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How to prevent or control humidity, mold, etc. in an indoor Retail, Dining, & Entertainment structure with a large body of water

sarahcehm| Posted inGeneral Questionson

Hello,

I am a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design and I need some information on proper indoor air quality and I have no idea where to start looking. My project will be based in Cappadocia, Turkey where the air is usually dry and the summer months are in the 70s while winter months are low 20s.

My project is basically an indoor/underground retail and dining center where I want to utilize water transportation and water effects as an entertainment aspect. The general idea is a venetian style water transport system with canals and waterfalls but all underground or within a dome.

My question to you is how would that work in terms of preventing mold, and low air quality/humidity? I would need proper air control and ventilation to recycle the air but what should I research or focus on?

Thanks for your help!

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Replies

  1. Steve Knapp CZ 3A Georgia||#1

    Consider contacting the environmental manager for one of the large facilities such as the Georgia Aquarium. It is a large indoor entertainment facility with multiple water features. You also might be able to get some guidance from the Building Science Corporation on where to search for additional information.

  2. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay||#2

    The purpose of your student project is for you to learn how to undertake your project. Part of the value of the assignment is for you to do the research and figure out the answers.

    It's a challenging project. My best guess is that indoor water features like waterfalls are hard to model. You should contact engineering firms involved with projects that you admire -- projects with features like indoor waterfalls -- to see if they can provide guidance.

    My guess is that indoor water features raise the chance that your indoor relative humidity levels will be too high. If my guess is correct, you'll need a large ventilation system and/or a dehumidification system to keep the indoor RH under control.

    This is an engineering challenge. As you tackle the project, I have no doubt that you will learn a lot. Good luck.

    -- Martin Holladay

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