Thermal and Ventilation Performance Assessment in Traditional Islamic Hospitals Based on Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation, Case Study: Bimaristan Al-Qaimari - Damascus

This Study aims to examine natural ventilation efficiency and thermal performance in traditional Islamic hospitals. It assesses the effect of various design variables on indoor ventilation, thermal efficiency in patients’ wards in traditional Islamic hospitals taking into consideration seasonal weather conditions (summer-winter), and to which extent these buildings adapts climate change passively. Investigative analysis associated with evaluative approach was drawn to study ambient air behavior in courtyard space and larger urban context, and its influence on indoor ventilation and thermal efficiency in patients’ wards. This will clarify how air moves passively using architectural elements (vaults, courts, openings, water elements) using CFD software to conduct graphical and numerical simulations and to correlate related variables with airflow behavior. These findings will be evaluated according to ventilation standards. Bimaristan Al-Qaimari was chosen as a typical sample of traditional Islamic hospitals. CFD model was built and CFD snapshots were taken in reference to Energy+ thermal analysis on specific times to represent typical summer day and typical winter day. The data was categorized according to seasons (summer-winter), architectural elements used in hospital and ventilation efficiency using CFD to assess ventilation efficiency in these spaces. This study is looking forward to determine the design parameters’ effects of traditional Bimaristans on ventilation and thermal efficiency to make better environment for patients’ health by learning from past lessons in traditional Islamic architecture.