WREC 1996 SOLAR DUCT FOR LIGHTING AND VENTILATION SANTA AMALIA BUILDING BARCELONA -SPAIN 0. DE-URRUTIA Dr. Architect Collaborator: A. Salas Architect Pasaje Mulet 2, Bajos. 08006 Barcelona , Spain ABSTRACT The Santa Amalia building in Barcelona is a block of six flats incorporating a duct by which ligth is sent to the kitchens - previously without natural ligthing~ and also allows natural ventilation. Moreover, the passive solar gains obtained from the extensive glazed surfaces and the conservation of internal heat gains. along with a2 high degree of isulation, give energy saving of 68% for heating INTRODUCTION The aim of bioclimatic architecture is to satisfy the ligthing. heating and cooling requirements of a building- collecting solar energy in winter and natural cooling in summer- through the application of architectural solutions. One of its main advantages lies in the fact that is contributes to converting this demand with very low energy consumption. In the Mediterranean region. this type of architecture has hugen potencial. as can be seen in the Santa Amalia building. contructed in Barcelona's Horta disctrict (1992) The Santa Amalia building is a three-storey construction with semi-underground garage. It contain six dwelling. in which such bioclimatic solutions have been applied as the use of larges glazed surfaces in the front exposed to sunlight in order to increase solar gain and to enhance crossed natural ventilation in summer The building's main innovation. however. is the system based around the installation of a lighting and ventilation duct by which, through a system of reflectors. daylight reaches spaces where it does not arrive naturaly and natural ventilation is also enhanced The research and development which into this solar duct was carried out by the architect Orlando De-Urrutia. sponsored by the Europen programme Building 2000 227WREC 1996 Fig.2 Fig.2 Santa Amalia Building, main facade Fig.2 The kitchen: the level of illumination achived through the solar duct allows users to work in the kitchens with just natural lighting PROJECT The solar duct built into the Santa Amalia building comprise one of the first application of such a system in a block of flats.These are two identical ducts. rectangular in shape, which go from the building roof - where daylight enters- to come out in a opening at the heigth of each kitchen. So that light reaches the kitchen, the duct are lined with a reflecting acrylic material. successively reflecting ligth down. Tho light inlet is designed whit a curved section in succesives planes. allowing a large inlet surface than would otherwise be possible. as its heigth is greater than the width of the duct in a proportion 0 3/1 Moreover, as the light is dispersed after the first reflection, a more uniform quantity reaches each kitchen. This system. which includes a separate forced ventilation duct. also improves smokes and odour extraction At kitchens, the solar duct has an light inlet surfaces equivalent to 12% of the kitchen’s area.This window is comunicated with the dininig room by a large by. wich creates crossed ventilation for air renewal inside the flat by natural and mechanical means Crossed ventilation is further enhanced by metallic opening in the windowsills Besides the solar ducts, the building also incorporates other bioclimatic elements. The car park. for instance, is naturally lighted and ventilated by a skylight. and skylights have also been used to ligth the staircases of the building 228WREC 1996 Fig.3 Plane of first and second floors the localitation of ligth ducts is indicate by shading Fig.4 Main Facade and section Rigth from the desing stage. energy saving criteria were a top priority as regards heating. The wall. for instance. have a high termal inertia, with high-density polystyrene to improve thermal isulation. Most of the windows (53.2 m2) are in main front, oriented to the southeast. whilst the rear front only contains 14.5 m2 of window. and this together whit the double glazing installed. both enhance solar gains and reduces heat loss. Finally, an electric heating system is installed, whit nigth storage heaters Fig.5 The axonometric view show the solar duct 229WREC 1996 Fig.6 Axonometric view show the crossed ventilation RESULTS Monitoring of the solar duct in the Santa Amalia building has shown that, in optimum condition ( noon on a sunny summer day) average illuminance in each kitchen is 1.459 lux. sufficent lighting to permit the performance of tasks requiring visual detail. In worse condition (a cloudy winter's day at solar noon), illuminance is around 140 lux. sufficients for moving around the kitchen without the need of artificial lighting Moreover, thanks to the passive solar gains fron the windows and the conservation of heat gains due to the high level of insulation, energy saving of 68% on heating are obtained. The additional cost of installing all the elements described was less than 5% of the total construction cost of the building Finally, the solar duct also guarantees air renewal higher than the miminum required ( 30 m3/h). and the design of the duct also complies with regulations regarding openings for lighting and ventilation 230