Theatre Design and Natural Ventilation: A UK Case Study

Sustainable low carbon theatre and auditorium design can challenge the ingenuity of design teams. While the potential benefits of natural ventilation may be acknowledged, the task of designing a robust natural ventilation system while simultaneously meeting sometimes complex acoustic, structural and environmental requirements can be demanding. This may explain why, in spite of a long and rich historical tradition of naturally ventilated theatre and auditorium design, there are only a limited number of contemporary examples. However, the benefits can be significant in terms of reducing costs (carbon emissions) and maintenance costs, without compromising performance. Embedding a natural ventilation strategy within a design requires the commitment and engagement of the architect (and the client), as it is likely to have a significant influence on the geometry and layout of the building. After briefly reviewing the historical tradition and contemporary examples, this paper focuses on the process of assessing feasibility and integrating a natural ventilation strategy within the design of a theatre auditorium. Performance prediction at different stages is also described, providing confidence to the design team and client in proceeding with natural ventilation. This will hopefully be of benefit to architects and engineers considering how to design and deliver naturally ventilated buildings. The paper also suggests that such an approach may be applicable to other building types, identifying the wider social, economic and environmental benefits of adopting non-mechanical solutions to the ventilation and cooling of non-domestic buildings.