In this talk by Martina Pacifici, she explores the building physics processes governing the environmental performance of a traditional building and comparing them with a modern house. Our UK building stock include a vast variety of building typologies dating back to different ages. The energy performance of this man-made stock stands out for being one of the worst in Europe; therefore, there is great attention across UK industry for its renewal and adaptation to the climate emergency the Planet is living. To support these changes, designers, architects and engineers must work together to creatively upgrade their technical skills and enable affordable and effective retrofit interventions. Diverse buildings require different retrofit approaches. “When planning energy efficiency improvements, it is important to understand the way the house performs as an integrated environmental system”. Based on these premises, the lecture will explore the differences between a “traditional” and “modern” building system, focusing on the contraposition of the following building physics pairs: Leakage & Airtightness, Breathability & Vapour barrier, Capillarity & Damp-proof membrane, Thermal Mass & Insulation, Natural Ventilation & Mechanical ventilation, Fireplace & Heating systems.

 Martina Pacifici, PhD. Senior Associate, Sustainability Lead

 Martina is Sustainability Lead at ADAM Architecture, architectural practice leader in traditional architecture and urban design. Her aim is to lead the practice to deliver the most sustainable design, by improving the designed buildings’ energy performance and mitigate their carbon footprint. Martina is experienced in building and urban dynamic energy modelling, thermal comfort, data-driven environmental design and sustainability consultancy.

 Martina studied Architectural Engineering at “Sapienza” University of Rome and earned her Doctorate degree at “USP” University of São Paulo, Brazil, in Civil and Urban Construction Engineering. Her doctoral thesis was focussed on the study of the energy and environmental performance of the built environment, from the building to the urban scale. Her research addressed the study of the interdependencies between urban morphology, building energy performance and urban climate.

 Martina is BREEAM Advisory Professional and Passivhaus Design/Consultant certified. She is reviewer for science journals including Sustainable Cities and Society. 

To view the recoding of this talk, click here.