AR170-1 –TROPICAL DESIGN

Week 6
Week 9 – Low Rise Design
Ar. Don G. De Vera, uap, pia
Low rise Design

• A low – rise Building is an enclosed

structure whose architectural height is below
35 meters and which is divided at regular
intervals into occupable levels.

• It encompasses all regular multi-story

building which are enclosed which are below
the height of a high rise and which are not
entirely underground

• Low- rise building must be based on solid

ground, with a fabricated framework.
Structures which are mobile or which are built
into the earth are not considered low-rise
buildings.
Natural Ventilation

• Natural ventilation is the ventilation of a building with outside air without the use of a fan
or other mechanical system.

• It can be achieved by open-able windows or trickle vents when the spaces to ventilate
area small and the architecture permits.

• In a more complex system warm air in the building can be allowed to rise and flow out
upper openings to the outside (stock effect) thus forcing cool outside air to be drawn into
the building naturally through opening in the lower areas.
The following summarizes the key requirements for
ventilating low rise buildings:

• A whole – LOW Rise Building mechanical ventilation system shall be provided

• Kitchen and bathrooms shall have local exhaust systems vented to the outdoors

• clothes dryers shall be vented to the outdoors.

Ventilation

• Ventilating is the process of “changing” or replacing air in any spaces to provide high
indoor air quality

• Ventilating is used to remove unpleasant smells and excessive moisture, introduce

outside air, to keep interior building air circulating, and to prevent stagnation of the
interior air.

• Ventilation includes both the exchange of air to the outside as well as circulation of air
within the building

•It is one of the most important factors for maintaining acceptable indoor air quality in
buildings. Methods for ventilating a building may be divided into mechanical/ forced and
natural type.
Mechanical Ventilation

• “ Mechanical” or “forced” ventilation is used to control indoor air quality

• Excess humidity, odors, and contaminants can often be controlled via dilution or
replacement with outside air.

• However, in humid climate much energy is required to remove excess moisture from
ventilation air.
Mechanical Ventilation
Typical Solution for whole building ventilation

There are three generic solutions to meeting the outside air ventilation
requirement:

• Exhaust ventilation

• Supply ventilation

• Combination of supply and exhaust ventilation. If the supply and exhaust flow are within
10 percent of each other this is called a balance ventilation system.
Miscellaneous indoor air quality design requirements
apply, including:
1. Ventilation air shall come from the out of doors and shall not be transferred from
adjacent dwelling units, garages or crawlspaces

2. Ventilation system controls shall be labeled and the home owner shall be provided
with instructions on how to operate the system.

3. Combustion appliances shall be provided vented and air system shall be designed to
prevent back drafting.

4. The walls and openings between the house and the garage shall be sealed

5. Habitable rooms shall have windows with a ventilation area of at least 4 percent of
the floor area.
Miscellaneous indoor air quality design requirements
apply, including:

6. Mechanical system including heating and air conditioning system that supply air to
habitable spaces shall have MERV 6 filters or better 7. Dedicated air inlets (not
exhaust) that are part of the ventilation system design shall be located away from
known contaminants.

7. Dedicated air inlets (not exhaust) that are part of the ventilation system design shall be
located away from known contaminants.

8. A carbon monoxide alarm shall be installed in each dwelling units in accordance with
NFPA 720 standard for the installation of carbon monoxide (Co) detection and warning
equipment.

9. Air Moving equipment used to meet the whole building ventilation requirement and the
local ventilation exhaust requirement shall be rated in terms of airflow and sound.
ACOUSTICS : Sound
principles. Noise control in
the tropics.
Quite building bust be based upon:
1. The magnitude, nature and distribution of noise in buildings and out of doors.
2. Acceptable noise level in various types of buildings
3. The propagation, and especially the attenuation
4. The reduction of sound and the suppression of vibration
5. The reduction of machinery noise at its source
6. The reduction of noise by proper use of sound absorptive treatment
Noise in Buildings:

The principal sources of rooms may be group into 3 broad classifications:

a. People
b. Machinery
c. Outdoor Sources
OUTDOOR NOISE
ACCEPTABLE NOISE IN A BUILDING
• Siting and planning against noise

• Grading and Landscaping

• Building Layout