While the energy use of the built environment is well publicized, it can be difficult to visualize—and therefore understand. The Buildings=Energy exhibit at the AIA New York's Center for Architecture aims to make the intangible efficiency of a building more concrete. The highlight of the exhibit is the story of a fictional but prototypical energy-efficient office building, designed by Perkins+Will in collaboration with Arup and Atelier Ten, which shows how policies and design decisions—from utilizing an unconventional site to optimizing daylight by building on a narrow floor plate—can lower a building’s energy use. In the exhibit’s Energy Lab, visitors can see how energy concepts such as peak load, heat flows, and R-value can be demonstrated visually on dashboards, in numerical models, and through infrared snapshots. In an age where access to seemingly limitless power is as simple as flipping a switch or twisting a thermostat knob, such tangible cues may become a vital way to understand energy usage for building occupants and professionals alike. Through Jan. 21, 2012. • cfa.aiany.org
