Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design

Department of Architecture

AAR1297
environmental science & systems 1

LECTURE 10:
Energy Efficient Design

Dr. Noor Aziah Mohd Ariffin

Extn: 5224
noaz62@yahoo.com
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
Energy efficient homes

Benefits:
• Save money on energy costs
• Reducing impact on the environment through
the decreased use of fossil fuels
• Increased comfort of effective natural lighting
and ventilation
• Improved resale value of your home due to
lower power bills
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
Energy efficient homes

What can we do?

• design house to suit the local climate
• take advantage of free natural warmth from
sunlight and cooling from breezes to reduce
costly energy for heating and cooling
• careful building design can easily achieve
internal temperatures 5°C warmer in winter
and 10°C degrees cooler in summer
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
Principles of energy efficient design

• Building orientation
• Use of insulation
• Ventilation
• Internal room layout
• Window placement, sizing and shading
• Use of heat absorbing building materials
• Landscaping
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
The Features

• Most features such as improved layout,

appropriate window placement and sensible
garden design, will make little difference to
initial building cost.
• Other features such as fully insulating your
home may add to costs, but the savings in
energy bills will quickly pay them back.
• After that you'll be saving money in the face of
rising energy costs year after year after year.
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
i. Orientation

• If you are building a home the best site to

choose is one which allows you to design your
home with the living and sleeping areas facing
north
• North provides necessary daylight without
much of the heat
• Other ancillary rooms like bathrooms, utility,
store and kitchen should act as a buffer zone of
the east & west orientations
 Department of Architecture
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design i. Orientation
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
i. Orientation
• Rule of thumb - north and south facing walls
1.5 to 2.0 times the length of east and west
facing walls.
2x

N
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
i. Orientation

• This allows reasonable access to:

• prevailing winds while
• reducing the exposure of walls and windows
to early morning and late afternoon sun on
the east and west sides of the home.
• True north is the ideal orientation for windows.
• Windows can be oriented between approx 20°
east or west of north – with good eaves design
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
ii. Internal Room Layout

• Arrange indoor living and entertaining areas on the

north side of the home where possible, with other
rooms to the south.
• Rooms facing north will receive daylight and not direct
sunlight
• Bedrooms face south side of the home receives a small
amount of direct sun
• but morning and night can be more comfortable if
provided with good ventilation
 Department of Architecture
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design

www.jetsongreen.com

N
ii. Internal Room Layout
 Department of Architecture
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design

www.jetsongreen.com
ii. Internal Room Layout
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
ii. Internal Room Layout
• Group rooms with similar uses together to
create zones and use doors to separate these
zones.
• This type of design is more energy efficient
than open plan living because you can close off
rooms which are cooled or heated from those
that are not.
• If you still like the ambience of open plan living,
consider using glass doors to separate zones.
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
ii. Internal Room Layout

• Try to group the kitchen, laundry and bathroom

together.
• These are the water using areas of the home
and by grouping them together you'll minimise
the need for long water pipes.
• If using hot water, this will reduce the amount
of heat lost from the pipes and consequently
your hot water use.
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
iii. Windows and Shading
• Windows serve many important
functions:
• act as solar collectors
trapping heat from the sun in
cold climates,
• funneling cool late afternoon
and night time breezes to rid
of heat gained during the
day.
• Windows can gain up to 80-90%
of heat into a house.
• Appropriate window placement,
sizing and shading are key
elements to energy efficient
design
 iii. Windows and Shading
•
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture

A balance needs to be
struck between:
• controlling the sun's
access and
• allowing adequate
cross ventilation from
breezes
• as well as allowing
natural light to enter.
• Windows need to be
shaded – using shading
devices or trees and
plantings
 Department of Architecture
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design

orientation
• Windows must be
shaded in whatever
iii. Windows and Shading
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
iii. Windows and Shading
Insulation properties of
windows:
• Types of glazing – single,
double glazing, specially
treated glazing – tinted glass
and reflective films
• Types of indoor or outdoor
shading – blinds, curtains,
shutters
• Shading devices – pergolas,
overhangs, roof
 Department of Architecture
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design iii. Windows and Shading
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
iv. Insulation

• Insulation acts as a barrier to heat flow.

• Can significantly reduce your heating and
cooling bills and help to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
• Ceiling and roof and external walls - the
most important part of the home to
insulate.
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
Types of Insulation
Bulk Insulation
• Cellulose fibers
• Finely shredded recycled
paper
• Rockwool
• Melted volcanic rock (basalt)
spun into fibers
• Polystyrene foam batts
• Polystyrene shaped into
boards.
• Glasswool
• Melted glass spun into a mat
of fibers
• Wool
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
Types of Insulation
Reflective Insulation
• Reflective foil laminate
• metallic foils, laminated to
paper and reinforced with
glass fibres.
• Reflective foil with bulk
insulation blankets
• reflective foil laminate bonded
to glasswool
• Expandable foil batts
• Double-sided reflective foil
laminates folded into an
expandable concertina form
• Multiple foil batts
• Several layers of double-sided foil
held apart by separating strips to
form a layered cell structure
 v. Ventilation
•
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture

Ventilation is the process of

supplying and removing air
by natural or mechanical
means to and from any
space
• Doors and windows should
be positioned to achieve
cross ventilation

• A larger opening on the leeward side of the home will

maximise the airflow through rooms.
• Doors and windows should be opened late to make
use of cooling late afternoon and night time breezes
to rid your home of heat accumulated during the day
 v. Landscaping
•
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture

Gardens can improve your home's comfort levels.

• Deciduous creepers can keep west facing walls cool
on hot afternoons.
• Shrubs or trees to the south can be placed to direct
southerly breezes into and through your home.
 v. Landscaping
•
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture

Plantings to the west

and north-west can
shield your home
from the hot evening
sun.
• Unshaded pavings
should be avoided -
can cause heat to be
reflected into
windows.
• Lawns and other ground covers will help reduce this
problem.
• South facing courtyards with moist cool ferneries will
also assist cooling.
 Department of Architecture
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design v. Landscaping
 Department of Architecture
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design

Examples of energy efficient homes

 Department of Architecture
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
The Smart and Cool Homes
The foundation of the
house comprises several
layers of tyres placed
under plastic
polypropylene sheets (to
waterproof the
foundation) and wire
mesh, which are filled with
concrete.

Meanwhile, the walls of the house were constructed using

autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) bricks, which have air bubbles
to slow down the rate at which heat travels through them, thus
reducing heat transmission into the house.
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
The Smart and Cool Homes

• Uses 80% less energy

• No air conditioning
• 6 - 8°C cooler than outdoor
temperature
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
The Filter House in Broome

Created using solar

passive design principles
and that environmentally-
friendly designs can
achieve significant
reductions in energy use.
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
The Filter House in Broome

Key Design Features

• Solar shading devices

• Thermal heat sink
• Cross ventilation
• High level fenestration
• Elevated
• Lightweight materials
• Ceiling insulation
• Rainwater harvesting
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
The Filter House in Broome

Building performance:
• Fast to cool at night
• More responsive to
diurnal changes
• Consume only between
27% and 48% of energy
compared to control
house
 Department of Architecture
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design The Filter House in Broome
 Eco development in Somerset
http://www.ecosalon.com/7_eco_houses_which_would_you_choose/
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture

Striking design with light, flowing spaces, a luxurious

finish, and all of the environmental considerations a
modern house should include. Rainwater recycling and
low energy consumption abound.
 Eco development in Somerset
http://www.ecosalon.com/7_eco_houses_which_would_you_choose/
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture

These homes are innovative as well, a model for sustainable

construction, with solar thermal panels mounted on the south
facing elevations producing hot water from the sun, and the
’sunspaces’ which help warm the houses in the winter and so
reduce heating bills. They are well constructed, functional and
above all beautiful homes
 Department of Architecture
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design Eco development in Somerset
 Department of Architecture
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design

Back to nature…..
Eco green house
 Department of Architecture
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design

From Tatooine....?
Eco dome house
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
Orchid house

Encapsulates the spirit of the

place, blending with its landscape
and environment taking its
inspiration form the Bee orchid -
biomimicry
 Department of Architecture
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design Orchid house
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
New Build House, Wales
The house construction
is a hybrid timber and
steel frame structure
with large timber framed
windows on the south
and south west
elevations to maximise
on solar gain.
The house incorporates
high thermal mass, grass
roofs, solar panels, wood
chip boiler and recycled
grey water to ensure it
is sustainable and energy
efficient.
 Department of Architecture
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design New Build House, Wales
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture
Illy’s Quick eco-home

Artist/architect Adam Kalkin has transformed standard

shipping containers into living quarters - from disaster-
relief housing to luxury dwellings and for promotional
purposes…
 Department of Architecture
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design Illy’s Quick eco-home
 Department of Architecture
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design

dwellings
Adam Kalkin’s concept can also be used for luxury
Quick eco-home
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture 12 wide miniHome

Designed with special consideration for passive cooling

and ventilation in a range of temperate to hot climates
 Department of Architecture
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design

Typical floor plan

12 wide miniHome
 Department of Architecture
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
12 wide miniHome

The interior
 Department of Architecture
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design

The looks
12 wide miniHome
 Department of Architecture
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
12 wide miniHome

Another look
 Sekeping Serendah
http://www.serendah.com
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
Department of Architecture

Sekeping Serendah is a private retreat attempting to tread

lightly on the land. The very transparent and open sheds
celebrate the beauty of the natural environment surrounding
them.
 Sekeping Serendah

The sheds are intentionally kept basic and free from

lavishness. They are seen more as ‘glorified tents’ to provide
basic shelter for its inhabitants as they commune with the
land.
 Sekeping Serendah

bedroom

kitchen bathroom
Sekeping Serendah

At night
 That’s All
Jazakallah