A breathing wall study for homeostatic buildings implementing natural ventilation effective design

This thesis paper investigates the possibility of developing a homeostatic building with breathing walls that integrate phase change materials (PCM). Breathing walls and PCM are smart materials that have the potential to increase energy efficiency and enhance indoor comfort. Combining these two smart materials in a building envelope leads to better resistance from high temperatures in the summer by utilizing passive natural ventilation method. The breathing wall design follows the design building framework as a guideline for the sustainable design process. The process involves determining sustainability objectives, selecting functional strategies, and applying them to the building design. The designed breathing wall aims to offer energy efficiency, indoor comfort, and low construction costs. A breathing wall with integrated PCM effectively prevents the inside space from receiving too much external air heat. Additionally, a properly designed air outlet can help improve indoor air quality in the hygrothermal aspects. The computational fluid dynamic (CFD) tool is used to find a proper breathing wall type with the most heat resistance and better passive natural ventilation. Natural ventilation has two driving force mechanisms, wind pressure and air buoyancy. This breathing wall type drives indoor natural ventilation through inflowing air pressure during the summer season. Natural ventilation is crucial for achieving homeostasis in a building through a breathing envelope. When developing a suitable PCM product and integrating it with a breathing wall, the building can provide better thermal performance and indoor comfort to the resident without using mechanical systems