TROPICAL

DESIGN
DESIGN STRATEGIES FOR THE CHURCH
WELCOME !
Today's Agenda
Today's agenda will be about the design strategies

used in our AD Plate 1 : Church Proposal .

These sustainable building design strategies are

about reducing impacts of the climate by designing

and constructing buildings that are appropriate for

the climate, have minimal environmental impacts,

and are healthy and comfortable for building users.
SUSTAINABLE
TROPICAL
BUILDING DESIGN
PRINCIPLES

1. Energy emissions
2. Waste and construction materials
3. Local Environment
ENERGY EMISSIONS

ORIENTATION
1.

Orientation concerns the position of the building on the site

as well as the arrangement of the rooms within it. In the
tropics, a building should be oriented so that the majority of
walls and windows can easily be shaded from direct sun,
while allowing maximum airflow and input of natural light

1. Orientation for minimal solar heat gain

2. Orientation to maximize air flow
Orientation also greatly affects passive cooling. By identifying
which direction warm and cool winds come from, your building can
be oriented where it could accommodate the cooler winds.
PASSIVE VENTILATION

Designing a building in a way that maximizes natural ventilation will greatly reduce the
need for energy-intensive air conditioning. Air movement over the body, even if the air
is not much cooler, creates a feeling of cool due to the evaporation of moisture from
the skin. The following methods of passive ventilation are most effective in the tropics.
Maximising breezes
• Orient the building to make the
most of prevailing winds.

• Align vents, windows and doors

to allow air flow through the
building – these should be aligned
in a reasonably straight line for
maximum effectiveness.

• Minimise internal obstacles or

blockages such as internal walls in
major flow through areas to allow
for unimpeded ventilation.

• Raise the building off the ground to

catch breezes.

Removing hot air

• Design for convection air flow to
remove hot air from the building.
Designing for “mixed-mode” use
A “mixed-mode” building that
relies
on passive, natural ventilation in
cooler months and energy
efficient air conditioning in hotter
months.

Roof ventilation
Ventilating the ceiling cavity of a
building is an effective way of
replacing accumulated hot air with
cool air from outside using
convection. It also reduces heat
radiated from the ceiling cavity to
the inner parts of the building.
LANDSCAPING
Landscaping can reduce the artificial
cooling requirements of a building
by providing shade and channelling.

Planting areas around the

building creates a cooler environment
due to a plant’s ability to transpire,
or lose moisture, which cools the air.

Also, planting creates shaded areas that

will help achieve even greater temperature
reductions. Air that is drawn into buildings
via planted areas can have significant
cooling benefit

Landscape can also act as a buffer in order

to reduce noises from busy streets near
structures which help remove noise
pollution in a certail area.
LANDSCAPING
WATERBODY
Adding a landscape water feature
fosters relaxation and peace. Flowing
water calms the mind and revives the
spirit.

A flowing water feature will mask nearby noise

pollution while releasing a continuous flow of
negative ions. Numerous researchers have
found a connection between negative ions and
stress reduction. Studies also suggest that
negative ions can offset the health impacts of
air pollution – yet another salutary benefit of
water features. Portland health enthusiasts
swear by the health benefits of flowing water.
WINDOWS
Encouraging natural air flow is integral to passive design
in the tropics. Windows are an important way to
encourage and direct air flow into a building
1. Louvers
2. Tinted Glass
3. Reflective Coating
4. Advance glazing technologies

1. Louvres and casement style windows allow building

users to control how much natural air enters the
building
2. Tinted glass has a tint applied to the glass during
manufacture, to reduce the amount of heat
transmitted through it.
3. They stop greater amounts of heat gain and can
significantly reduce the quantity of light admitted
through the glass.
4. Glass can be treated to reduce the amount of solar
energy transmitted through it
NATURAL
LIGHTING
Buildings should be designed to maximise the
amount of natural light that enters the
building, particularly workplaces. This can lead
to significant energy savings by reducing the
need for artificial lighting and has been shown Skylights Clerestory windows
to improve productivity. Collaborating natural Skylights can provide good quality Clerestory windows can be a good
lighting with the highest possible proportion light to work spaces that are away source of diffuse light, and can also be
for spaces and outside views can help improve from windows useful in allowing hot air to leave the
the light quality inside the structure. building
Atria
The effectiveness of natural light can be They give a sense of Light shelves
improved by using light colours on walls, floors spaciousness and allow natural A light shelf is an architectural
and horizontal surfaces, and by aligning light to element that allows daylight to
internal walls and ceilings to maximise light enter the building. penetrate deeper into a building.
reflection from light sources
 WASTE AND CONSTRUCTION
MATERIALS
SELECTING LOW IMPACT MATERIALS
Careful choice of building materials can greatly improve energy efficiency, increase the comfort and health of building
users, and reduce overall environmental impacts of a building. Considering the use of indigenous materials is a good thing
since they can contribute to the sustainability and energy efficiency of a structure. It also improves the indoor thermal
comfort. For best environmental outcomes, construction materials that have the below characteristics should be
prioritized. Sustainable construction materials are:

Manufactured from renewable or •Durable and have low maintenance

recycled resources. requirements (painting, re-treatment, waterproofing
• Energy efficient and have low etc), or whose maintenance will have minimal
embodied energy. environmental effects.
• Non-polluting. • Recyclable.
• Manufactured using
environmentally acceptable
production methods.
LOCAL ENVIRONMENT
MINIMIZING
ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS
The proposed structure, when build, should have less
impact on its local surroundings. Existing trees,
especially those matured ones, should be considered
in designing the proposed project. Rather than
cutting trees, the design of the structure should
harmonize with the existing vegetation and even add
to it if possible.
COMMUNITY GARDENS
OR MINI PARKS
Adding a community garden to the project shall introduce a breath
of fresh air to the local population as it shall be dedicated to leisure,
social gathering, recreation, and relaxation. It is a productive way of
making unoccupied space into something that the community can
enjoy and use for their social lives. It can also be an area of
productivity such as planting fruits and vegetables that the
community can harvest and use.

INDOOR PLANTS
Indoor plants may improve the quality of indoor air. As
plants are deemed to be therapeutic, adding real plants on
your surrounding may also sharpen your attention.

A healthy indoor environment incorporates good air and

light quality, views to outside, comfortable
temperatures, minimal noise pollution and a low-toxicity
environment
 THANK YOU!
PRESENTED BY:

ANG - MANTO - QUERIDO - RAQUENO - TAHIL

2AR8