone involved in the business should be considering:

Energy loses some of its potential each time it is converted from one form to another, which explains why passive solar heat is much more efficient than electric heat. Form follows function when it comes to design, meaning that construction should be tailored to the environment in which the house is built. Air leaks in the building envelope represent a significant loss of energy and open the door to moisture damage inside wall and ceiling cavities. Controlling the movement of heat, air, and moisture involves every part of the building and everyone on the building team. Careful planning and detailing at the start of a project will enrich and make the project much simpler. Builders spend just months building a home, but if it’s done well, the final product should last well into the future.

Fahad Al Tamimi suggests we should be looking for designs that use energy as close to the source as possible to minimise conversion losses. For example, we should be choosing passive solar heat over electrical resistance heating. We should also think about heat transmission in all its forms - convection, conduction, and radiation - in selecting building materials and building practices. Effective air barriers are important and you should make sure everyone on the build team understand their role in maintaining it through various stages of construction.