Trends in thermal environmental design of atrium buildings in Japan

Various kinds of atrium buildings have been constructed in Japan since 1982. The estimated number of atrium buildings already constructed is around 200. Articles on these atrium buildings have appeared in architectural design magazines. The measured data of indoor thermal environment for some of them are illustrated in technical reports and conference papers. This paper describes the trends in the design and construction of atrium buildings, based on material in the design magazines. Second, the design methods of thermal environmental control of 14 buildings are classified, reference is made to the technical papers, and measured data on vertical temperature profiles in the atriums are compared. Finally, the relationship between the temperature gradient and the type of atrium with different environmental control methods is discussed.