Building Envelope and Fenestration

Building form
landscaping
Location of water bodies
Orientation
Building envelope and fenestration
The building envelope and its components are key determinants of the amount of heat
gain and loss and wind that enters inside. The primary elements affecting the
performance of a building envelope are-
 Materials and construction techniques

 Roof
 Walls
 Fenestration and shading
 Finishes
Materials and construction techniques-
Confined masonry- confined masonry is cheaper than building with RCC frames and
brick infill. Confined masonry uses about the same amount of bricks and concrete, but far
less steel reinforcement is needed. Also, the connections are quite easy to explain to the
local laborers.
Roof
The roof receives significant solar radiation and plays an important role in heat gain/
losses, daylighting and ventilation. In hot region, roof methods can be as –
 Inverted Earthen pots for roof insulation

 Broken china mosaic as top most layer in roof for reflection of incident
radiation
 Effective roof insulation can be provided by using vermiculite concrete. A low-
density non-structural construction product which is made simply by mixing
exfoliated vermiculite (a hydrous phyllosilicate mineral) as the aggregate, with
cement and water, plus additives. It is insulating (both thermally and
acoustically) and intrinsically fire resistant.
Selection of
Topic
Problem
Literature
Data Collection Case Study
Study
Norms and Government

standards Initiative
Air heating panels designed as an integral part of the south wall provide effective heat
gain. Distribution of heat gain in the building through a connective loop that utilizes the
stairwell as a means of distributing heated air
Insulated RCC diaphragm walls on the north to prevent heat loss

Solar chimney- Solar chimney is a passive element that make use of the solar energy to
induce buoyancy-driven airflow and naturally ventilate the building. It enables heating of
air in the tower. As air heated in the tower, it rises up and create upward draught.
Solar water heating system and solar photovoltaic system
Solar wall
solar air heating system – solar heat collector on roof-top with duct system for
supply to various rooms
types of Trombe walls (half Trombe, unvented Trombe, vented Trombe)
Polyurethane board insulation on wall and roof
Fountain court with water columns as environment moderator

Eco-friendly absorption technology adopted for air-conditioning
Terraces with skylights that admit winter sun
Insulated walls using innovative construction sandwich
The courtyard roof is the main climate-responsive device acting as a large

evaporative cooler over the central space of the house. All rooms communicate
with this space
earth walls (adobe)
Advanced passive heating techniques-
 Direct gain systems

 Indirect gain systems
 Trombe wall
 Water wall
 Roof based air heating system
 Sunspaces
 Courtyard effect
 Earth air tunnel
 Evaporate cooler
 Passive down draft cooling
A technique in which wind catchers guide outside air over water filled porous
pots, inducing evaporation and bringing about a significant drop in temperature
before the air enters the interiors. The fine drops of water will be sprayed
vertically downwards with the help of mirconisers. The cooling tower capitalizes
on the vertical flows generated by thermal conduction: the cooled air, both
denser and moister than its surroundings, tends to sink and draw an ambient air
in its wake. The rate of air exiting the down draft tower, then, is ideally
controlled by the temperature differential between the cooler air inside the tower
and warmer outdoor air.
A. Passive downdraft evaporative cooling with stack driven ventilation
The cool air is supplied to the occupant space using passive down draft shaft with the
help of mist (micronisers) and the stale air is exhausted using stack ventilation system.
Consumes 10% of the energy compared to conventional system and can maintain
temperature of 28 0C in summer.
B. Stack effect and Passive Downdraft Evaporative Cooling with night sky cooling
The night sky cooled water is stored in the thermal storage tank and is used for PDEC
tower in day time. The cooled water in the thermal storage tank is used for producing
mist in the cool tower. With this system it is possible to achieve 26 0C in peak summer.
Swamp cooler
It is a perforated box with wet pads on three sides through which outside air drawn by
means of an electric fan.

Building Envelope and Fenestration

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Building Envelope and Fenestration

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Building form

Location of water bodies

Building envelope and fenestration

 Materials and construction techniques

Materials and construction techniques-

 Inverted Earthen pots for roof insulation

Norms and Government

Insulated RCC diaphragm walls on the north to prevent heat loss

Solar water heating system and solar photovoltaic system

types of Trombe walls (half Trombe, unvented Trombe, vented Trombe)

Polyurethane board insulation on wall and roof

Fountain court with water columns as environment moderator

Terraces with skylights that admit winter sun

Insulated walls using innovative construction sandwich

The courtyard roof is the main climate-responsive device acting as a large

earth walls (adobe)

Advanced passive heating techniques-

 Direct gain systems

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