Also known as Wind Effect Ventilation, Cross ventilation is a natural method of cooling. The system relies on wind, fresh air or a breeze to enter a building while forcing warm interior air out where air pressure is the lowest. Using the natural strength of the wind to cool a room effortlessly is a strategy so simple yet can be forgotten when designing a build from scratch.
Ensuring adequate ventilation in a building is a must for project developers and this approach allows you to leverage fresh, cool air organically. To make cross ventilation work, you have to understand how air naturally moves. This requires researching the different sides of your building that get hit by air and pressure.
In building design, the idea is to have an inlet that lets cool air in and an outlet that drives out the warm air – gables and open windows are examples of inlets, while roof vents and high level windows or opening skylights are outlets.
Cross ventilation is something that you should think about incorporating into your building design because of five important benefits:
- It removes moisture from the air by pushing hot air outside which reduces the moisture that will be trapped inside the building lowering the chance of mould growth.
- It improves the quality of air inside the building. As air circulates in and out of the building – no stale air remains inside and accumulated toxins and contaminants are pushed out by the clean air entering.
- It provides a natural cooling method. There’s no need for added expense of air conditioning and ventilation systems which consume energy.
- It’s inexpensive compared to other alternatives. Since it doesn’t use electricity, energy consumption is very low. The lack of mechanical ventilation systems means the building will not be costly to keep cool.
- It promotes sustainability. As cross ventilation doesn’t consume a lot of energy – it has minimal carbon emissions which is great news for the environment.
How Cross Ventilation Impacts Building Design
If you decide to integrate a cross ventilation system into your building design, you’ll have to incorporate three specific features – the principles to consider are:
- There should be at least 2 openings. Remember that one would be the inlet while the other is the outlet. It’ll work best if one is facing prevailing winds while the other is on the other side.
- There should be a clear path for the wind to flow through. Ensure that there are no walls to restrict the movement of air flow, unless it is used to direct the air in the direction of the outlet.
- Design the building in a way that the air will have a smoother flow of circulation. This means checking where the prevailing winds come from and positioning the openings properly so when the wind flows through – it benefits everyone in room.
The benefits of cross ventilation should not be ignored – especially if you have the right building type and location for it. Consider incorporating this in your building’s design to naturally ventilate interiors and keep costly power bills down. If you are considering a new building or altering your home, give us a call and we can talk through your options.
