At the same time that we’re solving climate change, we are building cities for another 3 billion people until 2050. That’s a doubling of the urban environment. The most extensive of this construction, and especially housing projects for the coming decades, will take place in emergent and developing countries. We, as architects, engineers, developers, and government officials, have the opportunity and important responsibility to give shape to our future. But our decisions not only impact the environment but also our social well-being, economic vitality, our sense of community and connectedness. In Africa, the number of urban dwellings will triple from 400 million to 1.26 billion by 2050. If we zoom into sub-Saharan Africa, 80% of these buildings are not yet built, compared to 30% in Europe. Therefore, I see this project as an opportunity to use the knowledge and lessons we have learned over the past to give these countries a head start in developing their cities. Today’s choices will have an impact on the decades to come. With the continuously rising temperatures due to climate change and already elevated outdoor temperatures, the current housing situation in Benin is battling elevated indoor temperatures. They strongly affect the thermal comfort and, generally speaking, the well-being of people. With the rapid growth of cities and the shortage of currently available housing stock, builders and developers focus on quantity rather than quality. Many housing projects that are being built do not consider the specific climate conditions. Too often, they follow the occidental low-income housing model (Plattenbau, HLM) and battle temperature variations with mechanical cooling systems (air conditioning) and standard universal amenities. The needed urban infrastructure to supply these new dwellings with the necessary services is expansive and takes time to build. The existing networks are overloaded, and water and electricity supply interruptions are commonplace, even in the cities. Proper waste disposal and garbage collection are mainly non-existent, and landfills are the final waste destination. Therefore, a sustainable building approach in Benin and in general in countries with a hot and humid climate is not only a way to have a positive impact on the environment, but instead, it is a fundamental means that allows lower energy use and lower long-term costs of use while improving the thermal comfort and quality of life. People want a modern, hygienic and spatially sophisticated living environment and housing of the same standard while keeping a sense of cultural and social identity. Those social and cultural patterns must be considered a “compass” during the design process at all scales.

The aim of this paper is to design a retrofit façade-integrated cooling system for built high-rise residential public housing buildings in the tropical climate and evaluate its feasibility. Literature research into the climate, building design, cooling technologies and case studies of façade-integrated systems were important factors that led to the conceptual designs. Energy calculations and parametric optimization through Rhinoceros + Grasshopper were conducted to develop the façade concepts to suit the cooling load of the chosen building. Material and component costs were calculated to evaluate which façade concept proposal was more suitable and what design constraints were introduced by the limited available physical space. With a chosen façade concept, minor tweaks were made to account for additional issues such as conduction heat loss and the oversizing of components. Façade details with respect to structural elements, moving parts, system operation and maintenance procedures were developed. The overall implications and limitations of the design were discussed with the aid of daylighting simulations and extrapolative calculations to paint a broader picture of its overall feasibility and what it takes to be realized.

As part of the studio ‘Designing for Care – towards an Inclusive Living Environment’, which focused on the topics of architectural designs for the elderly, this study specifically aimed at building an open and intimate neighbourhood through connections in answer to the elderly’s urgent problems from aged-related social losses.

As climate change, housing shortage and prices in the Netherlands are getting out of control, the building industry needs to find new ways of designing high quality neighbourhoods that manage to tackle these issues. This project focusses on developing an energy neutral, high quality, affordable neighbourhood by implementing a modular strategy and a climate strategy at the urban and architectural level. Solarpolis is a proposed new neighbourhood situated in the Merwedeterrein, Arnhem (NL), where both the urban and architectural situations are influenced by a passive climate design strategy. The proposed modular strategy has the advantage to be resilient enough to cope with future climate changes or changes of layout/destination of the living environments; it employs state of the art sustainable technologies to ensure circular energy exploitation/recovery to the maximum possible extent.

The power of sound is immense. It provides an immersive experience for the user in many different forms, such as noise, melodies, voices or even a song. It is a tricky genre unlike light and temperature, and is highly complex to predict and control the user behavior in terms of sound. Thus, the intention is to correct the acoustics as a post-activity in a real-time response. It can be visually depicted through a sound responsive surface which enhances the acoustical experience of a user. The goal is to realize a physical working prototype which can be tested for proof of concept and responsive alertness to real time sound data. The objective is to enhance the user experience by developing a sound responsive skin triggered with real time sound and study its impact on the acoustic performance in an open space. An acoustic plugin is also developed to integrate the calculation process within the initial iterative design process.

The Ecuadorian construction sector lacks thermal comfort standards, causing building’s design to disregard the existing variations between the climatic regions in the country. Indoor comfort levels are generally poor, encouraging the use of unsustainable cooling and heating systems. A building´s envelope plays an important role in the energy and environmental performance of a building. This research investigates whether indoor comfort can be improved by renovating existing facades with a prefabricated facade system that can be mass-customized to respond to different types of climate conditions. A project that uses state-of-the-art technologies, such as CNC milling, to mass-customize construction elements is the WikiHouse. It provides construction solutions with multiple variations, easy assembly processes and the demountability of its components. It guarantees its reusability and reduces the high demand for resources in the construction industry. This research focuses on the design of a facade system that can be mass-customized by combining the construction system of the WikiHouse project and multiple layers with different properties to build one modular and symmetric component with several variations. The replication of the components variants on an existing building´s facades should improve the indoor comfort by responding to the localtions weather. During this research, components variants are developed, by using computational prototyping and simulations. The most suitable components combinations for each facade orientation are selected. This study highlights the influence of climate factors in all its design steps, as well as setting a circular workflow throughout the manufacture, use and return processes. The final outcome of this study is a prefabricated facade system that can be mass-customized to respond to different types of Ecuadorian climate conditions to improve the current indoor comfort levels and allows its demountability and reusability.

New Media has brought about a change in our lifestyles, a change in how we do our work, the possibility of working more flexibly, but also the creation of new jobs. Nowadays New Media can’t be separated anymore from the way that we do our work. New Media workers specifically are largely reliant on New Media, in this case seen as technological advancements of a given time in this case internet, smartphones, laptop etc. Because of New Media these people are able to work more flexible, differently (to the point of the creation of new jobs) and most importantly from anywhere. Most of these people however work from home and it is here that the problem that these people deal with is found. Most of the homes that they currently have are adapted to this new way of working, meaning that they are in need for dwellings that can provide the necessary space for them to work and live. It is expected that a lot of people will continue to work more from home even companies are thinking of implementing standard days on which their employees work from home, meaning that the issue will persist and even expand to more than just the New Media workers. With the building presented in this project I hope to participate in finding a solution for this problem, which not only New Media workers have to deal with, but others soon as well.

Low-frequency sound transmission in a cross-laminated timber apartment building can result in annoyance, even if the acoustic requirements of the building code are fulfilled. Cross-laminated timber is an upcoming material in the building industry. But there are also problems arising when building with this relatively new material. CLT is a lightweight building material, which means that the mass itself is insufficient for meeting the acoustical requirements. The total sound transmission depends on the amount of direct sound and flanking sound transmission. The ISO 12354 standard used to determine the amount of sound transmission between rooms does not include frequencies below 100 Hz. Even though these low-frequency sounds are the main cause of annoyance in lightweight construction buildings. The low-frequency sound transmission is hard to measure because of the long wavelength. In this research, a numerical model was developed and used to determine the low-frequency sound transmission in CLT apartment buildings. The effect of the following sound-reducing measures are studied: the material properties of the material CLT, additional linings on the room separating elements, use of elastic interlayers between CLT panels and the type and number of connectors connecting the CLT panels. These are all common sound-reducing measures for lightweight constructions. The effect of the material properties of the CLT and the effect of additional linings are computed by a numerical direct sound transmission model. The effects of elastic interlayer and connectors between the CLT panels are computed with a numerical vibration reduction index model. The results of the numerical models are compared to measurements found in literature and the sound transmission according to the ISO standard. The results showed the importance of Young’s modulus in the y and z-direction, these influence the location of the resonance induced dips in the sound insulation. The internal loss factor of the CLT panels influenced the height of the dips. A loss factor of 20 % resulted in results most similar to the measurements. The direct sound transmission through a bare CLT panel can be predicted within a range of 3 dB difference with measurements. The prediction of the ISO standard is within a range of 5 dB with the measured values. The vibration reduction index between panels without interlayers is modelled with frictional contact regions between the panels. The numerical results showed similarities with the measurement results for the vibration reduction index of panels with screwed connectors. The ISO standard significantly overpredicts the vibration reduction index of CLT junctions. The effect of the elastic interlayer showed insignificant improvements in the frequency range 50-500 Hz, the additional reduction stays below 3 dB. The ISO standard does not include a method to determine the effect of elastic interlayers or connectors between CLT panels. The numerical models prove that is possible to predict the low-frequency sound transmission in CLT apartments. Important notes are that the CLT lamellas need to be modelled separately. Only in this way the model is able to capture the sound that goes through a structure within a range of 3 dB. In order to test the effect of additional lining, the material properties need to be known. The vibration transmission between panels in the junctions is more complex, as it depends on more design parameters. A frictionally bonded contact region between the panels results in vibration reduction indices that are in line with measurement results of panels with several connectors. The effect of the elastic interlayer is minimal in the low-frequency range, but the results are similar to measurement results. Both the direct sound transmission model and the vibration reduction model were influenced by the boundary conditions.

The population of the world is increasing at a rapid rate and is expected to reach 9.7billion by 2050. Out of this, around 6.3billion people will be living in urban areas. With an ever increasing population, the demand for energy and resources is also increasing. It is becoming difficult to meet these demands with the existing supply conditions. With this research, the aim is to develop a symbiotic energy and resource relationship between residential buildings and modular greenhouses. By doing so, it could help in reducing the primary demands of the buildings while meeting the demands by utilizing the waste flows of the building.

Maintenance plays a vital part in the Circular Economy (CE). Repairing, upgrading and restoring façades extends their lifecycle and reduces waste. The European Union and Dutch government have set goals to reach a circular future: in 2050 the built environment must be 100% circular. However, this demands a tremendous change in the current maintenance system. Façades are often maintained for the service life of only 50 years. Therefore, the quality at end-of-life is usually low. Additionally, due to issues in information capture and management, the condition at end-of-life is also challenging to determine. Therefore, façades are discarded as waste, sometimes way before they are at their actual end-of-life. Furthermore, to increase the circular potential of façades, the existing maintenance system requires change. In this research, an investigation is done into how the current maintenance system can be facilitated towards circular maintenance utilizing digital technologies. Inspections on façade defects are currently carried out manually. Afterwards, this information is stored and maintained manually in real estate software. Visual inspections and information systems are prone to human errors. Therefore, a study is done into the automation of the existing maintenance system to facilitate communication between parties. The Digital Twin (DT) is a real-time computer-generated BIM-model of the mother building, using sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) to capture data. Existing detection technologies are compared with detection sensors from literature, like infrared thermography and fibre sensors. The influence of the recommended sensors on the existing maintenance process is determined. The output of this is a new maintenance system using a DT to increase the circularity potential of façades.

Secularisation is leading to an increasing amount of obsolete churches in the Netherlands. There is a need for decision making on which churches to preserve and how to deal with the preserved churches. Adaptively reusing these buildings can safeguard them from demolition. Adaptively reusing churches is a matter of making concessions. Every stakeholder has its interest. These interests are interrelated, and it is almost impossible to meet every stakeholders’ goal to the maximum. Therefore, one should strive to find the optimal solution. Finding this optimal balance is the task of the decision maker. Theory shows that aligning the following four goals can help: physical, functional, financial and organisational goals. These are based on the CREM perspectives. This is tested by interviewing several decisionmakers and by comparing this qualitative data and the additional literature research with the theory. The aim is to strengthen the position of the decision maker with this new information and tools. Equally important as finding the optimal solution, is making supported decisions. The use of the DAS-frame guides this. Comparing the four steps derived from the literature with the steps decision makers take leads to the findings. This information is derived from interviews. A step-by-step plan for future decision makers helps making substantiated decisions, and a database and reference booklet, compiled in this thesis, help broadening the solution framework for adaptively reusing churches. This step-by-step plan is compiled based on the DAS-frame and the information for the interviews. Tips from finding the optimal solution merge into this step-by-step plan. The step-by-step plan, database and reference booklet form a toolbox to support private and public decision makers in fulfilling their task.

This paper is part of a master’s degree in Architecture at Delft University of Technology. It is addressing single-person households as they are found to be the most affected group from the current state of the Dutch housing market. This forms the relevance of this study and formulates the research objective. The theoretical part describes the background of the problem from a market and a historical perspective. It further examines the needs, preferences and lifestyle patterns of this household composition and investigates ‘compact’ and ‘live-work’ as architectural notions. The design case analyses precedential building’s circulation schemes, shared facilities and public/private threshold. The suitable living environment is defined as a live-work building with compact dwellings and shared facilities. The aim of the paper is to provide a design hypothesis for Building 7 for this target group located in the M4H area in Rotterdam. A conceptual design is proposed, but this section is still to be elaborated into a detailed design.

The aim of this thesis is to present the outputs of a project in which pattern kerfing techniques are explored for producing responsive freeform panels out of wooden plates. Relevant research such as the ones presented by Ivanišević (2014), Zarrinmehr et al. (2017) and Ohshima et al. (2013) have shown that it is possible to bend a wooden plate by carving patterns on one or two sides of it. By this means, the plate is able to perform both single and double curved surfaces depending on the pattern design. The main objective of this research is to find out the relationships between the geometric parameters of the pattern and the bending capabilities of the plate and to put forward a formalized method for the design and fabrication of three-dimensional, freeform and responsive surfaces. These findings lead to complex pattern designs which enable the plates to perform three dimensional and freeform curved surfaces. Moreover, these panels can be actuated as responsive building components which answer the changing performance requirements in a space. In this research, acoustic performance is addressed by designing panels which respond to the changing acoustic needs of a lecture room. The applied research methods on the flexibility involve experiments with physical models and a simulation in which the effect of the geometric parameters of the pattern on the bending capabilities are further elaborated. The acoustic performance is measured and calculated by means of multiple acoustic measurements. This research outputs three main items. The first one is a parametric definition which was used to design pattern variations in order to achieve various three-dimensional freeform surfaces produced by pattern kerfing out of wooden plates. This definition is applicable in different design problems in which the design of such surfaces is needed. The second output is a series of prototypes which are produced using laser cutting and CNC milling in order to test the actual bending capabilities of the produced panels and to measure the acoustic performance based on the defined parameters related to the geometry and composition of the panels. The last output is a case study in which the developed design and fabrication techniques are demonstrated for designing a teaching environment with better acoustic performance.

This research will examine a design for an off-grid safari park in Iran. During this research different passive techniques from the vernacular architecture will be discussed. These principles will be used to reduce the energy demand of the safari park, since it should be an off-grid park, in order to deliver a design proposal with an achievable energy balance. One of the buildings, the entrance building, will be used as a case study to test the design principles. The courtyard, the increase of mass and the windcatcher are the most important principles to be implemented in the building. The energy reduction achievable with these techniques is weighted against the increase in cost of the building. In the design of the entrance building, a combination of windcatchers and underground ducts is used to cool the building, reducing the energy demand for cooling with 90%. Other principles, like an increase in mass and a courtyard also reduce the energy demand of the building significantly. The use of vernacular principles in the design will increase the cost of the building. However, it will decrease the cost needed for generating energy on site and, therefore, it is still beneficial. Future research, should focus on the exact amount of energy needed compared to the additional cost for the construction of the buildings. However, this research concludes that the use of vernacular principles in the park is beneficial.

Desigrate’ is designed to serve as a façade component of office buildings. Therefore, the building technology aspect of climate, façade detailing, and façade assembly is thoroughly discussed, optimized and evaluated to provide a product which acts efficiently as a cooling system and enhances the insulation of the building. Hence serving as a cooling strategy both actively and passively. Furthermore, as the façade system is specifically designed for the hot and humid climate of Bangkok, both climate and cultural context are crucial aspects in designing the system. The design concept of the façade system is based on a vernacular approach to enhance the cultural value of the product which aims to reflects the “Thainess” identity to the built environment.

This project relates to 4th industrial revolution and the digital era and nswers the needs of todays craftsmen. Recent times prove that production of goods becomes decentralized while factories and mass production is being replaced by mass customization and digital craftsmanship. Todays artists and designers often collaborate and create co-workshops, alike co-working spaces. Author of this project spend half year to research on the needs of todays makers and their workshops along with digital fabrication and mass customization. That allowed to understand todays crafts and workshop layouts. The most important requirements considering todays workshops were easy reconfigurability, adaptability, connection between home and living and open sourceness. Digital fabrication research led to decision about building method - a digitally fabricated building system utilizing wood and fiberglass composite material joined with CNC milled friction locks. Mentioned building system had to provide an open source framework which could be easily modified and rebuild with time by the user. On the other hand it has to be intuitive and be composed of a low amount of elements. All that allowed to compose a system which provided accessible reconfiguration which is not limited by spans, sizes or floor numbers.

This research investigates the effect of window position and size on building facades on daylight entry, energy consumption, and thermal comfort of buildings. The aim is to find a feasible way to make housing more sustainable and energy efficient in compliance with the Dutch Building Regulations while providing good daylit spaces. This knowledge can be helpful to architects and engineers at an early stage in the design process who intend to design a sustainable building. This research is done in relation to the graduation from the TU Delft Building Engineering Master's degree in cooperation with the company Sweco Nederland B.V. located in De Bilt. This study developed a parametric model based on the NTA 8800 calculation method for energy demand and the NEN-EN 17037 daylight norm. Two different types of reference building are investigated, a middle apartment in an apartment building and a middle terraced house. The parameters used for this study are the orientation of the building, the height and width of the window (and therefore WWR), as well as vertical and horizontal positioning of the windows, and a balcony cantilever in front of the apartment windows. The results show that: The lower WWR boundaries are independent of orientation, and therefore, the minimum WWR values per orientation are the same. The lower boundary of the apartment (33%) is strongly influenced by the present overhangs, while the terraced housing requires a minimum WWR of 12%. The results show that the maximum WWR for terraced housing is mostly restricted by the BENG1 requirement (25% -38%), except for the south orientation (36%) which is limited by TOjuli. The maximum WWR of the apartment is restricted mainly by TOjuli (33% - 60%). The BENG1 results show that a north-south orientation for terraced housing is best to minimise energy demand (WWRs of around 38% are possible until requirements are exceeded). For the geometries studied, this research suggests a WWR for an apartment building roughly between 30% and 45% and for terraced housing roughly between 13% and 25% as a starting point. On top of that, it is recommended to install windows in the middle of a facade in terms of horizontal position and in the upper part of the facade in terms of vertical position to maximise daylight entry. Glass below the reference surface height of 0.85m should be avoided. The results of this research indicate certain guidelines, rules, and statements that can be used when working with the new regulations, of which the most fundamental statement: As a consequence of the updated daylight standard from NEN 2057 to NEN-EN 17037, an increase in WWR no longer directly leads to a higher daylight factor, as it did under the current regulation. Furthermore, this study reveals clearly that despite the fact that energy demand and daylight are theoretically closely related, regulations are separated more. Daylight and energy demand are better separable (and individually optimised) in regulations than expected beforehand. The methodology used demonstrates its robustness and practicality in analysing complex problems and obtaining validated results. Therefore, the methodology used can be recommended for further research and larger design projects in practice.

This research investigates the effect of window position and size on building facades on daylight entry, energy consumption, and thermal comfort of buildings. The aim is to find a feasible way to make housing more sustainable and energy efficient in compliance with the Dutch Building Regulations while providing good daylit spaces. This knowledge can be helpful to architects and engineers at an early stage in the design process who intend to design a sustainable building. This research is done in relation to the graduation from the TU Delft Building Engineering Master's degree in cooperation with the company Sweco Nederland B.V. located in De Bilt. This study developed a parametric model based on the NTA 8800 calculation method for energy demand and the NEN-EN 17037 daylight norm. Two different types of reference building are investigated, a middle apartment in an apartment building and a middle terraced house. The parameters used for this study are the orientation of the building, the height and width of the window (and therefore WWR), as well as vertical and horizontal positioning of the windows, and a balcony cantilever in front of the apartment windows. The results show that: The lower WWR boundaries are independent of orientation, and therefore, the minimum WWR values per orientation are the same. The lower boundary of the apartment (33%) is strongly influenced by the present overhangs, while the terraced housing requires a minimum WWR of 12%. The results show that the maximum WWR for terraced housing is mostly restricted by the BENG1 requirement (25% -38%), except for the south orientation (36%) which is limited by TOjuli. The maximum WWR of the apartment is restricted mainly by TOjuli (33% - 60%). The BENG1 results show that a north-south orientation for terraced housing is best to minimise energy demand (WWRs of around 38% are possible until requirements are exceeded). For the geometries studied, this research suggests a WWR for an apartment building roughly between 30% and 45% and for terraced housing roughly between 13% and 25% as a starting point. On top of that, it is recommended to install windows in the middle of a facade in terms of horizontal position and in the upper part of the facade in terms of vertical position to maximise daylight entry. Glass below the reference surface height of 0.85m should be avoided. The results of this research indicate certain guidelines, rules, and statements that can be used when working with the new regulations, of which the most fundamental statement: As a consequence of the updated daylight standard from NEN 2057 to NEN-EN 17037, an increase in WWR no longer directly leads to a higher daylight factor, as it did under the current regulation. Furthermore, this study reveals clearly that despite the fact that energy demand and daylight are theoretically closely related, regulations are separated more. Daylight and energy demand are better separable (and individually optimised) in regulations than expected beforehand. The methodology used demonstrates its robustness and practicality in analysing complex problems and obtaining validated results. Therefore, the methodology used can be recommended for further research and larger design projects in practice.

For centuries timber has been the most commonly used material for constructions. All over the world examples of timber structures that date back from a few centuries are still standing today. The Netherlands feature about 60,000 national monuments with internally timber structures. These timber structures often need strengthening due to increasing loads that are applied. The strengthening techniques are narrowed down to a few options whenever historical ceiling designs, such as ceiling paintings, plaster works or timber beams need to remain intact. Timber floors encounter two major challenges: low stiffness which leads to limited load-bearing capacity and low surface mass which leads to poor acoustic sound insulation. This research seeks to provide structural engineers to make a factual choice in an early design stage for using a reversible strengthening technique on a monumental timber floor preserving original appearance. This strengthening technique is verified for strength, stiffness and acoustics, both airborne and structure-borne sound transmission. To this end, the following research question was formulated: "What is the influence on the strength, stiffness and acoustic properties of monumental timber floors by strengthening them with multiple layers of plates fastened on top of the existing floor?" To answer the research question, a case study was performed on two monumental floors of the Prinsenhof Museum in Delft. These floors were investigated for their current strength, stiffness and acoustic properties. Then, equations were derived which considered the separate timber plates in the reinforcement technique as an equivalent layer. This equivalent layer is used to determine the effective stiffness for mechanically connected girders by the gamma-method. These equations were validated using software for 2D frameworks. Subsequently, a parameter study was used to determine the influence of the parameters on the strength, stiffness and acoustic properties. Finally, by applying the reinforcement technique to the case study based on the results of the parameter study, the strengthening technique was assessed more in detail by taking into account the influence of the non-cooperating intermediate layer. The results of the parameter study and the case study demonstrated that the strengthening technique increase the strength and stiffness of the floor considerably. However, by increasing the stiffness, the connections between the additional timber plates and the reinforced component becomes governing. Furthermore, the increase in stiffness does not significantly improve the acoustic sound insulation, as this is mainly governed by the surface mass of the timber floor. It is therefore concluded that strengthening of monumental timber floors, by means of several layers of separate timber plates fastened on top of the floor, is an effective way to achieve the desired strength and stiffness. Thick plates, small spacing between fasteners and inclined fasteners are a requirement to achieve higher strength and stiffness. However, additional measures must be taken to meet the sound transmission requirements. For the original perseverance of the monumental timber floor and reversibility, these measures would be dry floating floors. A significant fact is that dry floating floors only add mass and do not increase stiffness, which lowers the maximum allowable load on the floor. A major limitation of this thesis is the consideration of the non-cooperating intermediate layer between the additional timber layers and the reinforced component. This intermediate layer results in multiple shear planes between the reinforced component and the additional timber plates. This thesis suggested to use a factor, determined from Roensmaens et al. (2020) research, to convert the multiple shear planes into a single shear plane. It is therefore important that further research investigates the influence of these multiple shear planes that do not contribute to the bending stiffness of the reinforced component.

Nowadays, the energy consumption has a significant role in the entire life cycle of a building. The energy demands keep rising due to growth in population, increasing demand for healthy, comfort and productive indoor environment, global climate changing, and so on. This rapid increase in energy use in buildings represents a major issue especially in regions with extreme climate conditions. For instance, in tropical climates the major reason for the high energy consumption for any type of building is the use of air conditioning. Before the implementation of refrigeration technologies in the building industry and the increase of thermal comfort levels, designers in tropical climates used to tackle the climate conditions using natural methods to prevent the building from unwanted heat and to control the heat gains from the surrounding environment. Thus, this research investigate the possibility of designing a purely passive building in order to reduce at minimum the energy consumption of an office building in tropical climates, combining the bioclimatic approach and passive cooling strategies. In particular, the design objective is to define to what extent can the cooling consumption of an office building be decreased. Different design strategies are implemented and tested through Building Performance Optimization (BPO). In specific, two optimization rounds are run. The first to investigate the impact of envelope parameters, and the second to investigate the impact of the envelope and indoor comfort parameters on the cooling consumption.