Project Details

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Design of a prototype for cost-effective vertical greenery façade system suitable for warm humid climate

Company: PSU SEDI Global Building Network

Major(s):
Primary: ME
Secondary: IE
Optional: CMPEN, CMPSC, EE

Non-Disclosure Agreement: NO

Intellectual Property: NO

One of the current global effects of climate change is extreme heat waves where in Tanzania the situation is not different. In cities like Dar es salaam, urban dwellers constitute to about 70% of the region whereby most of them reside in unplanned settlements that are characterized by compacted buildings making natural ventilation highly unreliable. While the effects of heat stress include but are not limited to mortality and morbidity, mild skin rashes, cramps, swelling and fatigue; failure in infrastructure systems caused by overheating, and decreased air quality because of lower thermal comfort level (Kim and Brown 2021), it is important to understand that heat stress disproportionately affects the vulnerable populations which include elderly, infants, people with chronic diseases or disabilities and low-income earners (Lim and Skidmore 2020). Therefore, the project aims to develop a testable cost-effective prototype of a vertical greenery system that can increase indoor thermal comfort of urban dwellers. The project context will be a location in Pennsylvania and/ or a selected urban area in Tanzania.