Kakegawa City Hall, completed in March 1996, contains a sixstorey high glass-walled atrium integrated into the open-plan main office areas via stepped terraces. To save energy while still providing a comfortable indoor environment, the type of HVAC system adopted required careful consideration. Frost prevention fans normally used for tea plantations were installed on the terraces to blow warm air downwards during the heating season. Transferring air from the ventilation windows in the office spaces to those in the upper parts of the atrium also achieved effective natural ventilation.
This Update presents guidelines for controlling the transmission of impact sound through concrete-slab and wood-joist floor systems in multi-family dwellings. It is based primarily on industry-supported research conducted by IRC.
A park influences its surroundings. Temperature inside and around the park varies in a special way. Air quality also varies. And the park creates its own wind system.
Island and coastal areas in northern and western regions of Scotland are characterised by comparatively high levels of wind and rain - a combination that increases the wind-chill cooling of buildings and leads to higher energy consumption. This paper describes a low-energy housing demonstration project in the Orkney Islands, an island group located off the north coast of mainland Scotland. The background to the project is discussed, in particular, why there was a need for a more appropriate design, the features incorporated, and the main findings of the research
The central purpose of this paper is to develop and test a case for compulsory pressurization testing for new dwellings. The authors have argued elsewhere in favour of such a policy. The paper reviews the available information on airtightness in the UK housing stock, the impact of airtightness on ventilation and fabric heat losses, the information that is available on the costs of making houses airtight and the logistics of pressurisation testing.
The paper presents a ventilation comfort chart that has been developed under Thailand climate and using Thai volunteers. 183 male and 105 female college-age subjects were exposed to different thermal conditions in order to investigate the effect of air velocity on thermal comfort in ventilated "non-conditioned" spaces. To this end commercial electric fans were used to control the air velocity near the subjects. The air velocity varied between 0.2 and 3 m/s. Room conditions varied between 26°C and 36°C (D.B.T.) and 50-80% relative humidity.
A programme of work involving the measurement of ventilation rates, air velocities and temperatures has been completed within a naturally ventilated auditorium in the Queens Building, De Montfort University. Measurements have been recorded for 'winter', 'mid-season' and 'summer' conditions, and average occupancy levels.
Fuel-burning appliances require air for combustion. When the appliances are located in enclosed spaces, provision must be made for supplying the required amounts of air. Depending on the specifics of the appliances and the enclosure, additional air may be required for draft hood dilution and space conditioning. An enclosed space can be a mechanical room in a building, a furnace room in a residence or the entire floor of a building if a separate enclosure is not used to isolate the combustion appliance(s).