Caribbean Town, Eagle – Aruba

Windtech undertook wind tunnel testing to assess the natural ventilation performance of the Caribbean Town development located in Aruba. Natural ventilation of indoor areas can be used to improve both the air quality of internal spaces and the level of occupant comfort, for example, during warmer temperatures when the occupants generally have windows and doors open. This is the case in Aruba, where the local climate is warm all year round with predominant easterly winds. Another benefit of natural ventilation is to lessen reliance on mechanical systems, such as air conditioning, reducing costs and energy demand.

The natural ventilation performance was evaluated by calculating the mean difference in pressures acting on the various openings of each unit and the average velocity through the unit. The mean pressures has been subjected to a directional probability weighting summed over the various wind directions to calculate the 50th percentile pressures and velocities within the target wind model. The characteristics and locations of the external and internal openings determine the wind-driven pressure differences and the resultant flow of air.

The results of the study indicated that the majority of units of the development are well ventilated, i.e., achieved moderate or better natural ventilation performance. The design team used strategically placed Dutch doors which contributed greatly to the good results. To further improve performance, it is suggested to implement vents to complement the window openings, increasing the volume of flow through the apartments.