Enhancing Indoor Comfort at Heilpädagogische Schule Langnau

The existing buildings of the curative education school in Langnau im Emmental are getting on in years and no longer meet the current standards, needs and requirements of modern school operations. It was decided to realise a new replacement building for the HPS Langnau next to the primary school. From the outset, a low-tech concept was pursued with regard to comfort in the classrooms and ancillary rooms. With the openable skylights, the overflow openings from the classrooms into the corridor and the window arrangement, the architecture was ideally suited to the ventilation concept.

Extensive simulations analysed whether the specifications for indoor air quality and thermal comfort could be met with automatic window ventilation with night cooling.

The simulation results showed that the indoor air quality can be guaranteed with a window ventilation concept (ventilation during lesson breaks). Thanks to efficient night-time cooling via automatic window ventilation, the perceived room temperatures can be kept within the desired range even at the height of summer.

Added value

• The indoor climate was analysed in detail in terms of thermal comfort and_{CO2 concentration}
• Simulations were used to develop a model-based concept for night and window ventilation
• Variant studies were used to determine the dimensions of the necessary ventilation openings
• A data-supported, transparent basis for decision-making was provided to the client and the specialist planners

Services

Natural room ventilation

• Based on the precise implementation of natural room ventilation in the simulation model, the ventilation flows of the individual zones can be calculated and visualised.

Night-time cooling through automated window ventilation

• The simulation model calculates the interaction of air flows from several rooms. This makes it easy to simulate and visualise natural night-time cooling, taking into account overflow elements and openings.

CO₂ concentration and ventilation interval

• The ventilation interval for naturally ventilated zones can be defined using the simulation of the_{CO2 concentration}. Conversely, the_{CO2 concentration} can also be simulated and displayed as a function of a ventilation interval.

Verification of summer thermal insulation

• The verification for summer thermal insulation is described in detail in SIA 180:2014 Annex C.1. Gruner supplements the standard evaluation with an optimised representation with the number of hours per category and the maximum operative room temperature.

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