Upcycled construction materials to reduce dwelling overheating in tropical climates: The bottle house

Component testing indicates that overheating in tropical buildings could be reduced using walls built from upcycled sand-filled plastic bottles, which also reduces building costs and prevents waste polluting the environment. It is not yet known, however, how these bottle-composite influence thermal comfort dwellings in-situ. This study presents world's first in-situ measurement of indoor temperature a “bottle house” compared to four other traditional dwellings, two with mud sandcrete walls, over 76-day monitoring period between April June 2019. Aside wall ceiling construction, were otherwise similar design located same settlement Abuja, Nigeria. The results showed on average bottle house was 2.4 °C cooler than hottest dwelling 1.8 dwelling. Overheating, determined adaptive criteria, occurred all five but lowest house. On day highest maximum outdoor (38.2 °C), coolest during night time sleeping hours 3.4 daytime waking hours, although 2.0 warmer house, had walls. Thus, suitable low-cost construction method contributes reducing climates require additional heat mitigation measures reduce temperatures comfortable levels days.