How does the venturi effect influence wind-driven ventilation in tropical buildings?

• A. Broadening passages reduces wind speed; unnecessary in design.
• B. NARROWED passages accelerate wind speed, increasing ventilation; used with wind scoops and ventilated corridors.
• C. Venturi effects only affect aerodynamics of vehicles, not architecture.
• D. It only matters for water drainage.

Answer: (B)

Faster air movement in wind-driven ventilation comes from narrowing passages. When air is forced through a constricted section, its speed increases while pressure drops. That acceleration pulls more outdoor air through the building, especially if there are openings aligned with the prevailing breeze. In tropical architecture, this effect is harnessed by using wind scoops or wind catchers to capture wind and channel it through ventilated corridors and into living spaces, boosting air exchange and cooling.

Broad passages would slow the wind and reduce the Venturi-driven boost, so narrowing is the design approach used to enhance ventilation. The Venturi effect is about airflow behavior, not vehicle aerodynamics or water drainage, which is why the other concepts don’t fit this context.