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Brian Ford

Chair in Bioclimatic Architecture, Faculty of Engineering

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Biography

Brian Ford is an architect and environmental design consultant who has over 25 years experience in architectural practice and consultancy. He has specialised in the field of environmental design. His experience in the design of naturally ventilated and passively cooled buildings in different parts of the world includes acting as consultant for the Sydney Olympic Stadium, Australia; Pittsburgh Convention Center, USA; Torrent Research Laboratories, India; the Malta Stock Exchange, Duxford 'AirSpace' Museum, UK, as well as theatres, offices and University buildings. In partnership with Professor Alan Short, he won awards for the design of the Queens Building for De Montfort University, Leicester, UK, and for the Simmonds Farsons Cisk Brewery Process building in Malta.

Appointed Professor of Bio-climatic Architecture at the University of Nottingham in 2003, he completed a four year term as Head of the School of the Built Environment in 2008. He is currently Head of the Research Division in Architecture and Urbanism. Brian's own research experience has concentrated on natural ventilation and passive cooling (including six international collaborative research projects). He has recently completed an EC funded R&D project on Passive & Hybrid Downdraught Cooling, which resulted in the book 'The Architecture & Engineering of Downdraught Cooling', published in June 2010.

External activities include membership of Sub-Panel 16 (Architecture, Planning and the Built Environment), for the UK Research Excellence Framework 2014; Membership of the RIBA Research & Innovation Committee 2011 - ; Membership of the UK Government Zero Carbon Task Force for Schools 2008 -2010; Membership of the Editorial Board for Architecture Research Quarterly 2004 - ; and Board membership of the International PLEA Conference Organisation 2004 -.

Expertise Summary

.Brian Ford has experience as a general practice architect, but has specialised in environmental design in architecture, and has expertise in the thermal performance of buildings, daylighting and solar control, natural ventilation and passive cooling. He also has experience in the design and testing of prototype building components and mechanisms

Selected Publications

  • BRIAN FORD, ROSA SCHIANO-PHAN & ELIZABETH FRANCIS, 2010. ‘The Architecture & Engineering of Downdraught Cooling: a Design Sourcebook’. PHDC Press.
  • FORD B; GILLOTT M; WILSON R; IBRAHEEM O; SALMERON,JM; ALVAREZ,S., 2012. ‘Passive Downdraught Evaporative Cooling: performance in a prototype house’. Building Science & Information Journal. (In Press.)
  • FORD B; GILLOTT M; WILSON R; IBRAHEEM O; SALMERON,JM; ALVAREZ,S., 2012. ‘Passive Downdraught Evaporative Cooling: performance in a prototype house’. Building Science & Information Journal. (In Press.)
  • J.M. SALMERÓN, S. ÁLVAREZ, J. SÁNCHEZ, B.FORD, M.GILLOTT., 2012. ‘Analysis of a PHDC (Passive & Hybrid Downdraft Cooling) Experimental Facility in Seville, and applicability to the Madrid Climate’ International Journal of Ventilation. 10(4), 391-404
  • HUANG XUAN AND BRIAN FORD, 2012. Climatic Applicability of Downdraught Cooling in China’ Architectural Science Review. (In Press.)
  • OMAR IBRAHEEM AND BRIAN FORD, 2012. The Application of Passive Downdraught Evaporative Cooling to High-rise Office Buildings in Cairo Architectural Science Review. (In Press.)
  • MAHESH IYER AND BRIAN FORD, 2012. Passive Downdraught Cooling for Schools in India:: A Study on Iira International School in Baroda, Gujarat, India Architectural Science Review. (In Press.)
  • RAHA ERNEST AND BRIAN FORD, 2012. The Role of Multiple Courtyards in the Promotion of Convective Cooling’ Architectural Science Review. (In Press.)
  • LIU PEI-CHUN, BRIAN FORD AND DAVID ETHERIDGE, 2012. Modelling of naturally ventilated tall office buildings in a hot and humid climate’ International Journal of Ventilation. (In Press.)
  • DUAN ZONGCHENG, BENSON LAU AND BRIAN FORD, 2012. Environmentally responsive site planning and building design: A Case Study: Xidi Village in South-East China Architectural Science Review. (In Press.)
  • CHEN Y; BESSER JELVES D AND FORD B., 2011. What is the Relationship between Design Excellence and Building Performance? In: Conference on Passive and Low Energy Architecture, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. 157 – 162
  • HUANG XUAN AND BRIAN FORD, 2011. The Application of Passive Downdraught Evaporative Cooling in Hot & Dry Climate of China In: Conference on Passive and Low Energy Architecture, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. 745-750
  • MOHANTY, PO AND FORD, B, 2011. Performance of Downdraught evaporative cooling system in hot and dry climate In: Conference on Passive and Low Energy Architecture, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. 495-500
  • BRIAN FORD, ROSA SCHIANO-PHAN & ELIZABETH FRANCIS, 2010. ‘The Architecture & Engineering of Downdraught Cooling: a Design Sourcebook’. PHDC Press.
  • DUAN ZONGCHENG, BRIAN FORD AND BENSON LAU, 2010. Low Energy Buildings – the Environmental Tradition in Chinese Vernacular Dwellings In: Proc. SET Conference Shanghai, China August 2010..
  • DAVID ETHERIDGE AND BRIAN FORD, 2008. Natural Ventilation of tall buildings – options and limitations In: 8th CTBUH World Congress, Dubai, 3-5th March, 2008.
  • FORD, B. and FREEBAIRN-SMITH & CRANE, 2006. Environmental design of Ridge Lytton Springs Winery, Healdsburgh, Sonoma, California, USA. Consultant for thermal performance, passive cooling and natural ventilation
  • FORD, B., 2006. The Well-Tempered Environment: - Architecture & Engineering in a world of climate change In: NUTAU 2006 - Innovative & Sustainable Technologies. Invited keynote lecture at the bi-annual NUTAU Conference, University of Sao Paolo, Brazil. 10th-14th October 2006.
  • FORD, B.H., 2005. Ventilation components and system integration. In: CHARTERED INSTITUTION OF BUILDING SERVICES ENGINEERS, ed., Natural ventilation in non-domestic buildings London: Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers. 20-36
  • BRIAN FORD ASSOCIATES WITH RAPHAEL VINOLY ARCHITECTS, 2003. Natural Ventilation of Pittsburgh Convention Center, (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA). Consultant for strategy and design development of mixed-mode ventilation with engineers Burt Kosar Rittleman http://www.gbapgh.org/Education%20Resources/DLLCC_SymposiumProceedings%20_Full.pdf
  • FORD,B.H. and DIAZ,C., 2003. Passive Downdraught Cooling; hybrid cooling in the Malta Stock Exchange In: PLEA 2003 The 20th Conference on Passive & Low Energy Architecture.
  • BRIAN FORD WITH ARCHITECTURE PROJECT, 2002. Malta Stock Exchange. Design of ventilation and passive cooling of atrium space http://www.managenergy.net/products/R142.htm )
  • FORD,B.H. and CAIRNS,K., 2002. Market Assessment of passive downdraught evaporative cooling in non-domestic buildings in Southern Europe In: Proc. 3rd European Conference on Energy Performance & Indoor Climate in Buildings (EPIC).
  • FORD, B.H., 2001. Passive downdraught evaporative cooling: principles and practice arq: Architectural Research Quarterly. 5(3), 271-280

Faculty of Engineering

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telephone: +44 (0) 115 951 4163
email:engineering@nottingham.ac.uk