Products: A-Series

Ventilation System for Buildings with Atria

Atria are often designed into buildings to provide a light and airy environment which is adaptable for the needs of the occupants. By providing a flow path through the building, they can also aid the adoption of a natural ventilation strategy for the surrounding rooms.

Breathing Buildings has developed an innovative low energy approach to the ventilation of buildings where rooms are connected to a central atrium. The system can be deployed in buildings with one storey as well multi-storey buildings. In winter, high level vents or windows in the atrium are used to bring fresh cold air into the building as well to exhaust the hot polluted air. The air mixes naturally in the atrium owing to the convective flow patterns which develop in the space. The Breathing Buildings A-Series units are then used to exchange the atrium air with the occupied rooms adjacent to the atrium.

In summer the building is ventilated using upflow displacement ventilation. Air enters through exterior windows in each room before flowing into the atrium through specially designed Breathing Buildings A-Series transfer units. The air rises within the atrium and exits through the high level windows or vents at the top of the space. The large difference in height between the low level entry of fresh air and the exit of warm air through the atrium creates a large buoyancy effect which draws air through the building.

The BIM components are available for download below:

For more information please download the A-Series PDF document in the Download box.


Breathing Buildings