Window Area Effects on Air Movement in Naturally Ventilated Living Rooms in Enugu State Housing Development Corporation High-Density Estates, Nigeria

Abstract

The performance of natural ventilation in a building relates to the design parameters of window areas as control mecha-nisms to regulate air movement and thermal comfort levels. This study assessed the relationship between window area and air movement levels in 433 units of naturally ventilated living rooms in Enugu State Housing Development Corporation (ESHDC) high-density estates in Enugu Capital Territory, Nigeria. The study was conducted in the evenings during the peak of the rainy season in the warm and humid tropical climate of southern Nigeria. The findings showed that the recorded air movement values were below the acceptable threshold recommended by ASHRAE standard 55 and ISO 7730 standards. The results showed that 53.7% of the occupants voted ‘acceptable’ for LAMA (Level of Air Movement Acceptability), indicating that the recorded air movement levels were less than the 80% minimum benchmark of ASHRAE’s definition of thermal ac-ceptability. The Pearson product-moment correlation tool was used to test the significant relationship. The result indicated a significant relationship between window area and air movement sensation levels in naturally ventilated living rooms in warm and humid tropical climates. Therefore, this study aligns and recommends that a window area >30% <50% WWR of the wall surface allows more airflow and enhances air movement levels than a window area of >10% <30% WWR of the wall surface.

Keywords: Air movement levels, Living room, Natural ventilation, Thermal acceptability, Window area, Warm-humid tropi-cal climate.