Natural ventilation takes advantage of a building’s climate and aerodynamics to provide outdoor air indoors without the need for fans, heating, cooling, etc. which reduces carbon emissions and can improve the occupant experience.
Mechanical ventilation brings in outdoor air in a more centralized way, it is filtered, conditioned (i.e. warmed, cooled, dehumidified, etc.) using mechanical means and then distributed via fans, ducts and diffusers.
Both approaches have their pros and cons. For example, while natural ventilation reduces carbon emissions, in many climates, the outdoor conditions are only comfortable during part of the year and the cleanliness can be impacted by cars, wildfires and exhausts from neighboring buildings. Conversely, mechanical ventilation schemes can provide more consistent indoor conditions (if well designed), but require more energy, and upkeep, and in the event of a power failure they won’t work at all.
RWDI’s deep experience allows us to understand these complexities to help our clients meet their goals.