Energy & comfort
Orientation, shade and the building envelope considered together with ventilation and thermal comfort.
Sustainability / My approach
Designed for place.
Tested for life.
I see sustainability as part of architectural quality: responding to climate, using resources thoughtfully and creating places that are comfortable to inhabit.
My approach connects design intuition with evidence — from the first brief to the way a building performs in use.
How I connect design and evidence ↓
What I look for
in every project.
The starting point is the site, its climate and the people who will use it. These priorities become questions that the design team can test.
Daylight & wellbeing
Useful natural light, views and glare control that support the everyday experience of a space.
Materials & carbon
Material quantities, durability and life-cycle impacts assessed alongside architectural character.
Water & landscape
Rainfall, permeable surfaces and planting considered as connected parts of the site.
Three systems.
One coordinated process.
RIBA gives the work its structure. LEED translates sustainability ambitions into criteria. BIM provides coordinated information for analysis.
RIBA
Agree responsibilities, deliverables and review points at each project stage.
LEED
For projects pursuing certification, select requirements, targets and the evidence needed.
BIM
Coordinate geometry, properties and quantities so specialists can test the same design options.
Shared briefModel & analyseReview & improveStage decision
Architecture, structure, building services and sustainability specialists review the evidence together and repeat the analysis when the design changes.
Standards at each decision point
- Set the brief. Use RIBA stages to agree responsibilities and reviews; identify the applicable LEED version, pathway and targets.
- Prepare reliable inputs. Use ISO 19650 for managed information exchanges and ISO 7817-1 to define the geometry, attributes and documents each assessment needs.
- Test the options. Apply the relevant ASHRAE methods for energy, ventilation and comfort, and IES methods for daylight. Use life-cycle and hydrological assessments for carbon and water.
- Verify and decide. Review calculations and supporting records, specify applicable ASTM enclosure tests, resolve gaps and approve or revise the design at the planned RIBA review.
Reference standards and editions depend on the selected assessment and LEED pathway. A model or internal stage approval does not by itself establish certification.
↗ Better-informed design choices↗ Earlier coordination of conflicts↗ Traceable evidence for delivery
From principles
to project questions.
Examples of how the approach can be applied. The questions below describe an assessment method; they do not claim verified project performance.
MARDAKAN ESTATE / ENVELOPE & COMFORT
How much shade is enough?
Compare glazing and shading options using solar exposure, daylight and thermal analysis. Review the balance between light, views and cooling demand.
View project ↗LANKARAN ESTATE / SITE & WATER
How can the landscape manage rainfall?
Use site areas and levels with local rainfall and soil data to compare paving, planting and retention options before selecting a solution.
View project ↗Built on knowledge.
Supported by evidence.
Professional learning and published research inform the approach. Technical requirements are checked against the pathway selected for each project.
Professional development
MITx · Sustainable Building Design
Heat, daylight, energy and building-performance analysis.
Singapore · Smart and Sustainable Cities
Urban development, liveability and sustainability.
World Bank · Passive Urban Cooling
Explore certificates ↗Urban heat and context-sensitive cooling strategies.
Research & public dialogue
City and water
A stormwater management concept for Baku.
Living in a sustainable home
Connecting environmental design with everyday comfort.
Sustainable urban structure
Read publications ↗Research on growth, land use and green spaces.
Technical basis: energy, daylight, comfort and materials
Depending on the selected project pathway: ASHRAE methods for energy and thermal comfort, IES methods for daylight, life-cycle assessment and environmental product declarations for materials, and local hydrological data for rainwater analysis. Required editions and applicability must be checked for each assessment.
Information quality: what BIM must provide
ISO 19650 supports information management. Analysis requires appropriate geometry, material and system properties, documented assumptions, current revisions and a clear record of who checked the inputs. More geometric detail does not automatically mean better evidence.
Methodology and certification boundaries
This is a proposed integration of RIBA, LEED and BIM, not an official crosswalk. BIM provides inputs rather than proof of compliance. Stage approval and independent certification are separate processes; actual performance must be measured.
Technical basis
ROOTED IN STANDARDS.
DRIVEN BY EVIDENCE.
Official references behind the methodology. Verify the applicable LEED edition, addenda and compliance path for every project.
01 / STAGE FRAMEWORKRIBA Plan of Work 2020 ↗Chapter 7 · Sustainability Strategy · stages 0–7
02 / LEED REQUIREMENTSUSGBC LEED v5 BD+C ↗Official rating-system releases and project guidance
03 / CREDIT REFERENCESLEED v5 BD+C — Feb 2026 PDF ↗Reference examples: EA, EQ, MR, commissioning
04 / ENERGY + VENTILATIONASHRAE Standards ↗90.1 · 62.1 · 55 · 52.2 · 202
05 / DAYLIGHT METRICSIES Lighting Standards ↗LM-83-23 · sDA and ASE simulation methodology
06 / ENCLOSURE TESTINGASTM International ↗E2947 · E1105 · E779 · E783
07 / BIM INFORMATION PROCESSISO 19650-1:2018 ↗Information management concepts and principles
08 / INFORMATION FITNESSISO 7817-1:2024 ↗Level of information need · geometry, data, documents
METHODOLOGY NOTE Proposed, not an official crosswalk. Standards are applied only where referenced by the selected LEED path. Confirm registration version, addenda, local law and independent GBCI review.