Optimization of Building Envelopes using Indigenous Materials to achieve Thermal Comfort and Affordable Housing in Abuja, Nigeria

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.This paper aims to demonstrate the optimization of an existing residential building in a Tropical climate using indigenous materials as an alternative to conventional building envelopes to achieve thermal comfort and affordable housing. This study mainly adopted a quantitative research methodology through a comprehensive simulation study on a selected prototype building. The Energy plus simulation tool in DesignBuilder was used to predict the average monthly and annual thermal comfort of a typical residential building in the study area. Also, a cost analysis of the final optimization interventions was conducted to estimate the construction cost savings. The comparative analysis of simulation results for the base-case and optimized models indicates potential advantages in replacing conventional building envelope materials with indigenous materials. The base-case simulation results showed that the annual operative temperature is more than the adaptive thermal comfort set points in tropical climates by 8.26%. This often leads to interventions using mechanical cooling systems, thus triggering overconsumption of Energy and increasing CO2 emissions. The building envelope materials for floor, walls, and roof were replaced with low U-values indigenous materials until considerable results in terms of thermal comfort and overall building construction cost were achieved. The final simulation results showed that using indigenous materials for the ground floor, external walls, and roof could substantially reduce the annual operative temperature by 8%, thereby increasing the predicted three months of thermal comfort in the base case to nine months annually. Likewise, there was a 32.31%, 35.78%, and 41.81% reduction in the annual CO2 emissions, cooling loads, and construction costs respectively. The knowledge of indigenous materials as an alternative to conventional materials for sustainable buildings is not new. However, most of the available research is focused on achieving affordable housing. There is a dearth of research showing the extent that these indigenous materials can be used to improve indoor thermal comfort in developing countries such as Nigeria with tropical climates

Examining Mashrabiya’s Impact on Energy Efficiency and Cultural Aspects in Saudi Arabia

open access articleThe traditional and indigenous architecture in Saudi Arabia is being replaced by modern, Western-style buildings, resulting from the growing influence of Western culture. This change is evident in architectural elements such as Mashrabiya, which was once a symbol of the country’s Islamic architecture. The research paper aims to analyse the impact of modernization and the resurgence of Mashrabiya on a building’s energy efficiency, as well as the cultural and religious integrity of its historical counterpart in the context of Saudi Arabia. The study employed mixed research methods, including an online survey with Saudi Arabian households to study the public perception of Mashrabiya, case studies of residences with traditional and modern Mashrabiya, and a range of dynamic thermal simulations on a residence with traditional Mashrabiya to study its impact on energy consumption. The survey revealed that the public is aware of the changing face of Mashrabiya and its impact on the cultural and religious identity of the region, mainly privacy, but it is largely uninformed about ways to preserve its true essence. The simulations demonstrated a significant improvement in thermal comfort, i.e., an approximate 14% reduction in operative temperature and a 77.8% reduction in peak solar gain; an improvement in energy efficiency, i.e., a 5.7% reduction in monthly cooling load and a 35.5% improvement in daylight factor. Based on the findings, the research provides several recommendations to preserve the identity of traditional Mashrabiya while enhancing their energy efficiency, such as the incorporation of traditional design elements into the plans of the Saudi Arabian government

Toward Energy-Efficient Houses Considering Social Cultural Needs in Bahrain: A New Framework Approach

open access articleThe residential buildings in Bahrain represent approximately 76% of the total buildings and account for 50% of the nation’s overall energy consumption. Air conditioners account for over 70% of the electricity used in a typical Bahraini house. To date, no comprehensive study has been carried out on the energy efficiency of houses considering building envelopes, design, and social cultural needs in hot, humid regions with reference to Bahrain. This paper aims to develop and test a framework for energy efficient houses that satisfies social cultural needs using mixed research methods. These research methods involved measurements of environmental parameters and observational surveys of 20 private houses. Additionally, a survey questionnaire was conducted with 111 householders to collect data on design preferences, thermal comfort, and energy consumption. Further, semi-structured interviews with 18 professionals were conducted and a range of simulations were carried out on a typical private house. Consequently, the framework was developed in three stages: data collection and analysis, specification of an energy-efficient building design satisfying social cultural needs, and producing a prototype model. Simulation results showed that the prototype house model can reduce energy consumption by 57% and operative temperature by 4 °C in comparison to the existing case study. The prototype model ensured privacy by adding two shaded corner courtyards and directing all the bedroom windows to face the courtyard. Feedback on the prototype was gathered to create a new and improved iteration of the future housing model

Post-occupancy evaluation of architecturally-designed low-income housing in Ahmadabad, India

This paper presents post-occupancy evaluation of low-income houses that have been built through the DMU: Square Mile India Programme in Ahmedabad, India. Questionnaire and interviews were conducted which elicited information on respondents’ socio-cultural and environmental experiences in the new houses compared to the existing dwellings in the community. Findings include: 1. increased expectations and higher demands for space and facilities in the new houses, 2. discontent with integrated courtyard/ open spaces, 3. prioritising flood protection over environmental quality and thermal comfort conditions in the existing houses and 4. Significant change in the perception of social status of families in the new homes. The findings highlight residents’ need for adequate sleeping area, thermal comfort, safety from animals and security. These aspects must be critically considered in future design of similar houses. The paper produces empirical evidence on users’ perception that will provide better knowledge and understanding to the designer and policy-makers to identify important factors to improve residents’ quality of life in a low-income housing context

Towards resilient low-middle income apartments in Amman, Jordan: A thermal performance investigation of heating load

Energy security constitutes a major challenge for Jordan’s sustainable development. Space heating in Jordan represents ~61% of total residential energy consumption and dominantly involves portable un-flued kerosene and LPG stoves. Fuel combustion of such heaters generates poor indoor air quality and emits GHGs. Moreover, recent housing condition surveys show that the majority of dwellings in Jordan are very energy inefficient. This paper assesses the thermal performance of existing urban low-middle income apartments in Amman. This aim was approached through surveying 106 sample units and using EnergyPlus engine to calculate thermal performance of two representative apartments. Findings showed that ~75% of the apartments had thermally poor external envelopes. Analysis revealed that ~64% of heat loss can be attributed to exposed walls and roofs. The present research found that ‘thrift retrofitting’ will be inevitable in any effort in Jordan to deliver resilient low-middle income apartments

Sustainable issues in low-middle income apartments in urban Amman/Jordan: heating devices and health concerns

Energy security constitutes a major challenge for sustainable development of the Kingdom of Jordan. This has led the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to integrate a comprehensive energy master plan for developing the energy sector by 2029. Of the total residential energy consumption, 61% is consumed for heating spaces. GHG emissions produced by domestic stock in Jordan are anticipated to increase by 59% by 2018. Most households heat their houses using traditional devices such as portable unflued kerosene and LPG stoves. Combustion of such heaters generates toxic by-products causing symptoms and illness among residents as a result of poor indoor air quality. This paper discusses aforementioned issues in view of urban low-middle income apartments in the capital Amman, aiming towards investigating types of stoves used and health implications associated with using them. A representative sample of 106 low-middle income households in urban Amman have been surveyed, through semi-structured interviews, to explore how they responded to the environmental conditions. Results showed that unflued kerosene and LPG stoves were used for heating spaces by around 39% and 89% of the total surveyed households, respectively. It was also found that almost 65% of them used more than one device for heating their apartments. Furthermore, around 50% of those households reported different health problems related to asthma which could partially be due to the use of these heating devices. The field study also showed that almost 75% of households lived in apartments constructed with external envelopes of cement hollow blocks leading to poorer fabric performance. The paper concludes with calling for thrift retrofit interventions for existing low-middle income apartments and raising inhabitants’ awareness towards the proper use of stoves. This would enhance their thermal comfort, reduce carbon emissions and help improve residents’ quality of life, which eventually would contribute in ameliorating related health issues

Modelling the Interaction Between the Disease Microenvironment and Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Systemic Sclerosis

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex autoimmune disease with unknown aetiology. While the presence of auto-antibodies classifies this disease as autoimmune, the issues concerning this disease extend much further with particular respect to inflammation and the gradually progressing internal and external organ fibrosis. If not lethal, at the very least, the symptoms of SSc are life-altering. Many potential driving forces are hypothesised to exacerbate pathology, one of which is the microenvironment in lesional skin, in which resident mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), are exposed to aberrantly expressed growth factors and cytokines, and excessively stiffened and abundant extracellular matrix. In this thesis, it is hypothesised that MSCs adopt a pro-fibrotic, chronic, wound healing phenotype in response to the disease microenvironment. Different representations of the disease microenvironment were assessed, including patient blister fluid, and some of its individual components, IL31 and lactate, in addition to the physical stiffness of the microenvironment. MSCs cultured in these conditions were assayed for migration, induced gel contraction, pro-fibrotic gene expression and differentiation. The presence of activated MSCs in patients’ skin was also assessed and compared with healthy skin. Patient blister fluid induced MSC migration, collagen gel contraction and pro-fibrotic gene expression more than healthy blister fluid. Additionally, individual components of the SSc blister fluid accounted for at least some of these responses. Osteogenic differentiation of MSCs was enhanced by SSc microenvironments, both soluble and physical, whereas adipogenic differentiation was inhibited. Next-generation sequencing of treated MSCs highlighted fibrogenic and inflammatory pathways upregulated by SSc blister fluid. The role of MSCs in SSc pathogenesis was until now relatively unexplored. The results of this thesis give new insight into the pathological part MSCs play in this disease and highly implicate MSCs in SSc related fibrosis, wound healing, tissue scarring and remodelling, calcinosis and loss of subcutaneous fat

Monitorización de la infraestructura técnica de un centro de datos real

Los avances tecnológicos han propiciado la aparición de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC), que se han integrado en la mayoría de los campos laborales (como el científico, el educativo y el industrial). La integración de las TIC en el entorno laboral ha permitido que empresas que disponen de un sistema informático y un centro de proceso de datos común puedan tener sedes físicamente separadas pero trabajando conjuntamente. Sin embargo, el elevado grado de dependencia de la tecnología también supone que muchas empresas vean condicionada la continuidad de sus procesos de negocio al correcto funcionamiento de los equipos de comunicación o de soporte informático. Mediante la monitorización se puede detectar cuando se produce una incidencia o degradación en el servicio y notificar a la persona responsable, con un mensaje de notificación en la consola, vía correo electrónico o a través de un mensaje SMS al teléfono móvil. Esta notificación permite tomar las acciones correctivas oportunas y evitar en muchos casos problemas mayores. Las herramientas de monitorización permiten controlar una gran variedad de parámetros y procesos como, por ejemplo, el estado de los servicios de red, parámetros geofísicos (como la temperatura del CPD) o voltajes de entrada y salida de los SAI. En este trabajo final de carrera se propone y desarrolla un sistema de monitorización del CPD de la Fundación ESADE

Three Generations, One Future: A Systematic Analysis on Nicotine's Effect across generations in C. elegans.

Tobacco smoking is a worldwide epidemic that is responsible for diseases and death rates that surpass those attributed to a combination of other causes (e.g. cancer, HIV, accidents). A major mediator of tobacco-smoke related negative consequences is nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive poison that entraps users in a vicious cycle of constant drug seeking and reinforcement. Despite the public health policies and laws enforced to decrease the habitual smoking, it is still prevalent, especially among adolescents. According to WHO, 40% of children and up to 60% of teenagers are passively and actively exposed to tobacco smoke. Early life stages are more vulnerable and sensitive to environmental and life experienced stresses. At that stage, stresses can have enduring effects that not only persist until adulthood, but are also inherited to the subsequent generations. With respect to nicotine, a wealth of studies have investigated the dose and time-dependent effects of this chemical on multiple systems including cell lines and model organisms. However, the transgenerational effect of nicotine exposed during post-embryonic stages has not been reported. On the molecular level, an increasing number of popular findings that show the involvements of certain microRNAs in physiological processes have expanded to include response to nicotine. Nevertheless, a systematic profiling of microRNA expression levels is yet to be determined. In our study, we employed C. elegans as our model to investigate the transgenerational effect of nicotine exposure limited to the post-embryonic larval stages of the parent F0 generation. Two concentrations (20[mu]M and 20mM) were chosen based on previous studies. We investigated the effect of nicotine on the behavior of L4 C. elegans (N2) across three generations (F0, F1, and F2). Here we report that nicotine altered the sinusoidal locomotion, body bends, and forward and backward speeds across three generations. Such represented an enduring and heritable addiction initiated by parental post-embryonic nicotine exposure. In addition our qRT-PCR results showed that direct nicotine exposure throughout the larval stages (30 hours), altered the systematic miRNA expression profiles in L4 C. elegans in a dose-dependent manner. Through target prediction analyses coupled with background research, fos-1 was predicted to be a key mediator of the addiction-like behavior in C. elegans larvae. Conclusively, our results offer novel insights on the sensitivity of early developmental stages to nicotine exposure. The behavioral transgenerational effect as well as the parental altered miRNA profiles will set the basis for future miRNA transgenerational analyses coupled with target and pathway validation. With this in mind, the need for suitable reference genes for normalization and reliable interpretations is necessary. We dedicated our last objective to identify reference gene candidates to serve this purpose. Based on results from five statistical approaches (geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, dCt method, and RefFinder), we report that the expression levels of tba-1 and cdc-42 were the most stable among all of sixteen compiled genes. Taken together, our work is preliminary for a new research direction concerned with nicotine that would help support public health policies and awareness campaigns to further stress on the risks and dangers of tobacco addiction.M.S

Automation of Concrete Usage Index (CUI) assessment using computational BIM

Concrete Usage Index (CUI) is one of the very used sustainability criteria related to building materials available in the Malaysian and the Singaporean building standards. Often, CUI assessment is achieved either by manual calculation or semi-automated methods based on Material Take-off functionalities provided by the BIM tools. Both of these methods are relatively time-consuming, error-prone, and require much human intervention. The purpose of this paper is to develop a computational BIM-based tool for the automation of Concrete Usage Index (CUI) assessment and rating, called Auto-CUI. This tool takes advantage of the data embedded in the BIM model and the automated CUI compliance-checking which is developed using a Visual Programing Language (Dynamo for Revit). For validation purpose, this tool has been tested on a BIM model of an existing building and the results were compared with Revit Material Take-off method. Thus, Auto-CUI tool automates the process of data collection, calculation and the generation of the CUI report. In addition to that, the generated results are as accurate as the material take-off method. Auto-CUI will support design decision-making during the design stage by providing an interactive feedback of CUI actual score and rating. Thus, the project team will be able to compare different design options according to the concrete usage. Furthermore, it will allow designers to avoid CUI’s cumbersome calculations and inaccurate outputs. Even though, the usage of this tool does not require programming skills, developing this tool further as a plug-in for Revit would be helpful in reducing computation time as well as enhancing the generation of CUI report