CFD analysis of rooftop wind comfort of a luxury hotel in Casablanca, in a dense urban area.
EOLIOS Engineering carried out a wind-comfort analysis for a luxury hotel located in Casablanca, Morocco. The aim: to improve the airflow comfort of visitors in a dense urban area.
In the study area, many obstacles, notably tall buildings, had to be taken into account to understand their effect on the comfort of the occupants.
The essentials. CFD analysis of rooftop wind comfort at the Royal Mansour palace in Casablanca, in a dense urban area : complex Moroccan climate (Saharan Chergui, Atlantic trade winds), vortex in the inner courtyard, 3D modelling of the district. The façades exposed to the south-west winds are secured by a glazed bay on the top floor, which cuts the wind without obstructing the view.
The wind in Morocco has distinct characteristics owing to its unique geographical position, between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and the presence of the Sahara desert to the south. Prevailing winds such as the Chergui — a hot, dry easterly wind from the desert — contribute to significant variations in temperature and humidity. Morocco is also subject to the Atlantic trade winds, which bring coolness and humidity, particularly in coastal regions like Casablanca, creating a windy climate that is often unpredictable and complex.
A hot, dry easterly wind from the Sahara : it drives sharp rises in temperature and a drop in humidity. In Casablanca it alternates with the Atlantic trade winds, hence a contrasting wind regime to integrate from the design stage.
Unlike regions with a more temperate climate, the diversity of climatic influences in Morocco requires a particularly agile approach to wind comfort, incorporating adaptive solutions for the many possible scenarios. This variability requires specialised studies to anticipate and mitigate the impacts of extreme winds on architecture and urban planning.
A diagram giving the frequency and speed of the wind by direction over the year. It is used to choose the critical directions to simulate and to orient the protections, indispensable on a site with a climate as variable as Casablanca's.
In luxury hospitality, airflow comfort is essential to the guest experience. Guests expect spaces where climatic comfort is optimised, both indoors and outdoors. Hotels, often equipped with terraces, pools and gardens, must incorporate innovative solutions to manage the wind: strategically placed windbreaks, vertical gardens to reduce turbulence, or architectural materials optimising the natural air flow.
Rooftops, increasingly sought-after, offer panoramic views but present particular challenges owing to their direct exposure to the winds. Guaranteeing optimal comfort requires particular attention to air-flow management: transparent screens or semi-open structures to reduce the impact of strong winds while preserving the view, well-placed vegetation to mitigate the effects of the wind, and weather-resistant materials.
In a dense urban environment, inner courtyards often face complex airflow phenomena, including the vortex. It occurs when the wind flows around the built structures, creating air vortices and an intensification of speeds at ground level. In a courtyard, a vortex can generate unpleasant draughts affecting the use of terraces, pools and relaxation areas. Architectural and landscaping strategies — windbreaks, configuration of the landscape elements, modification of the relief — make it possible to diffuse and reduce the strength of the vortices.
A whirl of air that forms when the wind flows around a building : in an enclosed courtyard it traps and accelerates the air at ground level, creating disruptive draughts on the terraces and relaxation areas.
EOLIOS Engineering used CFD simulations to model the wind flows around the project. These simulations made it possible to solve the fundamental equations of fluid dynamics and obtain an accurate representation of the air flows, essential to the study of wind comfort.
By reproducing the 3D geometry of the district and its existing buildings, EOLIOS obtained detailed results on wind comfort and quantified the influence of the immediate environment. Some zones of the building were identified as particularly affected by the south-west winds, while the terraces benefited from protection against the north-east winds.
For the zones most exposed to the south-west winds, EOLIOS recommended additional protections. Installing a glazed bay on the top floor, partitioning the floor, reduces the wind speed and creates a more comfortable zone. By modifying the air flow and minimising turbulence, this solution makes outdoor activities more pleasant — without obstructing the guests' clear view.
Worth remembering. In luxury hospitality, wind protection must never come at the cost of the view. The transparent glazed bay on the top floor cuts the wind while keeping the panorama, comfort and prestige both preserved.
Thanks to its expertise in the study of wind comfort, EOLIOS provided this project with suitable fittings to ensure optimal comfort. By considering the wind exposure and the terrain roughness, and by proposing additional protections, EOLIOS guarantees that users will fully enjoy this facility, whatever the windy conditions.
Expertise: measuring and simulating wind comfort in urban environmentsMoroccan climate, courtyard vortex and wind protection of a palace rooftop.
Morocco combines several air masses : the Chergui, a hot dry wind from the Sahara, and the cool, humid Atlantic trade winds. This variability makes the windy climate unpredictable and calls for adaptive solutions.
When the wind flows around buildings in a dense environment, it forms whirls that intensify speeds at ground level. In a courtyard, this vortex generates unpleasant draughts on terraces, pools and relaxation areas.
A glazed bay on the top floor, partitioning the floor to reduce speeds while preserving the clear view. See also our project on wind comfort of a Parisian rooftop (glazed wind screens).
Guests expect comfortable outdoor spaces, terraces, pools, gardens. Poorly controlled draughts degrade the experience ; windbreaks, gardens and suitable materials remedy this.
By reproducing the 3D geometry of the district, it maps speeds at every point and distinguishes exposed and protected zones. See our paper on CFD as an alternative to wind-tunnel testing.
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Analysis of rooftop wind comfort of a luxury hotel in Casablanca: accounting for the Moroccan climate, the courtyard vortex phenomenon, 3D simulation of the flows and protection solutions (glazed bay, fittings) for optimal occupant comfort.
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