Our overall intention was to analyze the environmental comfort (thermal, natural lighting, ventilation and sound levels) performance of self-constructed houses in Apucarana, in Santo André city, situated in the metropolitan area of São Paulo. Typical examples of housing were selected and evaluation of comfort and energy use undertaken. The analysis have been based on the Post Occupancy Evaluation methods and computer simulations using Arquitrop 3.0 software. Based on this study, potential solutions according to the available materials and technology were proposed to the community to achieve a satisfactory level of indoor climate comfort. Conference Topic: 3.2 Modelling and Simulation.
Environmental comfort in self-constructed houses
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An evolutionary model for sustainable design
This paper presents a new Generative Design System to be used by architects in early to intermediate stages of design, to help improving the environmental performance of buildings. Both thermal and lighting analysis are included in the system, together with methods to incorporate architectural design intentions into the generative process. The Generative System was applied to a building by Alvaro Siza in Oporto (Portugal), to test its capability to handle complex architectural designs and to generate solutions within given language restrictions, while still reducing energy consumption levels of the building. Variables studied were fenestration design, shading systems and building shape (roof geometry). The advantages of using Rapid Prototyping technologies coupled with this Generative System are discussed, and an example of the application of a FDM (Fuse Deposition Modeling) 3D Modeler to this specific study is presented.
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Morphological parameters for urban dispersion models
A method to calculate geometrical input parameters for urban dispersion models is presented. Two cases are considered according to the relative size of the pollutant plume compared to the building size. Applying image processing techniques to urban Digital Elevation Models (DEMs, 3-D urgan databases), simple geometrical parameters over extensive urgan areas are calculated. Some preliminary results are shown for a case study in central London. It is envisaged that the technique will be developed to support urban designers and planners to assess the performance of different urban developments in terms of pollutant dispersion.
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Speculative offices in Milton Keynes: Reconciling environmental design with commercial viability
Speculative offices form a large part of the UK property market. This paper presents a design that attempts to reconcile the demands of environmental design and commercial viability. The cost plan and intended programme are standard and the design fulfils all the conventional commercial criteria of an experienced speculative property developer. The concentration has been on achieving a convincing background of permanent elements (form, orientation, envelope, etc.) allowing an additive and adaptable approach to more transient elements (services, space-planning, etc.). Environmental moderation is handled tectonically and used to articulate the buildings and external spaces.
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The Berlaymont Building: The European Commission headquarters designed to be a model of environmentally conscious building
Steven Beckers and Pierre Lallemand conceived the refurbishment of the European Headquarters in the centre of Brussels. With a low-energy design, sensitive in its choice of materials, the building uses environmentally friendly strategies and meets all modern comfort and environmental standards.
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Passive downdraught cooling: Architectural integration in Seville
Passive Downdraught Cooling is a technique which will potentially become a substitute for conventional air-conditioning in Southern Europe and the hot dry regions of the world. As well as providing substantial energy savings, the technique avoids the need for ductwork, fans and suspended ceilings, and reduces the need for refrigerant based cooling. However, this approach has architectural implications which extend the vocabulary of “passive design”.
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The application of Passive Downdraught Evaporative Cooling (PDEC) to non-domestic buildings : Office building prototype desing in Catania Italy
This paper describes the Architectural Design Studies undertaken by Mario Cucinella Architects as part of a three year JOULE research project into the application of Passive Downdraught Evaporative Cooling (PDEC) in non-domestic buildings. The objective of the research was to develop a viable passive alternative to air-conditioning through architectural design, experimentation and performance assessment. MCA’s architectural research investigations involved 1) designing and constructing a full-scale experimental building to explore passive ways of capturing and conducting air through a tower into test cells and 2) designing a new office building in Catania Italy to develop the application of PDEC and undertake building performance assessment. Experimental work included wind tunnel tests, computer simulations and daylighting tests. The result of the design work is a new energy efficient building typology that is both a successful application of the evaporative cooling system and a direct architectural response to scientific problem.
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Vegetation in the urban environment : Microclimatic analysis and benefits
This paper describes part of the work being carried out by CRES, in the frame of the EU-funded JOULE project “PRECis : assessing the Potential for Renewable Energy in Cities”. The main aim is to develop simplified parameters that describe the microclimate and environmenal performance of different urban textures. One of the roles of CRES within the team is to describe simplified parameters for the use of vegetation in the urban context, which can eventually be used irrespective of site-specific characteristics for different climatic contexts and urban textures. Of particular interest is the effect of vegetation on microclimate : thermal effects, as well as the effect of vegetation on solar and daylight access. These affect the microclimate of the existing open spaces as well as the energy use of the surrounding buildings for heating, cooling and lighting, through shading, evapotranspiration, etc. Simple parametric studies are examined, to identify the thermal impact of vegetation in the urban environment, at the scale of the urban block, particularly as far as the reduction of air temperature is concerned.
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Comfort in urban spaces : Defining the boundaries of outdoor thermal comfort for the tropical urban environments
With rapid urbanisation, often without climate responsive guidelines, cities in the Tropics are progressively falling short of sustaining outdoor life. In order to re-establish and sustain life outdoors, it is important that we try to make urban spaces comfortable as far as the ambient climate permits. In order to ascertain conditions of comfort for outdoor spaces, we need to define comfort for outdoors. This paper presents findings on outdoor comfort based on field investigations conducted in Dhaka, a city in the wet-Tropics. Findings from a survey conducted on a large number of randomly selected people from urban spaces are presented. The findings include factors affecting comfort outdoors for Dhaka and a comfort regime based on environmental parameters for urban outdoors is presented. Interestingly, comfortable ambient climate leads to comfortable indoor environment, particularly with regard to free running buildings. With regard to mechanically controlled indoor environments, a comfortable outdoor produces lesser stain on energy environment relationship. By defining conditions of comfort for outdoor environments, an important step towards achieving sustainability of our urban environments can be made.
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Modelling thermal adaptation and thermal preferences in outdoor urban environments
Whilst research into indoor thermal comfort is well advances, the impact of outdoor thermal conditions has received less attention. The thermal conditions encountered in outdoor urban space are a major determinant of the patterns of usage of the space and are created in part by the surrounding buildings. This paper describes a research project which is attempting to develop indices of outdoor thermal comfort which can be used in the evaluation of the impact of new urban development upon the quality of the environment in urban spaces.
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