Architecture of Solar Energy: Appropriating Photovoltaic Technology for the Design of Sustainable Buildings

Renewable energy is part of a 21st century sustainability paradigm that responds to environmental degradation, forming western society’s existential concern for earth- often referred to as the ‘green’ movement. New tools and technologies, both for building design and construction, have come to assist architects in the creation of buildings that produce their own energy and which consume less of it. Renewable energy production strategies are necessary in order to mitigate the issue of future energy security, as traditional sources of fuel become increasingly scarce. This thesis presents a proposal for a building that can produce power by incorporating a photovoltaic and thermal energy collection system as a programmed design component, offering an architectural solution to what is traditionally viewed as an engineering problem. From this perspective renewable energy systems can be integrated as both functional and aesthetic elements within buildings.