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Make use of air movement in passive cooling - page 2
Convective air movement
Previously in the paragraph A breeze is born I gave you an example how a car park can create a local wind pattern. Large paved open areas such as an airport can create strong enough air movements that may have a cooling effect on nearby housing estates. This is only of benefit if the replacement air for the thermal is drawn from a cool enough area such as a forest and your home lies in between these two distinct surfaces.
With celestial windows and spinnaway roofing vents you can create your own convective air movements, but more to this later in the book.
Neighbouring buildings
A considerable positive or negative influence on you comfort can have the positions, height and shape of neighbouring buildings. Two narrow rows of buildings, in particular rows of tall buildings, act like a wind tunnel. Air movement will be channelled and wind will be strengthened in the same manner as in narrow valleys or canyons. If you are lucky enough to be at the end of this channel, you will find it easier to passively cool your home.
On the other hand, if rows of buildings are perpendicular to the wind direction, they may block any breeze from reaching your home.
Recordings in cities also showed stronger winds where building heights vary significantly. You can imagine this as a rough surface that promotes air turbulence. Under such conditions, the turbulent air is more likely to reach the ground and thereby your home.
Landscape design
The same arguments as for neighbouring buildings stand for natural features in the
vicinity. Narrow rows of trees will have a similar effect as rows of buildings. Lightly
wooded forests or stands of trees with branches far above the ground can, however,
have the bonus of pre-
On a smaller scale, you need to consider the landscape immediately surrounding your future home. Will it block or channel any breeze?
Continued on page 3
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