How to design a resilient building? Lessons learnt from an architectural view

The EIA EBC Annex 80 Resilient Cooling program has focused on bringing together and extending the knowledge on the resilience of buildings to overheating (Holzer, 2024).  In the context of the Annex 80 Resilient Cooling program a research project, Recover++, has been setup to define a new resilience indicator, based on the properties and behaviour of real-world building projects under extreme climatological condition and shocks, as heatwaves under current and future weather conditions.

A novel indicator to assess thermal resilience of buildings to overheating

The increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves highlight the necessity for resilient building design to reduce heat-stress-related discomfort and mortality among occupants. "Thermal resilience" refers to a building's capacity to endure thermal disruptions, maintain habitable conditions, and return to its intended state. This study aims to develop a thermal resilience indicator to make resilience an actionable concept for architects and HVAC engineers to assess and improve thermal resilience of buildings to overheating.

Ventilation guidelines for Flemish childcare and psychological care centres

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, governments have expressed the need for practical ventilation guidelines to maintain acceptable indoor air quality (IAQ) in the public care sector, where vulnerable groups reside. The aim of this paper is to establish such guidelines dedicated to old and newly built psychological care homes and child day care centres in Flanders (Belgium). For each sector, a representative simulation model was designed in Modelica.

Trends in building ventilation requirements and inspection in France

French regulation regarding residential ventilation dates from 1982. Almost every new residential buildings constructed since then are equipped with a mechanical ventilation system. 
For non-residential buildings, the regulation dates from 1979 and does not impose the installation of a ventilation system as a prescriptive requirement. Nevertheless, if air renewal relies only on windows opening, a significant windows area is necessary (according to the floor area) for the building to be considered compliant with the regulation. 
 

Building ventilation requirements and inspection in Belgium

In Belgium, the requirements for ventilation in buildings can be found in national ventilation standards, national health regulation and in regional environmental regulations and EPB regulations (Energy Performance and Indoor Climate). In 2006 the latter regulations were introduced for the first time including mandatory requirements for ventilation.

Trends in building ventilation requirements and inspection in Ireland

This paper provides a background regarding building ventilation regulations and inspection requirements in Ireland. Ventilation requirements for new buildings are provided in the National Building Regulations, which apply to the whole of the Republic of Ireland. 

Trends in building ventilation requirements and inspection in Spain

In Spain, the construction sector has undergone significant changes over the last twenty years due to new ventilation standards driven by increased awareness of indoor air quality (IAQ) and energy efficiency, as well as environmental policies. 

Control of airborne particle concentrations in a meeting room with stand-alone air cleaners: influence of type, airflow rate, flow pattern and position in the room

The objective of this study is to assess the ability to mitigate the airborne particle concentration in a mechanically ventilated meeting room with stand-alone air cleaners (ACs) as function of the amount and type of devices, the total airflow rate, the location(s) of the device(s) in the room and their flow pattern. Six commercially available ACs, selected to be representative of the French market, are included in the study, each featuring distinct airflow patterns for both air inlet and outlet.

Assessment of Airborne Cross-infection Risk Across Various Body Orientations in Indoor Airflow Environments

This study aims to evaluate airborne cross-infection risk under different discharge angle (-20°, 0°, and +20°) and supply temperatures (18, 25, and 30 °C) of an air-conditioner, with various body orientations (face-to-face, side-by-side, and back-to-back). Field experiments on particle dispersion were conducted within a full-scale test chamber using a manikin-shaped particle generator and detector with simulated particles (NaCl). Initial trends in particle transmission varied with body orientations.

Airborne transmission in a meeting room with mixing and displacement ventilation

The main purpose of this study is to analyse the effects of heat gain, airflow rate, air distribution, and the location of an infector on the airborne transmission and infection probability in a meeting room. In a six-person meeting room the droplet nuclei of an infected person were simulated with tracer gas (SF6) generated by a thermal breathing manikin. An overhead perforated duct (OPD) and low velocity unit (LVU) were used and their performance was compared.

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