Abstract
Today, global warming has turned to one of the most important challenges which seriously threats mankind and the ecosystem. Buildings sector with 40% of global energy consumption and greenhouse gases emission play a key role in these threats. Unfortunately, our present-day buildings are consuming more energy and resulting in less comfortable habitation. Therefore, an urgent need is felt to reduce the use of energy for heating and cooling in buildings. To achieve an energy-efficient design and reduce energy consumption, passive cooling systems could be considered as an alternative solution. The techniques used for cooling and ventilation of the buildings in the past were more harmonious with nature. One of the traditional passive cooling techniques that still being used in the Middle East is windcatcher. There are already many studies which assessed the design characteristics and thermal comfort aspects of the wind catchers. The current investigation focuses on contemporary green interventions and combines green and traditional passive cooling techniques to safely and efficiently cool down the buildings. The overall aim of this research is to evaluate the thermal impacts of Green structures (green walls and green roofs) integrated with wind catchers in the traditional buildings. In this regard, a representative building that includes the windcatcher system and reflects the traditional architecture of Iran is selected for detailed investigation. Furthermore, to carry out the research, an energy simulation tool (Design Builder software) is used to evaluate the indoor temperature variations of the building in presence of windcatcher by adding and removing green plants to the walls and roof. Besides, Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) survey is conducted to investigate the capability of the aforementioned structures integrated with the windcatcher system in providing a convenient range of indoor thermal comfort for occupants. In the post-occupancy studies, an in-depth evaluation of the occupant’s feedback through observation, questionnaire, and interview is implemented. The results of this inquiry will indicate that the green interventions into the traditional building envelopes equipped by windcatchers have a more prominent impact on temperature reduction, especially during the heating period. These results will confirm the cooling potential of green structures and highlight the necessity of assessing and integrating them with other existing traditional passive cooling techniques in the future for the benefit of energy efficiency and health qualities.
