Bioclimatic Building Design Research Articles

A systematic approach for assessing buildings with natural materials in the Mediterranean climate

Natural building materials, including bioaggregates and biocomposites, have been making a comeback in recent years, in an attempt to minimize the Embodied and Operational Energy and Carbon (EE, OE, EC, OC) related to construction. This paper presents monitoring results of three buildings (two residential and one educational) built with such materials in the Mediterranean climate of western Crete. Temperature and relative humidity monitoring results show a very stable indoor environment behavior even when the buildings were unoccupied, thus not appropriately operated. Additional measurements undertaken and presented here include CO2 concentration in the occupied residential building with a combustion heater; and blow-door tests to better understand infiltration issues related with such construction. Results analysis shows that such materials are appropriate alternatives, definitely in bioclimatic building design for the specific climate. Indoor conditions analyzed vis-à-vis the adaptive thermal comfort model are shown to be within the thermal comfort zone, almost for all climatic conditions.

Socio-Economic Barriers to Adopting Energy-Saving Bioclimatic Strategies in a Mediterranean Sustainable Real Estate Setting: A Quantitative Analysis of Resident Perspectives

In response to escalating environmental challenges, this research underscores the pivotal role of sustainable construction practices, particularly focusing on bioclimatic design as a foundational element within the realm of sustainable architecture and environmental upgrading of buildings, within the broader context of sustainable urban planning. The study delves into the perspectives of residents in Cyprus concerning bioclimatic building design. Employing a quantitative methodology, the investigation aims to comprehensively assess homeowner views on the benefits, motivations, concerns, and preferred techniques associated with bioclimatic design. By comprehending these perspectives and contextual factors, this study identifies obstacles hindering broader implementation and illuminates why adoption remains limited, despite the potential for substantial energy and emissions reductions. The research also examines the background of respondents, such as heating/cooling systems, energy expenses, and upgrade preferences, to provide essential context for the findings. A structured questionnaire was administered to a stratified sample of 150 pedestrians in the Pafos area, ensuring a representative cross-section of the local population. This method allowed for a robust examination of demographic influences on opinions and an in-depth analysis of the impact of residential characteristics. The findings reveal a substantial influence of cost considerations in shaping decisions related to residential property development and the renovation of existing structures, contributing to the limitation of widespread adoption across the island. This influence persists even as a majority of respondents express a readiness to undertake building energy upgrades, among which, the most popular actions include the installation of specialized glass, the replacement of traditional air conditioning units with inverters, and the adoption of energy-efficient lighting. The research culminates in the proposal that introducing financial incentives has the potential to enhance homeowner participation in bioclimatic and energy upgrades. This recommendation is particularly salient in the climatic context of Cyprus, where the implementation of solar control measures emerges as a promising avenue for bolstering energy efficiency. In considering the socio-economic dimensions implicit in these findings, it becomes evident that the interplay between financial considerations and sustainable construction practices is a critical aspect. The identified barriers underscore the necessity for nuanced strategies and policy frameworks that address the socio-economic dimensions of bioclimatic design adoption. In this context, the study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by shedding light on the intricate relationship between financial factors and sustainable architectural practices, offering implications for future research endeavors and potential avenues for policy interventions.

Bioclimatic Design Strategy in Hot Summer and Cold Winter Region of China

Abstract: The building of ecological harmony with the environment is not only concern in the field of architecture, when we do architectural design, we must respect nature promote the process of natural humanization, and obtain good natural, economic, and ecological comprehensive benefits. The bioclimatic design method can provide the basic direction for the development of building technology. To a certain extent, it is helpful for Chinese architects to objectively analyze the environment of a particular area in the light of their own economic and technological level, the purpose of this study is to provide architects with a macro concept of climate and to summarize practical, experienced and technical methods for the bioclimatic design of buildings and urban spaces. Analyzing domestic and foreign research trends, we can see that the following problems exist in the development of bioclimatic design theory in China.

Passive Design Strategies in Focus: Implications of Climate Change on New Buildings and Renovations

Abstract Climate change is happening, and there is a general consensus that measures to drastically reduce emissions must be taken. Nevertheless, its implications on new buildings and renovations are not fully understood yet. Bioclimatic building design is based on the knowledge of passive design strategies potential for a location. However, traditionally used passive strategies may no longer be the correct design approach in the future. A methodological contribution for the assessment of the influence of climate change on passive building strategies in temperate climates is presented. Based on the top priority Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scenarios of the 6th assessment report (AR6) the shared socio-economic pathways (SSP) and their equivalences with the prior representative concentration pathways (RCP), the effects of climate change on different cooling and heating strategies are examined for a continental temperate-cold desert climate with significant daily and annual variation. The results are integrated directly into a selected case study with the intention of exemplifying a concrete application. The findings of this study showed that the shading season is expanding even toward the transitional months, such as April and October. Future climate-adapted buildings in temperate climatic zones will have to confront overheating. Moreover, in the particular studied case, present and future total energy requirements seem similar and variations are perceived as low between scenarios. The main discussion focuses on the type of energy required that will turn from natural gas (net to primary energy conversion factor = 1.25) to electricity (net to primary energy conversion factor = 3.30).

Development of Bioclimatic Passive Designs for Office Building in Burkina Faso

This article focuses on adopting effective and affordable bioclimatic building design strategies in Ouagadougou, in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Burkina Faso. A model representing a standard office building and relevant parameters were input in EnergyPlus, and scenarios were analyzed to evaluate the effect of natural ventilation, window shading, dehumidification with night ventilation, and evaporative cooling with night ventilation on thermal comfort and energy consumption. First, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 55 adaptive comfort model was used to compare discomfort hours and interior temperatures between a conventional office design and improved models using passive approaches. The simulations further tested the reduction in energy cooling demand and energy consumption. The results demonstrated that natural ventilation was the most effective passive cooling technique, helping to reduce the annual discomfort hours by 40% and the annual energy consumption by 30%. Combining passive strategies is the best scenario, with a year of office occupancy resulting in just 617 h of discomfort, a 42% reduction in the annual energy cooling demand, and a 43% reduction in the annual energy consumption. The simulations demonstrated the effectiveness of affordable passive design solutions applicable even in existing office buildings and their significance for the sustainable development of fast-urbanizing Sub-Saharan countries.

Thermal and spectral impact of building integrated Mirrored Light Pipe to human circadian rhythms and thermal environment

ABSTRACT Light holds an important place in the way of life of humans. The first type of lighting which could be exploited was daylight. Tubular Daylight Guidance Systems (TDGS) transport and distribute this daylight inside a building. This article focuses on one of the best known: the Mirrored Light Pipe. MLPs are multiple specular reflectance transporters. This paper presents (i) state of the art on thermal and spectral studies on light pipes from 1998 to 2021 and (ii) proposes an experimental analysis on MLP in the climatic environment with a high solar resource for different spectral bands of the daylight spectrum. The results show that the thermal impact of the light pipe is limited. Moreover, it is demonstrated that this device promotes natural circadian rhythms. A comparison with artificial lighting highlights this device as an ideal solution for bioclimatic building design. HIGHLIGHTS A short review on experimental and numerical thermal results on Mirrored Light Pipe (MLP) New experimental observations for the thermal aspect of MLP in high solar potential climate Evaluation of the MLP efficiency on human circadian rhythms.

Exploring Climate-Change Impacts on Energy Efficiency and Overheating Vulnerability of Bioclimatic Residential Buildings under Central European Climate

Climate change is expected to expose the locked-in overheating risk concerning bioclimatic buildings adapted to a specific past climate state. The study aims to find energy-efficient building designs which are most resilient to overheating and increased cooling energy demands that will result from ongoing climate change. Therefore, a comprehensive parametric study of various passive building design measures was implemented, simulating the energy use of each combination for a temperate climate of Ljubljana, Slovenia. The approach to overheating vulnerability assessment was devised and applied using the increase in cooling energy demand as a performance indicator. The results showed that a B1 heating energy efficiency class according to the Slovenian Energy Performance Certificate classification was the highest attainable using the selected passive design parameters, while the energy demand for heating is projected to decrease over time. In contrast, the energy use for cooling is in general projected to increase. Furthermore, it was found that, in building models with higher heating energy use, low overheating vulnerability is easier to achieve. However, in models with high heating energy efficiency, very high overheating vulnerability is not expected. Accordingly, buildings should be designed for current heating energy efficiency and low vulnerability to future overheating. The paper shows a novel approach to bioclimatic building design with global warming adaptation integrated into the design process. It delivers recommendations for the energy-efficient, robust bioclimatic design of residential buildings in the Central European context, which are intended to guide designers and policymakers towards a resilient and sustainable built environment.

Framing Bioclimatic Building Design Guidelines for Hot and Dry Climate: Case of Jaipur City

Framing Bioclimatic Building Design Guidelines for Hot and Dry Climate: Case of Jaipur City

Incorporation of Phase Change Materials in Lightweight Aggregate Concrete

An investigation on some methods for the incorporation of phase change materials (PCMs) into concrete and their effect on its properties is presented. PCMs are characterized by high latent fusion heat, which can increase thermal mass of concrete and contribute to the bioclimatic design of buildings. Concrete compositions with different aggregates (limestone, lightweight or their combination), as well as with different PCMs (paraffinic and dodecyl alcohol) were prepared by different incorporation methods (impregnation to lightweight aggregates or immersion of concrete specimens). Properties of fresh and hardened concrete were studied, as well as hydration heat, thermal response and flammability. The results revealed that the selected PCMs do not significantly affect the properties of concrete. Regarding hydration heat, the presence of the PCM in concrete contributes to a decrease of the temperature peak during hydration which also occurs delayed. Thermal response measurements showed that concrete with purely pumice aggregates has a much better thermal behavior than the other two compositions, while the existence of PCM causes large or small increase of concretes heat capacity, in temperature near to each PCM’s melting point. Finally, appropriate application of PCMs is needed in order to moderate the reported effect on concrete’s fire resistance

Bioclimatic building design theory and application

Ecological thinking is the recognition of the dialectic unity between natural and man-made environment, the respect to what exists around us, and the concomitant “openness” toward others.Here, I present examples from my own work to describe a number of passive bioclimatic approaches focused on the above principles. First, the use of the wind as an expressive element in building design, including the enhancement of air flow in the interior space, the moderation of wind and sand accumulation, the moderation of the sound carried by prevailing winds, and the conversion of the wind into a means of protection against its own force. Second, the use of adaptive building envelopes and shading systems to achieve control of natural light, ventilation and temperature of the inner space through their own transformability, surface openings and materials, including planting as a building material; in a sense, treating buildings as living organisms. Three of these examples have been included in the H2020-MSCA-RISE OptArch project, in which I am scientifically responsible for the work package WP5 entitled “Improvement of bioclimatic design through optimization of performance”.

Bioclimatic building design theory and application

Bioclimatic building design theory and application

Bioclimatic building design considering urban microclimate

The urban context is often simplified or neglected in building energy models (BEM) due to their incapacity to consider accurately all heat fluxes provided from the environment. Simplifying too much the urban context can have consequences on the accuracy of the BEM predictions. Many approaches exist to consider the impact of the urban environment on a building’s dynamic behaviour, its heating demand as well as the thermal comfort in summer. Taking into account BEM capabilities and the way consulting agencies work, a method is tested to consider the urban microclimate at the bioclimatic design stage of a building project.

Bioclimatic potential of European locations: GIS supported study of proposed passive building design strategies

According to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification, Europe is under the influence of at least ten different climate types. Thus, various climates can be found, from the polar tundra and cold climate in the Alps and northern European regions, to hot-arid climate in southern parts of Spain. This level of climate diversity makes the European territory interesting for the analysis from the bioclimatic building design perspective. Therefore, the purpose of the research was to assess the bioclimatic potential of selected European locations. The calculation of bioclimatic potential was done by acquiring the typical meteorological year (TMY) data comprised of climate characteristics, such as air temperature, air relative humidity and received solar irradiance, which was later processed by BcChart tool. In order to make bioclimatic potential maps of Europe, the points with uniform point sampling were generated. Furthermore, several additional locations of great interest were selected based on population density. The bioclimatic potential was used to define the prevailing passive building design strategies and measures at the analysed locations. At the same time, the in-depth analysis was conducted using the geospatial data and GIS tools, where the bioclimatic potential results at the selected locations were additionally analysed in relation to Köppen-Geiger climate types. The resulting bioclimatic potential maps can be used as a relevant onset for the policy makers in order to improve regional development strategies for building design.

Action research and architectural sustainable design education: a case study in Brazil

Research to improve aspects of architectural design education produced a collection of research-supported best practices and these lessons need integration into the studio environment. Design instructors must innovate, but in ways that allow previous result analysis. Action Research (AR) is seen as a valuable asset for providing an opportunity for systematic documentation and reflection of tested variables. This paper presents an AR-enriched architectural design studio teaching experience delivered to third year Architecture and Urban Design students and devised to support individual design process development of students, framed by bioclimatic and sustainable design of school buildings. A 5-year AR project sought to identify (1) the points where undergraduate architecture students “got stuck” during design development; (2) why they had difficulties to fully understand and integrate sustainability concepts into their proposals; and (3) which contents and approaches could help them to overcome design blocks and produce sustainability responsive quality designs. Our research involved 150 students while taking the studio between 2013 and 2018. As a design process takes time to be consolidated and assimilated, positive response was clearer in relation to students’ interest, behavior and demonstration of understanding of the body of knowledge. Significantly improved student design outcomes were not yet confirmed. However, our findings validate AR to improve a design studio setting through accumulated learning by instructors and detailed documentation and systematic analysis of the effects of a collection of approaches, tools and protocols could be applied to independent analysis to increase the quality of architectural design with sustainability in mind.

Impact of climate change on energy use and bioclimatic design of residential buildings in the 21st century in Argentina

Climate change will have great impacts on building’ energy consumption and design of future buildings should consider this situation. The aims of this research are to evaluate the impact of climate change on the energy performance of residential buildings and to analyze if bioclimatic strategies that are appropriate for present climatic conditions should be applied in the design of future buildings. A compact conventional housing that represents an Argentinean typical mid-income house was simulated with EnergyPlus software and calibrated with measured data. Energy consumption and bioclimatic strategies were analyzed for future data under A2 scenario. The change of annual energy use between the baseline period (1961–1990) and 2080 is predicted to range from − 25% to 8% for conventional housing buildings. The energy destined to air heating and cooling will be 23%–59% lower and 360–790% higher, respectively, in 2080 than in the baseline period (1961–1990). These values correspond to decreases between 6.0 and 7.6 kWh/m2-decade (heating) and increases between 1.7 and 8.4 kWh/m2-decade (cooling). Recommendations on future building design and building retrofit are done. Sunshading together a with reduction of direct solar gains and natural ventilation were found to be the most effective design strategies to counteract climate changes in future buildings.

A framework for building overhang design using Building Information Modeling and Life Cycle Assessment

The development of computational tools and the ability to simulate a large amount of data in relation to a variety of climatic conditions has helped to make informed decisions about alternative solutions for bioclimatic building design. At the same time, the combination of advanced design models and tools such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and environmental assessment methodologies such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) offer the opportunity for undertaking holistic technical, economic and environmental approaches for the environmental design of buildings. This study aspires to deliver a comprehensive model for the optimal computational design of building overhangs through the use of an integrated building information model. The analysis is implemented for different normalized shading projection geometries, different orientations and different climatic data, using well- established BIM and LCA tools. The energy intensity indicators of the alternative overhang designs, as well as their energy depreciation time are presented. The findings of this work are expected to provide well-documented guidance on the design of overhangs for bioclimatic buildings, as well as be used as benchmark for analysis in a corresponding combinational logic (BIM and LCA) in constructing bioclimatic elements.

A new design of passive air condition integrated with solar chimney for hot arid region of Egypt

Housing in Egypt consumes high energy for cooling. Bioclimatic building design is one of the strategies of sustainable development. This study aims to investigate the thermal performance and indoor air quality of solar chimney with passive cooling wind tower (SCPCW) on occupant’s comfort. Thermal performance of a full-scale SCPCW was experimentally investigated. The passive cooling design is integrated on the ceiling of 30 m2 test house. Monitoring of indoor environment was carried out over a period of 2 months in the summer season (August, September and early October) with a 2-min interval in order to calculate thermal comfort sensation, Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) and Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied. The results show that outlet air temperature from the wind tower is 27.3 °C. Also, the calculated PMV is within the recommended range (− 0.5 < PMV < + 0.5). This indicates that occupants remain satisfied with indoor thermal environment after using the passive cooling system and the temperature difference between outdoor and indoor is approximately 8 °C. The system achieves the acceptable air flow rate with average 450 ppm for CO2 concentration during daytime. The results of this research provide information of the system applicability in the climate of Assiut during daytime in order to develop and install on top of real residential buildings in New Assiut, Egypt.

Implications of present and upcoming changes in bioclimatic potential for energy performance of residential buildings

Bioclimatic potential analysis is one of the starting points for bioclimatic building design. However, as climate changes are being brought into the spotlight, bioclimatic potential is being put into question as well, because traditionally used passive strategies at a specific location may no longer represent properly balanced approach. Therefore, the purpose of this paper was to systematically evaluate bioclimatic potential of the selected five locations. At these locations, bioclimatic potential was observed separately for each of the last five decades. In the second part, present and future energy performance of one bioclimatic and one non-bioclimatic real residential building was simulated. The results show that yearly balance between heating and cooling passive strategies changed through time in all the locations. For example, the use of overheating prevention strategies is becoming more significant than it used to be in the past. Specifically, the period of year when shading is needed to achieve thermal comfort increased by 2–7% points, depending on location. Energy performance analysis of the selected buildings showed that by 2050 both analysed buildings will become cooling dominated and that by 2050 the current design solutions in bioclimatic buildings will become irrelevant or at least extremely inefficient. In general, in temperate climate zone the prevailing bioclimatic strategies integrated in architecture focus on heating season. Therefore, bioclimatic strategies in a particular location must be re-evaluated in order to design new and retrofit existing energy efficient contemporary buildings with comfortable indoor thermal conditions.

Bioclimatic Design Approach in Dayak Traditional Longhouse

The bioclimatic building design is essential for a building to adapt to local climates and to provide comfort for the inhabitants while encouraging energy saver features. Comfort inside the house can be achieved with less dependence on artificial lighting and mechanical ventilation, and the application of eco-friendly materials. Wood and bamboo are examples of eco-friendly materials which are excellent in absorbing heat and allowing natural ventilation thus giving comfort to the occupants. These materials are widely used in the construction of Dayak traditional longhouses in Sarawak, Malaysia. Therefore, a study has been conducted to assess the presence of bioclimatic building design approach in the Dayak traditional longhouse. In the study, observation and photo analysis were carried out at selected traditional longhouses in Sarawak. This study found that traditional longhouses practice bioclimatic building design. The traditional longhouse with its passive design for lighting and ventilation and materials contribute to its natural adaptation to the hot and humid weather conditions in the tropical climate. The findings are expected to generate ideas for bioclimatic building design for other modern houses in a tropical climate. In conclusion, the Dayak traditional longhouse in Sarawak, Malaysia is a good example of bioclimatic building design of the past.

Occupant Comfort and Indoor Temperature Reduction by Using Passive Air Conditioning System with Solar Chimney Concept in Hot Arid Climate

Housing in Egypt consumes high energy for cooling. Bioclimatic building design is one of the strategies of sustainable development. The aim of the present research is to investigate the thermal performance of solar chimney with passive cooling wind tower (SCPC) on occupant’s comfort. The passive cooling design is integrated on the ceiling of 30 m2 test house. Monitoring of indoor environment was carried out over a period of two months in the summer season (September and early October) with a 2 minute interval in order to calculate thermal comfort sensation, Predicted mean vote (PMV) and PPD. The results show that outlet air temperature from the wind tower is 27.3°C. The calculated predicted mean vote (PMV) is within the recommended range (-0.5<PMV<+0.5). This indicates that occupants remain satisfied with indoor thermal environment after using the passive cooling system and the difference is nearly 8 K between outdoor and indoor. The results of this research provide information of the system applicability in the climate of Assiut during day time in order to develop and install on top of real residential buildings in New Assiut, Egypt.