Climate & passive design
Study orientation, sun paths, seasonal temperatures and wind. Compare building form, window placement and shading before selecting technical systems.
Design output: orientation and shading options, with assumptions recorded.
Fakhraddin Verdiyev / Sustainability
Sustainability
When nature becomes
a design partner.
For me, sustainability begins with understanding a place and the people who will use it. Climate, light, wind, water and materials belong at the beginning of design.
My approach connects environmental knowledge with architecture, interior design and the practical responsibility of delivering a project.
Explore the approach ↓
01 / Design prioritiesLet the place inform
Let the place inform
the design.
Start with passive opportunities. Balance environmental performance with comfort, durability, budget and the character of the place.
Comfort & daylight
Design for the way people live, work, learn and rest. Balance daylight with glare control, privacy, thermal comfort and appropriate ventilation.
Design output: a room-by-room comfort brief and daylight review.
Water & landscape
Consider the building and its site together: rainfall, runoff routes, shade, planting and permeable surfaces. Assess infiltration against soil and groundwater conditions.
Design output: a coordinated landscape and water strategy.
Materials & useful life
Consider material quantities, repair, replacement and maintenance alongside appearance. Where comparable product data is available, examine whole-life carbon as well as operational energy.
Design output: a material comparison with evidence and service-life assumptions.
02 / Connected to the portfolioDifferent projects.
Different projects.
The same questions.
The projects below give context to the approach. Each highlights design questions to investigate; the photographs are not performance assessments.
Architecture / Residential
Contemporary homes
How can the relationship between glazing, terraces and landscape support daylight and usable outdoor space without excessive summer heat?
- Investigate
- Solar exposure, shading depth, glazing and natural ventilation potential.
- Verify with
- Local weather, orientation, occupancy and envelope specifications.
Project management / Education
ADA University
A campus makes comfort, intensive use and long-term maintenance part of the same conversation. Delivery must keep architectural intent and technical decisions connected.
- Investigate
- Envelope details, maintainability and coordination of building systems.
- Verify with
- Approved drawings, product information, inspection and handover records.
Interior design / Everyday comfort
Arzu Apartment
At room scale, sustainability becomes a question of everyday experience: usable daylight, comfortable layouts and finishes that can be maintained over time.
- Investigate
- Daylight distribution, lighting, material durability and indoor air quality.
- Verify with
- Room use, lighting specifications and product emissions documentation.
03 / From intention to deliveryMake each decision
Make each decision
traceable.
The depth of analysis is agreed for each project. The workflow connects a clear brief to options, coordinated information and evidence at handover.
Understand & set priorities
Collect the site survey, climate information, client brief and occupancy needs. Agree which comfort, resource and maintenance questions matter most.
Record → Sustainability briefCompare design options
Review massing, shading, envelope and materials against the same assumptions. Use daylight or energy analysis where it is part of the project scope.
Record → Options and assumptionsCoordinate & specify
Translate the selected strategy into drawings, model information and specifications. Review changes with the design team and keep decisions traceable.
Record → Coordinated design informationCheck & learn
Review installed products and details against the approved design. Where operational data is available, compare actual use with design expectations.
Record → Handover and feedback
04 / Learning & professional dialogueBuilt on knowledge.
Built on knowledge.
Developed through practice.
Professional learning and public discussion form part of my approach. These records connect the design philosophy to specific subjects and published work.
Professional development
MITx · Sustainable Building DesignHeat, daylight, energy and building-performance analysis.↗World Bank · Passive Urban Cooling SolutionsUrban heat, passive cooling and the conditions for implementation.↗Nature-based Solutions for Disaster and Climate ResilienceEcosystem-based approaches to climate and disaster risk.↗Singapore · Building Smart and Sustainable CitiesLearning across urban development, liveability and sustainability.↗Research & exchange
City and waterA stormwater management model for Baku.↗The roots of sustainabilityTraditional architecture, local materials and environmental knowledge.↗The benefits of living in a sustainable homeConnecting sustainable design with daily life.↗Sustainable Architecture CommissionChair of the commission at the Union of Architects of Azerbaijan since 2025.↗05 / Evidence behind the approachKnow the source.
Know the source.
Check the assumptions.
Site-specific evidence comes first. The references below support the method; the applicable local requirements and project brief determine the final criteria.
Climate & site information
Use a site survey, surrounding buildings, terrain and local meteorological information. For simulations, record the weather station, period and file version. A typical meteorological year supports comparison; it does not replace extreme-weather and future-climate checks.
Climate.OneBuilding · EPW / TMY weather data ↗Passive design & heat resilience
Reference passive solar principles when reviewing orientation, glazing and shading. At urban scale, consider the World Bank’s guidance on passive cooling and heat resilience, then test its relevance to the local climate and site.
US Department of Energy · Passive solar design ↗World Bank · Passive Urban Cooling Solutions ↗Materials & whole-life carbon
For a scoped carbon assessment, use quantities, environmental product declarations and explicit assumptions about transport, maintenance, replacement and end of life. The RICS whole-life carbon standard provides a reference for a consistent assessment boundary and reporting approach.
RICS · Whole life carbon assessment ↗BIM & reliable information
ISO 19650 provides principles for managing information through an asset’s life cycle. Clear information requirements, responsibility, revision status and agreed exchanges help keep environmental design decisions connected to the delivered building. It is an information-management framework, not an environmental rating.
ISO 19650-1 · Concepts and principles ↗What does your place need?
Bring the location, programme and priorities. The first step is to define a clear environmental brief for the project.
About & Contact ↗