The impact of wider frontage design of low-cost double storey terrace house (LCDSTH) to airflow and natural ventilation in Malaysia

Abstract

This thesis presents the results of an analysis which was done to predict the impact of wider frontage design of low-cost double storey terrace house (LCDSTH) to airflow and natural ventilation in Kuala Lumpur. The existing LCDSTH has narrow frontage and deep plan which necessitates its internal planning with partitions to divide the spaces and arranged the rooms to have single-sided openings. These arrangements have extremely limited cross-ventilation potential and caused discomfort to occupants. Due to the availability of natural ventilation from the prevailing wind in Malaysia, the LCDSTH design could be manipulated to enhance the natural ventilation to flow into the living spaces and gives cooling effect to ameliorate occupants’ thermal comfort. Predictions of the mean internal air velocity in the existing and proposed LCDSTH are used to identify the potential plan for improving thermal comfort. Computational Fluid Dynamic is chosen due to its capability in fluid dynamic studies. A specific software named FLOVENT is used to predict the internal air velocity by simulating the simplified building configuration of the existing and proposed model of LCDSTH. The outcomes of the simulated results are then compared using the graphic velocity vectors and contour from FLOVENT and also from the mean internal air velocity graph. The results show that although the proposed design with wider frontage, shorter depth plan and different building height in a staggered and checker board pattern position give the best solution as compared to the existing plan, it is not significant enough to provide to the most preferable air velocity values of 1.0 m/s for thermal comfort at every position of each unit in a row of LCDSTH. However, it does improve the performance of the mean internal air velocity in comparison with the existing double storey terrace house that has the design of narrow frontage and deep plan.