Environmental Design of Buildings

EDP: The task was to suggest retrofit options to make the selected spaces of the children's playroom and restaurant as energy efficient as feasible using renewables. The site is in Inverness, Scotland, and has a Cfb Koppen-Geiger climate classification. The location is in the middle of a field with no immediate built environment. After taking into account the activities, demographics, clothes, and equipment kinds, a heat balancing equation was put together to identify elements that were causing heat loss or gain within the room. A sensitivity analysis with a number of iterations was carried out and thermal modeling was done in Design Builder, with the resulting change in energy use being recorded. Lechner's strategy was indicated to be a fabric-first approach followed by a passive strategy proposal. When this failed to meet the comfort standards, active low-carbon alternatives were developed.

EDA: The assignment required us to create a self-brief and argue the needs for a suitably daylit space based on trends. The requirements were used to create objectives in order to deliver evidence-based solutions. In a group task, we designed several shapes and sizes of windows in a specific area. The window design that provided the desired daylight after numerous iterations had to be proposed based on all of the possibilities. The room was in the context of a mental health clinic. Based on research papers that discuss how such designs offer a sense of security and are friendly, a circular (no corners) shape was chosen. After considering all possibilities and identifying patterns in daylight factor, illuminance, and uniformity, the area of 4sqm - 6 sqm was decided.

PD: In this assignment, we were to analyse a selected passive design strategy depending on the climatic location of the chosen site. The location is in New Delhi and has a Koppen-Geiger climate classification of BSH. The climate is hot and semi-arid, with little precipitation. The location is a single-story residential dwelling, and the room under investigation is the home office. Direct evaporative cooling (DEC) was developed as a passive cooling approach after analysing the occupied hours, wind, and diurnal variation in DBT, WBT, and RH. The existing west-facing window was altered to include an outside water body and two additional 300mm cuts with insect and dust protection.

A CFD analysis was performed to investigate the directional movement and speed of wind within the space and Givoni's equation was used to calculate the maximum power of the DEC system, and the temperature of air that is exiting (Texit) the space was compared to air temperature during the least and most warm days in summer months.