Table Of ContentTHE ARCHITECTURE OF
NATURAL COOLING
Overheating in buildings is commonplace. This
book describes how we can keep cool without con-
ventional air-conditioning: improving comfort and
productivity while reducing energy costs and carbon
emissions. It provides architects, engineers and pol-
icy makers with a ‘how-to’ guide to the application
of natural cooling in new and existing buildings. It
demonstrates, through reference to numerous exam-
ples, that natural cooling is viable in most climates
around the world.
This completely revised and expanded second edi-
tion includes:
• An overview of natural cooling past and pres-
ent.
• Guidance on the principles and strategies that
can be adopted.
• A review of the applicability of different strat-
egies.
• Explanation of simplified tools for performance
assessment.
• A review of components and controls.
• A detailed evaluation of case studies from the
USA, Europe, India and China.
This book is not just for the technical specialist, as
it also provides a general grounding in how to avoid
or minimise air-conditioning. Importantly, it demon-
strates that understanding our environment, rather
than fighting it, will help us to live sustainably in our
rapidly warming world.
Brian Ford (RIBA FRSA) is an architect, an envi-
ronmental design consultant and Emeritus Professor
at the University of Nottingham. He was in private
practice for over 25 years, including Peake Short &
Partners and Short Ford Associates, where he has
worked on innovative low carbon projects in Eu-
rope, USA, India, Australia and China. He initiated
a series of multi-partner EU funded research projects
on natural ventilation and passive cooling and has
served as a member of the UK Government’s Zero
Carbon Task Force for Schools, an advisor to Building
Green Futures (Bologna, Italy), and was until recently
Vice-President of the International PLEA organisation.
Rosa Schiano-Phan (BSc DiplArch MSc PhD) is Prin-
cipal Lecturer in Architecture and Environmental De-
sign at the University of Westminster and co-director
of Natural Cooling Ltd. She worked as an architect
and environmental design consultant internationally
before gaining a PhD at the Architectural Association
and becoming a Research Fellow at the University
of Nottingham, working on EU research into thermal
performance of buildings and passive cooling. She
taught at the AA and subsequently moved to the Uni-
versity of Westminster where in 2014 she set up new
BSc and MSc courses in Architecture and Environ-
mental Design.
Juan A. Vallejo (BSc DiplArch MSc PhD) is Visiting
Lecturer in Architecture and Environmental Design
(MSc) at the School of Architecture + Cities of the
University of Westminster in London (UK) and collab-
orates with the School of Sustainability (SOS) Team
founded by Mario Cucinella Architects in Bologna
(Italy). He has worked in Natural Cooling Ltd as an
environmental design consultant on projects in the UK
and abroad and he is associate of the International
Passive Low Energy Architecture (PLEA) organisation.
His expertise lies in the field of building environmen-
tal simulation software tools, natural ventilation and
passive evaporative cooling.
“Natural cooling is one of the most important as- “This book brings together a uniquely compre-
pects to tackle while designing, and surely one of the hensive body of history, architectural science and
trickiest to master. Through a well-calibrated collec- contemporary practice that will stand as a primary
tion of theoretical principles and practical recommen- source in the foreseeable future. The understanding
dations, all supported by a set of thoroughly analysed of the specificity of climate lies at the heart of the
and presented case studies, this volume provides a book, serving as one of the foundations for natural
reference book for the many professionals who, in cooling design. At the other pole of environmental
response to global trends, are just approaching the design, human comfort is an essential parameter. Be-
matter, as well as for those in search for a deeper tween these poles the book presents a systematic and
understanding of natural cooling principles and their comprehensive methodology for design that embrac-
possible practical applications.” es precedent, science and technology.”
Mario Cucinella Dean Hawkes
Architect, Hon FAIA, Int. Fellow RIBA Emeritus Professor, Welsh School of Architecture
(Founder MCA Bologna and New York) & Darwin College, Cambridge
THE ARCHITECTURE OF
NATURAL COOLING
SECOND EDITION
BRIAN FORD, ROSA SCHIANO-PHAN AND JUAN A. VALLEJO
Second edition published 2020
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2020 Brian Ford, Rosa Schiano-Phan and Juan A. Vallejo
The right of Brian Ford, Rosa Schiano-Phan and Juan A. Vallejo to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accord-
ance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other
means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and ex-
planation without intent to infringe.
First edition published by PHDC Press 2010
Publisher’s Note
This book has been prepared from camera-ready copy provided by the authors.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Ford, Brian, 1949- author. | Schiano-Phan, Rosa, author. | Vallejo, Juan A., author.
Title: The architecture of natural cooling / Brian Ford, Rosa Schiano-Phan, Juan A. Vallejo.
Other titles: Architecture & engineering of downdraught cooling.
Description: Second edition. | Abingdon, Oxon ; New York : Routledge, 2020. | First edition published by PHDC Press 2010. | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019024744 (print) | LCCN 2019024745 (ebook) | ISBN 9781138629059 (hardback) | ISBN 9781138629073
(paperback) | ISBN 9781315210551 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Buildings--Environmental engineering. | Buildings--Thermal properties. | Architecture and climate. | Evaporative cooling. |
Air-conditioning--Design and construction--Environmental aspects.
Classification: LCC TH6025 .F66 2020 (print) | LCC TH6025 (ebook) | DDC 697--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019024744
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019024745
ISBN: 978-1-138-62905-9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-62907-3 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-21055-1 (ebk)
Typeset in Futura
by Juan A. Vallejo
CONTENTS
PREFACE x
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xiv
COOLING WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING xvi
FOREWORD xviii
PART 1
CHAPTER 1 | ORIGINS AND OPPORTUNITIES 2 CHAPTER 3 | CLIMATE APPLICABILITY MAPPING 56
1.1. Origins 3 3.1. Interpreting weather data 57
1.2. Opportunities 12 3.2. Applicability of passive cooling methods 59
Natural convective cooling 60
CHAPTER 2 | PRINCIPLES AND STRATEGIES 24
Passive evaporative cooling 62
Active downdraught cooling 63
2.1. Site & microclimate analysis 25
3.3. Passive cooling applicability mapping 65
Urban morphology 25
Urban heat islands 25 Applicability maps for Europe 66
Effects of vegetation 27 Applicability maps for China 68
Traffic noise and air borne pollution 28 Applicability maps for the USA 70
Solar radiation effects 29
CHAPTER 4 | INTEGRATED DESIGN 76
Wind effects 30
2.2. Natural cooling design strategies 32 4.1. Why integrated design? 77
External air – natural convection 32
4.2. Refurbishment options for existing buildings 82
Night-time ventilation 33
Urban morphology and cooling options 83
Night sky radiation 34
Stock analysis in southern Europe 87
Ground cooling 36
Evaporation 38 4.3. Integration in existing buildings 88
2.3. Airflow strategies: updraught 40 4.4. Integration in new buildings: temperate climates 94
Single sided 40 Natural ventilation design 94
Cross ventilation 40 Acoustic attenuation on airflow paths 100
Central atrium/concourse (open or enclosed) 41
4.5. Integration in new buildings: humid tropics 102
Perimeter stack (ventilated façade) 43
2.4. Airflow strategies: downdraught 43 4.6. Integration in new buildings: hot dry climates 108
Central atrium or concourse 43
CHAPTER 5 | TESTING THE STRATEGY 116
Central shaft or concourse 45
Perimeter tower 45 5.1. Heat gains 117
2.5. The cooling source for downdraught systems 47 External heat gains 117
Porous media 47 Internal heat gains 118
Shower towers 49 Total heat gains 119
Misting systems 51 5.2. Defining the air volume flow rate required 120
Active downdraught cooling 53
5.3. Sizing aperture areas for stack-driven cooling 121
5.4. Sizing an evaporative cooling system 124
Misting systems 124
Porous materials 128
Active downdraught cooling 133
PART 2
CHAPTER 6 | PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS 138 INTRODUCTION 176
CASE STUDY 1 | TORRENT RESEARCH CENTRE, AHMEDABAD,
6.1. Performance criteria: thermal comfort 139
INDIA 180
6.2. Steady-state methods 140
Solar control 140 CASE STUDY 2 | CENTRE FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
Natural ventilation: Optivent tool 145 TECHNOLOGIES, NINGBO, CHINA 194
6.3. Dynamic methods 150
CASE STUDY 3 | FEDERAL COURTHOUSE, PHOENIX,
Modelling evaporative cooling 154
ARIZONA, USA 212
6.4. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) 156
CASE STUDY 4 | STOCK EXCHANGE, VALLETTA, MALTA 224
CHAPTER 7 | COMPONENT DESIGN 160
7.1. Effective integration 161 CASE STUDY 5 | ZION NATIONAL PARK VISITOR CENTRE,
SPRINGDALE, UTAH, USA 238
7.2. Ventilator design 162
Improvements in actuator design 165 CASE STUDY 6 | GLOBAL ECOLOGY RESEARCH CENTRE,
7.3. Shafts, ducts and cool towers 166 PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, USA 252
Supply & exhaust air termination conditions 166
Wind baffles 168 CONCLUSIONS 268
7.4. Controls 169 IMAGE CREDITS 274
Flow rates through ventilators 170 INDEX 278
Combined user and automated control 170
7.5. Water systems 171
Water consumption in evaporative cooling 171
Water treatment 172
Low and high pressure misting systems 172
Maintenance of nozzles 174
