Educational infrastructure across hot semi-arid regions is expanding rapidly, often in contexts where mechanically conditioned classrooms are impractical. This study develops a climate-responsive, performance-informed passive design workflow for a primary-school prototype in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. The novelty of the study lies in translating environmental performance analysis into a staged architectural decision-making process that links climate diagnosis, design criteria, form generation, envelope development, passive-system integration, and component refinement. The workflow integrates clustered unit aggregation, exploratory roof-form development, compressed stabilised earth block (CSEB) envelope construction, controlled fenestration, ground-coupled cooling tubes, and solar-chimney ventilation. Solar-radiation analysis is used to guide unit aggregation and roof-form refinement; EnergyPlus/Honeybee-based thermal simulation is used to compare indoor thermal responses under alternative passive strategies; and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis is used to support the assessment of solar-chimney outlet orientation. At classroom scale, fenestration options are compared in terms of illuminance distribution and indoor-temperature response. The results show that the selected refined roof-form candidate reduces annual incident roof solar radiation from 3,449,700 kWh to 3,156,100 kWh, corresponding to an 8.51% reduction relative to the preceding combined configuration. The comparative thermal analysis further indicates that integrated passive-design measures improve comfort-related indoor conditions during school hours under the adopted modelling assumptions. Beyond the individual prototype, the study contributes a transferable workflow for linking climate-responsive design principles with performance-based analysis in low-tech educational buildings for resource-constrained hot semi-arid regions.
- Open Access
- Article
A Climate-Responsive, Performance-Informed Passive Design Workflow for Primary Schools in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia
- Zihao Su 1,†,
- Zihao Chen 1,†,
- Zhaofeng Chen 1,
- Xi Deng 2,*,
- Giuliana Iannaccone 1,*
Author Information
Received: 28 Mar 2026 | Revised: 24 Jun 2026 | Accepted: 25 Jun 2026 | Published: 13 Jul 2026
Abstract
Graphical Abstract
Keywords
hot semi-arid climate | primary-school design | passive environmental design | solar chimney | roof solar radiation | performance-informed design
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