National Library

Context & Goal‍

A national library combines large public reading rooms, high-occupancy circulation areas, and archival spaces, all requiring stable and comfortable indoor conditions for the people using them. Dynamic thermal simulations were used to evaluate summer overheating risk, winter discomfort, and overall energy consumption together, ensuring the building performed reliably across every season for visitors and staff alike.

Our Analysis

• Summer Overheating Analysis: We simulated indoor temperatures throughout the warmest months, tracking the room behavior and the number of hours each space spent above 28°C. This was particularly important for large, highly glazed reading rooms, where occupancy and solar gains can lead to overheating. Future weather files (2050, 2070, etc.) were also assessed to anticipate climate change, reduce the need for active cooling, and ensure robust, energy-efficient comfort solutions over the long term.

• Winter Discomfort Analysis: We assessed cold discomfort hours during winter, identifying areas such as high-ceilinged public halls and spaces near large façades, where heat loss and thermal bridging could compromise comfort for visitors and staff working long hours in fixed positions.

• Energy Consumption Analysis:  We modeled the building's annual energy demand across all major sectors: heating, cooling, lighting, equipment, and ventilation. Testing insulation levels, glazing performance, and shading strategies to identify the combination that delivered the best comfort outcomes at the lowest overall energy use.

Outcome‍

The result was a thermal strategy that performed year-round rather than seasonally: reduced summer overheating hours above 28°C in the main reading rooms, fewer winter discomfort hours thanks to improved insulation and reduced thermal bridging, and a measurable drop in projected annual energy consumption across heating, cooling, lighting, equipment, and ventilation. By addressing summer, winter, and energy performance together and optimizing the building's energy consumption throughout the process, the library achieved consistent comfort for visitors and staff while keeping operational costs under control.

‍