This document provides details on building design for cold climates. It discusses site selection, orientation, building envelopes, and passive design techniques. Specific recommendations are made for compact plans with southern exposure, well-insulated envelopes, and passive solar techniques like trombe walls, water walls, and roof-based solar heating. The goal is to maximize solar heat gain in winter while preventing overheating in summer through features like adjustable shading and insulation. High performance buildings in cold climates aim to resist heat loss and promote solar heat gain with minimal energy usage.

1. GREEN ARCHITECTURE
A DETAILED REPORT ON
HIGH PERFORMANCE BUILDING FOR COLD CLIMATE
PRESENTED BY :
KRISHNA JHAWAR
09 B
B.ARCH 3RD YEAR
VASTU KALA ACADEMY

2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my guide
Ms.Ankita Mangalik who gave me the golden opportunity to do this
wonderful project on the topic High Performance Building For Cold
Climate, which also helped me in doing a lot of Research and i came
to know about so many new things. I am really thankful to them.
Secondly I would also like to thank my parents and friends who helped me a
lot in finishing this project within the limited time.
I am making this project not only for marks but to also increase my
knowledge .
THANKS AGAIN.

3. ABSTRACT
High Performance building design is a practical and climate conscious
approach to building design. Various factors, like geographical location,
prevailing climatic conditions, use of locally available and low embodied
energy materials and design parameters relevant to the type of usage of the
building are normally taken into consideration. Such an approach ensures
minimum harm to the environment, while constructing and using the
building.
A look at traditional building techniques clearly shows that the concept of
sustainable buildings has existed in our country for a long time. These
buildings were generally made of locally available materials like wood, mud
and stone and dealt with the vagaries of weather without using a large
amount of external energy to keep the inhabitants comfortable.
Buildings are among the greatest consumers of energy. Combining cutting
edge energy efficient technologies with adaptation of practices used in
vernacular architecture which used more of locally available materials and
resources is necessary, especially for countries like India where per capita
energy consumption is rising rapidly due to high economic growth. This will
reduce our dependence on the fossil fuels which have to be imported and are
depleting at an alarming rate.
A High Performance building uses minimum amount of energy, consumes
less water, conserves natural resources, generates less waste and creates
space for healthy and comfortable living.
When a number of such buildings are located in proximity, they would create
a green zone, providing much healthier environment and minimise heat-
island effect. The ultimate aim will then be to create many such areas, which
would help the towns and cities and therefore the nation in reducing total
energy requirement and also the overall global carbon footprint.

4. TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Acknowledgements
2. Abstract
3. Various Climates Zones Of India
4. Building In Cold Climate
5. Methodology
5.1 Site
5.2 Orientation And Planform
5.3 Building Envelope
5.4 Techniques
6. Conclusion
7. References

5. CLIMATE ZONES OF INDIA
Based on the climatic conditions of different regions of the country, India has
been divided into 5 climatic zones which can be studied through the
following map :

6. BUILDING IN COLD CLIMATE
Regions that fall under the cold climate experience very cold winters as they
are at a very high altitude. The temperature ranges between 20-30'C in
summers, while in winters, it can range from
-3'C to -8'C making it quite chilly.
As such, trapping the sun’s heat whenever possible is a major design
concern. At the same time, the buildings in such regions need to be properly
insulated so that the internal heat is retained with minimum loss to the
environment. Exposure to cold winds should also be minimized.
The main objectives of building design in these zones are:
(A) Resisting heat loss
To resist heat loss, the following measures may be taken into consideration:
 (a) Decrease the exposed surface area of the building.
 (b) Using materials that heat up fast but release heat slowly.
 (c) Providing buffer spaces between the living area and the outside.
 (d) Decreasing the rate of ventilation inside the building.
(B) Promoting heat gain
Heat gain can be promoted by
 (a) Avoiding excessive shading.
 (b) Utilising the heat from appliances.
 (c) Trapping the heat of the sun.

7. METHODOLOGY
Architects can achieve energy efficiency in the buildings they design by
studying the macro and microclimate of the site, applying bioclimatic
architectural principles to combat the adverse conditions, and taking
advantage of the desirable conditions. A few common design elements that
directly or indirectly affect thermal comfort conditions and thereby the
energy consumption in a building are listed below:
1.Site
(a) Landform
(b) Open Spaces And Built Forms
(c) Street Width And Orientation
2.Orientation And Planform
3.Building Envelope
(a) Roof
(b) Walls
(c) Fenestration
(d) Colour And Texture
4.Techniques
(a) Glazing
(b) Trombe Wall
(c) Waterwall
(d) Roof Based Air Heating System
(e) Sunspaces

8. SITE
(a) Landform
 In cold climates, heat gain is desirable. Hence, buildings should be
located on the south slope of a hill or mountain for better access to solar
radiation.
 Exposure to cold winds can be minimised by locating the building on
the leeward side. In case the southern side is the windward side. The
building should be glazed in such a manner that minimum wind enters the
building.
 Parts of the site which offer natural wind barrier can be chosen for
constructing a building.
(b) Open Spaces And Built Forms
 Buildings can be clustered together to minimise exposure to cold
winds.

9.  Open spaces between buildings must be such that they allow
maximum solar rays to be incident on the building.
 They should be treated with a halt and reflective surface so that day
reflect solar radiation onto the building.
(c) Street Width And Orientation
 In cold climates, the street orientation should be east-west to allow for
maximum south sun to enter the building.
 The street should be wide enough to ensure that the buildings on one
side do not shade those on the other side (i.e. solar access should be
ensured)

10. ORIENTATION AND PLANFORM
 Buildings must be compact with small surface to volume ratios to
reduce heat loss.
 Windows should face south to facilitate direct gain.
 The north side of the building should be well-insulated.
 Living areas can be located on the southern side while utility areas
such as stores can be on the northern side.
 Air-lock lobbies at the entrance and exit points of the building reduce
heat loss.
 Heat generated by appliances in rooms such as kitchens may be used
to heat the other parts of the building.

11. BUILDING ENVELOPE
(a) Roof
 False ceilings with internal insulation such as polyurethane foam (PUF),
thermocol, wood wool, etc. are feasible for houses in cold climates.
 Aluminium foil is generally used between the insulation layer and the
roof to reduce heat loss to the exterior.
 A sufficiently sloping roof enables quick drainage of rain water and
snow.
 A solar air collector can be incorporated on the south facing slope of
the roof and hot air from it can be used for space heating purposes.
 Skylights on the roofs admit heat as well as light in winters.
 Skylights can be provided with shutters to avoid over heating in
summers.
(b) Walls
 Walls should be made of materials that lose heat slowly.
 The south-facing walls (exposed to solar radiation) could be of high
thermal capacity (such as Trombe wall) to store day time heat for later
used.
 The walls should also be insulated.
 The insulation should have sufficient vapour barrier (such as two coats
of bitumen, 300 to 600 gauge polyethylene sheet or aluminium foil) on the
warm side to avoid condensation.

12.  Hollow and lightweight concrete blocks are also quite suitable.
 Skylights can be provided with shutters to avoid over heating in
summers.
 On the windward or north side, a cavity wall type of construction may
be adopted.
(c) Fenestration
 It is advisable to have the maximum window area on the southern side
of the building to facilitate direct heat gain.
 They should be sealed and preferably double glazed to avoid heat
losses during winter nights.
 Condensation in the air space between the panes should be prevented,
 Movable shades should be provided to prevent overheating in
summers.
(d) Colour And Texture
 The external surfaces of the walls should be dark in colour so that day
absorb heat from the sun.

13. TECHNIQUES
(a) Glazing
South facing glazing is ideal for cool temperate climates. It allows maximum
solar access in winter and can be easily shaded in summer.
In cool temperate climates:
• Maximize South facing glazing with solar exposure (especially in living
areas). [See: Passive Solar Heating]
• Minimize east & west facing glazing.
• Use adjustable shading.
Insulating glass unit with low-e
• Use insulating glass and frames and/or snug fitting insulating drapes with
sealed pelmets.

14. (b)Trombe Wall
• A Trombe wall is a thermally massive wall with vents provided at the top
and bottom. It may be made of concrete, masonry, adobe, and is usually
located on the southern side (in the northern hemisphere) of a building in
order to maximize solar gains.
• The outer surface of the wall is usually painted black for maximizing
absorption and the wall is directly placed behind glazing with an air gap in
between.
• Solar radiation is absorbed by the wall during the day and stored as
sensible heat. The air in the space between the glazing and the wall gets
heated up and enters the living spaces by convection through the vents.
• Cool air from the rooms replaces this air, thus setting up a convection
current. The vents are closed during night, and heat stored in the wall
during the day heats up the living space by conduction and radiation.
• Trombewalls have been extensively used in the cold regions of Leh.
• It is noteworthy that in buildings with thermal storage walls, indoor
temperature can be maintained at about 15 oCwhen the outside temperature
is as low as -11 oC.
• Generally, thickness of the storage wall is between 200 mm and 450 mm,
the air gap between the wall and glazing is 50-150mm, and the total area of
each row of vent is about 1% of the storage wall area.
• The trombewall should be adequately shaded for reducing summer gains.

15. (c)Water Wall
• Water walls are based on the same principle as that for trombe walls,
except that they employ water as the thermal storage material.
• A water wall is a thermal storage wall made up of drums of water stacked
up behind glazing. It is usually painted black to increase heat absorption.
• It is more effective in reducing temperature swings, but the time lag is
less.
•Heat transfer through water walls is much faster than that for trombe
walls.
• Therefore, distribution of heat needs to be controlled if it is not
immediately required for heating the building. Buildings that work during the
daytime, such as schools and offices, benefit from the rapid heat transfer in
the water wall.
• Overheating during summer may be prevented by using suitable shading
devices.

16. (d)Roof-Based Air Heating System
• In this technique, incident solar radiation is trapped by the roof and is used
for heating interior spaces.
• In the Northern Hemisphere, the system usually consists of an inclined
south-facing glazing and a north-sloping insulated surface on the roof.
Between the roof and the insulation, an air pocket is formed, which is heated
by solar radiation.
• A moveable insulation can be used to reduce heat loss through glazed
panes during nights.
• There can be variations in the detailing of the roof air heating systems.
Climate Roof base air heating system for winter heating in Himachal
Pradesh State Cooperative Building.
• In the Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Bank building, the south
glazing is in the form of solar collectors warming the air and a blower fan
circulating the air to the interior spaces.

17. (e)Sunspace
• A sun space or solarium is the combination of direct and indirect gain
systems.
• The solar radiation heats up the sun space directly, which in turn heats
up the living space(separated from the sun space by a mass wall)by
convection and conduction through the mass wall.
In the northern hemisphere, the basic requirements of buildings heated by
sunspace are :
(a) a glazed south facing collector space attached yet separated from the
building
(b) Living space separated from the sun space by a thermal storage wall.
Sunspaces may be used as winter gardens adjacent to the living space.
The Himurja building in Shimla has well designed solarium as integral part of
south wall to maximize solar gain.

18. CONCLUSION
While achieving extra value from sustainable attributes may involve more
innovative approaches to asset management, the use of advanced
sustainable approaches is not necessarily complex. As governments move to
increase price messaging (taxes and credits) to encourage sustainability, this
will increasingly affect net value of existing assets and improve investment
performance for buildings adapted or adaptable to these goals. It will also
increasingly encourage owners to consider less traditional solutions to
enhancing asset performance and value.

19. REFERENCES
- www.ncict.net/green buildings
- Nayak J K, Hazra R. Development of design guidelines by laws.
- Bansal N K, Hauser G, Minke G. Passive building design: A handbook of
Natural climatic control.