• André Missenard, the French Engineer Who Measured Comfort Before the World Caught Up

    André Missenard, the French Engineer Who Measured Comfort Before the World Caught Up Abstract André Missenard (1901–1989) was a French engineer whose pioneering work on thermal comfort remains embedded in the very fabric of modern building standards. Decades before the international adoption of the PMV/PPD model and ASHRAE’s global reach,…

  • The Body Doesn’t Feel Temperature — Only Heat Loss

    Why André Missenard’s insight still matters for building design and energy efficiency When French engineer André Missenard remarked, “The human body can only register a change in heat loss, not a temperature”, he was not making a semantic distinction — he was challenging how we think about comfort, climate control,…

  • Revisiting the Philosophy of Energy

    What is energy, really? Not just kilowatt-hours, or thermal flows through walls—but conceptually? This question might seem abstract, even philosophical. And yet, in the work we do at BAARCH—an engineering consultancy rooted in building decarbonization—it has become increasingly important. We often design for energy efficiency without questioning the nature of…

  • When Buildings Don’t Behave

    There’s a longstanding assumption in engineering that well-designed systems, once deployed, will behave predictably. If the HVAC equipment is efficient, the BMS programmed correctly, and the lighting logic smartly automated, then performance will follow. We are trained to trust this process — to model, simulate, optimize, and refine until the…

  • Energy Efficiency Starts with People

    Every building tells two stories: one written by its systems, and the other by the people who tend them. Too often, we fixate on the first—on fancy controls, AI dashboards, and endless streams of data—while the second remains untold. At BAARCH, we believe true energy performance emerges from the intersection…

  • Hybrid Heating for Real Resilience

    As the pressure mounts to decarbonize buildings, the conversation around heating technologies has grown increasingly polarized. Electrification is often presented as the sole path forward, with heat pumps positioned as the universal solution. While heat pumps are an essential tool in the transition, relying on them exclusively, regardless of context,…

  • From Paper to People: The Turning Point in Building Energy Efficiency

    In the race to decarbonize buildings, we often overlook the most complex system of all: human behavior.This article explores why traditional engineering methods fall short—and how a human-centered approach can unlock deeper, lasting performance.It’s a shift in mindset, method, and impact—rooted in the realities of how buildings are actually used.…

  • Operation and Maintenance Best Practices

    Enhancing Facility Efficiency through Thoughtful Operations and Maintenance Improving energy efficiency in a facility does not always require large capital investments. Instead, a deliberate focus on operations and maintenance can lower energy consumption, reduce operating costs, and extend equipment life. In addition to creating a more comfortable environment, these practices…

  • The Critical Role of Energy Efficiency in Achieving Net-Zero in Existing Buildings

    Energy efficiency in existing buildings is crucial for achieving net-zero carbon emissions. With buildings contributing significantly to global energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in the European Union where over 75% of the building stock is energy inefficient, this sector offers an essential opportunity for sustainable impact. Achieving net-zero…