CFD Study Toward Eco-Economical Tall Residential Housing in the Mediterranean Climate

The concept “Design with Nature” has recently been promoted as the most effective solution to the global warming problem. Because there is limited natural-cross ventilation in the Mediterranean climate in Alexandria, Egypt, reliance on natural-stack ventilation in modern tall residential buildings is crucial. This research intends to rely on economical housing while maintaining thermal comfort within units. The research discusses the use of an atrium with evaporative cooling to direct the cool airflow toward tall buildings. The study uses CFD simulation with ANSYS Fluent to demonstrate and explain the concept. A centralized atrium with evaporative cooling applies to two different height cases: a five-story residential building and a ten-story residential building. The experiment simulates four variables: two air-exhaust opening positions, atrium width, and atrium shape. Each variable is assigned to a certain category. The results are presented through a comparison between the temperature and velocity contours of the proposed buildings. According to the findings, a centralized atrium with a rectangle shape in a ten-story residential building with an upper air exhaust vent provides an appropriate stack effect. Finally, in tall residential housing, the use of an atrium with an evaporative cooling system increases the effectiveness of natural-stack ventilation.