Valorization of Local Construction and Technique: Hygrothermal Behavior, Thermal and Visual Comfort of a Nubian Vaulted Construction in Sahelian Climate of Ouagadougou

Abstract

This study allowed appreciating hygrothermal behavior, thermal comfort and the visual comfort of an existing Nubian vaulted building in the city of Ouagadougou. To achieve that purpose, we measured parameters such as the temperature and relative humidity of the indoor and outdoor environments as well as illumination by daylight inside the studied building. The measurement campaign consisted of two (02) series of three (03) days in January 2018: one series with insulation of the louvered openings by polystyrene and the other series without the insulation. We carried out the measurements of relative humidity and illumination at 7, 10, 12, 15, 17, 20 and 22 o'clock and adopted a one-hour measurement time step for temperatures. The analysis of these parameters showed that the level of natural lighting in the building was insufficient. In addition, for the indoor ambiance, we have obtained indoor thermal amplitude less than 1.5°C, a decrement factor of less than 6%, a time lag of 6 to 8 hours. As for operative temperatures, they are within the thermal comfort zone of the Givonni diagram. As for the couple (Temperature, Relative Humidity), the thermal comfort zone proposed by Givonni is reached when the louver openings are insulated.