Research is the cornerstone of the program. Thus, each student admitted to the program is expected to take part in a research project. A major contribution to the student's education in this program comes from the experience gained carrying out research and design on the fundamentals of new technologies and their application to buildings. The research project will normally be on a subject under current investigation by an interdepartmental team of faculty and students or by an individual faculty member. This research is typically used by a student to fulfill the thesis requirement for the degree. The sponsored research gives the students exposure to both practitioners and other international scholars working with important issues in their field of interest. Many students serve as research assistants, receiving financial support to cover tuition and some living expenses.
Research projects range from experiments in specialized laboratories within the three departments to analysis, computer applications and design. Areas of current research include:
Building Ventilation and Diagnostics
System
Identification and Optimal Control for Mixed-Mode Cooling
Ventilation
Control Strategies
Electric Metering and Diagnostics
Simulation of HVAC System
Performance
Fault Detection in Rooftop Cooling Equipment by Power Signature Analysis (pdf)
Study of Natural Ventilation Design
by Integrating the Multi-zone Model with CFD Simulation (pdf)
Analysis of Strategies
for Improving Building Energy Efficiency in Norway (pdf)
Building Energy Studies
MIT Design Advisor: simulation tool to evaluate
the performance of advanced building facade systems
International
Studies
Energy Conservation in Office
Equipment and Lighting
Composite Materials for Building
Envelopes
Advanced Thermal Insulations
Thermal Insulation for Developing
Countries
Sustainable Building
Construction Methods for Latter-stage Slum Improvement
Center for Sustainable
Materials and Building Envelopes
Three-dimensional Fiber
Textile Composites for Use in Construction
Natural Fiber Reinforcement
of Large-Scale Composite Polymer Panels
Impact Resistant Composite
Exterior Wall Panels
Self-healing Fiber
Air/vapor Barrier
Smart Fiber
Structural Monitoring
Evaluation of Sustainable Options
Daylighting
General Research Perspectives
Daylighting Solutions for Commercial Buildings
Image-based Daylighting Design Tool
Sun Course Simulator: The HelioDrive Project
Assessment of Bidirectional Transmission(BTDF)
Structures
Historical Structures
Limit Analysis of Masonry Structures
Structural Form-Finding
Guastavino Vaulting
Seismic Assessment of Unreinforced Masonry
Material Flow Analysis of Concrete
Previous Research
Computer Graphics for Physical Performance
Indoor Air Quality, Building Ventilation, and Building Environment Modeling- A Particle Model for Large Eddy Simulation
Large Eddy Simulation of Airflow In and Around Buildings
Design Analysis for Single-sided Ventilation
A New Turbulence Model for Airflow Prediction in a Room
Building Material Emissions and Indoor Air Quality
Modeling Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Sorption on Building Materials
Modeling Contaminant Exposure and Indoor Air Quality in a Single-family House
Design Guidelines for Displacement Ventilation
Floor-supply Displacement Ventilation
Indoor Air Quality in Ice Rinks
Simplified Methods for Indoor Environment Modeling
Graphical Interface for Indoor Environment Design