Seventeenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

Rapid urbanization among many factors that contribute to elevate air temperature inside city’s urban fabric that causes urban human discomfort. Natural ventilation in urban canyons is one of the measures that can limit that effect and minimize the air temperature of urban areas. Benefits range from pedestrian comfort in urban environment, to efficiency of natural ventilation systems in urban streets. Studies have covered different urban forms and their impact on pedestrian comfort, some other have investigated the role of built-up density on pollutants dispersion, some have studied the role of urban configurations on natural ventilation in buildings, while some study different physical characteristics which also affect the urban heat island. What is yet to be defined is the effect of those physical characteristics on shaping the buildings regulations especially in Egypt and its efficiency on natural ventilation systems in urban canyons to eliminate the raised temperature. The aim of this work is to assess and analyse the main building code in Egypt - the Unified Building Law No.119 of year 2008 with its executive appendix - from its relation to natural ventilation and its physical characteristics.