Effect of the double skin facade material on the thermal performance of the educational building in tropical climate

This study aimed to compare the thermal performance of university building models with Double skin facade (DSF) made with glazing and perforated metal sheet under tropical climate conditions. Building models with alternative DSF outer layer fabric material, perforation rate and colour were developed and compared through dynamic computational simulations in the tropical climatic conditions of Rio de Janeiro. Results indicate that, differently from the case made with glazing, cases having perforated metallic screen presented similar ascending cavity airflow rates over the year as the wind pressures have major impacts on the system ventilation. Annual levels of thermal comfort reached up to 75% indicating that real buildings may require other means of cooling under summer conditions. Results also include airflow rates through the different levels of the building and solar heat gains on the DSF cavity. This study contributes to the DSF design when considering its adoption in tropical climates as a sustainable solution.