Double façades: comfort and ventilation aspects at an extremely complex case study

Highly glazed building envelopes are still a common feature of today's modern architecture despite the on-going raging debate on the energy and comfort performance of highly glazed buildings. It is argued by proponents of high performance and green building designs that the disadvantages of highly glazed buildings outweigh the advantages when operational. In this study, through on-site measurement and simulations, we investigated the behaviour of a recently completed naturally ventilated double-skin façade system at a building in the netherlands with a complex form and a large atrium connecting it to the core of the building. This in a way coupled with the exhaust ventilation of the offices within the building created a problematic thermal indoor environment. It was shown that the dynamic behaviour due to the large influence of the wind fluctuations and solar radiance proved to be highly complex resulting in discomfort and a higher cooling load.

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