Abstract
Historic buildings are an important aspect of any city in their capacity to provide cultural reference points. Demonstrating capacity for better levels of energy efficiency and thermal comfort has become a critical challenge to such buildings’ survival. Wind driven natural ventilation in buildings is one way of reducing energy use by dependence on mechanical ventilation. This paper is a case study assessment of a nineteenth-century listed residential building located in the historic business district of the Mediterranean city of Alexandria (Egypt). From an architectural perspective, the European style courtyarded building offers good potential for healthy indoor air replacement, and the Mediterranean climate of the city provides enhanced possibilities for promoting indoor thermal comfort. Yet observation of the building today demonstrates that occupants rely heavily on mechanical ventilation (air conditioning) . It is clear that the building’s original layout has been modified. In this research, we use 3D RANS CFD simulation to investigate the potential for the original layout of the building to enable natural air flow patterns. Simulations are validated against air speed measurements in parts of the building. The results show a detailed natural ventilation deficiency performance in the case study building as modified today, and indicate potential for future improvement. This investigation can help in the understanding of conservation approaches that not only preserve the building’s cultural value but also reclaim its natural ventilation performance.
Highlights
IntroductionIn seeking to establish the significance of heritage buildings, regarding their architectural, cultural historical and aesthetic values it is necessary to fully understand the conventional or traditional technologies used for the operation of the building as it was intended to be used.The conservation process is considered as both an opportunity to protect heritage buildings, and to respond to global environmental concerns through a better reading of passive design principles.Current trends in research on the sustainable conservation of heritage buildings are often focused on the challenges and opportunities of thermally insulating heritage buildings (As they are considered leaky especially in cold climates) [1].It is, necessary to study how to target the environmental performance of such buildings in warmer climates.This research aims to present an assessment of wind driven natural ventilation performance in a typical 19th century building in Mediterranean city of Alexandria (Egypt)
This paper is a case study assessment of a nineteenth-century listed residential building located in the historic business district of the Mediterranean city of Alexandria (Egypt)
The selected case study building is a listed building that was designed for passive energy use, yet it is observed that its occupants currently rely on mechanical ventilation
Summary
In seeking to establish the significance of heritage buildings, regarding their architectural, cultural historical and aesthetic values it is necessary to fully understand the conventional or traditional technologies used for the operation of the building as it was intended to be used.The conservation process is considered as both an opportunity to protect heritage buildings, and to respond to global environmental concerns through a better reading of passive design principles.Current trends in research on the sustainable conservation of heritage buildings are often focused on the challenges and opportunities of thermally insulating heritage buildings (As they are considered leaky especially in cold climates) [1].It is, necessary to study how to target the environmental performance of such buildings in warmer climates.This research aims to present an assessment of wind driven natural ventilation performance in a typical 19th century building in Mediterranean city of Alexandria (Egypt). The conservation process is considered as both an opportunity to protect heritage buildings, and to respond to global environmental concerns through a better reading of passive design principles. Current trends in research on the sustainable conservation of heritage buildings are often focused on the challenges and opportunities of thermally insulating heritage buildings (As they are considered leaky especially in cold climates) [1].It is, necessary to study how to target the environmental performance of such buildings in warmer climates. This research aims to present an assessment of wind driven natural ventilation performance in a typical 19th century building in Mediterranean city of Alexandria (Egypt). The selected case study building is a listed building that was designed for passive energy use, yet it is observed that its occupants currently rely on mechanical ventilation (air conditioning). It is assumed that the energy consumption and thermal performance of a heritage building can be improved if it performs as it was originally designed
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