Natural & Cross Ventilation
Natural ventilation
Natural ventilation is cheaper than mechanical ventilation.
Mechanical ventilation systems can be efficient but they come with a high price tag and an ongoing servicing and maintenance cost. It is worthwhile investigating if natural ventilation will sufficiently ventilate and cool your areas.
Natural ventilation is available by opening windows and letting air push gently through your working spaces. If windows and openings are strategically planned and positioned, they can very efficiently exploit natural fresh air movement to cool your spaces in a controlled and calculated manner.
Cross air ventilation is achieved by placing windows in an external wall to facilitate air intake and smaller openings on the opposite wall to ventilate out by encouraging a gentle breeze. You are setting up variances in air pressure which pushes air across your open spaces and sucking /pushing it out of the opposite side of the building. Incoming vents can be positioned at low points and external vents at high points to naturally remove heated air that has risen within the building. This in effect cools your workspace down and allows natural air change. Further than this the air can be directed into other areas (say meeting rooms and offices) by manually opening and closing ventilators. The air enters and leaves the enclosed spaces before exiting the building.
What should you discuss with your consultants or builder?
- Adjustable openings in windows and doors on opposite sides of the building to create cross ventilation.
- Ventilators to mid/enclosed areas can be installed to facilitate directional air movement.
- How the areas will ventilate through ducts or roof vents.
By looking into natural ventilation, you may consider that it will not be the whole solution and that it can in part work or that a mechanical system should be installed. The point is that the natural option should be considered before the default option of air conditioning and ventilation systems are included.
Fitzpatrick Team can assist with your project, give us a call to discuss your ventilation needs.
