Strategies of natural ventilation for hospitals: a comparative study between hospitals in the city of Rio de Janeiro and the Brazilian standard of thermal performance

With the introduction of technological advancements in buildings and specially in health environments, such places became even more enclosed and automatized. The choice for the proper air ventilation system must be careful, for that is the biggest energy consumer in hospitals and decisive for inner air quality. This article has the objective to analyze natural ventilation strategies and thermal development in two wards located in two hospitals in the city of Rio de Janeiro - Brazil, computer modeled and simulated. The discussion raises the following questions: 1. Do the ward windows at both hospitals meet the requirements for environmental comfort? 2. If so, for which months? Through bibliographical review building analysis were made, an architectural survey and computer simulation were made using DesignBuilder, taking into consideration all months of the year for the comfort and discomfort sensation frequencies. The results obtained point to a desired thermal comfort in both case studies throughout the months of April to December according to the span for acceptable operative temperatures in naturally ventilated buildings defined by ASHRAE 55-2013.