Passive Design

Passive design is about reducing the energy used for lighting, heating, and air conditioning in buildings by creating the building itself, rather than through the use of mechanical equipment, for example. （Gonzalo, Roberto & Rainer V，2014）

The design approach includes building orientation, building insulation, building form, building shading, optimal window to wall ratios, natural ventilation, etc. （Gonzalo, Roberto & Rainer V，2014）

I am not a specialist in architectural design, so I focus on passive solar architecture and the wind direction of the site.

Passive design is a system where the building collects and saves energy (without human intervention) to create a good circulation with the natural environment. This makes full use of natural resources and saves energy. （Yudelson, Jerry& Ulf Meyer，2013）

The passive design relies on both site planning and the creation of the building units.

The site

1. The site is well separated from all the buildings so that each family can enjoy the sunlight.
2. The two strongest winds (north-east and southwest) are blocked by trees and buildings around the outdoor activity areas.

Fig. 1.0. Orientation of the site to the sun and the main wind direction

Fig. 1.1. Trees and buildings around the outdoor space block the cold winds.

Building

1. Light. Through the changing pattern of the sun’s altitude angle over the year, the eaves of the building and the windows of the building are designed to allow less sunlight to enter the room in summer, lowering the indoor temperature, and more sunlight to enter the room in winter, increasing the indoor temperature. 2.
2. Ventilation. The two strong winds are the northeast and southwest winds, two opposite directions. The corridor of the residential building is on one side of the building, which allows each flat to adjust to the natural breeze by opening and closing windows (e.g., when it is hot, open the window in the strong wind direction to cool down).
3. solar panels on the roof.

Fig. 2.0. The passive design of the building itself

There is no absolute boundary between passive design and traditional building design, but rather a saving of energy based on the existing building design.

Reference

Gonzalo, Roberto, and Rainer Vallentin. Passive House Design : Planning and Design of Energy-efficient Buildings. 2014. Print. Edition Detail Green Books.

Yudelson, Jerry, and Ulf Meyer. The World’s Greenest Buildings : Promise versus Performance in Sustainable Design. 2013. Print.