Design strategies for heat-proof buildings with urban resilience

In this discussion, Pakvasa explores best practices for natural ventilation, improved facade design, and the incorporation of smart technologies to create sustainable and heat-proof urban environments.

How can we strategically incorporate green roofs and vertical gardens into urban buildings to maximise their cooling effects?
Incorporating green roofs and vertical gardens into urban buildings can significantly reduce indoor temperatures, improve air quality, and improve city dwellers’ overall well-being. They absorb and evaporate heat, providing natural insulation and cooling effects to buildings, thus reducing the energy demand for air conditioning. Green roofs and vertical gardens also create new habitats for various plant and animal species, increasing biodiversity. Additionally, green walls are a powerful way to implement biophilic design in indoor spaces to create stunning visual effects, improve air quality, reduce noise, and enhance well-being.

What are the best practices for building layouts that promote natural ventilation and reduce reliance on mechanical cooling?
Buildings must be responsive to the site’s solar orientation and should be the primary design response during the planning of layouts. Their Form and orientation constitute two of the most essential passive design strategies for reducing energy consumption and improving thermal comfort for building occupants. It affects the amount of sun falling on surfaces, daylighting and the direction of winds. Building designs vary according to the context of its location and climate. However, the underlying principle remains the same: maximising the amount of solar radiation in winter and minimising the same in summer. Designing building layouts to promote natural ventilation involves optimising window placement, using atriums, and creating cross-ventilation pathways. Features such as operable windows and ventilated facades can reduce the reliance on mechanical cooling by allowing fresh air to circulate, thus maintaining comfortable indoor temperatures.

How can facade design be improved to reflect solar radiation and enhance thermal comfort inside buildings?
Passive solar design is an important architectural approach that maximises using natural solar energy to heat and light up buildings. This method involves strategically placing windows and using materials that absorb and store the sun’s heat. A good facade design helps reduce energy consumption and improve indoor thermal comfort. It acts as a filter between the outdoor and indoor environments, stabilising the atmosphere. Improving facade design to reflect solar radiation involves using materials with high reflectivity, such as light-coloured paints and reflective coatings. Incorporating external shading devices like louvres and overhangs can also minimise heat gain, enhancing thermal comfort inside buildings by reducing the amount of direct sunlight that penetrates through windows. Vertical green walls should shade the building and provide evaporative cooling.

How can energy-efficient technologies, such as smart glazing and dynamic insulation, be incorporated into building designs to combat heat waves?
Many designers are developing adaptive façade designs and exploring new materials and technologies for more resilient architecture. Smart Glazing and Dynamic insulation are effective adaptive structures and materials that can ”learn” from their environment and continuously reinvent themselves. As energy-positive buildings are pursued, adopting intelligent and adaptive technologies capable of responsive behaviour to external dynamics becomes imperative. Incorporating energy-efficient technologies like smart glazing, which adjusts tint based on sunlight intensity, and dynamic insulation, which adapts to changing temperatures, can significantly enhance a building’s resilience to heat waves. These technologies help maintain stable indoor climates, reducing the need for air conditioning and lowering energy consumption. Even in interior spaces, daylight sensors, motion sensors, light management systems, and energy metering devices for air-conditioning, Co2 sensors can effectively and efficiently help monitor and reduce heat stress.

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