AR 17-34 | BUILDING CLIMATOLOGY

CLIMATE-RESPONSIVE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

SREELAKSHMI CJ | M.PLAN, B.ARCH | GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURE | S3 BATCH 2019-2024

Module IV

CLIMATE-RESPONSIVE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

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Passive Solar Design
 Passive solar building design is a strategy by which a building’s windows,
walls and floors can be designed
• to collect, store and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the
winter
• to vent solar heat in the summer
 Use natural energy (sun, wind, etc.) to conserve conventional energy for
achieving thermal comfort comfortable indoor conditions (temperature,
humidity, air movement)

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Passive Design Techniques

Passive Heating Systems

 Passive Cooling systems
 Daylighting
 Building Materials
 Planning Aspects
• General Planning
• Orientation
• Plan form
• Building envelope

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PASSIVE HEATING SYSTEMS

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Passive Heating System

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Five Elements of Passive Solar Design
 Aperture : The glazing through which sunlight enters the building. These
windows should face within 30o of true south and receive light
unobstructed by shade during hours of peak solar intensity.
 Absorber : The surface of the heat-storage element that sits in the direct
path of incoming sunlight. Common surfaces used for this purpose are
dark-colored floors and masonry walls.
 Thermal mass : The material that retains the heat converted from
sunlight. The thermal mass is thus the material beneath or behind the
absorber.
 Distribution : The method by which heat circulates throughout the
building from its point of collection. Ducts, fans and blowers may be
implemented to assist with distribution, although such a system would not
be purely passive.
 Control : Some means of control will prevent overheating during summer
months, or whenever the passive heating system need not operate
unimpeded. Electronic sensing devices, operable vents and dampers,
awnings, low-emissivity blinds, and roof overhangs are all common means
of passive solar-heating system control. 7
Direct gain

Direct gain is the simplest passive solar home design technique. Sunlight
enters the house through windows without interference, and the heat
collection, storage and distribution all occur within the same space. When
light reaches floors and walls, they absorb and store the solar heat. At night,
the stored heat energy warms the room through convection and radiation.

• Direct gain can be achieved by various forms of openings such as

clerestories, skylight windows, etc. designed for the required heating.
• Direct gain systems have some limitations. Strong sunlight, glare, and
ultraviolet degradation of the house material are some disadvantages of
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direct gain systems.
Indirect gain

 Indirect-gain
passive solar is a
technique by which
thermal energy is
stored in an area
adjacent to (but
not part of) the
living space.

 Commonly used indirect gain systems are :

 1.Trombe Wall
 2.Water Wall

 A thermal mass, such as a water tank or

Trombe wall, absorbs the sun’s heat energy
through glazing, and slowly releases it
through convection and conduction.
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Trombe wall

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Trombe wall

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Water Wall

 Water walls are based on the same principle as that for trombe walls,
except that they employ water as the thermal storage material.
 A water wall is a thermal storage wall made up of drums of water stacked
up behind glazing.
 It is usually painted black to increase heat absorption. It is more effective in
reducing temperature swings, but the time lag is less

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Water wall

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Isolated Gain

 Isolated gain involves utilizing solar energy to passively move heat

from or to the living space using a fluid, such as water or air, by
natural convection or forced convection.

 The most common example of isolated-gain passive-solar home

design is a sunspace, also known as a solar room or solarium. Simple
and reliable sunspaces have vertical windows with no overhead
glazing

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Sun Space

 A sun space or solarium is the combination of direct & indirect gain

systems.
 The solar radiation heats up the sun space directly, which in turn
heats up the living space (separated from the sun space by a mass
wall) by convection & conduction through the mass wall.

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Sun Space

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Natural Convective Loop

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Natural Convective Loop

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PASSIVE COOLING SYSTEMS

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Ventilation Cooling

 Ventilation is generally defined as the replacement of stale air by

fresh air. It also provides cooling by air movement.

 Cross ventilation : Air motion in the early summer and late post-
monsoon periods can be easily met by providing adequate cross
ventilation through rooms.

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Wind tower

Wind Tower : Wind tower is generally used in hot and dry climates for
cooling purposes. The tower is meant to “catch” the wind at higher
elevations and direct it into the living space.

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Wind Towers

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Wind Towers

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Induced Ventilation
Induced Ventilation : This method involves the heating of air in a
restricted area through solar radiation, thus creating a temperature
difference and causing air movements.

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Induced Ventilation

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Nocturnal Cooling
Nocturnal Cooling : Buildings may be cooled indirectly by ventilating
at night, if the ambient air is cooler than the room air. This cools the
interior mass of the building and on the following day, the cooled
mass reduces the rate of indoor temperature rise and thus provides a
cooling effect.

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Nocturnal Radiation Cooling

Nocturnal radiation cooling refers to cooling by exposure of any

element of the external envelope of the building to a cool night sky.
Warm objects directly exposed to the sky radiate their heat out to it
at night. Heat loss occurs by emission of long wavelength radiation,
and hence surfaces should ideally have high emissivity.

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Evaporative cooling

Evaporative cooling is a passive cooling technique in which outdoor

air is cooled by evaporating water before it is introduced in the
building.

Passive Downdraft Evaporative Cooling (PDEC) : Contemporary

passive downdraft evaporative cooling systems consist of a downdraft
tower with wetted cellulose pads at the top of the tower.
Roof Surface Evaporative Cooling (RSEC) : Roof surfaces can be
effectively and inexpensively cooled by spraying water over suitable
water-retentive materials (e.g., gunny bags) spread over the roof
surface.
Direct Evaporative Cooling using Drip-type (Desert) Coolers : Desert
coolers are very popular in the northern parts of India. They can cool
large volumes of outside air through evaporation of water. This air is
delivered to the indoors where it absorbs heat from walls, ceilings,
furnishings and the occupants. 29
Evaporative cooling

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Torrent Research Centre, Ahmedabad

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Passive Downdraft Evaporative Cooling (PDEC)

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Desiccant Cooling

In the desiccant cooling method, desiccant salts or mechanical

dehumidifiers are used to reduce humidity in the atmosphere.

Materials having high affinity for water are used for

dehumidification.

The can be solid like silica gel, alumina gel and activated alumina,
or liquids like tri ethylene glycol.

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Earth Coupling or berming
This technique is used for both passive cooling as well as heating of
buildings, a feat which is made possible by the earth acting as a
massive heat sink.
 A building may be coupled with the earth by burying it underground
or berming.
 The daily as well as seasonal variations of the temperature reduce
rapidly with increasing depth from the earth's surface.

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Earth Coupling or berming

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Earth Air Pipe System

The earth-air pipe system consists of a pipe of appropriate dimensions

buried at a depth of about 4 to 5m in the ground. Ambient air is
blown through it by a blower at one end of the pipe. The other end is
connected to the building to which it supplies conditioned air.

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Solar Chimney

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DAYLIGHTING

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DAYLIGHTING

Daylight: coolest and efficient source of light

CFL less efficient by about 20% to 40%
Heating effect of daylighting is about 1 w per lumen; It is much less
than that of artificial lighting.
Light reaching a particular point inside a building may consist of,
(1) direct sunlight
(2) diffuse light or skylight
(3) externally reflected light (by the ground or other buildings)
(4) internally reflected light from walls, ceiling and other internal
surfaces

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Daylighting Systems

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Daylighting Systems

Light shelf Light Well Atrium 41

Daylighting Systems

Light pipe : Aluminium pipes with a clear

acrylic dome on top and a translucent acrylic
dome at the bottom are installed on the roof
and used as sunpipes. The pipes are lined with
silver to reduce reflection losses.

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Daylighting systems

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Daylighting systems

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BUILDING MATERIALS

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Building Materials

Building materials have been categorised into three types based on

their energy intensities.

High energy materials

- energy intensities > 5GJ per tonne
- aluminium, steel, plastics, glass and cement.

Medium energy materials

- energy intensities between 0.5 to 5 GJ per tonne
- concrete, lime plaster and most types of blocks based on cement,
lime, fly ash and fireclay bricks and tiles.

Low energy group materials

- fine and coarse aggregates for construction, pozzolona types of soil
and stabilized soil.
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Alternate Materials
 Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC)
 Fly ash
 Compressed earth blocks
 Clay red mud burnt bricks
 Lato blocks
 Precast hollow concrete blocks
 Bamboo/timber mat based walls
 Rat trap bond
 Composite ferrocement system
 Coconut fibre and wooden chips
roofing sheets
 Cement bonded fibre roofing sheets
 Micro concrete roofing tiles
 Stone patti roofing
 Precast brick arch panel system
 Filler slabs
 Particle boards
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Lime 48
Mud Plastered wall

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Mud house in Kollam

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PLANNING ASPECTS

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Need for Passive Solar Design in India

 India has different climatic conditions ranging from extremely hot

conditions to severely cold conditions. Energy availability is scarce
and people have to protect themselves from these extremities of the
climate in a natural way.

 The construction industry is one of the largest energy consuming

sectors.

 In India, estimates suggest that about 20 to 25 percent of the total

energy demand is due to manufacturing materials required in the
building sector, while another 15 percent goes into the running needs
of the building.

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Planning Aspects of different climatic zones

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HOT DRY CLIMATE

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General Planning

 Compact planning :Plan narrow winding alleys and streets, which are
shaded and relatively cool and break stormy winds.
 Street width and orientation: Streets must be narrow so that they
cause mutual shading of buildings. They need to be oriented in the
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north-south direction to block solar radiation.
Orientation and Plan Form

 Shape : Small Surface to volume ratio is preferred which reduces the

heat gain to the building
 Orientation : An east-west orientation (i.e. longer axis along the east-
west), should be preferred. This is due to the fact that south and
north facing walls are easier to shade than east and west walls.
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Orientation and Plan Form

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Open spaces and built form

 Open spaces such as courtyards and

atria are beneficial as they promote
ventilation. In addition, they can be
provided with ponds and fountains
for evaporative cooling.
 Courtyards act as heat sinks during
the day and radiate the heat back to
the ambient at night.
 The size of the courtyards should be
such that the mid-morning and the
hot afternoon sun are avoided. 61
Site Planning

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Building Envelope
 Roof :
Flat roof preferred
Heavy mass-RCC preferred over
asbestos sheet
Large surface area-to promote
night time heat loss.
Inverted earthen pots suitable
False ceiling below the roof.
Reflective surfaces like china
mosaic reflects radiation.
 Wall :
Wall with low U-value to reduce
the heat gain preferred.
Control of heat gain through the
walls by shading.
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Building Envelope
 Fenestration :
 Small opening at higher levels of
walls preferred for the removal of
hot air.
 Openings are preferred on
northern walls to avoid radiation.
 The use of ‘jaalis’(lattice work)
made of wood, stone or RCC may be
considered as they allow ventilation
while blocking solar radiation.
 Colours and Texture :
 Colours having low absorptivity
should be used to paint the external
surface. Darker shades should be
avoided for surfaces exposed to
direct solar radiation.
 The surface of the wall should
preferably be textured to facilitate
self shading. 64
WARM HUMID CLIMATE

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General Planning
 Buildings should
be spread out with
large open spaces
for unrestricted air
movement. In
cities, buildings on
stilts can promote
ventilation and
cause cooling at
the ground level.

 Buildings should
be located on the
windward side or
crest to take
advantage of cool
breezes.
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Orientation and Plan form

 Sun Orientation : The best orientation for protection from the sun is along
the east-west axis.
 Wind orientation : Tilted to the direction of wind 67
Orientation and Plan form

 Shape : An unobstructed air path

through the interiors is important.
The buildings could be long and
narrow to allow cross-ventilation.
 A central courtyard can be provided
with vents at higher levels to draw
away the rising hot air
 Since temperatures in the shade are
not very high, semi open spaces such
as balconies, verrandahs and porches
can be used advantageously for
daytime activities.
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Building Envelope

 Roof :
 Should provide shelter from rain
and heat, the form of the roof
should be planned to promote air
flow. Sloping roofs with low eaves
are best suited for this climate.

 Vents at the roof top effectively induce ventilation and draw hot air out
 A double roof with a ventilated space in between can also be used to promote air
flow. 69
Building Envelope
 Wall :
 Walls must also be
designed to promote
air flow.
 Fenestration :
 Cross-ventilation is
important in the
warm and humid
regions.
 All doors and
windows are
preferably kept open
for maximum
ventilation for most
of the year.
 These must be
provided with
venetian blinds or
louvers to shelter the
rooms from the sun
and rain, as well as
for the control of air
movement.
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COLD AND CLOUDY CLIMATE

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General Planning
 In cold climates, heat
gain is desirable. Hence,
buildings should be
located on the south
slope of a hill or
mountain for better
access to solar radiation
 At the same time, the
exposure to cold winds
can be minimised by
locating the building on
the leeward side. Parts
of the site which offer
natural wind barrier can
be chosen for
constructing a building.

 Buildings in cold climates should be clustered together to minimise exposure to

cold winds
 Open spaces must be such that they allow maximum south sun. 72
General Planning

 They should be treated with a hard

and reflective surface so that they
reflect solar radiation onto the
building.

 In cold climates, the street

orientation should be east-west to
allow for maximum south sun to
enter the building.

 The street should be wide enough

to ensure that the buildings on one
side do not shade those on the
other side (i.e. solar access should
be ensured)
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Orientation and Plan form
 The buildings must be
compact with small S/V
ratios.
 The north side of the building
should be well-insulated.
 Living areas can be located
on the southern side while
utility areas such as stores can
be on the northern side.

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Building Envelope

 Roof :
 False ceilings are a regular
roof feature of houses in cold
climates.
 Internal insulation is used
 A sufficiently sloping roof
enables quick drainage of rain
water and snow.
 A solar air collector can be
incorporated on the south
facing slope of the roof and
hot air from it can be used for
space heating purposes.
 Skylights on the roofs admit
heat as well as light in winters.
The skylights can be provided
with shutters to avoid over
heating in summers.
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Building Envelope

 A solar air collector can be incorporated on the south facing slope of the roof and
hot air from it can be used for space heating purposes.

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Building Envelope
 Walls :
 Walls should be of low U-value to resist heat loss.
 The south-facing walls (exposed to solar radiation) could be of high thermal
capacity (such as Trombe wall) to store day time heat for later use.
 The walls should also be insulated.
 Hollow and lightweight concrete blocks are also quite suitable
 On the windward or north side, a cavity wall type of construction may be adopted.

 Fenestration :
 It is advisable to have the maximum window area on the southern side of the
building to facilitate direct heat gain.
 Double glazing helps to avoid heat losses during winter nights.
 Movable shades should be provided to prevent overheating in summers.

 Colour and texture :

 The external surfaces of the walls should be dark in colour for high absorptivity to
facilitate heat gains.
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Thank You for staying AWAKE !!!!!

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