Design guidance for naturally ventilated theatres

This paper considers the reconstruction and redesign for natural ventilation of the UK’s stock of performing arts buildings from the 1960s and 1970s * / many of which are regarded as barely fit for service because of poorly maintained and noisy mechanical ventilation systems. The paper reviews interventions by the lead author into three such buildings, intended, in part, to reduce their dependence on mechanical systems and improve their thermal and aural comfort. It reports on the ventilation and control strategies devised, the difficulties encountered during design development and the performance achieved. Design issues deriving specifically from the application of natural ventilation principles to the three theatres are identified. The paper provides design guidance for intervention in this building type distilled from the authors’ practical experience. Practical application: This paper catalogues a series of naturally ventilated auditoria built by the lead author, records their key physical characteristics and gives an indication of their performance. Practitioners can use the guidance contained in this paper in the formulation of their own draft schemes. Natural ventilation is peculiarly suited to performing arts spaces due to its almost silent operation. Actors and artistic directors appear to prefer working in nonmechanically-conditioned environments. Furthermore, operating costs are particularly important to revenue-poor arts organizations.