Abstract
Connecting occupants to the outdoor environment and incorporating biophilic design principles are challenging in extreme Arctic climatic conditions. Existing Arctic housing models do not provide efficient thermal and daylight transitions which are essential for the well-being and cultural needs of their occupants. To address these challenges, this research develops free-running biophilic intermediate spaces, integrated into an existing Arctic housing model. Numerical simulation methods are employed to optimize the primary and secondary architectural design variables for 26 case studies of intermediate spaces. Primary variables include volume, transparency ratio, and orientation. Secondary variables include materials and physical adjacency. Temperature, Daylight Factor/Autonomy, and Energy Use are evaluated as performance indicators. Results reveal that free-running intermediate spaces with 6 meters depth and a transparency ratio above 50% provide efficient indoor–outdoor transitions regarding thermal, visual, and energy performance. Such architectural configurations contribute to an approximately 5% reduction in energy consumption within the housing unit compared to the baseline. Opening side windows prevents the risk of overheating during the summer by reducing the average indoor temperature of intermediate spaces by 7 °C but increases the overall energy consumption. As a potential alternative to double-glazing, polycarbonate sheets enable efficient thermal performance by increasing the average indoor temperature of intermediate spaces by approximately 15 °C during the cold Arctic seasons. Using polycarbonate sheets results in a 16.6% reduction in energy consumption compared to using double-glazing material in intermediate space, and a 26% reduction from the baseline. Research outcomes contribute to efficient indoor–outdoor connections and energy efficiency in Arctic housing.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- DA:
-
daylight autonomy
- DF:
-
daylight factor (%)
- EUI:
-
energy use intensity (kWh/m2)
- \(\bar{m}\) :
-
mean of measured values
- m i :
-
measured values
- n :
-
number of measured data points
- p :
-
number of adjustable model parameters (p = 1)
- s i :
-
predicted values (simulated values)
References
Abazari T (2020). Biophilia and Cambridge Bay Innuit Community. In: Occupants N (ed).
Abazari T, Potvin A, Demers CM, et al. (2022). A biophilic wellbeing framework for positive indoor-outdoor connections in energy-efficient Arctic buildings. Building and Environment, 226: 109773.
Abazari T, Potvin A, Gosselin L, et al. (2024). An architectural design framework to integrate biophilic intermediate spaces into Arctic housing. Journal of Building Engineering, Under review.
Alshaibani K (1997). Average daylight factor for clear sky conditions. Lighting Research and Technology, 29: 192–196.
Araji MT, Boubekri M, Chalfoun NV (2007). An examination of visual comfort in transitional spaces. Architectural Science Review, 50: 349–356.
ASHRAE (2002). ASHRAE Guideline 14-2002: Measurement of Energy and Demand Savings. Atlanta, GA, USA: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
ASHRAE (2020). ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55. Thermal Comfort. U.S: ASHRAE. Atlanta, GA, USA: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
Banister C, Swinton M, Moore T, et al. (2019). Energy consumption of an energy efficient building envelope in the Canadian Arctic. In: Proceedings of Cold Climate HVAC Conference.
Boubekri M (2004). A overview of the current state of daylight legislation. Journal of the Human-Environment System, 7: 57–63.
Browning W, Ryan C, Clancy J (2014). 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design: Improving Health & Well-Being in the Built Environment. New York: Terrapin Bright Green.
Canada Energy Regulator (2023). Provinical and Territorial energy Profiles-Nunavut. Available at https://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/energy-markets/provincial-territorial-energy-profiles/provincial-territorial-energy-profiles-nunavut.html.
Čekon M, Šikula O (2020). Experimental and numerical study on the thermal performance of polycarbonate panels. Journal of Building Engineering, 32: 101715.
Chun C, Kwok A, Tamura A (2004). Thermal comfort in transitional spaces—basic concepts: literature review and trial measurement. Building and Environment, 39: 1187–1192.
Goia F (2016). Search for the optimal window-to-wall ratio in office buildings in different European climates and the implications on total energy saving potential. Solar Energy, 132: 467–492.
Hou G (2016). An investigation of thermal comfort and the use of indoor transitional space. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University, UK.
Hwang R-L, Yang K-H, Chen C, et al. (2008). Subjective responses and comfort reception in transitional spaces for guests versus staff. Building and Environment, 43: 2013–2021.
Jhumka H, Yang S, Gorse C, et al. (2023). Assessing heat transfer characteristics of building envelope deployed BIPV and resultant building energy consumption in a tropical climate. Energy and Buildings, 298: 113540.
Jitkhajornwanich K, Pitts AC (2002). Interpretation of thermal responses of four subject groups in transitional spaces of buildings in Bangkok. Building and Environment, 37: 1193–1204.
Kellert SR, Heerwagen J, Mador M (2011). Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Kellert SR, Calabrese E (2015). The practice of biophilic design. Available at https://www.biophilic-design.com/
Kenilworth Media (2022). Climate Zone Map. Available at https://www.constructioncanada.net/thermal-bridging-at-brick-ties/climate-zone-map/.
Kray C, Fritze H, Fechner T, et al. (2013). Transitional spaces: Between indoor and outdoor spaces. In: Proceedings of International Conference on Spatial Information Theory.
Kubba S (2012). Handbook of Green Building Design and Construction: LEED, BREEAM, and Green Globes. Oxford, UK: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Maragno G, Coch H (2010). Impacts of form-design in shading transitional spaces: the Brazilian veranda. In: Proceedings of Central Europe Towards Sustainable Building.
MARBEK Resource Consultants (2005). An Energy standard for Homes in Iqaluit, A Buisiness Case. Available at https://www.iqaluit.ca/sites/default/files/energy_report_-_final.pdf
Mardaljevic J, Christoffersen J (2017). ‘Climate connectivity’ in the daylight factor basis of building standards. Building and Environment, 113: 200–209.
National Research Council Canada (2011). National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings (NECB). Ottawa: Government of Canada.
Nejadshamsi S, Eicker U, Wang C, et al. (2023). Data sources and approaches for building occupancy profiles at the urban scale–A review. Building and Environment, 238: 110375.
Oliver JE, Fairbridge RW (2008). Encyclopedia of World Climatology. New York: Springer.
Parsaee M, Demers CM, Hébert M, et al. (2021a). Biophilic, photobiological and energy-efficient design framework of adaptive building façades for Northern Canada. Indoor and Built Environment, 30: 665–691.
Parsaee M, Demers CMH, Potvin A, et al. (2021b). Biophilic photobiological adaptive envelopes for sub-Arctic buildings: Exploring impacts of window sizes and shading panels’ color, reflectance, and configuration. Solar Energy, 220: 802–827.
Potvin A (2000). Assessing the microclimate of urban transitional spaces. In: Proceedings of Passive Low Energy Architecture.
Risberg D, Risberg M, Westerlund L (2019). Investigation of thermal indoor climate for a passive house in a sub-Arctic region using computational fluid dynamics. Indoor and Built Environment, 28: 677–692.
Rouleau J, Gosselin L, Blanchet P (2019). Robustness of energy consumption and comfort in high-performance residential building with respect to occupant behavior. Energy, 188: 115978.
Ruiz GR, Bandera CF (2017). Validation of calibrated energy models: Common errors. Energies, 10: 1587.
Schwarzmüller-Erber G, Stummer H, Maier M, et al. (2020). Nature relatedness of recreational horseback riders and its association with mood and wellbeing. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17: 4136.
Shih N-J, Huang Y-S (2001). A study of reflection glare in Taipei. Building Research & Information, 29: 30–39.
Tabatabaeifard SA, Lalonde J-F, Hébert M, et al. (2023). Exploring view access for biophilic arctic architecture through immersive visualization of integrative lighting. Journal of Building Engineering, 69: 106249.
Taib N, Ali Z, Abdullah A, et al. (2019). The performance of different ornamental plant species in transitional spaces in urban high-rise settings. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 43: 126393.
Vladyková P, Rode C, Kragh J, et al. (2012). Low-energy house in arctic climate: five years of experience. Journal of Cold Regions Engineering, 26: 79–100.
Wong G (2018). NHC 5Plex MURB as a best practice in Nunavut. Nunavut Housing Corporation.
Zanon S, Callegaro N, Albatici R (2019). A novel approach for the definition of an integrated visual quality index for residential buildings. Applied Sciences, 9: 1579.
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the Sentinel North program of Université Laval, made possible, in part, thanks to funding from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund. More about the overall research can be read at https://sentinellenord.ulaval.ca/en/research/optimizing-biophilia-extreme-climates-through-architecture.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
This paper is extracted from doctoral research done by the first author, Tarlan Abazari. The rest of the authors are the co-supervisors of the research. As the research is interdisciplinary, each author contributes to different parts of the paper. André Potvin supervised the architectural part. Louis Gosselin supervised the building performance simulation part in thermal and energy aspects. Claude MH Demers supervised the lighting simulation and architectural part. Tarlan Abazari, André Potvin, and Claude MH Demers contributed to the research design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Tarlan Abazari, under the supervision of André Potvin. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Tarlan Abazari, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Abazari, T., Potvin, A., Gosselin, L. et al. Developing biophilic intermediate spaces for Arctic housing: Optimizing the thermal, visual, and energy performance. Build. Simul. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12273-024-1126-5
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12273-024-1126-5