Building design must accommodate ventilation systems suitable to the issues of air quality. This may involve strategies which show concern for dangerous outdoor air conditions as well as efficient indoor air exchange. Natural ventilation patterns must be considered at every scale from the urban to the domestic as an alternative to artificial climate control. The health effects from indoor air quality problems must be considered during the design process. Fire is the most dramatic symbol of the human ability to harness natural energy.
Energy is required to achieve comfort and convenience and to transform materials to useful effect.
Designers are encouraged to instill their designs with the ability to operate based on on-site renewable energy sources, insofar as is possible, without reliance on fossil fuels or remote electrical generation. It is possible, given technologies and materials available today, to create buildings which maintain comfort levels passively without fossil fuels. This should be considered a minimum condition of energy design. The design should be aware of its interaction with renewable natural energy flows. Solar energy should be evaluated in terms of its efficiency and its enjoyment by inhabitants and visitors throughout the annual cycle.