residential building

The model estimations aimed at identifying the most important parameters that determine air change rate along with predicting the indoor radon concentration to be expected in new Dutch dwellings under different ventilation conditions.Measurements were compared to the model estimations. To increase infiltration and thus to decrease radon concentation, opening the air inlets and inside doors proved to be efficient.

A field survey on thermal comfort in Algeria has never been previously attempted, and for this reason the present study was conducted. The present paper will present a field study of thermal comfort in Algeria. A thermal comfort survey has been held among 160 persons in 4 towns of Algeria representing three different climatic regions. The survey has been carried out in two different types of buildings: Domestic buildings and Office buildings. Subjective data were collected from 160 people by the use of questionnaires.

The Solar-Campus Juelich consists of two buildings, as part of the University of Applied Sciences, Aachen, and student dormitories for 136 students (5 row houses), see Figure 1. In a general agreement, the overall energy demand for space heating of all buildings was limited to 40 kWh/m 2 a, which is less than 50% of the existing German national regulation (Wrmeschutzverordnung 1995). Extra costs were provided through the AG Solar of the German state North-Rhine-Westfalia.

The quality of indoor environment in dwellings is provided by physical properties of building constructions and by operation of HVAC-systems. From the point of view of comfort, energy and economy as well as HVAC-system are designed and operated to maintain an acceptable indoor climate, i.e. an acceptable air quality and thermal environment play the key role in dwellings.

The construction of dwellings for people with low incomes in developing countries encompasses a broad range of issues starting from the choice of the building site, to the construction phase and finally to the evaluation of the building itself. For tropical climates, the thermal evaluation of low-cost dwellings should be primarily related to the optimization of internal comfort conditions. Usually low-cost housing projects are implemented throughout Brazil equally, with no concern to the climatic region where houses are to be built.

Swedish dwellings often have mechanical ventilation with an almost constant air flow independent of variations in loads. The performance of these ventilation systems is often not satisfying. The occupant habits have changed e.g. increased moisture load. Therefore a technical procurement for energy efficient demand controlled ventilation systems was initiated. First the building regulations were analysed, then the parameters relevant for indoor air quality in dwellings and the energy efficiency potential were determined.

Within an Italian Experimental Programme an interdisciplinary research for the retrofitting of some residential buildings in the surrounding of Florence has been carried out. The activity of the experimental research concerns the methodological and scientific support to the technical solutions for the restoration of two buildings.

Winner of First Prize in the 2 nd Commonwealth Inter-school Design Competition organised by theCommonwealth Association of Architects (CAA), 1991. The winning design was a pair of houses with wind towers. It was praised by the jury as an innovative and original solution to the brief recognising local conditions, elegantly and thoughtfully presented. The planning of the dwelling pleasantly reflected the local lifestyle with an interesting internal environment.

This technical note from AIVC aims to provide information on residential ventilation systems and how these can be applied to meet the conflicting needs for fresh air and minimised energy consumption.

The influence of inhabitants on indoor air quality (IAQ) was studied. The aim of the study was to find out how the inhabitants themselves and their living activities affect the IAQ. The concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ammonia (NH3) in indoor air was measured in inhabited and in empty dwellings. A air change rates were also defined. Altogether 24 dwellings were examined. The results were compared with the surface floor area of the dwellings, the number of inhabitants, the number of pets and the absence or presence of smoking.