| dc.description.abstract | Historical buildings worldwide hold immense potential for adaptive reuse within the framework of the
circular economy, a concept gaining traction in the building construction industry for its role in reducing
carbon emissions. Many of these structures boast passive building design strategies, which inherently
lower energy demands. Among these, thermal mass and daylight harvesting emerge as pivotal strategies
for achieving indoor thermal and visual comfort, respectively. However, with the advent of significant
climate change and evolving built environments, the efficacy of these historical passive strategies is
subject to debate. This study focuses on a residential building constructed in the 17th century by Dutch
settlers in Galle, Sri Lanka, serving as a case study. The research targets improvements in both thermal
and visual comfort. Thermal performance analysis was conducted through air temperature
measurements, revealing a notable 3-hour time lag and a 2.5°C reduction in peak air temperature during
the day. Conversely, nighttime measurements indicated a rise in indoor temperature compared to ambient
conditions. Using Design Builder software, the building was modelled to assess its daylighting conditions.
Drawing upon thermodynamic principles and daylight harvesting techniques, the study proposes building
envelope interventions and ventilation strategies to address nighttime overheating and enhance daylight
utilization. The results demonstrate that these modifications can potentially reduce nighttime heat by 2-
3°C, while also decreasing the energy requirement for lighting comfort from 51.10 kWh/m² per annum to
44.84 kWh/m² per annum. This research showcases the effectiveness of judiciously implemented
interventions in historical buildings, illustrating tangible improvements in both thermal/visual
performance and energy efficiency. Leveraging inherent qualities of historical structures and integrating
modern design strategies to these buildings can play a vital role in sustainable urban development and
energy conservation efforts | en_US |
