Passive ventilation and thermal comfort for public housing in ecuatorial climate

Abstract

In general, comfort and health are not taken into account by social housing’s

(VIS) designers, nor are some issues of ecological sustainability such as,

for example, natural ventilation. Two conditions worsen this situation: the

first one is that knowledge of scientific comfort through passive strategies

is barely known, and the second one is the thought that passive design

is unprofitable for builders or for the state. In hot tropics, passive design

strategies are complicated due to the high midday insolation (870 W/

m2) and due to the calmly wind. Here a solution is proposed that offers

comfort and health through combining various ventilation and thermal

load strategies; and its performance and effectiveness were evaluated in

an experimental prototype that simulates a VIS’ room in Cali (Colombia).

It was found that in the original architectural configuration, a typical VIS

is completely uninhabitable almost all the day; however some low budget

modifications can turn it towards acceptable comfort and healthy levels.

In particular solar chimneys proved very effective for air induction during

the calm. The considered alternatives were implementable for new

or refurbished designs.