Sensivity analysis of a tradicional round hut in the tropical upland climate

The  traditional  round  hut  has  been  analysed  by simulating the sensitivity of its different components in order to establish their relative performance. This has been done using SERIRES, a thermal simulation package suitable for warm climates. The hut is simulated in  the climate of Zambia which has a tropical upland climate. The results show that the mud and pole wall is the most influential element of the house. The opening sizes have been found to be quite dominant too, hence the small openings of the hut are quite suitable. The thatch roof has been found to be unsuitable for the climate. Increasing the ventilation  rate in the hut produced the largest proportional increase in internal thermal discomfort.