In high-density urban housing, improving indoor air quality and natural airflow isn’t just a design choice — it’s a sustainability imperative. A new study co-authored by SEGi University’s Dr Lip Kean Moey and published in the IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science provides actionable insights into how butterfly roof designs can significantly enhance cross natural ventilation in apartment buildings.
Presented at the International Conference on Sustainable Energy and Green Technology 2023 in Ho Chi Minh City, this research employed advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and a 2k full-factorial design of experiment (DOE) approach to optimise roof configurations.
Key Highlights:
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The study explored nine butterfly roof configurations, testing variations in roof height and angle.
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The optimal design (h = 0.01m, α = 30°) showed up to 86.9% increase in velocity in leeward rooms and up to 4.9% improvement in airflow (DFR).
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Discharge coefficients (Cd) remained within industry-recommended thresholds across multiple building levels.
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The research offers strong potential for reducing environmental impact and improving air quality in urban residential developments.
By advancing passive design strategies, this study contributes to more resilient, breathable, and sustainable buildings — aligning with global efforts to design for both human comfort and environmental responsibility.
🔗 Read the full paper in IOP Conference Series:
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/1372/1/012092