© Sanmathi N Yelamali
Portfolio.
Ar. Sanmathi N Yelamali
RailwayQuarters,ShatabdiColony,Mysuru
|SemesterIII
As a second-year master's student in Sustainable Design, I had the opportunity to provide sustainability consultation for the Railway Quarters at Shatabdi Colony, Mysuru, a housing project designed by a third-year B Arch student The project, located in Vijay Nagar, Gokulam, Mysore, spans a 35,922 sqm site with a built-up area of 53,226 sqm, accommodating 1,300 users across various residential and communal spaces
The design includes Type II, III, and IV quarters (G+9), a guest house (G+2), and a community hall (G+1), aiming to create a functional and comfortable living environment My role focused on optimizing energy efficiency, thermal comfort, natural ventilation, and passive design strategies to enhance the project’s sustainability
TYPEII
GUESTHOUSE
COMMUNITY HALL
TYPEIV
Climatic analysis; Mysuru
Psychrometric Chart
Windrose diagrams
Focusoftheproject:
27 3 % - Sun Shading of Windows
36 2 % - Adaptive Comfort Ventilation
For a fully naturally ventilated apartment complex in Mysuru, the winter months provide ideal conditions for natural ventilation. However, during summer, additional passive cooling strategies like shading and night-time ventilation are required to reduce the heat gain from solar radiation
Since winds predominantly come from the northeast (Winter) and west/southwest (Summer), orienting the building to take advantage of these directions is beneficial Ventilation will be more effective in the summer due to higher wind speeds, especially in the afternoons
TYPEIII
uidDynamics-36%comfortachieved
ComputationalFluidDynamics(CFD) -Summerwindanalysis(Westernwinds)
FaçadeRadiation
In the CFD, Options 2 and 4 are the best as they have the most favourable wind distribution, with higher wind velocities across the site, which is beneficial for natural ventilation and cooling Options 2 and 4 receive the least Site Sun Hours, though Option 4 gets the lowest Façade Radiation Option 4 also performs the best in the Shadow Analysis Option 4 helps reduce solar/façade radiation, increase stable wind flow through the site, and increase natural daylight
Basecase
EPI=70kWh/sqm-year
Absence of shading device at the topmost floor
Oversized shaft size blocking the sunlight
No shading devices on the north and south façades
EPI=56kWh/sqm-year
Absence of shading device at the topmost floor
Balcony glass doors are too wide (3 6 m)
No shading on inner surfaces
EPI=68kWh/sqm-year
Absence of shading device at the topmost floor Balcony glass doors are too wide (3 6 m)
No shading on inner surfaces
InternalCFDanalysis27%comfortachieved
Proposedcase
EPI=51kWh/sqm-year
Differential treatment through shading devices
Reduction in shaft size
Addition of windows, ventilators and mesh doors 29% decrease inEPI
EPI=34kWh/sqm-year
Differential treatment through shading devices
Reduction in shaft size
Equipment(kWh/sqm)
Addition of windows, ventilators and mesh doors 37.5% decrease inEPI
EPI=42kWh/sqm-year
Differential treatment through shading devices Reduction in shaft size
Equipment(kWh/sqm)
Lighting(kWh/sqm)
Addition of windows, ventilators and mesh doors 39% decrease inEPI
Envelopedetails Envelopedetails
Equipment(kWh/sqm)
Lighting(kWh/sqm)
There was no scope of adding new windows in Type II and Type III to fulfill the cross ventilation credit which is to ensure that minimum 25% of the regularly occupied spaces have an opening to the outdoor, in two orientations
Basecase Proposedcase
Daylight analysis
33%,28%and30% of the total floor area receives illumination between 110-2200 lux on 21st Sept at 12 pm, respectively
Shading device analysis
Extendedroofslab acts as shading for balconies and windows
51%,35%and44% of the total floor area receives illumination between 110-2200 lux on 21st Sept at 12 pm, respectively
North-West shading blocks significant sunlight in the early afternoon when the sun is at a lower angle, reducing heat gain during critical hours. North-East shading effectively blocks sunlight in the morning, when the sun rises in the east and moves toward the south South-East shading efficiently shields against sunlight during the morning, as the sun rises in the east and shifts toward the south South-West shading blocks afternoon and late afternoon sunlight, which reduces solar heat gain
RETV
The base case shows RETV values of 11.9, 12.0, and 11.2 W/sqm for Type II, Type III, and Type IV, respectively While these values are below the Eco Niwas Samhita limit, they indicate potential heat gain that could impact indoor thermal comfort
The proposed design significantly improves energy performance, reducing RETV values to 7.6, 4.2, and 3.9 W/sqm, enhancing thermal comfort and reducing cooling loads Additionally, the roof U-value is optimized to 2 67 W/m²K, contributing to better insulation and reduced heat transfer
Basecase Proposedcase
Internal CFD analysis Thermal comfort analysis
Due to the absence of openings in the kitchen and living room, there is no movement of air observed
The effect of the presence of openings is observed in the corner apartments in the kitchen and living rooms
There is a potential of taking in air from the lobby area due to the opening on the front façade.
A mesh door has been added in the living room to cause air movement in the space
A ventilator has been added in the kitchen opening to the lobby area to cause air movement in the space
Ventilators were added on top of bedroom doors to facilitate air movement throughout living the room.
We can see the comfort hours of the proposed case increase compared to the base case in each type It is due to the application of strategies like reduction in appropriate shading devices, provision of additional windows, and envelope optimisation On-site renewable energy potential
South-facing modules angled at 27°
PV generated = 93,012 kWh
25 5% of electricity by solar PV
EPI reduced: 49 5 to 36.8kWh/sqm-yr
South-facing modules angled at 27°
PV generated = 83,737 kWh
21% of electricity by solar PV
EPI reduced: 35 to 27.6kWh/sqm-yr
South-facing modules angled at 27°
PV generated = 35,233 kWh
17% of electricity by solar PV
EPI reduced: 42 to 34.58kWh/sqm-yr
highperformancebuildingstudio
AcademicBlock-5,MIT,MAHE,Manipal|SemesterIII
As part of my third semester, I undertook a project to enhance the sustainability performance of Academic Block 5, MIT, Manipal an existing eight-floor, fully airconditioned engineering college building on the MAHE campus through experimentsandsimulations
The study focused on two key spaces:
Daylight Analysis: Conducted in SOIS’s lab (located on the fifth floor), using a daylight sensor/lux meter to measure illuminance levels
Thermal Comfort Analysis: Assessed in Classroom 506 (fifth floor) using Testo instruments including a globe thermometer, tubulometer, and CO₂ sensor to evaluate PMV (Predicted Mean Vote), PPD (Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied), relative humidity (RH), and CO₂ concentration
My primary responsibility was to analyze the collected data and propose strategies to enhance the building’s sustainable performance I developed passive and active design interventions by interpreting real-time measurements and simulation results to optimise indoor environmental quality,daylightingefficiency,andenergyconsumptionwhilemaintainingoccupantcomfort
Experiments
In Case 1 and Case 3, the lux levels were very low, which indicates that daylight is not sufficient for proper illumination in these areas With artificial lights on (Cases 2 and 4), the lux levels are much higher, showing that the classroom heavily relies on artificial lighting This increases energy consumption and suggests the need for better daylight optimisation strategies, such as reflective surfaces or light shelves
PMV:-0.1,PPD:5.2%
The overall average CO₂ concentration is found to be 2,935 ppm, which is a high concentration of CO₂ levels ASHRAE recommends that indoor CO2 levels should not exceed 1000 ppm in occupied spaces This can indicate insufficient fresh air intake in the HVAC system
highperformancebuildingstudio
EPI=430kWh/sqm-year
Envelopedetails
EPI=364kWh/sqm-year
Cooling(kWh/sqm)
Equipment(kWh/sqm)
Lighting(kWh/sqm)
Envelopedetails
A parametric analysis for solar radiation was done from an angle of 1° to 360° to find the ideal orientation to reduce the solar heat gain of the building 255° has the most optimised angle withthelowestsolarradiation. *‘E+07’ signifies ten to the power 7
Façade
highperformancebuildingstudio
Daylight Analysis
Only 9%,12%,8% of the total floor area receives illumination between 110-2200 lux on 21st Sept at 12 pm, respectively
Solar Ingress Analysis
Only 25%,35%,28% of the total floor area receives illumination between 110-2200 lux on 21st Sept at 12 pm, respectively
Thermal comfort analysis
PMV ranges from 0 92 to 0 93 suggesting that occupants would feel slightly warm PPD ranges from 22 77% to 23 42% This means about 23% of the people in the space are expected to feel uncomfortable
PMV ranges from 0 71 to 0 75; these values indicate that the occupants are not experiencing significant discomfort PPD ranges from 15% and 18%, around 80% or more are likely to feel comfortable
internshipprojects.
daylightanalysis-residentialproject,mumbai
BasecaseTower21stFloor –12pm,September21st
Basecase
Observation:
Base Case illuminance values help achieve 1 point for IGBC Enhanced DaylightCriteriarequirement
However, the glare levels are high and need to be cut with suitable shading device design and optimizingopenings
ProposedcaseTower21stFloor –12pm,September21st
Observation:
The illuminance levels > 110 lux has improvedcomparedtobasecase
The glare levels have also been reduced Proposedcase
ImplementedStrategy:
Bedroom window heights have been optimized with a sill height of 750 mm Living diningwindowsretainedasperbasecase
600 mm depth horizontal overhangs have been added to windows facing north & 800 mmdeepforsouthfacingwindows
600 & 800 mm deep fins have been added on east or west as per window orientation, asspecifiedindrawing
daylightanalysis-officeproject,kolkata
WindowShading–DesignOption1:Baguettes
AnnualDaylightAnalysis,SpatialDaylightAutonomy: DesignOption1–Baguette(2ndFloor) 71%oftheareaisachievingdaylightof300luxfor50%oftheannualhours PointinTimeDaylightSimulation(Sep21st):Design
WindowShading–DesignOption2:Jaali
AnnualDaylightAnalysis,SpatialDaylightAutonomy: DesignOption2–Jaali(2ndFloor)
12%oftheareaisachievingdaylightof300luxfor50%oftheannualhours
PointinTimeDaylightSimulation(Sep21st):Design Option2–Jaali(2ndFloor)
WindowShading–DesignOption3:DeepFins
AnnualDaylightAnalysis,SpatialDaylightAutonomy: DesignOption3:DeepFins(2ndFloor)
WindowShading–DesignOption4:Angular
AnnualDaylightAnalysis,SpatialDaylightAutonomy: DesignOption4:AngularFins(2ndFloor)
50%oftheareaisachievingdaylightof300luxfor50%oftheann s
PointinTimeDaylightSimulation(Sep21st):Design Option3:DeepFins(2ndFloor)
Inference:
68%oftheareaisachievingdaylightof300luxfor50%oftheannualhours
PointinTimeDaylightSimulation(Sep21st):Design Option4:AngularFins(2ndFloor)
The angular fins option works best as they indicate a balance of daylight levels as well as largely eliminate glare The spacing betweenfinsifrestrictedto1200mmwillbebetter
Thespacingoffinsonthenorthsidecanbeincreasedasperthearchitecturaldesignintent
The planter box projection above daylight panel glass inhibits natural daylight entry into space, thus making the light shelves ineffective Depthtobereducedto300mm
Theeastandwest-facingglazinginthecourtyardsidealsoneedsshadingbyfins
Thesouthsiderequiresa750mmhorizontaldeepoverhang 600mmdeepoverhangissufficientfortheeastandwestdirections
EnergyModelling-residentialproject,mumbai
Base case
EPI:148 64kWh/sqm/year
EnergyConservationMeasures
1 Glazing:Singleglazing
2 Roof:Concrete Uvalue:3 5W/sqmK
Proposed case
3 Wall:Brick Uvalue:2 27W/sqmK
EPI:65.36kWh/sqm/year
EnergyConservationMeasures
1.Glazing:High-performanceLow-Eglazing
General and system inputs
Equipment and lighting loads
2.Roof:Aeratedconcrete Uvalue:0 74W/sqmK
3.Wall:Concreteblock Uvalue:1 71W/sqmK
thermalcomfortanalysis-residentialproject,mumbai model
Basecase
AverageOperativeTemperature
PerformanceGlassCase
AverageOperativeTemperature
ProposedCase
AverageOperativeTemperature
Inference:
We can see the Comfort Hours increase with eachcase
We also see a reduction in Average Operative Temperaturewitheachcase
This is due to the application of strategies like reduction in window heights, shading devices (as shown in daylight analysis) efficient glazingandroofinsulation
Daylighting,ThermalComfort,andEnergyPerformance -AUniversityinRiyadh,SaudiArabia
The analysis was performed on 2 pairs of classrooms
AnnualDaylight
AnnualGlareAnalysis
Spatial analysis shows that over 80% of the classrooms achieve daylight sufficiency levels (300–500 lux), meeting recommended thresholds Peripheral zones near windows exhibit excessive illuminance, often exceeding750lux,whilecentralareasreceiveuniformyetslightlyreduced lighting levels The high daylight autonomy demonstrates the effectiveness of natural lighting in reducing artificial light dependency However,thereisexcessiveilluminancenearwindows
DaylightFactorAnalysis
The daylight factor map shows a higher concentration of daylight near the central and lower portions of the classroom, indicated by warmer colors (red and orange) This suggests that the classroom receives significant daylight, likely due to direct or diffused light entering from fenestrations at these locations The upper and peripheral areas exhibit reduced daylight factors, indicating the need for improved distribution or additional light sources to ensure uniformity
ThermalSensation
Mapping highlights high glare zones near window openings, with annual glare autonomy exceeding 70% in localized areas Temporal analysis reveals "disturbing" glare during midday in summer months, when solar altitudes are high Glare hotspots correlate with large window areas and high solar angles While "imperceptible" glare dominates most of the year, temporal peaks in summer highlight the critical role of dynamic shading devicesandreflectivematerials
Thermal comfort maps highlight discomfort in central zones due to high indoor temperatures, with operative temperatures reaching up to 30°C Near-window areas experience localized cold discomfort, likely caused by poor insulation and drafts Thermal discomfort zones reflect the limitations of current building designs in Riyadh Highindoortemperaturesincentralareasindicateinadequateventilationorcoolingdistribution while c ch c
Energy analysis reveals peak cooling demands during summer, contributing to high operational costs EUI values are dominated by cooling loads, lighting, and equipment energy consumption Energy performance analysis shows that cooling loads dominate energy consumption, especially during the summer This finding emphasises theimpactofclimaticconditionsoncoolingenergydemands
RailwayQuarters,ShatabdiColony,Mysuru|SemesterIII
RailwayQuarters,ShatabdiColony,Mysuru|SemesterIII
AcademicBlock-5,MIT,MAHE,Manipal|SemesterIII
OccupancySchedules
ECBC