ABSTRACT
The selection and control of the cooling, ventilation, and air conditioning systems to provide controlled internal conditions in historic and heavy-weighted buildings require knowledge not only of the effectiveness of the proposed system providing the required conditions quickly and efficiently, but also of the long-term effects of the system and any sudden fluctuations of the internal climatic conditions on the comfort and life of the building envelope itself and any works of art therein. Places of worship are of high spiritual nature and commonly architecturally elite. The occupants are usually praying either standing or standing, bowing, and kneeling. The level of activities should be accounted for in the thermal load calculations. Two examples are shown here: the Grand Mosque extension project in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and St. Mary’s Orthodox Church in Cairo, Egypt.
