Designing K-12 classrooms with proper daylighting is imperative to the educational enrichment of children. Out of all design parameters in the classroom, including temperature, acoustics, and air quality, daylight has consistently shown to have the highest impact on overall student progress. Daylight supports focus, the stability of the circadian cycle, and overall mental health. While daylight alone is a great element that supports biophilic design within classrooms, it can also be utilized in creative ways to introduce other natural phenomena that exist in nature, such as fractals. Despite the growing interest in incorporating fractal patterns in architectural spaces, few studies have explored their impacts on daylight performance in spaces.

This study evaluates the performance of fractal patterned screens on students' visual comfort and daylight performance in a typical K-12 school classroom. The goal is to demonstrate the impacts of daylight fractal patterns on students’ visual comfort and to add to the body of knowledge related to biophilia in architecture and its performative benefits. The simulation model used in this study was determined based on average K-12 classroom sizes in the U.S. A total of 3 varying perforated solar screens were modeled along with a standard glazed opening as a base case for comparison.

The results of this study suggest that fractal patterned screens offered the best performance for daylight exposure in classrooms. Fractal patterns applied to solar screens have been proven to be a practical solution for providing good quality of daylight. It also created a more enriching educational experience as the patterns of light create appealing biophilic characteristics. This study suggests that the perforation geometry of a solar-screen matters when aiming for specific daylighting performance. The performance examined from the fractal patterned screen in this study encourages the use of daylight and fractals as biophilic design elements within classrooms.

This paper examines how hemp-based materials could offer a alternative to conventional components in Virginia residential construction, exploring a potential shift to construction norms that adopt biomaterials and scalable fabrication methods. To understand the feasibility of combined hemp-based alternatives, the paper conducts a comparative case study of 3 different wall section designs that are constructed using commercially available products. The first is a conventional vinyl siding wall assembly made using standard materials, the second substituted standard materials with direct hemp-based alternatives such as hemp-batt insulation and hemp-based lumber, and the third used hemp-based products that were not direct replicas of conventional products such as hempcrete. The models are compared based on presence of VOC emissions, embodied carbon, fabrication requirements, material sourcing, and material cost. Materials are sourced by collaborating with industry leaders and American companies manufacturing hemp-based products. The paper uses Virginia as a case study, as it is in a mixed climate zone. Findings from this region can be scaled across the country. Additionally, Virginia’s temperate climate and established agriculture industry make it an ideal region for cultivating hemp. Given the legalization of industrial hemp growth with the 2018 farm bill, identifying local opportunities for industrial hemp usage is economically relevant. The comparative study found that hemp-based wall assemblies are more expensive than traditional wall sections and are more challenging to source and fabricate. On the other hand, the hemp-based wall assemblies have lower embodied carbon and VOC emissions that contribute to better indoor air quality. The findings suggest that having more sources for locally grown hemp-hurd, as well as more manufacturers for hemp-based products, could reduce costs and embodied carbon as well as increase availability for hemp-based products. This paper provides the foundation for future investment and research efforts to establish increased availability of hemp based building materials.

This paper traces connections between theoretical and practical frameworks of ecological architecture. In the 1990s, the understanding of ecological architecture as rooted in bioclimatic and vernacular responses to place and culture began to fold into conceptions of "green" and sustainable design. A global exchange of ideas led to the introduction of green building standards such as those developed by the Building Research Establishment in the UK and the United States Green Building Council. In 2000, the Architectural League of New York’s Ten Shades of Green exhibition curated by London-based architect and journalist Peter Buchanan highlighted the growing breadth of ecological architectural thinking. The exhibit presented a holistic view of ecological architecture including not only technological efficiencies related to energy, water, and materials but also the social, cultural, psychological, and economic dimensions of environmentally responsible design.

Twenty-five years on, this paper examines the architectural history of ecological architecture. It posits that the Ten Shades of Green represents a pivotal milestone in cross-Atlantic and global architectural discourse. It establishes the plurality of ecological architecture and examines the shared themes and divergences across environmental discourses. Noting key strands that have emerged since the 2000s, it draws inspiration from Charles Jencks’ taxonomical thinking on the evolution of architecture and situates Jencks and Buchanan within the broader eco-logics outlined by Guy and Farmer (2001). A comparative study links Buchanan’s framework to the global proliferation of green building rating systems and awarding organizations. Grounding this discussion in post-2000 building examples, including work by women architects, community-led initiatives, and projects in non-Western contexts, the paper uses a comparative lens and inductive reasoning to highlight emerging societal values shaping ecological practice. Revitalizing the Ten Shades of Green today offers a relevant philosophical guide to practice in an era of continued social and environmental crisis.