Article#6Commercial Buildings Open their windows ARCHITECTURAL RECORDS VOL 9 2006

Open able windows in American commercial high-rise buildings haven’t been part of the designs because of the pollution and rain is free to come inside the building and running efficiency. The higher the building the more vulnerable is to these negative factors. However the occupants of the buildings prefer the control they have when the windows are open-able, they like the temperature control.
The more like the outdoor environment is replicated on the inside the more enjoyable and comfortable people are in it an expert engineer says. However the issues of the natural pollution plants have to the air such as pollen. Research has found that people adapt to changes of the mean and harsh outdoors and are more comfortable than when in an air-conditioned environment.
The RWE tower in Germany is the first acknowledged high-rise building to be naturally ventilated. Although completed in 1996 it still stands a good example of an energy efficient commercial building. The architects explored different ways to approach the comfortable environment people like and systems that would make the high-rise building people friendly. The ‘air path’ design was based on a similar one in the Empire State building.
The RWE tower is a 29-storey building with a circular façade with a double skin. The exterior skin is permeable which draws in the exhausting air, which then moves through horizontal openings throughout the floors. These openings not only prevent the rain from entering but also minimising sound pollution from outside. The interior layer is also permeable which have controllable panels that open to allow the occupants to control the temperature and air movement. The outer skin is a clear toughened glass with single sheet glass that increases the daylight intake into the interior of the building. Remotely operated aluminium blinds have been installed for sun protection. The circulare design also assists with as many occupants being in natural daylight, this is assisted by minimal enclosed space in the floor plan.
The ceiling has a ventilation duct system that allows the ceiling to be chilled. Chilled water passes through the ducts instead of forced air. This system deals with the outside air being too uncomfortable better than any other system. This system acknowledges when someone has opened a window in an area and shuts of through that zone, the system also warns occupants to close windows when the winds exceed a certain limit. This building saved 30-30% in energy use compared to an equivalent conventional building with the standards of double glazed windows and a single skin.
Many buildings ten years later are still using the concept of the double skin building to assist with natural ventilation. A Beijing plaza has taken on this concept with the assistance of ceiling fans. Maximising the air movement close to the exterior to avoid the fluctuation of temperature control.
Designers understand that the climate your building is in effects the success of the natural ventilation in buildings such as these. Some areas allow for the pleasant outside air to come into the building and others not so, the more humid climates.
Space planning and building management are factors that affect the efficiency of the natural ventilation system. The large office floors that are so common in high commercial buildings don’t allow for the ever-changing occupants needs. Some designs are swapping around the typical floor plan for offices with putting private offices in the centre of the building rather than around the perimeter to make the most of the open-able windows.