Natural ventilation through double-skin facades in tall buildings

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2014
Danık, Sıla
Operation costs of buildings are getting higher as more complex systems are used and taller buildings are built. This issue has become more significant over the past few decades, having led to much research on less costly, more environment-friendly and energy-efficient techniques and technologies. Mechanical ventilation is one of the most critical and expensive parts of the operational systems especially in tall buildings, yet there are alternative ways to be provided to reduce our dependence on it. One of such technologies is the “double-skin facade” which promotes natural ventilation, reducing the energy consumption and eliminating the possible drawbacks of mechanical ventilation. This study aimed to examine the natural ventilation performance of double-skin facades in high-rise buildings and their role in creating environments in accordance with the occupant comfort requirements. After providing relevant information on the subject, a case study which is a tall building with a double facade entirely ventilated by natural means was presented and the efficiency of the adopted ventilation strategy was analyzed by collecting data related to occupant comfort. According to the results derived from the measurements, it was concluded that natural ventilation provided by double-skin facades is capable of satisfying acceptable conditions on its own, even though the application of mechanical ventilation might be inevitable in some cases.

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Citation Formats
S. Danık, “Natural ventilation through double-skin facades in tall buildings,” M.S. - Master of Science, Middle East Technical University, 2014.