Case Study 4

A hybrid cooling strategy successfully integrated into the Malta Stock Exchange demonstrates that architectural integrity can be preserved while addressing thermal comfort in exposed urban environments. The study, based on the conversion of a 19th-century garrison church in Valletta, shows how passive and active cooling techniques can coexist without compromising the building's historical and aesthetic qualities. The approach involved collaboration between architects (Architecture Project) and environmental consultants (Brian Ford and Associates), leveraging the site's strategic location—overlooking Grand Harbour—to optimize natural ventilation while mitigating overheating in a high-exposure setting. Completed in 2003, this case study offers a model for retrofitting heritage structures with modern climate-resilient solutions.

Ford, B., Schiano-Phan, R., & Vallejo, J. A. (2019). Case Study 4. The Architecture of Natural Cooling, 224–237. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315210551-12