Elements, Factors, and Concept of Climatic Design

In Partial Fulfilment of Requirements

In Tropical Design 1

To be presented to

Ar./Enp. Geraldson Ray Ruloma Bernadino, uap,piep,mscm

Submited by

Salvador, Jhun Melo D.

Arch 2A

September 20,2021

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page…………………………………………………………………………. 1
Table of Contents………………………………………………………………….2
List of Figures……………………………………………………………………...2
Introduction………………………………………………………………………...3

Body / Content
Climate……………………………………………………………………………..4
Weather……………………………………………………………………………4
Koppen System……………………………………………………………………5
Types of Climate…………………………………………………………………..5
Climatic Elements to be considered in design…………………………………6
Elements of climate and weather in the Philippines…………………………..6
Climate of the Philippines…………………………………………………………7
Climate types in the Philippines………………………………………………….8
Monsoon in the Philippines……………………………………………………….9
Define prevailing winds……………………………………………………………9
Typhoon, Hurricane, Cyclones, Tropical Depression, and Tropical Storms..9
Tropical design…………………………………………………………………….10
Characteristics of tropical Climate……………………………………………….10
Design objectives and consideration for tropical Climate……………………..10

Conclusion & Recommendations………………………………………………...13

References………………………………………………………………………….14

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INTRODUCTION

Climate is one of the most influential factors in architectural design and

urban planning. It is critical to identify, comprehend, and control the climatic
effects at the building's site even before making design decisions.Climate is one
of the most influential variables in architectural design and urban planning. In
order to give the best climate comfort indoors, the location, texture, form,
direction, size, distance, and so on of the structure should be properly evaluated
and implemented. As a result of all of these factors, different climate regions and,
as a result, different climatic design criteria emerge.

The architect's duty is to produce successful designs as well as useful,

interesting spaces for people to move and live in. The home is a historic
architectural concept that performs an essential purpose by protecting humans
from potentially harmful environmental factors. Most people's desire is to create a
home, and houses are becoming more of a symbol of human ingenuity all over
the world. Houses in cold or hot climates require extensive research in order to
be properly incorporated into the natural environment. When analyzing climatic
factor data, the complicated contribution of urban equipment, circulation, planted
areas, water mirrors, and building volume must be addressed. These studies
must be launched by architects and urbanest in conjunction with professionals
such as ecologists, sociologists, anthropologists, and economists.

The purpose of this report is to identify and explain climatic variables,

components, and tropical design. It is to evaluate the variables that must be
addressed when creating an architectural design, particularly in the Philippines.
Furthermore, this report is only available in the Philippines and will take one
week to complete.

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BODY / CONTENT

Climate has a significant impact on architectural and building forms. The

comparison of climatic data and thermal comfort needs provides the foundation
for selecting appropriate building form and construction elements for the
environment in order to provide the necessary interior comfort.
Weather is the collection of events that occur in our atmosphere on a daily

basis. Weather varies by location and changes over the course of minutes,
hours, days, and weeks. The troposphere, the portion of the Earth's atmosphere
closest to the ground, is where the majority of weather occurs.

Weather represents short-term atmospheric conditions, whereas climate is

the average everyday weather over an extended period of time in a specific area.
Weather may vary minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, and season by
season. The average of weather through time and space is referred to as
climate.

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 The Köppen climatic classification system divides the world's climate
zones based on local vegetation. Wladimir Köppen, a German botanist and
climatologist, created this concept near the end of the nineteenth century, basing
it on prior biome studies.

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 There are five major climatic types: tropical, dry, temperate, and
subtropical. Continental. Polar.

The Köppen climate classification classifies tropical climate as one of the

five major climatic categories. Tropical climates have year-round monthly
average temperatures of 18 °C (64.4 °F) or higher and include scorching
weather. In tropical regions, there are often just two seasons: wet and dry.

In civil operations, building construction, and building design, many

climatic conditions must be addressed. Weather temperature, soil temperature,
angle and intensity of sunshine, relative humidity, wind direction and speed,
rainfall, and sunlight are the most important climatic variables.

The dry climatic category includes areas with little precipitation. There are
two sorts of dry climates: arid and semiarid. Most dry areas receive 10 to 30
centimeters of rain (four to 12 inches) each year, whereas semiarid climates
receive enough to maintain vast grasslands.

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 Temperate climates are typically described as having moderate rainfall
spread out across the year or portion of the year with intermittent drought,
pleasant to warm summers and chilly to cold winters.

A humid subtropical climate is distinguished by hot and humid summers

and chilly to moderate winters. These climates are often found on the southeast
side of all continents, mainly between latitudes 25° and 40° (occasionally 45°),
and are poleward of nearby tropical climates.

CLIMATIC ELEMENTS TO BE CONSIDERED IN DESIGN

Continental climates exist when cold air masses enter during the winter
and warm air masses emerge during the summer when the sun is shining brightly
and the days are long. Places with continental climates are often located either
distant from any oceanic moderating impact or in such a way that prevailing
winds tend to blow offshore.

CLIMATE OF THE PHILIPPINES

The polar climatic zones are distinguished by a lack of warm summers.

Every month in a polar environment, the average temperature is less than 10
degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit).A polar climate has chilly summers and
extremely severe winters, resulting in treeless tundra, glaciers, or a permanent or
semi-permanent covering of ice

The Philippines have a tropical, marine climate. It has a high temperature,

high humidity, and a lot of rain. The lowest months are January and February,
with average temperatures of 25.5oC and 28.3oC, respectively, while the hottest
months are May and June, with average temperatures of 28.3oC and 28.3oC,
respectively.

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 The Philippines is classified as a tropical country since it is close to the
equator and has just two seasons, as opposed to other countries that have four
seasons owing to their location. According to the quantity of rainfall, the nation
has two seasons: wet and dry.

The Philippines has a tropical marine climate with two seasons: wet and
dry. From May to October, the summer monsoon provides significant rainfall to
the majority of the archipelago, while the winter monsoon brings colder and drier
air from December to February.

The following numbers or qualities are key aspects of weather and

climate: a) air temperature, b) humidity, c) type and quantity of clouds, d) type
and amount of precipitation, e) air pressure, and f) wind speed and direction.

A) The average temperature in the nation ranges from 25 degrees Celsius

to 32 degrees Celsius (78-90° Fahrenheit), with an annual humidity of about 77
percent. Highland regions are significantly colder at night, with temperatures
dipping below 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit).

B) The moisture content of the atmosphere is referred to as humidity. The

Philippines has a high relative humidity due to its high temperature and proximity
to bodies of water. The average monthly relative humidity ranges from 71% in
March to 85% in September.

C) The foundation is made up of ten primary cloud kinds. Cirrostratus,

cirrocumulus, altostratus, altocumulus, stratocumulus, nimbostratus, and
cumulonimbus clouds exist in addition to cirrus, stratus, cumulus, and nimbus
clouds. The table below categorizes various cloud types into four primary cloud
groupings.

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 D) The average annual rainfall in the Philippines ranges from 965 to 4,064
millimeters. Baguio City, eastern Samar, and eastern Surigao receive the most
rain, while the southern section of Cotabato receives the least.

E) By definition, normal sea-level pressure is 760 mm (29.92 inches) of

mercury, 14.70 pounds per square inch, 1,013.25 103 dynes per square
centimetre, 1,013.25 millibars, one standard atmosphere, or 101.325 kilopascals.

F) 6.5–7 meters per second Locations in the Philippines with yearly

average wind speeds of 6.5 to 7 meters per second (m/s) or higher at turbine hub
height are most suited for utility grid-connected wind energy installations.

CLIMATE TYPES OF THE PHILIPPINES

The Philippines features five climates: tropical rainforest, tropical
monsoon, tropical savanna, humid subtropical, and oceanic (both in higher-
altitude locations), all of which are typified by very high temperatures, oppressive
humidity, and abundant rainfall.
MONSOON IN THE PHILIPPINES
The monsoon season typically lasts from October to late March, however
this varies from year to year. The amihan season is the most popular time to visit
the Philippines since it has the greatest weather. The air is cold, there is less
rain, the humidity is low, and the sun is less intense.

In meteorology, the prevailing wind in a region of the Earth's surface is a

surface wind that blows primarily from one direction. The dominating winds are
the trends in direction of the wind with the highest speed over a certain place on
the Earth's surface.

A typhoon is a developed tropical storm that forms between 180° and

100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is known as the Northwestern

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Pacific Basin, and it is the most active tropical cyclone basin on the planet,
accounting for almost one-third of the world's yearly tropical storms.

A hurricane is a tropical storm with winds that have reached 74 miles per
hour or higher. A storm's eye is typically 20-30 miles wide and can stretch for
over 400 miles. Storms can cause heavy rainfall, strong gusts, and storm surges.

A tropical cyclone is a fast rotating storm system with a low-pressure core,

a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, high winds, and a spiral arrangement
of thunderstorms producing heavy rain and/or squalls.

When the initial appearance of a reduced pressure and structured

circulation in the core of a thunderstorm complex occurs, it is characterized as a
tropical depression. Tropical depressions, as opposed to hurricanes, have the
appearance of isolated thunderstorms clustered together.

A tropical cyclone having winds of more than 39 miles (63 kilometers) per
hour but less than hurricane strength. In truth, tropical architecture is all about
providing thermal comfort using passive design components such as sunshades,
hollow walls, light shelves, overhangs, roof and wall insulation, and even shade
from huge trees to hide the sun. It might appear classic, ultramodern, or even
high-tech.

Tropical climates have year-round monthly average temperatures of 18 °C

(64.4 °F) or higher and include scorching weather. Annual precipitation is
common in tropical areas and has a seasonal rhythm to various degrees.

The objectives and consideration for tropical design is;

1. Sun Study -For a tropical zone, where peak temperatures can reach 30
degrees Celsius and diurnal variations can reach 20 degrees Celsius, studying

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the sun and daylight, as well as its solar radiations and energy analysis, is critical
if one intends to segregate the external spaces, interiors, and light-sensitive
spaces while incorporating the typical passive design elements such as mutual
shading and ada.

2. Structure- When the goal is to give superior thermal comfort to the user
and protection of both the living rooms and the exterior areas in a hot, windy, and
frequently humid climate, the shape is one of the major factors for passive
design. ‘Compactness' and ‘Perimeter to Area Ratio' are two tried-and-true
techniques for optimizing architecture in terms of thermal gain, orientation along
sun pathways, and ease of access to sunlight wherever it is required on the
premises.

3. Orientation- The orientation of a building is heavily influenced by the

varying amount of solar radiation falling on different sides of the building at
different times of the day, which is another passive design strategy incorporated
into the design along with the form, with the goal of encouraging clustered
arrangements for heat absorption and shading opportunities. Aside from solar
orientation, another element to consider is the orientation of the building, as well
as the directions of the prevailing winds, for optimal cross-ventilation and cooling
of the structure.

4. Openings- are essential in a building since they are the determinant of

breathability largely via the exchange of air, although their placement and size
vary depending on the geographical goals. Regardless, it must be ensured that
the wind entering the house does not pass over hot surfaces and that the
openings are large and operable yet manageable when it comes to rain, insects,
and other natural gears; all taken into account during the meticulous placement
of the openings along wind channels and behind tree buffers for alignment with
wind orientations and even

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 5. Shading- Shading devices are critical environmental controls that
substantially decrease the demand for mechanical heating and cooling systems
by limiting heat gain, access to sunshine, and its entrance via apertures. The
architect must select between exterior and interior shading mechanisms with the
goal of lowering the mean radiant temperature of the structure, which may also
be accomplished through the coordinated construction of solar envelopes for
self-shading and natural vegetation and its buffers.

6. Glazing-To further minimize heat entrapment and solar radiation

entrance into the building through apertures, good window performance is
critical, since windows incur 20 to 30 times more heat transactions in a structure
than walls. The glazing in windows traps heat and raises the structure's mean
radiant temperature, which stimulates the interior temperature and upsets the
conditional nature of the utility rooms, which are, in reality, heat-sensitive cores of
a building.

7. Planning- Planning or zoning a building entails careful study of room-by

room layouts, consideration of different seasons and times of day when the
spaces are utilized the most extensively, and better designating the spaces as
principal or auxiliary in connection to the former two. The architect must utilize
the climatic advantages of the spaces available in the overall layout, as well as
the concept of transformability of spaces through the day and night for
segregation of regions with higher internal radiant loads and areas with active
requirements for conventional cooling.

8. Sapces -The external, interior, and light-sensitive areas are the three
major spaces in a house. The former two are similar to all houses and so require
consideration in terms of light ingress throughout the seasonal flux and the
general vertical and horizontal zoning schemes created. Light-sensitive facilities,
such as museums and natatoriums, that do not require direct sunlight must be

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carefully planned in terms of placement and separation to avoid the risk of direct
exposure to the natural elements.

9 Contructional Elements- While it would be desirable to design structures

with high thermal capacity for maximum heat gain and retention, such a setup
would fail in a tropical environment. In reality, structures constructed with low
thermal capacity and lightweight materials are optimal. When combined with heat
transfer principles, the ceiling must be kept at the same temperature as the other
surfaces, i.e. a literal reflecting surface, for which a double ceiling erected above
the regions subject to solar radiation suffers enormous heat gain decrements.

10 Thermal Mass-The thermal mass of a material is its capacity to absorb

and store heat, particularly in a climate as hot and humid as that found in tropical
zones, the denser the thermal mass material employed, the better; this is owing
to its ability to absorb heat as quickly as it releases it. The declaration calls for
the use of suitable amounts of shade, ventilation, and insulation, as well as
consideration for the mass color.

As previously stated, Climate Responsive Architecture is an entirely

separate sphere of study that extends beyond just architecture, and it will expand
further beyond the mentioned heads due to its necessity in cities, the urgency of
its immediate application, and a creative basis for innovative solutions. The
ideation, in fact, stems from the changing climatic conditions of the world and the
detachment of the urban lifestyle from this type of architecture, the type that has
been essential in our lives for centuries, as can be seen in vernacular
architecture, and as can be seen dwindling from today's modernized take on
functional spaces and, in particular, a home.

CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS

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 To offer adequate housing in a society, a continuous examination of the
requirements of the local population is required. This is especially true when
lifestyles are changing dramatically, as they do on the outskirts of tropical cities.
Before being enforced, prototype housing should be evaluated to ensure that it is
appropriate for the setting. According to the current study, tropical design
features may be easily implemented in bungalow houses and building structures
to give thermal comfort with little use of air conditioning. Such designs have two
major advantages: they reduce the demand for air conditioning and they
represent a local identity. Currently, developers in quickly urbanizing tropics
pursue a “quick fix” approach to housing. They disregard the climate and impose
a generic house design over a wide range of climatic zones. This study contends
that this is not in the best interests of individuals who live on the outskirts of
tropical cities.

The current research indicates the need for more research in two related
areas. To begin, what effect does it have on people's well-being and the
environment when people in the tropics rely on air conditioning to make their
houses livable? Second, what design characteristics are necessary in the other
popular forms of housing that are becoming more common on the outskirts of
tropical cities

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REFERENCES

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https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/weather_climate.html
https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/how-weather-works/weather
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/koppen-climate-classification-
system/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_the_Philippines
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%20tropical%20rainforest%20is%20a,evenly%20distributed%20throughout
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