Dormitory block
Three dormitory blocks are proposed. Two of these are mainly for students, the third one is mainly for staff and guests. The design criteria for all blocks is the same, but the internal room configurations may vary.
Key design issues:
heating during the night – the building is used mostly during the night, from late afternoon to early morning. we need heating during the night, so the building is orientated to south to maximise solar gain during the day.
thermal mass – maximize internal exposed thermal mass (floors and walls), so the heat from the sun energy can be stored. the solar wall is painted black to maximize solar energy intake and radiate heat to dormitories during the night.
insulation – outside walls and roof should be well insulated to maximize winter heating.
ventilation – it is essential to be able to ventilate the sleeping accommodation and provide views out to the south. there are small windows to the corridor and opening vents to the solar wall. the lobbies can also be opened up to flush air through.
shading – summer temperatures can be very high and would require some treatment – pergola to the south that can take fast growing climbing plants.
comfortable room layout – the solar wall should not be populated to allow free heat transfer. beds are not directly positioned to the walls. there are tall cupboards between the beds and the corridor wall to provide sufficient storage
washroom and toilet facilities – there is one shower and two toilets with washtroughs (continuous wash basin) water tanks and solar panels directly above on the roof. the black metal wall to the front of the toilets provides a natural stack vent for waste storage underneath.
air locks – there are lobbies provided to both entrances to minimize heat loss while entering the building.
