Inspiration for the Morphology of the South-Oriented Double-Skin Façade to Enhance Air Movement in Office Buildings of Cairo

Abstract

Energy Energy consumption in buildings is approximately 40% of the total world annual consumption. In hot climate, crucial percentage of energy consumed due to the cooling loads in buildings. Wherefore, tendency towards decreasing the energy demand rises through the revival of passive strategies and encouraging the development of innovative initiatives in different fields. Double skin facade (DSF) is a promising passive strategy to enhance the thermal comfort while decreasing energy consumption. The DSF promotes the convective strategy in the cavity as an additive force to enhance air movement the occupied spaces. The study will introduce a proposed skin inspired from parametric pattern movement and exploit the features of the pattern mutation. The movement of the parametric pattern demonstrates changes in the cavity configuration revealed at the outer skin through the entire height of the façade. The proposed facade generates a special species of fluctuation for air distribution covering larger area of the occupied space by applying the principle of Venturi's effect. The results show enhancement in the magnitude and distribution air velocity inside the occupied space, which assists in improving thermal comfort range inside by natural means.