Hello. My name is Akihito Ozaki from Kyushu University, and I specialise in building environmental engineering.

My research has focused on the analysis of the combined transport of heat, moisture and air within buildings, as well as the development and application of numerical simulation methods for this purpose. In particular, I have conducted extensive studies—through both experimentation and analysis—into how the thermal and moisture behaviour of building structures affects indoor environments, energy performance and, indeed, durability.

Some of you may be familiar with ‘THERB’, the building thermal environment analysis software developed by our laboratory. Whilst this software is used in universities and research institutions, it did not feature a user interface for inputting data; instead, it primarily focused on outputting calculation results such as temperature, humidity, thermal loads and thermal comfort indices. Consequently, it presented a challenge for those without specialist knowledge to use.

We have therefore developed ‘ThermalOne’, a building environment analysis tool that integrates the ‘THERB’ core calculation engine and the ‘THERB Viewer’ visualisation software, utilising the 3D modelling software ‘Rhinoceros/Grasshopper’ as its user interface. This enables users to perform precise simulations with simple operations, making the tool accessible to a wider audience. We have also launched a dedicated ThermalOne website, making it available for anyone to download and use.

We hope that ThermalOne will be utilised not only in architectural design practice and research and development, but also in research and education at universities and other institutions. Anyone interested is welcome to register and use the software. We invite you to give it a try and hope it will be of some assistance in your design and research work.

In this column, we will gradually share information on a variety of topics, including tips on using ThermalOne, the underlying theory of combined heat, moisture and air transport, and our research to date.

We look forward to your continued support.