In order to achieve societal goals with regard to a sustainable development of our environment, it is clear that strategies for achieving energy efficiency and sustainability in the built environment are {or at least should be} at the top of every architect’s agenda, when designing a building. One might think that that the inclusion of these aspects would inevitably lead to a radically new architectural language. This is however as of yet not the case. Fragments of a new architectural language, which derives from aspects related to energy efficiency and sustainability have however emerged within the last 10 years with elements such as atria, winter gardens, double skin facades, PV modules integrated into building skins, visible ventilation chimneys, light shelves etc. Before turning to a discussion of the relationship between form and energy in architecture, perhaps one needs first to clarify the meaning of the word “form” and its various usages in architectural discourse. The term “form” is used on the one hand, to describe the appearance of a building in general and the architectural elements and means of expression used to determine this. In this article the term form language will be used, when referring to form in this sense. When the form of a building in terms of its physical shape is referred to, the term form will be used. Is there a relationship between the energy efficiency of a building and its architectural form language? To which strategies do energy efficient buildings owe their energy efficiency? Which of these strategies are architecturally expressed and which remain unseen in architectural terms?
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