Expanded perlite is a porous, lightweight, fire resistant and moisture retaining material with sound and thermal insulation properties. In this research, acoustical behaviour of plates made of expanded perlite was studied experimentally. Since these plates are used for sound absorption, the acoustical parameter selected for this study is ''sound absorption coefficient''. Preliminary experiments indicated that moisture reduced the sound absorption coefficient on plates and there is not much significant difference between the dry and 50% humid conditions. However, there is a significant difference in acoustical properties for the 50-95% humid conditions. Thus, this interval was studied in detail. A number of expanded perlite plates having different mixtures were prepared and tested. It was observed that, coating the expanded perlite particles with sodium silicate increased the moisture resistance, and the addition of mineral fibres into the mixtures increased the strength and sound absorption coefficient of the plates. r

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This study describe the microclimates, its effects on building design, and how it depends on the specific climate of a place. The aim of this study is to examine the microclimate responsive design approaches to buildings in the Cypriot settlement through different basic elements of bioclimatic design for human comfort. The study focuses on selected buildings in Famagusta and Lefkosa district of North Cyprus, to understand the effect of microclimate design approaches on the vernacular and contemporary edifices. In line with climate characteristics; site planning, building form and orientation, vegetation, indoor ventilation, and building material was considered in this study. The research techniques applied, includes related frameworks, on-site observation, and interview with building dwellers. The findings suggested that the vernacular buildings and its environment are more sustainable when matched to contemporary buildings. Moreover, the study inference suggests that contemporary buildings should incorporate vernacular buildings responsive design approaches to maximise human comfort. The implication of the study serves as a guide for further investigation on designing microclimate responsive buildings.

The energy performance and thermal comfort of an office building with single and double skin facades, in a warm climate was studied using TAS software. A double-skin facade is an envelope construction that consists of two transparent surfaces separated by a cavity. The extra skin can reduce cooling demand in summer and heating demand in winter. It is concluded that in a warm climate office, a double skin facade can perform better than a single skin facade. In a warm climate a double skin facade fully provides heating and thermal comfort in winter. In a warm climate however its benefit in summer is limited. Further studies are needed to increase the performance of double skin facades in summer.

This research will analyze the traditional Iranian buildings according to the climatic factors by the use of graph theory. By this way, the hypothesis that climate factor has a major effect on the organization of the spaces in traditional Iranian buildings will be tested. Access graphs have been used to clarify the connectivity and depth of a building’s spaces from the socio-cultural point of view. However, it cannot be applied to climate studies. Thus, this study developed the existing technique to define building layouts in terms of climate and thermal comfort. The thermal comfort was graphically evaluated by the two main factors like solar gain and wind effect, with the use of a simple multi-attribute rating technique. All the analysis had been done in the interval of zero (the worst condition) to three (the best condition). The proposed orientation-weighted graph method proved that the thermal comfort factors of the buildings under study match the seasonal movements of their inhabitants. Consequently, the developed orientation-weighted graph method can be used to study space organization in traditional Iranian building in terms of solar gain and wind effect.

Eastern Mediterranean University’s Lala Mustafa Paşa hall is a multipurpose auditorium with conflicting functions. It is used for lectures, graduation ceremonies, music performances, shows, and sports. Thus, it is necessary to provide both speech intelligibility and quality sound. Many complaints were made regarding the long reverberation and echoes in the hall. To find the optimum solution for all of these conflicting uses, a survey of the acoustic parameters for music and speech was conducted, the criteria for which were identified. Measurements of these parameters were taken for the unoccupied hall. It was found that the acoustic conditions for both speech and music were in a critical condition in the hall. A simulation program was used to find a suitable solution, and various solutions were tested. The optimum solution was found to be the use of fireproof pyramidal melamine plates on the ceiling, and melamine plates with fireproof textile on the front surface with an air cavity on the walls at the rear. The long sidewalls at various levels on the tribunes were kept untreated. These measures satisfy the criteria for both music and speech without disrupting the sports activities.