ARCHITECTURAL DETERMINANTS IN THE SELECTION OF AN AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM FOR MULTI-STORY OFFICE BUILDINGS.

Abstract

This research reviews the study of environmental factors in microclimate and macroclimate. Also, it reviews the thermal comfort standards and indoor air quality with regard to their effects on building design and selection of building HVAC systems. Hence, it involves the classification of air conditioning systems to show variation among them. It focuses on central systems in multi story office buildings. The study explains the architectural requirements which lead to coordinate HVAC systems (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) with the building architectural design. In addition to this it considers the integration between the air conditioning systems and other building services systems (luminance, acoustics,….etc). This study relied on many sources for collecting data, the most important one are: review information from references, study of different buildings in Khartoum State and personal interviews with the professionals in the field of air conditioning systems. Greater Nile petroleum company (GNPOC) ,Marine building, and Almasheen building are chosen as case studies .The study shows and demonstrates the suitable locations of the three components of HVAC systems (central plant, distribution networks, and terminals and outlets) related to the building design. The research concludes by reviewing the necessary recommendations from the results and case studies. The most important results and recommendations which are derived from this research are: Architects (students and engineers) must have complete information on where to locate the equipment of central HVAC systems. Focusing on the need for coordination among teamwork engineers to produce a complementary building design without any problems (architectural, constructional, and …etc). Keeping up with the rapid development of air conditioning systems is very important to architects.