Sustainability strategies focused on thermal comfort and embodied energy of emerging housing in the Andean Region of Ecuador

Abstract

Faced with the constant natural disasters in the Andean regions of Ecuador, several housing solutions have been proposed. However, these do not consider the user’s thermal comfort or the environmental impact they generate. This research addresses this issue from a bioclimatic perspective through an emerging housing model in an Andean climate, oriented to ensuring thermal comfort and reducing the environmental impact of the construction. The analysis focuses on indoor temperature and the Total Embodied Energy (EET) of the housing model. The methodology is divided into the definition of the model and strategies, on one hand, and, on the other, the analysis of these parameters through simulations and calculations. In addition, a comparative analysis with other studies is carried out. The strategies defined were solar gain, thermal mass, compactness, local-recycled materials, and modulation. The results show that the proposed model passively reaches comfort temperatures, and that the EET (2135.38 MJ/m2) is lower than that of other social housing.