Natural ventilation for new lecture theatres in Zimbabwe

The design of the lecture theatres at the new National University of Science and Technology in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, presented a particular environmental challenge since they are designed for internal temperatures of up to 28.2 deg C in mid-summer. In order to reduce the temperature and at the same time provide soundproofing and light-tightness, ventilation of the interior had to be separated from the building fabric's ventilation. The solution of international consortium Mwamuka DM-TM is to build a diaphragm wall made up of two brickwork skins with a ventilated cavity in between.