Our work

Advancing Green Building
Technologies

Stack Effect in Highrise Condominiums

Stack effect is a major design consideration for tall buildings. It results from pressure differences caused by warm air rising and air infiltration and exfiltration through the building envelope. Energy models used for building code and LEED compliance do a relatively poor job of accounting for this fluid dynamic that can have a significant impact on energy consumption. And recent design innovations, resulting in the de-centralization of ventilation systems and an increase in the number of small mechanical systems and wall penetrations, add a new dimension to the stack effect affect. Tower Labs worked with the Natural Gas Technology Centre in Quebec, and later with RWDI, to model air flows more carefully in two highrises in Toronto. Read the NGTC Report, funded by TAF.

Fall 2011 & Spring 2013