Extract

This study aims to investigate the impact of building façade design on indoor air temperature and thermal comfort in naturally ventilated residential buildings in tropical climate. Firstly, field experiment was carried out in residential buildings in Singapore. In each unit, indoor air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed were measured continuously for one week. The impacts of window-to-wall ratio (WWR) and orientation on the hourly indoor air temperature were analysed. It was observed that the north-facing room could be 3oC hotter than the east-facing room on sunny afternoon in July. Secondly, the thermal comfort inside the measured units were assessed using the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) model developed for tropical climate. The impact of façade orientation and WWR on indoor thermal comfort was analysed. Thirdly, computer simulation using Energy plus was conducted to investigate the impact of WWR, orientation and length of shading device on indoor air temperature. Based on obtained results, facade design recommendations were provided for better indoor comfort in tropical climate.

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