CFD consulting · Thermal comfort in residential architecture · PassivhausThe perfect render
doesn't document comfort. CFD does.
In premium architecture every material is carefully chosen, every proportion studied. The microclimate — temperatures, airflow, exchange — stays invisible until someone complains about it after handover.
The challenges of premium architecture
What the spec sheet
doesn't measure — but the client feels.
The client calls back three months after handover
The living area is always too hot. The hallway is cold. The bedroom doesn't ventilate well. None of these problems were visible in the renders — and fixing them now costs ten times more than designing them correctly.
The retrofit admits a mistake that stays in the portfolio
Removing a false ceiling, repositioning vents, reconfiguring an air distribution system in a delivered residence: it's open-heart surgery, with the client present. An experience neither the studio nor the client forgets.
Passivhaus: all the right numbers, comfort not guaranteed
A high-energy-performance building can be technically flawless and sensorially disappointing. Efficiency documented on paper isn't enough: perceived comfort is what determines whether a project is visited or chosen to live in.
What we diagnose
Three invisible parameters.
All measurable — before the build.
Thermal Comfort
Room-by-room temperature distribution, identification of critical areas, and verification that every part of the space meets the expected comfort parameters.
Air Velocity and Perceived Comfort
Vertical thermal gradients, local effects from imperceptible drafts, discomfort points not visible in any design document.
Mean Age of Air
Verification of actual air exchange per zone, identification of stagnation pockets and optimization of environmental quality.
Gap Analysis → Optimization
From red to green: correct thermal distribution
The diagnosis in action
Not estimates. Not guidelines.
Your space simulated in detail.
CFD simulation models the real physical behavior of air in your specific project — with the actual geometry, materials, systems and real conditions of use.
The diagnostic report includes the gap analysis, optimization recommendations, and the documentation the project team needs to proceed with certainty.
"Air never lies. It says exactly what's happening — to anyone who knows how to read it."
Michele De Beni · Co-founder, CFD
The problem, specifically
A full-height window
is also a radiator.
In high-end residences the glazing is large, the ceilings generous, the volumes often double-height. These are architectural choices that change the physics of the room: warm air stratifies upward, cold panes drive downdrafts, and winter and summer sun heat surfaces in ways a render never shows.
Energy calculations work on zone averages. A resident's comfort is decided at specific points: the armchair beside the glass, the bed under a vent, the dining table where a draft reaches ankle height. These are differences of a few degrees and a few tenths of a metre per second, and no project document records them.
How CFD verifies it
From the BIM model
to a map you can read.
- 01
Real geometry and materials
We start from your project files: volumes, glazing, build-ups, and any furniture that affects the flow. The model is simplified only where the physics allows it.
- 02
Declared boundary conditions
Together we define reference scenarios — a winter day, a summer day, ventilation running — and write them into the report so every result can be reproduced.
- 03
Simulation, read point by point
Air temperature, radiant temperature, velocity and stratification are read in the zones where people actually stay, not just as a room average.
- 04
Variants compared
Where a point is critical, we simulate the change — a diffuser position, solar shading, the height of an opening — and compare it with the design as drawn.
What your studio receives
A document the team
can use on site.
Temperature and velocity maps
Sections and horizontal planes through the occupied zones, readable by people who don't run simulations.
Gap analysis on the design
Where the deviation from the agreed comfort parameters is significant, with the physical cause identified.
Compared recommendations
Proposed interventions with the simulated effect of each, so the decision stays with the designer.
Assumptions and limits
Every model assumption is stated. A simulation is a prediction tool, not a promise about the as-built result.
Timing and scope depend on project complexity and are defined during the preliminary diagnosis.
Frequently asked questions
What we get asked
before we begin.
When does it make sense to commission CFD consulting on a residential project?
The most useful moment is between detailed and construction design, when geometry and systems are defined enough to model but a change still costs little. It can also help on an existing building with uncomfortable zones.
Does CFD replace the energy calculation or the HVAC design?
No, it sits beside them. Energy calculations work on average balances; CFD describes how air and heat actually distribute in the space. They are different questions and the answers complement each other.
What do you need to get started?
The 3D model or dimensioned drawings, the build-ups and glazing data, the system type and the intended use of each room. If some data is missing, we agree on it during the preliminary diagnosis.
What is the difference between air temperature and perceived comfort?
Perception also depends on the radiant temperature of surfaces, air velocity and humidity. A room at the right air temperature can still feel uncomfortable beside cold glass or in a draft at chest height.
Is it useful for a high-performance building too?
Yes. A very efficient envelope changes the loads and leaves less tolerance for air distribution errors. Efficiency on paper doesn't describe how air moves in each room.
Can you guarantee the final as-built result?
No, and be wary of anyone who does. Simulation reduces design uncertainty based on stated assumptions; the as-built result also depends on construction, system commissioning and real use.
Further reading
To read more,
at your own pace.
From the journal
The REVELLUM Protocol
CFD Simulation in Five Phases.
From concept to delivery, no surprises.
CFD Diagnosis at Concept Stage
We define together the current state of the project and the expected comfort parameters, identifying airflow and thermal issues before fixing them has a cost.
Fluid Dynamics Simulation & 3D Model
We build the CFD model of your space, simulating the real behavior of air, temperature and environmental quality with the actual geometry and materials.
Thermal & Airflow Gap Analysis
We compare the simulated state against the ISO 7730 target. Every gap is quantified: you know exactly what's missing, where, and by how much.
CFD-Driven System Optimization
We translate the gaps into concrete interventions. Recommendations enter the project while changes are still inexpensive, not after construction.
ISO 7730 Technical Documentation
The optimized design is delivered with complete PMV/PPD documentation, giving the project team everything needed to proceed with certainty.
Let's begin
The moment it costs little
is now. Before construction starts.
Tell us about your project. You'll receive a free preliminary assessment of where comfort risks might be hiding, within 24 hours, directly from Michele.
Not a generic quote. A specific answer to your specific project.