ARE Live: PA Mock Exam - Sun, Wind, & Light

Review the following PA mock exam questions on sun, wind, & light, in preparation for the June ARE Live episode by 12:00PM Central Time on Tuesday, June 21, 2022.

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* 1. An architect is designing a new library and plans to use passive heating and cooling strategies throughout the design. During their site analysis, they located the sun path diagram for the area.

What is the approximate azimuth and altitude of the sun on the Summer Solstice at 11:00am? Please refer to the sun diagram image below.

Azimuth 77 degrees, Altitude 48 degrees

Azimuth 70 degrees, Attitude 80 degrees

Azimuth 65 degrees, Altitude 74 degrees

Azimuth 32 degrees, Altitude 28 degrees

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Question 1 - Sun Diagram

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* 2. On the same project, the architect is interested in understanding what time the sun sets at various times of the year, so that they can plan for exterior lighting.

What time does the sun set on the Autumn Equinox? Please refer to the sun diagram image below.

4:45 PM

5:30 PM

6:00 PM

7:00 PM

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Question 2 - Sun Diagram

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* 3. An architect is working on the master plan of a multi-family housing subdivision in the southwestern United States. The project will consist of nine blocks of 3-story townhomes, and the developer wishes to incorporate a mix of wide and narrow streets into the master plan.

Which of the following arrangements makes the most sense given the project’s hot-arid climate? Please refer to the image below.

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Question 3 - Arrangements

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* 4. An architect is designing a new 2-story kindergarten wing on an elementary school in the northeastern United States. The client wishes to include an outdoor playground in the program, and wants to be able to use the outdoor space as often as possible, even during the colder winter months. After studying the site’s microclimate, the architect has determined that the prevailing winter winds come from the north of the site.

How should the architect propose to arrange the building and playground?

Classrooms to the west with a south-sloping roof, playground directly to the east of the classrooms

Classrooms to the east with a west-sloping roof, playground directly to the west of the classrooms

Classrooms to the south with a flat roof, playground directly north of classrooms

Classrooms to the north with a north-sloping roof, playground directly south of classrooms

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* 5. An architect is designing a new ecology center in a rural, cold area in the northwestern United States. The site is 200 acres and is hilly. Which of the following is the most appropriate location for the proposed building?

At the bottom of a north-facing slope

Low on a south-facing slope

High on a west-facing slope

At the peak of one of the hills

ARE Live: PA Mock Exam - Sun, Wind, & Light

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Question 1 - Sun Diagram

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* 2. On the same project, the architect is interested in understanding what time the sun sets at various times of the year, so that they can plan for exterior lighting. What time does the sun set on the Autumn Equinox? Please refer to the sun diagram image below.

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Question 2 - Sun Diagram

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Question 3 - Arrangements

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* 5. An architect is designing a new ecology center in a rural, cold area in the northwestern United States. The site is 200 acres and is hilly. Which of the following is the most appropriate location for the proposed building?

* 2. On the same project, the architect is interested in understanding what time the sun sets at various times of the year, so that they can plan for exterior lighting.

What time does the sun set on the Autumn Equinox? Please refer to the sun diagram image below.