ABSTRACT
Introduction The Frederick Lanchester Library at Coventry University, UK, (see Figure 27.1) opened in September 2000 and is one of the largest naturally ventilated buildings in the world. The deep-plan layout and its urban location, close to the city centre of Coventry, made the design of a low-energy building without air conditioning and with maximum daylight provision particularly challenging. Computer simulation techniques were used to assess the likely performance of the proposed design in order to ensure that the passive methods employed would be adequate to meet the cooling demands of such a large-scale building. The final design has proven to be very successful, both in terms of its thermal and energy-use performance, as well as its user satisfaction.
