ZEMCH 2015 - International Conference Proceedings | Page 751

International Conference | Bari - Lecce, Italy Session X-XI THE IMPACT OF PASSIVE DESIGN STRATEGIES ON INDOOR COMFORT OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS IN HOT-DRY CLIMATES Sahar Zahiri1 & Hasim Altan2 1 School of Architecture, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK, [email protected] 2 Sustainable Design of the Built Environment, Faculty of Engineering & IT, The British University in Dubai, Dubai, UAE, [email protected] Abstract This research describes a series of field studies and thermal simulation analysis to improve the thermal performance of the female secondary school buildings in the city of Tehran in Iran. The field studies used field measurements and a questionnaire-based survey in the cold winter season in a typical female secondary school building. The on-site monitoring assessed the indoor air temperature of classrooms while the occupants completed questionnaires covering their thermal sensations and thermal preferences. Moreover, thermal simulation analyses were also carried out to evaluate and improve the thermal performance of the classrooms based on the students’ requirements and passive design strategies using a building simulation tool, DesignBuilder. This starts from the basic school model, investigating the various passive design strategies to predict the optimum conditions for the school building. The simulation results determined how to provide more comfortable classrooms for the students using passive design strategies with the minimum energy loads. The results of the field studies indicated that the indoor thermal environment were comfortable based on the 7-point ASHRAE scale. However, most of the occupants preferred their indoor environment to be changed. Moreover, the simulation results showed that the building fabrics and the thermal properties, as well as ventilation, had a significant influence on the indoor air temperature. Therefore, in order to enhance the indoor environment and to increase the learning performance of the students, it is necessary to use appropriate passive design strategies which can also reduce the need for mechanical systems in the school buildings and hence save energy. Keywords Passive Design, Indoor Comfort, School Buildings, DesignBuilder, Hot-dry Climates. 749