This thesis is an examination of the birth, growth, advancement and application of Bioclimatic Design ideas. It involves the study of the correlation between the evolution of the human ability in using energy in and around buildings (based upon people's response to the energies of the climate) and the development of this coherent approach to design which can be properly entitled 'Bioclimatic Design'.The original contributions in this thesis include:- The topic researched and the framework employed.- The formulation of a distinct explanation of the discipline of Bioclimatic Design, defined in terms of the unifying role of the concept of energy.- The establishment of the (matter, energy and information) framework, which allowed the conception of original sequences and interrelationships for this discipline.- This framework permitted an unconventional study of architecture and elicited the context for a particular investigation of the development of Bioclimatic Design.- The translation of ideas from various fields into Bioclimatic Design.- The extent given to the historical account of this discipline forms a distinct contribution to the knowledge of the subject and constitutes a new approach to it.- Throughout this thesis specific causal relationships were identified (between historical or environmental circumstances and the professional attributes of architects) which allowed some valid generalisations to be made.Central to this thesis is the argument that humans are energy-sensitive creatures (homo energeticus) and that energy constitutes one fundamental factor in the production, configuration, perception and use of buildings. The flow of energy in and out of buildings is continual and crucial to human survival and well-being. This thesis attempts to sketch out the meaning of a discipline that is concerned with energy in buildings, together with the values and changes that attach to it.Part of this study is concerned with the preparation of a framework for the understanding of the development and role of Bioclimatic Design in architecture. Fundamentally an achievement of the twentieth century, Bioclimatic Design is a relatively new systematised discipline in architecture; a method of investigation into people, buildings, and the surrounding environment. More especially, into the energy component of this relationshiphip.This thesis emphasises that architects need to explore the interdisciplinary basis of Bioclimatic Design, in order to be able to interpret the relationship between the adequate provision of the basic functions of buildings and the availability of resources. The proposed framework can be used as a distinctive tool to scrutinise these connections. This study explores the historical events and ideas which enabled Bioclimatic Design to be realised and systematised. The immediate prospect of this research is the existing experience and knowledge basis of the design, development and improvement of environmental control systems and techniques in architecture. The cumulative growth of information (in the form of science and technology) and the increasing availability of energy and material surpluses, it is argued, were the central causative agencies underlying the development of Bioclimatic Design during this last century. The characteristics with which descriptions and associations are sought between these factors is reflected in the structure of the thesis. However, emphasis is placed on the issue of energy and the architectural implications of its use and availability.