Book excerpt: The way we heat, cool and ventilate our buildings is central to many of today's concerns, including providing comfortable, healthy and productive environments, using energy and materials efficiently, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As we drive towards a zero-carbon society, design solutions that combine architecture, engineering and the needs of the individual are increasingly being sought. Thermal Design of Buildings aims to provide an understanding from which such solutions can be developed, placing technological developments within the context of a wider world view of the built environment and energy systems, and an historical perspective of how buildings have responded to climate and sustainable development.