Heat and Mass Transfer in Buildings - Practical Design Guidance

In this review the second edition of Heat and Mass Transfer in Buildings is assessed as a focused textbook for building services and construction students. It is best for HND and degree level learners and early-career engineers who need a practical, calculation-oriented grounding in the fundamentals of heat and mass transfer for low energy and sustainable building design. The single biggest reason to choose this edition is its expanded worked examples and new appendices that connect theory directly to contemporary building refurbishment and renewable systems.

Key Features

• Updated worked examples: Demonstrates step-by-step calculations that clarify how theoretical heat and mass transfer concepts apply to real building design problems.
• Focus on sustainable design: Explains how low energy consumption and sustainable characteristics influence the selection of materials and systems in refurbishment projects.
• New appendices: Presents concise overviews of renewable energy systems and sustainable building engineering to broaden practical context for design choices.
• Theoretical foundations: Covers fundamentals of conduction, convection and moisture transfer so students build a reliable base for more advanced study.
• Classroom and project use: Structured for HND and degree-level syllabuses, making it useful for coursework and design assignments.

Who It's For

This book targets HND and degree students of building services engineering, building engineering and built environment programmes who need a text that links core heat transfer principles to building design tasks. It also serves early-career engineers and technicians preparing calculations for new builds and refurbishment work.

Practitioners seeking exhaustive system design manuals or the latest software-driven simulation workflows should look elsewhere; this edition is strongest as a teaching text and practical primer rather than a comprehensive specification or solely software-oriented guide.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Practical worked examples make abstract concepts accessible for students and new engineers.
• New appendices on renewable and sustainable building engineering extend relevance to modern low-energy projects.
• Clear coverage of fundamentals ensures long-term usefulness as a reference during study and early practice.

Cons

• Not a substitute for detailed system specifications or advanced computational fluid dynamics resources.

Specifications

Our Verdict

Heat and Mass Transfer in Buildings (second edition) is a well-judged academic text that pairs core theory with practical worked examples and useful new appendices, making it good value for students and early-career engineers who need to apply heat and mass transfer concepts to sustainable building design. It is less suitable for readers seeking exhaustive system specifications or advanced simulation techniques.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this edition cover renewable energy topics?
Yes. Two new appendices summarize renewable energy systems and sustainable building engineering to place heat and mass transfer in a contemporary context.

Is the book suitable for professional designers?
It is most useful for students and early-career designers as a practical primer; experienced designers may need more detailed system specifications or advanced simulation texts.

Are there worked examples to follow?
Yes. This edition includes extended and updated worked examples that show step-by-step calculations for common building design problems.