No abstract

Expectations of traditional and contemporary buildings are different in terms of thermal comfort. Traditional buildings mostly achieve comfort through passive means, without HVAC support, but old levels of thermal satisfaction do not meet today’s expectations, although their passive thermal performances are notable for contemporary building designs. In this regard, the current study tries to investigate the possibility of comparing traditional and contemporary buildings’ construction techniques to achieve thermal comfort from an architectural point of view. In other words, is it possible to achieve passive building design by considering vernacular architecture principals as a reference? Likewise, how well can architects define insulation layers in contemporary construction surfaces in hot and humid climates? To this end, a dynamic, numerical, thermal calculation case study has been modeled in Famagusta, Northern Cyprus, to answer the above-mentioned questions. A mixed-use mode benefitting free-run periods is proposed and compared with a mode providing 24 hours of air-conditioning in different scenarios using the same initial settings. Thus, different floor-to-ceiling heights, insulation placements and indoor conditions have been tested separately in both winter and summer periods. The results show that thermal comfort can be achieved in free-run periods only during a limited percentage of the year. Furthermore, although increasing building heights may lead to a rise in the free-run periods, in contemporary buildings it increases the total energy usage of the buildings between 6% and 9% in the mixed mode. Therefore, vernacular architecture strategies are proper in their own context. However, this energy usage can still be controlled and optimized by such considerations as insulation material placement. In this regard, the best envelope properties for different building functions are proposed for application in hot and humid climates.

Literature review shows that, to date, no local based method has been developed for evaluation of optimal wall constructions in a hot and humid climate from architects’ point of view. Hence, this study aims at developing a multi factor optimization model (MFOM) for comparative selection of opaque wall construction in a hot and humid climate based on four main evaluation criterion namely energy efficiency, thermal comfort, moisture control, and cost efficiency. In order to indicate the application of the MFOM, a case study methodology was employed in Kish Island, Iran, which is characterized by a hot and humid climate. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed in the research process including literature and field survey, computer simulation, thermal, moisture and economic analysis finalized with a simple multi attribute rating technique (SMART) grading the outputs for final assessment. According to the results, it can be deducted that the application of the MFOM has the potential to save cost and energy, improve the thermal quality of the indoor environment while predicting the possible construction hazards posed by condensation in hot and humid climates.

Passive building is among the most important subjects in architecture today. The key factor in terms of a solution is related to the level of renewable energy in buildings. Natural ventilation is among the effective factors in indoor thermal comfort. Virtual simulations prepare a basis for reliable and fast result outcomes. Computer Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software is available thanks to advances in technology and mathematical calculation to simulate projects with any conditions. This paper presents thermal comfort reduction where, in the simulation, the closed environment is considered rather than the individual building with no surroundings. In order to reach the conclusion, a comparison between a single building simulation and two locations in the walled city of Famagusta in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a historical settlement, is provided to illustrate the changes according to the closed environment conditions. According to the results, if energy consultants aim to present realistic energy data in order to upgrade the level of sustainability of buildings, it is important to consider the effect of the closed environment on natural ventilation in their calculation.

This research will analyze the traditional Iranian buildings according to the climatic factors by the use of graph theory. By this way, the hypothesis that climate factor has a major effect on the organization of the spaces in traditional Iranian buildings will be tested. Access graphs have been used to clarify the connectivity and depth of a building’s spaces from the socio-cultural point of view. However, it cannot be applied to climate studies. Thus, this study developed the existing technique to define building layouts in terms of climate and thermal comfort. The thermal comfort was graphically evaluated by the two main factors like solar gain and wind effect, with the use of a simple multi-attribute rating technique. All the analysis had been done in the interval of zero (the worst condition) to three (the best condition). The proposed orientation-weighted graph method proved that the thermal comfort factors of the buildings under study match the seasonal movements of their inhabitants. Consequently, the developed orientation-weighted graph method can be used to study space organization in traditional Iranian building in terms of solar gain and wind effect.