A Pathway to Comfort by Natural Conditioning: Selecting Bioclimatic Design Resources

Abstract

Passive building design and construction modifies outdoor environmental conditions, improving comfort and reducing dependence on artificial conditioning and conventional energy. This chapter presents an analysis of bioclimatic design resources and selection methods developed over the last 50 years and presents a new approach based on the response to typical external conditions with special emphasis on the control of temperature swings and modification of indoor average temperatures. This is based on the dynamic variations of periodic heat flow using bioclimatic design resources such as thermal inertia that affects the indoor conditions over the daily cycle. The method aims at promoting appropriate combinations and levels of bioclimatic strategies, to guide the designer at the initial design stage before definitive decisions. The graphic tool allows the designer to use climate data and comfort limits to select and visualize alternative design resources, promoting participation in the development of bioclimatic approaches to near-zero energy buildings.