Simulation-Driven Strategies for Improving Natural Ventilation in Educational Spaces: A Case Study of An Educational Building in Sari

Abstract

Any architectural space, especially the architecture of an educational complex, should provide comfort for human beings in the face of geographical and climatic characteristics. Climatic factors have always profoundly affected the formation of the physical environment of buildings. Energy demand has always been one of society’s most critical issues. Saving resources is one of the architectural design goals to achieve a suitable environment-friendly architecture. This architectural approach, which comes from the concepts of sustainable development, is one of the basic human needs in the current world due to its compatibility with the environment. The goal is to build constructions that can improve the climate, prevent the waste of energy consumption, and avoid the adverse effects of construction on the environment. In traditional Iranian architecture, there are numerous passive methods; natural ventilation is an essential part of Iranian conventional building design, which is being ignored today. Since humid and moderate climates have high relative humidity on most days of the year, one important goal is to move the stagnant moisture inside to establish a suitable thermal environment for occupants. The research method of the present study is descriptive-analytical, which has been experimented with according to library studies in addition to climate and meteorological data. Then, analysis of the data is provided by an energy simulator. It is concluded that the best orientation of the educational building is south, which can provide proper natural ventilation and solar heat gain. In other words, optimal interior air quality is achieved in this orientation.