Passive Cooling Strategies For A Better Comfort During Weather Extremes - Adapting the Existing Building Stock In German Cities To Future Climatic Conditions
Alexander Kader
LXK Kader + Architekten, Berlin, Germany
DOI: 10.62744/CATE.45273.1157-287-295
Email: alexkader@gmx.de
Abstract:
Global warming is causing a shift in climate zones. Focusing on German cities, this phenomenon is
leading to changes in precipitation patterns, strengths of storms and to the duration and intensity of hot and cold periods. A large part of the built environment in German cities is not prepared to handle these changes. This paper aims to explore how existing buildings can be upgraded to incorporate passive cooling strategies to ensure comfortable indoor environments even during extremely hot periods. The study highlights the pressing need for such strategies and underscores their effectiveness. The techniques include thermal massing, cross ventilation, improved insulation, better window sealing and the use of suitable building materials. First, the passive enhancements are analyzed independently and subsequently evaluated in terms of their collective efficacy. Through a prioritisation process, it is demonstrated that the most efficient outcomes are achieved by relatively simple and cost-effective approaches. To substantiate the viability of the proposed interventions, a case study serves as demonstration and provides an illustrative model for retrofitting efforts aimed at adapting the existing
building stock to the challenges which are expected to be posed by climate change. The findings underscore the feasibility of passive cooling strategies.
Keywords: Climate Change Adaptation, Retrofitting, Building Performance Analysis, Passive Cooling