Numerical simulation of the air cooling by natural ventilation inside the "Maison ronde" of Botta.

The present study applies the N3S CFD code to the air cooling simulation on an "architectural reference object", namely the "Maison Ronde" of Mario Botta. The summer night situation is examined when natural ventilation creates indoor air motion and cools the building structure. The transient behavior of the walls is represented by a thermal model coupled with the CFD code. The simulation evaluates the unsteady temperatures of the outdoor and indoor air flow together with those of the wall surfaces. Obtained results are analyzed according to the architectural specificities of the building in order to identify the key components that play a major role in the efficiency of the passive cooling process.