Principal Investigator Leon Glicksman
Project Website http://tatacenter.mit.edu/portfolio/analysis-and-design-for-thermally-autonomou…
As the developing world responds to an increasing housing shortage and energy gap, there is a critical need for new construction techniques to provide thermal comfort by passive means.
This project investigates the relationship between occupant thermal health and building form, developing passive cooling methods that are influenced by the logic of traditional buildings that reflect their specific climate, culture, and available materials. In collaboration with the Hunnarshala Foundation in Bhuj, Gujarat, we are developing thermally autonomous housing designs that can be implemented in the government of India’s Housing for All program. Field data collection is underway in Bhuj measuring the thermal performance of several designs.
IMPACT: Designs from this research will inform housing projects undertaken by the Hunnarshala Foundation in collaboration with the Indian Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation.