This thesis is a part of the major EU project EE-Highrise which is a part of the European 7th Framework Research Program (FP7-ENERGY). In order to demonstrate and test new technologies and concepts, a demo building has been constructed in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. The approach during the development of the building has been to consider all its elements with the purpose to increase the energy efficiency and sustainability of the building. Umeå University’s objective is to develop regional specific models of the demo high-rise building. The objective of this thesis is to evaluate whether a simplified model of the high rise building, Eco Silver House, can meet the passive house classifications in four selected cities; Ljubljana, Sibenik, Umeå and Dubai and then to suggest improvements of the models for the different regions. Drawings of the building were provided along with an IFC file for construction of the model in PHPP. The simulation tool used for simulations, PHPP, contained all necessary tools for designing a properly functioning Passive House. By preparing an energy balance, the annual energy demand of the building was calculated based on input related to building characteristics. Results from the simulations have then been compared to the requirements for the German Passive House classification. The performance of the building in Umeå has also be compared to the Swedish passive house standards. Improvements to the climate shell and the ventilation system were after that examined depending on the results. It was shown that it is possible to construct regional specific models that fulfill the passive house requirements in three of four regions. The model achieved passive house standard without any additional energy efficiency measures in Ljubljana and Šibenik while a combination of measures was needed to fulfill all the criteria’s in Umeå. The Swedish requirements used for evaluation of the model in Sweden were easier to fulfill since they have been developed for the cold climate present in Umeå. Since no regional passive house classification was used to evaluate the performance of the model in Dubai the cooling and primary energy demand exceeded the limiting criteria’s. The energy efficiency measure with reduced window area had the greatest impact on heating and cooling demand in all climates. This measure should be included in all future models which also is suggested by parallel studies on similar models of the same building. The only climate where an increased U-value of the external envelope resulted in improved performance of the model was in Šibenik. For all the other climates where a lowered U-value was implemented did the overall performance improve. / EE-Highrise (European 7th Framework Research Program.

I have always been fascinated by vertical living, especially in the dense Urban context. I wonder how families become neighbors and create a sense of neighborhood when under a single roof in a multifamily/ multi storied housing complex. Whereas the building also serves the various amenities to its dwellers. Vertical living plays a very significant role and is typically necessary for housing the dense population in the urban areas. However, with limited resources, the living standards in those situations are often compromised. While focusing on the built environment, the intangible essence of 'home' has been lost. The notion of home is missing when living vertically. The home is not only a place of shelter that protects us from the hostility of nature, provides security, safety and privacy but also is associated with one's memories, celebrations and interactions throughout our lives. These are the aspirations and invaluable assets in our life. The notion of home is seldom fulfilled without the sense of neighborhood. In a healthy neighborhood, streets are walkable, neighbors know each other, with diversity and mixed use, public open spaces accessible to all. My research focuses on those aspects of human aspirations regarding the built environment and strives to bring back those experiences of home and neighborhood to vertical living. / Master of Architecture / Vertical living plays a very significant role and is typically necessary for housing the dense population in the urban areas. But it often fails to respond to its context, place, culture and emotional aspects of its dwellers. Moreover, with limited resources, the living standards in those situations are also compromised. While focusing on the built environment, the intangible essence of 'home' has been lost. The home is not only a place of shelter that protects us from the hostility of nature, provides security, safety and privacy but also is associated with one's memories, celebrations and interactions throughout our lives. These are the aspirations and invaluable assets in our life. This notion of home is missing when living vertically. The notion of home and the sense of neighborhood are closely related to each other. The traits of a healthy neighborhood are- walkable streets, friendly neighbors, density, diversity and mixed land use, accessible public open spaces. 'Rethinking vertical living' focuses on those aspects of human aspirations regarding the built environment. The research strives to bring back the emotional aspects of human life regarding home and neighborhood, and to improve the living standard in vertical living.

This thesis is part of the major EU project EE-Highrise. The main objective of the EU project is to investigate high-rise buildings in different climates considering energy use, sustainability and cultural and economic differences in different countries. A demo high-rise building has been built in the capital of Slovenia. The purpose of this thesis was to build a model of the demo building in the simulation program IDA Indoor Climate and Environment. The model’s energy performance was then to be simulated in three different regions: Scandinavia, Central Europe and in the Mediterranean. Improvements to the climate shell and the ventilation system were to be examined and the results were then to be compared to European and Swedish Passive House certification schemes. A model was built in the simulation program IDA Indoor Climate and Environment according to the provided drawings of the demo building in Slovenia. Most of the building’s parameters were provided by the project group in Slovenia. When specific parameters were missing or difficult to motivate, standardized values were assumed. The model was modified into five cases: the base case, increased insulation of the external walls, improved glazing and frames for the windows, increased effective heat recovery efficiency and a combination of the energy saving measures. The model’s energy performance was then simulated at five different locations: Naples in Italy, Ljubljana in Slovenia, Malmo in southern Sweden, Karlstad in the middle of Sweden and Kiruna in the northern Sweden. When comparing the results to the requirements for the European Passive House certification, none of the investigated cases met the requirements due to a too large primary energy demand. However, if the requirement regarding the primary energy demand were to be disregarded, then the building in Slovenia would pass the requirements with an increased effective heat recovery efficiency for the ventilation system. Also the building in southern Sweden would pass the requirements with a combination of increased insulation for the external walls, improved windows and increased effective heat recovery efficiency. The Swedish Passive House certification would be fulfilled for the models in Malmo and Karlstad with an increased effective heat recovery efficiency, while the model in Kiruna did not pass the requirements. However, with a combination of the energy saving measures the model in Kiruna came very close to meeting the requirements.   The conclusion was that an increased effective heat recovery efficiency had the largest impact on the building’s space heating demand and that improving the windows increased the cooling demand in Naples by a large amount.

The project explores two Architectural strategies, Urban infill and Arcology, in an attempt to present a possible building for the future of Stockholm. The goal with Urban infill is to not expand but to densify the city by using already existing sites for the proposed structures. Arcologies could be described as a city within a structure where a lot of people can live, work and dwell. With a broad research ranging from Science-fiction to real-life Architectural projects, the aim is to combine these strategies in order to discuss and propose how we might live in the cities in the future. The result: A wooden highrise in the middle of Stockholm where people can live together as a community, creating a more densely populated city without expanding it.

Urban homes are vertical. Suburban homes are horizontal. They are two distinct typologies. Both urban and suburban homes relate to their location, vertical like the city, and horizontal like the suburbs. These homes are very recognizable in the American landscape. Suburban homes are 1-2 stories with a garage, a yard, and tree-lined streets. Urban homes are many apartments stacked on top of each other within a single building, each with a small balcony and a parking garage underneath. What about the in between? What happens in the spaces that are not quite urban, and yet not quite suburban? So many people live in these spaces today. They want the excitement and jobs the city offers, but they also want the comfort and space of the suburbs, especially for their families. This building is a response to those spaces, a building that is urban, but is also suburban. / Master of Architecture

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