Incorporating building science into the building design process has always been limited by the expertise and availability of talented consultants.  Much of what the industry defines as “green building” relates to designing for the region or climate in which the building is built.  We have recently come across a great tool that could enable the average to quickly integrate climate responsive design into the building design process: Climate Consultant 5.  Climate Consultant is a free tool that was developed by the UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design.

Psychrometric Chart

The beauty of Climate Consultant is that it covers all the main components that relate to climate responsive design but maintains an incredibly user-friendly interface.  Some of the analysis components include temperatures, humidity, wind velocity, sky cover, and solar radiation.