WIND TOWERS: POTENTIAL EVALUATION OF NATURAL VENTILATION IN HOUSING

Abstract

Global warming, in addition to the urban heat island effect, has raised temperatures and with it the risk of overheating in houses located within increasingly overcrowded urban environments. Although the increasing demands for cooling may be satisfied by natural ventilation, often this cannot be applied due to the lack of optimal openings in the facades, or well, for not having the necessary exposure to the prevailing winds. Against this, wind towers or “windcatchers” are presented as a potential solution because of their ability to capture wind over the roof limits, channelling them into the house. This work evaluated through simulations the potential of natural ventilation in homes belonging to residential complexes, as well as the contribution of the wind tower to these. The results evidence the absence of design criteria for the housing complexes, which consider wind in the orientation and exposure of the openings which houses. For unfavourable cases, the contribution of the wind tower is confirmed, which thanks to its multidirectional nature can operate independently of the orientation of the house with respect to the winds.                  

Keywords: Windcatcher, natural ventilatión, gated communities, simulation.