TROPICAL DESIGN

Passive design
considerations
MAIN CONSIDERATIONS
1. Orientation
2. Ventilation
3. Landscaping
4. Thermal Mass
5. Insulation
6. Windows
7. Natural lighting
2. VENTILATION
Ventilation, circulation of air or to replace stale
air with fresh air.
STACK
VENTILATION
Uses the principle of convection to
induce air flow.
PASSIVE VENTILATION
▪ Designing a building in a way that maximizes
natural ventilation will greatly reduce the need
for
▪ air-conditioning
Air movement over the body, even if the air not
much cooler, creates a feeling of cool due to
the evaporation of moisture from the skin
PASSIVE VENTILATION
METHODS
▪ Maximizing breezes
▪ Orient the building to make the most of
prevailing winds in the locality
▪ Align vents, windows and doors (reasonably
straight
line) to allow air to flow through the building
▪
Minimize internal obstacles or blockages such as
internal walls to allow for unimpeded ventilation
▪
Raise the building off the ground to catch breezes
PASSIVE VENTILATION
METHODS
▪ Removing hot air
▪ Design for convection air flow to remove hot air from the
building
▪ Convection air flow is created by hot air rising and exiting at
the highest point, which naturally draws in cool air from the
outside
▪ This can be achieved by placing low window openings across
a space from high window openings
▪ This will be even more effective if the incoming air is
being
drawn from a shaded area where plants/trees grow
PASSIVE VENTILATION
METHODS
▪ Designing for “mixed-mode” use
▪ A building can be design to be mixed-mode. This
means that it will rely on natural ventilation in cooler
months, and use energy-efficient air conditioning in
hotter months

▪ Low thermal mass materials are particularly suitable

for mixed-mode buildings, provided that the
building is well insulated
PASSIVE VENTILATION
METHODS
▪ Roof ventilation
▪ Ventilating the ceiling cavity 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

towards the inner parts of the building

▪ Example: Ridge vents can let hot air out while cool air
enters through the eave vents