A comparative study of the thermal comfort by using different building materials in Gaza City (JERT)‎

Abstract EN

This study compares between different alternatives of construction in Gaza city.

This comes for proposing a new approach of using available construction materials to improve the thermal resistance of the building and to minimize energy losses.

Using available materials with different detailed techniques, the focus was on three systems applied on the residential construction in Gaza city.

Common materials used in building envelope such as stone, hollow block and plaster are combined together in different ways to form three systems of building envelope.

After thorough on-site investigation and data collection, the information along with regional weather data, was input into the Ecotect energy simulation software for thermal performance evaluation.

The breakdown analysis of passive gains indicates that the majority of heat losses occurs via conduction heat transfer (building fabric).

This study found that using 5cm air gap in exterior walls saves 50% of energy required to maintain comfortable temperature inside the home.

Current study demonstrates how a building envelope reacts significantly to outdoor conditions through graphic illustration.

In addition, it shows ways for the research to be extended by the creation of simulations using Ecotect software.This research contributes to the promotion of passive and low energy architecture towards a sustainable future.