This paper is an introduction into the architectural tradition of India from a climatic point of view for the PALENC 2005 1st International Conference. Most architects who visit India notice the sensitivity of the traditional architecture to the varied climatic comfort requirements. The traditional architectural skill has always achieved an aesthetic out of the climate sensitive forms. This paper is outlines that approach.
Envelope design as a means of passive cooling is the integrated design of building form and materials as a total system to achieve optimum comfort and energy savings. This paper aims at highlighting the role of envelope design in determining the efficiency of passive cooling in the building. The paper consists of two major parts. First, the theoretical part, illustrates the main elements of design for passive cooling, and particularly the elements related to envelope design.
The main goal of this paper is to explore the design principles and the orientation of traditional buildings of the 19th century in the town of Florina, which is situated in north-western Greece. This analysis is based on a sample of forty traditional buildings. The orientation analysis deals with the design of the buildings in respect of shading, minimisation of the thermal loads and exploitation of the prevailing winds, during the summer period.
The main goal of this paper is to explore the summer thermal comfort conditions in traditional buildings of the 19th century in the town of Florina, which is situated in north-western Greece. This exploration is based on the analysis of the construction methods and the building materials, as well as on analysis using the Ecotect software.
The main design strategies when dealing with cooling are well known by now. The paper will not present options one by one, but will show how each one has been used as a starting point of design in recent projects.
An experimental campaign was organized inside and outside two urban street canyons during summer 2002 in Athens. The experiments consisted of air, as well as, of surface temperature measurements on building walls and on asphalt street together with wind velocity measurements at different heights in the centre of canyon, near opposite building facades and outside canyon. This study presents the analysis and the conclusions regarding the variation of air and surface temperatures and the observed wind speed characteristics inside the two studied canyons.
Hong Kong is the densest city in the world with an urban density of some 60,000 per square kilometer (Fig. 1). Very tall buildings closely packed together decrease the availability of the natural elements (sun and wind). The government is working to resolve the problem since 2000. This paper unfolds a story of some key events to seek for solutions. Design in the real life is as much science as it is politics. How to appropriate scientific quantities politically is perhaps more difficult than the experiments themselves.
Natural ventilation can be successfully applied for passive cooling in order to reduce cooling loads of buildings. Several parameters may have a significant impact on the performance of such a cooling technique, among others: climate, ventilation configuration, thermal mass, control parameters, etc. Within the frame of the PHACES project, a comparative analysis of control strategies in different configurations has been conducted, to underline and to quantify the relative impact of these various parameters. Some of these configurations have been experimentally tested.
Ventilation has a major impact on the global performance of buildings, in terms of energy consumption as well as regarding indoor climate: thermal comfort, indoor air quality, acoustics. The objective of the Cli'Nat project is to design, within a systemic approach, and to evaluate, by simulations and experiments, the performance of a ventilation and passive cooling system including a dedicated building envelope component and specific control strategies.
The present paper shows an example for an integrated design process combining the design work of the architect, the use of simulation tools and applied research on new combinations of materials, with the aim of the energetic optimization of an architectonical project. This integrated design approach is promoted and applied by CISol- Centre for Solar Research at the School of Architecture ETSAV as a method for a sustainable building design.
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