Question

“Architects can have an important and direct impact on thermal comfort and IAQ for improving design of buildings. Design and construction of the building envelope plays a critical role in reducing the potential for moisture accumulation and reducing air infiltration. In warm humid climates, there is a high risk that any air (as well as water) entering through breaks in the building envelope, will cause condensation and microbial growth. From an TC and IAQ perspective, therefore, it is important to have a tightly sealed building, with a continuous and durable air barrier system. Doors leading to car parks or other sources of pollution could contaminate the indoor air. It is therefore advisable to enclose lift lobbies of car parks in office or other buildings with self-closing, well-sealed doors, and to maintain positive air pressure inside the building. During the construction period, duct insulation and liner should be protected from moisture and not be exposed to the action of weather. If they are exposed to water, they should be discarded and replaced rather than dried and disinfected. After construction is completed, the construction area should be purged by running the MVAC system at rates suitable for occupation for at least 48 hours before occupation to purge the contaminants of indoor air, e.g. solvents and dust, and achieving thermal comfort. Maintaining a higher rate of ventilation during the first few months of occupation will also help to reduce air contaminant levels in new, renovated or newly refurbished buildings. Also, the air ducting system of the building is usually not very clean and contains piles of dusts and debris inside after construction. It is therefore recommended to conduct an air duct cleaning operation before the purging. Selection of Building and Furnishing Materials; Building and furnishing materials may be sources of indoor air pollutants. To achieve IAQ objectives for chemical emissions, building designers should limit the use of high emitting building and furnishing materials. Materials with the lower emission rates should be selected provided that they meet all relevant statutory requirements, e.g. fire resisting properties, etc. This is particularly important when a large amount of the material is used in an area. Natural materials, such as marble, glass, ceramic tiles, brick, metal surfaces and untreated wood, have no or negligible emissions of air contaminants: However, according to some overseas study, untreated wood furnishings may not be a panacea for IAQ problems associated with furnishing emissions, as even these products are not always completely free of emissions. A variety of VOCs in untreated wood (e.g. alkaloids, catechols, phenols, terpenes, etc.) could act as sensitisers or irritants that potentially affect human health.” Source: Guidance Notes for the Management of Indoor Air Quality in Offices and Public Places; section 4

Task (1): Use passive environmental design strategies and techniques for both cooling and heating in order to provide indoor air quality and thermal comfort.

Task (2): Demonstrate critical thinking skill to develop design of thermal comfort and IAQ systems for interior environment.

Answer 1

They found that plans longer than 15 m could lower the effect of natural ventilation to provide thermal comfort. Other studies examined the potential of different building forms to reduce solar radiation [19], thermal performance, and energy use [20]. Studies confirmed that room height has a considerable influence on energy demand, such that the energy consumption increases by 1% for each 10 cm increase in ceiling height [21]. ...

... The building orientation also has a considerable effect on energy consumption and thermal comfort as it is implicated in the levels of solar radiation, daylighting, and air movement [23]. Regardless of building form, buildings arranged longitudinally along the south and north require 10% less energy than those aligned longitudinally along the east and west in a hot and humid climate [20]. A study [24] assessed both IAQ and thermal comfort, as one package, in recently built energy-efficient houses. ...

... Windows are designed at the early architectural design phase where designers decide on most of the envelope-related elements. These decisions have a significant influence on building performance in terms of indoor air quality, thermal comfort, visual comfort, daylighting, and eventual energy consumption [6,20,30,31]. Different climatic conditions require specific envelope design considerations to achieve an environmentally responsive envelope design. In the Mediterranean climate, there is a need to limit the amount of solar heat gain in the summer and heat loss in the winter, especially through window openings.

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