The thermal performance of compact housing in tall buildings: an analytical examination for the retrofit of facades in the densified city centre of Sao Paulo

摘要

Public and private sectors in the city of São Paulo are interested in redeveloping unoccupied buildings built between 1930s and 1960s and open up new housing market opportunities in the city centre. In this context, the objective of this research is to quantify the thermal performance of compact economic housing in these buildings and formulate design guidelines with emphasis on the façades, considering the impact of solar radiation and the benefits of natural ventilation within the urban context of the city centre of the subtropical city of São Paulo (23.85°S). The method was based on thermodynamic simulations for a representative base-case in the urban canyon. The adaptive comfort model proposed in BS EN 15251: 2007 standard was adopted. In the summer, sufficient air-flow via single sided ventilation was obtained with the 50% window’s aperture. In the cases of high solar exposure, cross ventilation is necessary for 80% of the time.