ZEMCH 2019 International Conference Proceedings April.2020 | Page 124
1. Introduction
Increasing the width of glazing or double glazing is one of the most popular techniques of keeping
comfortable indoors temperature without the need or reducing the use of air conditioning. Among its
benefits are: better insulation, noise reduction, increase security, reduction of energy consumption,
being considered as “ecofriendly”, etc. [1]. On the other hand, the main problem associated with double
glazing is its cost that has a significant impact in developing countries, where the difference between
installing double instead of single windows and increase the budget considerable. While the benefits
of double glazing in terms of thermal comfort and the reduction of energy consumption are encouraged
in countries of the Northern Hemisphere as an “ecofriendly” practice, what is the real impact that such
practice has in countries of lower latitudes such as Peru?
In cities like Arequipa, despite the contemporary appearance, most modern buildings are
constructed using traditional concrete structure filled by conventional brickwork. Due to construction
costs, single‐glazing sliding windows with a low level of airtightness are normally applied to these
buildings. What is the cost‐benefit of increasing the width of glass or putting double glass in order to
maintain indoor temperature?
This study aims to understand the thermal and acoustic characteristics of Arequipan architecture
and it is part of the “Zero‐energy mass custom housing model in Arequipa, Peru, for the sustainable
improvement of the quality of affordable housing according to design approaches of the ZEMCH
network” research project, funded by the Universidad Catolica de Santa Maria.
2. Site Contexts
Arequipa, the second city of Peru, is located in the central western region of the South American
continent. Arequipa is located in the Latitude 16 degrees, at the same distance the equator that Chiapas
cities in Mexico; Da Nang in Vietnam or Baguio in the Philippines, however its climatic characteristics,
flora and relief vary substantially due to conditions such as the Humboldt Current, altitude and
distance to the coast. With an average altitude of 2350 meters, Arequipa is located amidst the driest
dessert in the world [2]. Since Arequipa is located in a depression between two mountain ranges, it has
a daytime temperature average of 15 to 18 ° C; which can rise on warm days up to 28 ° C although for
short periods of time. The nights are cold with temperatures falling below 10 ° C. The relative humidity
varies greatly, ranging from 30% to 40% at noon to 80‐90% in summer, increasing at night. Relatively
strong winds appear in a northwest‐southeast direction. In addition, the climate of Arequipa is very
influenced by the sea, due to its proximity (less than 80 km) to the Pacific Ocean, which determines its
degree of continentality, given its character of thermal regulator and producer of water vapor.
Therefore, Arequipa corresponds to a “Temperate Climate of Continental Type”, that is, it is semi‐
desert with a shortage of rainfall, which creates conditions of atmospheric dryness with great daily
temperature variation, but very small annual variation. In addition, Arequipa is distinguished by the
large amount of solar energy it receives due to its low latitude, its height and the arid climate without
cloudiness [3].
Founded in 1540, Arequipa’s colonial core was composed of traditional houses. These were made
out of a volcanic stone called ignimbrite, a hardened tuff porous rock very abundant in the volcanic
surroundings and used as main raw material for construction. Locally known as “sillar”, the rock as
good thermal performance, but it is not very resistant to earthquakes [4]. The houses followed a typical
Spanish layout, arranged around a series of courtyards, which not only served for spatially distribute
the rooms around central spaces, but also helped to create microclimates around the patios, which
helped to improve the drastic changes of temperatures in a desert climate during day and night. From
the 1960s modern, high‐rise buildings started to become popular, mainly because they were made out
of brick and concrete (developing more seismic‐resistant structures) but also because they could
achieve higher density, resulting in more profitable investments for construction companies. Both types
of buildings have normally used single‐glazed windows, although the higher the height and altitude
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ZEMCH 2019 International Conference l Seoul, Korea