Bioclimatic performance of two different building envelopes in a cold/temperate climate
Original version
Proceedings of Valencia International Biennial of Research in Architecture - VIBRArch 2024Abstract
Adaptation and mitigation for climate change are fundamental to ensure a viable future, both for the planet and for the people. More specifically, increasing sustainability in the built environment would have a significant effect in this direction. In addition, the wellbeing of all occupants could be enhanced by paying special care to indoor environmental quality. Increasing the use of passive strategies could in turn promote energy and resource efficiency, thus reducing operational costs and improving comfort. In this line, high-performance building envelopes tend to focus on insulation and airtightness, but could also provide thermal mass and moisture buffering at their inner surface. By storing excess heat and moisture, they can stabilise indoor temperature and relative humidity, restricting their daily and seasonal variability. This article investigates therefore the effect of two different envelope solutions, in relation to the hygrothermal behaviour of an office building in a cold/temperate climate. Following this, a comparison is made between a typical layered configuration with conventional insulation and an innovative one that includes also thermal mass and moisture buffering. Then, the hygrothermal performance of the two envelopes is simulated using EnergyPlus with DesignBuilder. Next, the analysis is divided into two parts. The first one examines the resulting indoor climate under normal operation with occupants, to show its psychrometric and dynamic behaviour. The second one is restricted to a fully passive operation, to explore its thermal autonomy, resilience and habitability. The objective of this work is to study the effect of different envelope materialities on the bioclimatic performance of the building. This can in turn reflect its energy efficiency, thermal comfort and thermal safety. The consequent increase in thrivability, resilience and sustainability may produce a more ethical architecture, with higher respect both for the user and for the environment. Bioclimatic performance of two different building envelopes in a cold/temperate climate