Wind-driven Ventilation Research Articles

CFD simulation of indoor-outdoor wind-driven ventilation and traffic pollutant dispersion at a T-shaped street intersection (ISHVAC 2023)

Traffic exhaust is considered a predominant pollutant source for buildings along streets. However, there are few studies on ventilation and pollution dispersion inside buildings and along streets in a T-shaped intersection. This study investigates the ventilation performance and pollutant dispersion inside and outside multi-unit buildings at T-shaped intersections in different wind directions. Different wind-driven ventilation modes have been compared, i.e. SS2 (single-sided ventilation with 2 openings) and CV (cross ventilation). The results show that multi-unit buildings have the potential to enhance SS2 ventilation performance. The diffusion of outdoor pollutants into indoor environments is more closely related to wind direction for SS2 than CV. However, at certain wind directions (θ = 135°), a significant increase in indoor pollutant concentrations is observed in CV, nearly tenfold higher than that in SS2 cases. The findings could contribute to the understanding of ventilation in multi-unit buildings at T-shaped street intersections.

Generic geometrical parametric study of wind-driven natural ventilation to improve indoor air quality and air exchange in offices

Indoor air quality significantly enhances employee productivity and well-being in offices. Existing models and guidelines emphasize wind-driven natural ventilation for air exchange and thermal comfort but often overlook detailed airflow patterns. Understanding airflow dynamics is crucial for designing healthy offices, and offering insights into air exchange processes. This information is particularly valuable in mitigating the impact of CO2 and droplet release from multiple occupants, contributing to the creation of healthier office environments. This study, thus, employs a validated CFD model to investigate the impact of geometrical parameters on wind-driven ventilation in offices. With about 150 cases representing alterations in parameters for single-sided (SV) and double-sided (DV) ventilation, a sensitivity analysis identifies key contributors to airflow patterns. Eventually, while five major categories for the airflow patterns can be identified in the DV cases (i.e., (1) without a weak zone (WZ), (2) with a dominant WZ, (3) with a WZ on bottom side, (4) with a WZ on upper side, and (5) with two WZs on upper and bottom sides), a generic airflow pattern can be barely seen in the SV cases. Moreover, in the DV cases, velocity magnitude is crucial for classification of the outputs. The leeward window geometry influences DV natural ventilation more than the windward window. Furthermore, the room dimensions impact ACH more than SF6 concentration and velocity. In the SV cases, location of the infected occupant dominates air changes per hour (ACH), and theta significantly impacts average velocity in contrast to the DV scenarios.

Simulation of a Building with Hourly and Daily Varying Ventilation Flow: An Application of the Simulink S-Function

This paper presents an application of the Simulink stvmgain S-function for the thermal modelling of a building zone based on the resistance–capacitance scheme of EN ISO 13790. That model in the form of the state-space matrix with time-varying elements was used in simulations of a building with hourly and, suggested in that standard, daily averaged ventilation airflow in five European cities. The following two ventilation schedules were used: occupancy-based; and wind-dependent. Comparative simulations were conducted in EnergyPlus. In general, the results obtained for the annual heating and cooling demand were better for hourly than daily averaged ventilation with an error below 10%. However, in several cases of cooling, the error was above 30%. When considering hourly indoor air temperatures, the proposed method provided very good results with MAE of up to 0.52 °C and 0.46 °C, RMSE < 0.69 °C and 0.62 °C, and CV(RMSE) < 3.09% and 2.75% for the daily averaged and hourly ventilation flow, respectively. For wind-driven ventilation, the temperatures were as follows: MAE < 0.49 °C and 0.48 °C; RMSE < 0.69 °C and 0.68 °C; and CV(RMSE) < 3.01% and 2.97%.

Assessment of year-round wind-driven ventilation by an integrated ventilation model

This study integrates a physical model for cross ventilation and empirical formulae for single-sided ventilation to predict wind-driven ventilation of buildings. The prediction model uses reduction factors to account for the different effects of wind direction, window type, nearby buildings, and building length. The predicted ventilation rates are validated by the results of wind tunnel experiments, a CFD model, and the airflow network model in the EnergyPlus model. The integrated model is then utilized to realistically assess the natural ventilation of a residential building under varying wind speeds and directions throughout a year. The simulation results demonstrate that double-sided cross-ventilation can achieve a ventilation rate roughly 20 times larger than single-sided ventilation under the same wind speed and opening area. In addition, the EnergyPlus model underestimates the annual average ventilation rate by neglecting the shear-induced ventilation when the prevailing wind direction is parallel to the building openings. The change of prevailing wind direction in different seasons can have a substantial effect on the ventilation rate, especially when the external openings of the building are limited to certain sides. Thus, the assessment of natural ventilation of a building must take into account the building orientation and seasonal variation of natural wind conditions.

Numerical investigations on roof ventilator turbine performance characteristics using ANSYS

Rooftop wind turbine ventilators are natural air circulation systems that employ a rotating blade to remove stale air from a building, improving the indoor air quality and saving money in the process. The effectiveness of a roof ventilator turbine depends heavily on its construction. By varying the diameter of the turbine blades (500, 670, and 690 mm), this CFD study modeled and examined three distinct designs for wind-driven ventilation devices. This numerical analysis was further developed to compute the presentation of a rotating ventilator by analyzing the pressure, turbulence kinetic energy, and velocity of the airflow related with the ventilator at variant designs. To investigate the viability of a numerical approach to modeling the many aspects of a ventilator flow, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis was conducted utilizing the conventional k- turbulence model with the multiple reference frame meshing method. The proposed design of a 690 mm ventilator blade for a rooftop turbine was found to perform better than two alternative designs using computational fluid dynamics (500 and 670 mm turbine blade diameter). The trend lines appear to be in virtuous contract with formerly available data, signifying that mathematical modelling could be a useful and cost-efficient tool for the design, growth, and performance evaluation of a wind-driven rotational ventilation system in the future.

Self-Heating, Drying, and Dry Matter Losses of Stockpiled Stemwood Chips: The Effect of Ventilation

The comminution of fuelwood for efficient transportation and handling exposes the material to various biological and chemical decomposition processes. The stockpiling of fuel chips can result in significant dry matter losses (DML) and consequent release of CO2 into the atmosphere. The decomposition processes could be controlled by managing the chip moisture content (MC). MC control by utilizing the self-heating of stockpiled stemwood chips together with wind-driven ventilation was tested in a practical storage experiment, using uncovered and plastic-covered piles as references. The data were analyzed with linear mixed models. The predicted DML was 2.4–3.8% during the monitoring period of 5.9 months, but no significant differences appeared between the storage treatments. The increase in the basic density of the chips decreased DML. On average 1.7–3.5% of the recoverable energy content of the chips was lost during the experiment. The predicted average decline in the MC was ca. 4–8 percentage points (p.p.). The MC of the chip samples stored under plastic tarp was 4–5 p.p. lower than those stored in the uncovered piles. Heat generation within the piles was modest due to the high quality of the chips, and the ventilation solution tested only marginally affected the drying process and the mitigation of DML.

Numerical simulation of wind-driven ventilation of a three-generic low-rise building in various geometrical configurations

Abstract Natural ventilation is the main passive strategy for thermal comfort inside buildings and renewal of the air, making it healthier. In recent decades, Computational Fluid Dynamics has proven to be an efficient tool for estimating natural ventilation. The objective of this work was to study the ventilation from the action of the wind inside models of low-rise buildings to observe how geometric conditions influence the topology of the flow and volume flow ratesusing the open source software OpenFOAM. In order to verify and validate the software, a 3D building model with openings on opposite faces was used. Subsequently, arrays of three buildings were studied albeit considering the problem as two-dimensional. In the arrangements, three different terrain slopes and four distance values between buildings were tested. The results show that ventilation in the second and third buildings was gradually recovered with an increase in separation and terrain slope, although the values obtained in the first building were not reached.

Numerical investigation of inlet opening size on wind-driven cross ventilation

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of opening size on indoor airflow characteristics of a naturally ventilated building model. The numerical simulation based on 3D-steady RANS equation was performed in this study. A total of five different inlet to outlet opening ratios, namely 1:4, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1 and 9:4 were included in the study and analysed. The results of model validation and grid independence analysis were consistent with the previous study. The simulation results in this study are discussed based on the velocity vector, velocity and pressure, pressure drop and ventilation rate. Through the study, the results have clearly illustrated that the velocity vector, velocity and pressure, pressure drop and ventilation rate are highly dependent on the opening ratio. When air passes through the building model, it forms a recirculation at the top and bottom of the airflow. In addition, the contours of velocity and pressure have indicated that the lower the opening ratio, the higher the velocity and subsequently lower pressure inside the building model. For the pressure drop, the results have shown that the lower the opening ratio, the higher the pressure drop. Beyond that, when the opening ratio is less than 1, the ventilation rate was increased but when the opening ratio greater than 1, the ventilation rate begins to decrease. Therefore, change in the size of inlet opening will greatly affect the performance of ventilation rate.

VARIATION OF NATURAL VENTILATION WITH FLOOR LEVEL AND ORIENTATION OF CLASSROOMS

In recent times, the multi-story school building has emerged as a new trend in Nigeria due to land cost in the urban area and population increase due to urban migration resulting from insecurity in rural areas. Among other factors, the floor level and space orientation are believed to affect its natural ventilation. Electricity per capita consumption in Nigeria is very low, suggesting passive ventilation in the building. The ventilation in the classroom is usually through wind-driven systems (windows). The study sought to establish the variation of natural ventilation among classrooms on different floor levels and orientations. In the ex-post facto design, instruments were employed to observe wind speeds and directions in and around selected classrooms in a school building block with two wings on three-floor levels, a perimeter fence, and a built-up residential area. The classrooms on the ground floor were half-opened casement windows, while those on the upper floors had sliding windows. Data generated were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis. In the longer wing classrooms, the mean wind speed and standard deviation obtained were 0.17m/s and 0.123 on the ground floor; 0.15m/s and 0.104 on the first floor; and 0.18m/s 0.126 on the second floor. Corresponding results in the shorter wing classrooms were 0.12m/s and 0,077 on the ground floor; 0.11m/s and 0.095 on the first floor; and 0.17m/s and 0.126 on the second floor. Ventilation coefficients were 0.13, 0.11, and 0.13 respectively on the ground, first, and second floors in the longer wing classrooms, while those in the shorter wing classrooms were 0.13, 0.12, and 0.19 respectively. The findings revealed some direct variation in natural ventilation with the floor level in the studied classrooms, which was more manifested as the floor level increased upwards. In conclusion, the floor level and orientation affect wind-driven ventilation. There is also a need for further field studies on more suitable cases (higher floor levels) to ascertain the level of significance of this variation and the optimisation window area based on floor levels for orientation for wind-driven natural ventilation.

Buoyancy Combined with Buildings Layout Effects on the Thermal Diffusion under Background Wind: Wind Tunnel PIV Measurement

The temperature in the urban areas are higher compared with rural areas because of the UHI effect. The wind-driven ventilation play a significant role on the heat removal. Moreover, the air velocity in the urban areas is influenced by the background wind speed, the exposure of heated surfaces and building layout. However, available experimental data for the thermal diffusion mechanism of different heat source conditions and building layout is limited. Aim at the problem above, the thermal diffusion mechanism of different surface heating conditions and building layout was analysed by conducting wind tunnel experiment with PIV system. To investigate the thermal diffusion mechanism, the building façade, impervious road surface, and traditional roof are heated up three different temperatures to induce buoyant. The effects of three different buildings layouts on flow and temperature also were investigated in this paper. The results showed that building layouts had a marked impact on the flow field near buildings. The terraced building layout is best for heat removal. This study improves understanding of how the buoyancy and wind speed influence the thermal diffusion in different buildings layouts, expands experimental database under different surface temperature conditions and buildings layouts in wind tunnel experiments with PIV.

The relative importance of wind-driven and chimney effect cave ventilation: Observations in Postojna Cave (Slovenia)

Density-driven chimney effect airflow is the most common form of cave ventilation, allowing gas exchange between the outside and the karst subsurface. However, cave ventilation can also be driven by other mechanisms, such as barometric changes or pressure differences induced by the outside winds. We discuss the mechanism and dynamics of wind-driven ventilation using observations in Postojna Cave, Slovenia. We show how seasonal airflow patterns driven by the chimney effect are substantially modified by outside winds. Wind flow over irregular topography forms near-surface air pressure variations and thus pressure differences between cave entrances at different locations. These pressure differences depend on wind speed and direction and their relationship to surface topography and the location of cave entrances. Winds can act in the same or opposite direction as the chimney effect and can either enhance, diminish or even reverse the direction of the density-driven airflows. To examine the possibility of wind-driven flow, we used a computational fluid dynamics model to calculate the wind pressure field over Postojna Cave and the pressure differences between selected points for different configurations of wind speed and direction. We compared these values with those obtained from airflow measurements in the cave and from simple theoretical considerations. Despite the simplicity of the approach and the complexity of the cave system, the comparisons showed satisfactory agreement. This allowed a more general assessment of the relative importance of wind pressure for subsurface ventilation. We are certain that this example is not unique and that the wind-driven effect needs to be considered elsewhere to provide better insights into the dynamics of cave climate, air composition or dripwater geochemistry.

The impacts of introducing voids combinations on indoor ventilation performance in high-rise residential buildings

PurposeThe paper aims to investigate and evaluate the impacts of the voids combination as a passive design feature on wind-driven ventilation performance in high-rise residential building units. It proposes a series of building models and thereon indoor ventilation performance and outlining why and how these building models designed with architectural design features are important. This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how natural ventilation as a passive cooling strategy in living units of high-rise residential buildings can be applied through improving the provision of the architectural design feature of voids configurations.Design/methodology/approachThe study was carried out through field measurements experiment and the computational fluid dynamics methods. A series of numerical simulations were carried out to calculate the indoor ventilation rate inside the case studies of the generated building models based on various variables such as horizontal voids type, size and wind directions.FindingsThe results indicate that the provision of a single-sided horizontal voids in building models can improve the indoor ventilation rate in units with cross ventilation mode up to 4 times, depending on wind direction and living unit location. The indoor ventilation performance in units located in models with single-sided horizontal voids is 17.54% higher than the units located in models without voids configuration. Furthermore, higher indoor ventilation performance was achieved in the case scenarios located at higher levels compared to the middle and lower levels in both horizontal voids types.Originality/valueThis study explores the application of voids combinations for natural ventilation performance, investigates the numerical simulation results and validates field measurements experiment data using CFD simulation.

Three-dimensional simulation of building thermal plumes merging in calm conditions: Turbulence model evaluation and turbulence structure analysis

A 3D numerical modelling is conducted to investigate the thermal plumes merging and buoyancy-driven airflow in urban areas, in which poor natural ventilation causes both thermal comfort and air quality issue. The performances of five different turbulence models, i.e., three URANS (Unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations) models and two LES (Large-Eddy Simulation) models are evaluated by comparing the velocity field with previous water tank measurements. Validation results show that all four turbulence models can capture the bending of thermal plumes toward the centre, and LES models provide a better prediction on the vertical velocity profiles, while both URANS models show underestimation. The plume merging mechanism is analysed with the high accuracy LES results. Both pressure difference induced mean horizontal flow and shear instability induced turbulence are the main causes of plume merging. The coherent structure of plume merging is analysed by a quadrant analysis, which shows ejection and sweep events dominate the turbulence momentum exchange. A case study with complex urban geometry is conducted to show the impact of thermal plumes merging in the real high-density urban areas. The convergence airflow at the pedestrian level is estimated to 2 m/s, which is comparable to wind-driven ventilation and beneficial to thermal comfort and air quality.

Using CFD to Evaluate Natural Ventilation through a 3D Parametric Modeling Approach

Predicting building air change rates is a challenge for designers seeking to deal with natural ventilation, a more and more popular passive strategy. Among the methods available for this task, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) appears the most compelling, in ascending use. However, CFD simulations require a range of settings and skills that inhibit its wide application. With the primary goal of providing a pragmatic CFD application to promote wind-driven ventilation assessments at the design phase, this paper presents a study that investigates natural ventilation integrating 3D parametric modeling and CFD. From pre- to post-processing, the workflow addresses all simulation steps: geometry and weather definition, including incident wind directions, a model set up, control, results’ edition, and visualization. Both indoor air velocities and air change rates (ACH) were calculated within the procedure, which used a test house and air measurements as a reference. The study explores alternatives in the 3D design platform’s frame to display and compute ACH and parametrically generate surfaces where air velocities are computed. The paper also discusses the effectiveness of the reference building’s natural ventilation by analyzing the CFD outputs. The proposed approach assists the practical use of CFD by designers, providing detailed information about the numerical model, as well as enabling the means to generate the cases, visualize, and post-process the results.

Influence of permeability ratio on wind-driven ventilation and cooling load of mid-rise buildings

Natural ventilation potential in terraced buildings is affected by numerous parameters such as permeability ratio, distribution pattern, depth of terraces, etc. This research aims to evaluate the impact of permeability ratio on natural ventilation potential and cooling load of a terraced office building in the hot- humid climate. To this end, one solid block and eight porous models with different permeability ratios (20 %–30 %–40 %–50 %) and random distribution patterns were simulated and analyzed by Energyplus engine and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). For better comparison, two distribution patterns for each permeability ratio were simulated. CFD simulations were validated according to the wind-tunnel measurements. The cooling load amount, mean and maximum airspeed as well as the mean age of air in terraces and offices were used to evaluate the best configurations of porous buildings.The results show that increasing the permeability up to 50 % will enhance the interior and inlet airspeed by 38.59 % and 49.07 % compared to the solid case. Simulations proved that a small change in porosities from 20 % to 30 % resulted in a significant difference in mean and maximum airspeed in terraces. The case with 50 % permeability ratio indicated higher values of mean and maximum airspeed in terraces. The mean age of air amount follows a descending process from the permeability ratio of 0–30 % and then increases gradually. The 30 % porous model with 30.8 s mean age of air is considered as the best case.According to the results, the introduction of permeability does not leave a positive effect on cooling energy demand despite natural ventilation performance. Although porosity reduces the solar radiation heat gain and increases the natural ventilation potential, porous models indicated high values of cooling energy consumption. This is due to the high amount of exposed surface area in porous models which leads to an increase of cooling energy demand up to 2.7 % compared to the solid case.As a result, among the permeable models, the best natural ventilation performance and the lowest cooling energy consumption are attributed to 50 % and 20 % permeable groups respectively.This study helps the designers to better understand the ventilation and energy performance of a porous model and to improve the energy-efficient buildings in hot-humid regions.

Wind-driven ventilation of Double Skin Façades with vertical openings: Effects of opening configurations

Insufficient airflow in the cavity of Double Skin façade (DSF) systems has resulted in the overheating risk of the cavity and the resulting reduction in thermal performance in cooling dominant climates. Previous research has focused more on buoyancy-driven natural ventilation, and there is a lack of research on utilising wind-driven ventilation in the cavity as a dominant natural force for the heat dispersion from the cavity. Additionally, geometrical features of the cavity and wind direction as influential factors on wind-induced airflow have not been addressed in DSF studies. This paper presents a detailed evaluation of the impact of opening configurations on the ventilation performance of an integrated tall building with DSF with respect to four wind orientations (0°, 30°, 60°, and 90°) to the facade. The evaluation is based on three ventilation performance indicators: (i) induced airflow rate, (ii) wind speed ratio, and (iii) airflow distribution across the cavity length. High-resolution 3D steady RANS CFD simulations of cavity ventilation were performed for a range of sizes of the DSF cavity. The CFD simulations were validated against wind-tunnel measurements. The results show that the ratio between the areas of the front and lateral openings is a critical factor for improving the ventilation in the cavity at the wind incident angle 0° < ϴ < 30°. As wind direction increases to 60° and 90°, cavity size tends to be of the highest importance. Employing three front openings on the external skin of DSF (M3) can increase the efficacy of the system in a broader range of wind direction and cavity size.

A methodology for quantifying flow patterns in a water-table apparatus for naturally ventilated buildings

Wind-driven ventilation in buildings is an effective way of diluting the indoor air for maintaining thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. Visualization of the wind-induced flow patterns in a building using a water-table apparatus is a relatively convenient method that produces instantaneous results. The present study focused on the quantification of the flow patterns generated in and around buildings using water-table experiments. The flow patterns were analyzed photographically to derive different ventilation metrics, such as dead spots, ventilation efficiency, etc., which would reveal quantitative information regarding the flow in the different zones of the building. Experiments were conducted using different configurations in order to verify the results obtained with the photographic method. The method used in the present study could be useful in the prediction of flow patterns for complex geometries, which would assist in undertaking early decisions for the proper orientation of a building and its openings. Abbreviations: ACH: Air Changes per Hour (h−1); AS: Room with windows on adjacent walls configuration; AVE: Absolute Ventilation Efficiency; BHK: Bedroom, Hall, Kitchen; C: dye concentration at a point after t, s (g/l); CFD: Computational Fluid Dynamics; Ci: average inside concentration(g/l); Cmax: maximum dye concentration at a point (g/l); Co: initial concentration at a point (g/l); Cs: concentration in the outdoor supply air (g/l); d: characteristic length (mm or m); D: Dining room; dC: change in concentration (g/l); DS: Dead Spots; Ea: Absolute Ventilation Efficiency; fps: Frames per seconds; IAQ: Indoor Air Quality; k reactivity rate (h−1); K: Kitchen; L: Living Room; MATLAB: Matrix Laboratory; OS: Room with windows on opposite walls configuration; P: Dimensionless penetration factor; P1: Passage 1; P2: Passage 2; P3: Passage 3; Pix: Pixel value (px); PNG Portable network graphics; R1: Room 1; R2: Room 2; R3: Room 3; Re: Reynolds Number; RGB: Red, Green, Blue; S: indoor source emission rate (μg/h); SS: Room with single-sided window configuration; T1: Toilet 1; T2: Toilet 2; T3: Toilet 3; U: Utility room; V: Room volume, m3; v: velocity (m/s); VLC: VideoLAN Client

Diel pattern driven by free convection controls leaf-cutter ant nest ventilation and greenhouse gas emissions in a Neotropical rain forest.

Leaf-cutter ant nests are biogeochemical hot spots where ants live and import vegetation to grow fungus. Metabolic activity and (in wet tropical forests) soil gas flux to the nest may result in high nest CO2 concentrations if not adequately ventilated. Wind-driven ventilation mitigates high CO2 concentrations in grasslands, but little is known about exchange for forest species faced with prolonged windless conditions. We studied Atta cephalotes nests located under dense canopy (leaf area index > 5) in a wet tropical rainforest in Costa Rica, where wind events are infrequent. We instrumented nests with thermocouples and flow-through CO2 sensing chambers. The results showed that CO2 concentrations exiting leaf-cutter ant nests follow a diel pattern with higher values at night. We developed an efflux model based on pressure differences that evaluated the observed CO2 diel pattern in terms of ventilation by (1) free convection (warm, less dense air rises out the nest more prominently at night) and (2) episodic wind-forced convection events providing occasional supplemental ventilation during daytime. Average greenhouse gas emissions were estimated through nest vents at about 78kg CO2eq nest-1year-1. At the ecosystem level, leaf-cutter ant nest vents accounted for 0.2% to1% of total rainforest soil emissions. In wet, clayey tropical soils, leaf-cutter ant nests act as free convection-driven conduits for exporting CO2 and other greenhouse gases produced within the nest (fungus and ant respiration, refuse decay), and by roots and soil microbes surrounding the nest. This allows A. cephalotes nests to be ventilated without reliable wind conditions.

Effectiveness of ridge vent to wind-driven natural ventilation in monoslope multi-span greenhouses

A large eddy simulation (LES) model and wind tunnel experiments were used to investigate the wind-driven ventilation of monoslope greenhouses with ridge vents. The accuracy of the numerical simulation was verified by the results of wind tunnel experiments. The numerical model was then employed to systematically examine the influences of wind direction, opening configuration and greenhouse length on the cross ventilation. In addition, an analytic model, based on inviscid flow assumption and mass conservation, was used to compute the ventilation rate. The results showed that the total ventilation rates of the multi-span greenhouses with open ridge vents were much larger than that of with closed ridge vents. The windward ridge vent (directly facing the wind direction when θ = 180°) can substantially increase the ventilation rate of multi-span monoslope greenhouses, as compared to the leeward ridge vent when wind direction θ = 0°. In other words, to take full advantage of the wind-driven ventilation the ridge vents of the greenhouses should directly face the prevailing wind direction. The ventilation rates can be reduced by adjusting the degree of opening and the number of the operable ridge vents.

A parametric design method for CFD-supported wind-driven ventilation

The negative impact of the building industry has brought a critical emphasis on the performance-related tools and processes of architectural design. The integration of design and performance simulation has the potential to extend the decision-making capabilities of the architects. Amongst a number of performance parameters, wind-related measures are generally problematic for the design phase, due to the computational cost of predicting wind behaviour, the complexity of the urban context and the constantly changing airflow patterns. In this respect, this paper proposes the preliminary exploration of a design method towards integrating Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) coupled with energy modelling and parametric design tools for the wind-related design acts. As building performance is regarded as a design problem that necessitates a designerly point of view as much as a technical perspective, the method aims at providing visual, generative and accurate feedback regarding its potential to facilitate the architect’s designerly integration to the process and to provide a flexible design environment. The preliminary quantitative analysis conducted through a case study indicates the preliminary data flow through the design process.