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 The comfortable climate under a tree is produced by principles of passive cooling like shading and evaporation.Passive cooling is a means of preventing heat from entering the interior spaces of a building and/or removing heat after it has entered such spaces. Passive cooling uses solar energy or other natural cooling sources, like evaporative cooling, passive ventilation, etc., to control indoor climates.
The exact application of these strategies and specific design of the system depends on the prevailing climatic conditions. Passive cooling techniques help to maximize building envelope efficiency by minimizing heat gain from the external environment and to efficiently release heat gain back into the exterior from building surfaces. Passive cooling engages structures like the wind catcher, and is sometimes used in combination with evaporative cooling to further maximize cooling potential. comment on this definition on the Index of Re-inventing Construction blogSource: WhatWow
 The natural ventilation cooling effect is enhanced by routing air through underground tubes, planting vegetation, and the use of double-skin roofs and façades to achieve a 5°C thermal reduction. Example project – Secondary school with passive ventilation system Diverse design aspects of the project consider the challenging weather conditions where summer temperatures on the southern plains of Burkina Faso peak at 35°C.
The extremely hot weather conditions in the area, makes studying in buildings without air-conditioning very difficult. That is why all interior spaces are embedded partially underground in the redesigned landscape to create a shadowed oasis. The project aims for the sustainable use of resources to provide natural ventilation without any use of electricity. The natural ventilation system works with low-tech, cost-effective earth-tubes, which is a sustainable, zero-energy passive geothermal solar cooling system.
The rich vegetation near the ground pre-filters the incoming air. The air routes through the underground tubes to achieve a cooling effect inside the buildings, by entering through holes in the floor. The hot air in the classroom rises through openings in the ceiling into the space between the ceiling and roof cladding. The large overhang of the roof allows the wind to circulate freely in the space between ceiling and roof, providing a rapid exchange of air. Pressure differences between inlet and outlet facilitate the natural flow of air. Rain water will be introduced in the pipe by dropping from a basin, which is integrated in the landscape.read Holcim Awards project submission – “Secondary school with passive ventilation system”, Gando, Burkina Faso
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