Qualcomm AY - Internal Comfort Modelling

San Diego

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IES Consulting performed internal comfort modeling on the Qualcomm AY building in San Diego, CA.

Key Facts

  • 390,000 sq ft building
  • 6 Storeys
  • Office and Laboratory Space

IES Consulting performed a natural ventilation assessment to optimise occupant comfort for the proposed Qualcomm Building AY in San Diego, CA. The 6 storey building has a floor area of 390,000 sq ft and is a mixture of office and laboratory space. The building was designed with a high level of external shading to protect from harsh solar gain thereby offering the oppurtunity to reduce the need for mechanical cooling and allowing a natural ventilation strategy to be envisaged for the facility which included operable windows.

IES were in the ideal position to offer modeling services to support the descision on this passive design strategy with a key emphasis on the window opening control strategy. First IES created detailed 3D geoemtry of the shading design and performed a Suncast solar shading simulation which would include the building's self shading effect alongside the multitude of external shading features. The next stage assessment included reviewing three control regimes, working to select the most beneficial and then optimising with different glass constructions and the operable area required to allow cool fresh air to enter the occupied spaces.

IES reported on the ventilation flow rates expected by each scenario together with air temperature and operative temperature reporting. By analysing the temperature statisctics for the occupied spaces, including the number of hours above threshold temperatures, IES could clearly communicate the peformance benefits the design enhancements would offer. 

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