The Effect of Aspect Ratio of Compact Forms on Thermal Comfort in a Telecommunications Office Building in Hot-Dry Region
Ibrahim Tajuddeen & Dr. A. J. Ango
Department of Architecture, Faculty of Environmental Design
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
E-mail: Ibrahim.tajuddeen42@gmail.com
Corresponding Author: Ibrahim Tajuddeen
ABSTRACT
Telecommunications office buildings have become important to the development of every nation’s economy, and on the other hand, they mostly have large workspaces, thereby, making thermal comfort a necessity. Unfortunately in the hot-dry regions, achieving this comfort has always been through mechanical means with excessive use of energy. The study aimed at investigating the suitable aspect ratio of building forms (compact forms) in a telecommunications office building in a hot-dry climate of Maiduguri. It therefore focused on, firstly, examining the thermal performance of different building forms of the same floor area against their volume to surface ratio (V/S) and secondly, the forms were further optimized with different aspect ratios elongated along east-west orientation. ECOTECT program was used to experimentally study the energy performance and solar radiation on exposed surfaces of the forms using weather data files of hot-dry region. The study showed that forms with higher V/S performs better, and also 20% solar radiation on the west surface could be further reduced during summer period when optimized with an optimum aspect ratio of (1:2.5) as compared to aspect ratio (1:1).
Keywords: Aspect ratio, Building forms, Hot-dry climate, Volume to surface ratio, large workspace, Thermal comfort.
