A Proposed Sustainable Design

for High Rise Residential Buildings

Cheung, K. P. and Yik, W. Y.
Department of Architecture
The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Abstract: Building professionals in Hong Kong have long been confronted with the design of
efficient floor plans with high usable floor area to gross floor area ratio under extremely
constrained site conditions and tight building codes. Considerations to a sustainable design
with ultimate concerns for the health and the long-term well being of the occupants and the
community as a whole may often be neglected. Besides, variety of use and interpretation of
space by the users are also restricted due to the compliance with the prescribed regulations or
otherwise circumventing the as-constructed conditions. In Feb 2001 and Feb 2002
respectively, the Buildings Department, Lands Department, and Planning Department of
HKSAR, China, jointly issued Joint Practice Notes 1 and 2 allowing exemption from
calculations of gross floor area and site coverage of green features. In light of this recent
reform in the building practice and based on a typical high rise residential building with re-
entrants in Hong Kong, alternative approaches for the design of a sustainable high-rise
residential. building in the high-density urban situation are proposed.

Keywords: indoor air quality, ventilation, building envelope, sustainable design, high rise
residential buildings

1 INTRODUCTION

Hong Kong people are adjusted to living in an extremely congested environment. Closing
the windows and turning on the air-conditioning system is a norm. And in order to avoid the
excessive heat, noise and dust generated in the outdoor environment, people would opt to stay
indoor most of the time of the year. Open spaces such as balconies and roof gardens in residential
buildings are usually illegally converted into part of the indoor environment while communal
spaces such as public corridors and even podium gardens are regarded merely as transitional space
instead of places of social functions. Scarcity of land has marginalized the opportunity for an
interactive environment that opens up for free interpretation and communication between the
public and private domain.
In fact, the quality of indoor air in residential high-rises and the effects of the extremely
congested building environment to the health of the people have not been rationally evaluated until
the recent outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic. Relevant
government departments and the World Health Organization (WHO) have so far reported that
floor drain traps, narrow re-entrant space and exhaust fans plus their corresponding maintenance
issues as contributing factors to the spread. Enclosed and unventilated communal spaces have also
been mentioned in length when tracking the spread of the virus.
With the heightening awareness and increasing demand on pursuing a sustainable
environment, relevant codes and regulations have been kept revising and updating. The recent
relaxation on calculation of gloss floor area and site coverage (HKSAR 2001 & 2002) for
buildings where green features are to be employed indicates that there are rooms for improvement
towards the design of the an environmental-friendly high-rise residential building and the
achievement of a more sustainable environment. For the building professionals, there remains a
pressing long-term need to make fundamental changes to the present adopted method of design,
construction and management.
In this paper we will first provide a holistic overview on the effects of tightened envelope
to the health of the occupants and the surrounding environment. An alternative model of
residential high-rise employing different strategies in terms of different building systems is then
proposed. In this section, only principles are illustrated in order that further exploration and
interpretation to suit specific conditions and design requirements is made possible.

2. THE DEFICIENCIES

One of the major characteristics in modern residential building is the practice of tightening
the building envelope and the provision of an air conditioning environment over a substantial
period of its occupancy. This phenomenon is generally attributed to the existence of noise, dust,
excessive heat and polluted air generated in the vicinity of the building as a result of urbanization.
Although the attempt to provide a comfortable indoor environment is one of the major goals of
building design, the drawbacks on the practice in achieving this goal should not be overlooked
should strategies of open building or sustainable building design has to be considered for
implementation in the future. Indeed, there is a wide range of implications to both the quality of
indoor environment (Hasselaar & Morawska 2003), the subsequent health effects to the occupants
and the surrounding environment as a whole should sufficient air change cannot be provided or
opportunity for natural ventilation has been precluded.

2.1. Health Aspects

Indoor air has a large influence on the total health effect of a dwelling (MEIJER et a1
2002). A comprehensive literature review (FISK 1999) showed that there is moderate to strong
evidence that qualities of indoor environment significantly influenced rates of a large number of
health effects including: allergy, irritating effects, effects on the immune, respiratory, nervous and
cardiovascular systems, due to re-circulation and concentration of pollutants and pathogens. In
Hong Kong, it is reported that emission of radiation and other harmful substances from concrete
and building materials within an enclosed environment causes health problems. Radon level is a
few times higher in enclosed air-conditioned concrete buildings than naturally ventilation
buildings. And radon, as emitted from quartz-bearing aggregates in concrete buildings in Hong
Kong, is an identified carcinogen of lung cancer. Besides, there are also other drawbacks including
the experience of stuffiness due to possible decrease in oxygen level, contaminated exhaust gas
from rooms which cannot be effectively exhausted from the flat, and the increased moisture
presence due to condensation which would result in favorable conditions for microbial growth.
It is advocated that in a green building the designer should take into account not only the
effect of the building on the local and global environment but also the comfort and health of the
occupants (European Commission 1999).

2.2. Environmental Aspects

Air-conditioning systems consume significant energy in use and need regular maintenance
to prevent growth of micro-organisms. Excessive use of air-conditioning would undoubtedly
increase dissipation of fossil fuels and would increase outdoor temperature. Buildings with
tightening envelope may also further impede the flow of air in the high-density urban tissue,
creating possible stagnation of air and reduce ventilation that leads to a longer staying of harmhl
substance in the air. As such, building design strategies should seek to eliminate the need for air-
conditioning as far as practicable in the first instance.
Apart from health and environmental aspects, building with tightening of envelope creates
a more alienated environment between indoor and outdoor than buildings that are naturally
ventilated or with an outer layer where opportunity for user interpretation can be allowed (Figure
1).
ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIAL HEALTH

Stagnation of air,
accu-mulationof
.,/--
/---
Alienated environment
-----_ .
\
Accumulation of
indoor pollutants1 harmful

<
pollutants1harmful -_. pahcler & micron-
particles Impermeable \ Non-ventilated organisms
Increase in outdoor Urban
Tighened-up
Envdope
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temperature Tissue Environment Spread of diseases
Higher fossil fuel
consumption due to \--.--.-. -.. .-/
. .
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AIC

Figure I . Relationship between building with tightening envelope and ~~stainability

3. AN ALTERNATIVE MODEL
There are certainly unlimited ways for the creative building professionals to make
proposal on improving the situation. Since site location and condition, specific design intentions
and economical considerations all play a vital role in the decision making process for the
implementation of a "greener" building, in the alternative model as illustrated in the coming
section, greater emphasize will be put on the principle of it's application instead of the actual
implementation. It is also presumed that green features as stated in the Joint Practice Notes 1 and 2
(HKSAR 2001 & 2002) will be employed as applicable for this model.
The goal of this alternative model in the context of high-density urban environment is
summarized as follow:
to achieve pollutant-free re-entrants in high-rise residential buildings.
to enhance the permeability of urban tissue.
to promote the use of cross ventilation and natural ventilation in high rise residential
buildings.
to promote freedom of choice for the occupants on interpretation of space usage and in
achieving the desired comfort level in the indoor environment.
to provide for reference a framework of building systems which can be appropriately
incorporated in facilitating the implementation of an environmentally-friendly
residential building.
For illustration purpose, a typical high-rise residential building with re-entrant spaces is
adopted.

3.1. Form & Space Planning

As stipulated in the Joint Practice Notes 1 (HKSAR, 2001), residential floor area used as
sky-gardens can be exempted from gross floor area (GFA) and site coverage (SC) calculations.
The spirit behind the incentive is to encourage possible improvement of microclimate at block and
neighborhood scale, thus providing potential for better ventilation and'cooling effects.
One of the criteria for fulfilling such exemption is that the maximum number of sky
gardens provided is equal to or less than the number of residential storeys divided by 15 and each
of which can be further divided by 3 so that the 113 sky garden (each occupying 113 area of the
floor plate) can exist at every sixth-floor interval.
 Taking this opportunity to enhance the permeability of the urban tissue, 2.5 m high duplex
flats are proposed at this 113 sky garden level where a 4.5m floor-to-floor height of the sky garden
will allow an approximately 1.5 m high "air belt" above the duplex, and the rest of this 4.5m will
be used for structures which may include partial upstand beams. This serves to improve
ventilation, microclimate and air quality due to the increase of urban porosity. (Figure 2)

Typical skygarden flow plan Typical h r plan (8un~tsper h) Schematic sectim

Figure 2: Space arrangement oj'the alternative model (Lam et a1 2003 & Chen et a1 2003)

There are other advantages or functions to be served in this arrangement:

As open space compensation.
Possible adverse ventilation effects can be mitigated (e.g. "air curtain" and stack effect
as reported in Amoy Gardens in HKSAR during the SARS outbreak in 2003).
As opportunity for provision of greenery, drying area for blankets or multipurpose
spaces which are being conducive to the creation of neighbor-hood or public social
spaces.
Opportunity for providing control of pollutant emissions from individual flats (Section
3.2).
Joint Practice Notes 2 (HKSAR 2002) also provides for the exemption of GFA and SC for
the incorporation of utility platforms for a max area of 1.5 sq. m that they have to face a well-
ventilated space for clothes drying purpose. The captioned proposal offers such well-ventilated
space. This incentive will also be adopted to serve as central maintenance area for vertical stack of
air ducts and drainage pipes (Figure 3 & Section 3.2).

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Plan Section

Figure 3: Typical building services arrangement at utili@platjorm (Leung et a1 2003)

3.2. Building Services Planning
The most efficient way to ensure good outdoor air quality, so that air can be used as the
source of natural ventilation or cross ventilation, is through source control. In the typical plan of
residential high-rise, bathrooms, kitchens or utility rooms are usually planned to locate around the
re-entrant in order to gain reasonable access to light and ventilation. However, this re-entrant
space, being one of the most possible location for the facilitation of cross ventilation in the
residential unit, is usually provided to meet the minimum acceptable standard as prescribed in
building codes. If dispersion of air cannot be achieved in an effective way, the polluted air within
the space may accumulate to such a level that certain health hazards may be posed to the occupants
when any accidental intake of the same into the residential units occurs. The recent report from the
government, which has subsequently reckoned by the World Health Organization (WHO), has
revealed that this deficiency is a contributing factor to the spread of SARS in the Amoy Garden in
2003.

3.2.1 Exhaust of Polluted Air

Pollutant emissions at source and from process or activities within a residential building
mainly includes:
Combustion gases containing carbon dioxide, water vapor and carbon monoxide (CO)
caused by incomplete combustion of gases heating and cooking fuels.
Wasted heat and fumes from cooked food
Polluted air containing infectious bacteria or viruses emitted from the humans.
Local extracting systems for the above mentioned contaminated air which often is hot,
installed at locations housing emission generating appliances or equipment are proposed for
connection to a communal ducting system (Figure 4) which leads up to the sky-garden. Due to the
substantially enhanced ventilation pattern for the whole building offered by the 113 sky garden
concept, effective dispersion of the collected air to the atmosphere can be facilitated and a
pollutant free re-entrant can thus be achieved. In this way, opportunity for filtrationltreatment of
the exhausted gas can also be readily provided at the 113 sky garden if found necessary, while
cross ventilation can be achieved at all residential floors.

IA/C outdoor unils

4 4 proposed rouiing for air exhaust

L?d dd 1
possible muting for air exhaust

Figure 4: Schematic diagram jor control ofexhaust air

3.2.2 Drainage System

As bathrooms and kitchens are usually located around the re-entrant, a majority of
drainage pipes from residential units are usually also located around the same space. Due to the
difficulties of maintenance, the conditions of drainage pipes may be deteriorated over years.
Should leakage occurs, the pollutants, in the form of droplets or aerosols in air, may contaminate
the air in the re-entrant space and eventually lead to the spread of infectious diseases. A drainage
design which make effective maintenance possible while at the same time minimize the occurrence
of leakage or spillage would be fundamental in achieving a pollutant free re-entrant.
In light of this, the following is proposed (Figure 3):
Grouping of main stack pipes for drainage in utility platform to ensure ease of
maintenance
At locations where accessibility for maintenance is restricted, proprietarily made nil-
joint type drainpipes are proposed in order to minimize the risk of spillagelleakage
through the joints

3.3. Building Envelope

In sustainable architecture the link between building performance and the design of the
envelope is critical. Well-built building enclosure is expected to keep out wind, damp and rain, to
regulate the intake of light and air, to mediate the effects of climate on the energy system of the
building and to provide security, privacy and screening of insects.
The most effective way of protecting a building from unwanted direct sunlight is to shade
its windows and other apertures. The degree and type of shade necessary depends on the position
of the sun and the geometry of the building. Shutters, blinds, louvers, awnings and curtains are all
examples of adjustable shading devices.
Joint Practice Notes 1 (HKSAR 2001) allows sun-shading device with maximum 1500mm
projection and Joint Practice Notes 2 (HKSAR 2002) allows prefabricated faqade of maximum
800mm thickness to be exempted from GFA and SC. Thus, a wide range of sun shading controls
can be incorporated into the envelope of residential buildings in order to reduce excessive thermal
gain during the hot summer seasons. With due considerations given to energy conservation and
architectural merits, a generic "double-framed" window concept is proposed amount these
measures. (Figure 5)

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Figure 5: Double-framed ~ z i n d oand

Advantages on adoption of this new window type over traditional side-hung window are
Providing natural ventilation while at the same time allow for the control of quality and
quantity of sunlight intake.
Providing better thermal insulation due to possible incorporation of shading devices,
thus reducing electrical consumption should air-conditioning be required to maintain an
acceptable level of thermal comfort within the interior environment.
With insect screen incorporated in areas as needed, the use of natural ventilation can be
promoted.
 The pane can be swung inward for ease of maintenance and cleaning.
Apart from the above, the "thickened faqade" also provides opportunities for different
environmental measures to be incorporated. Examples include the installation external
fixedladjustable sun-shading devices (see figure 6), solar reflectors & transmitters that can direct
daylight to lower floors and thus reducing energy consumption on artificial lighting, the use of
hydroponic which serves to reduce thermal intake by hydro-evaporation while providing a means
to absorb pollutants and reduce dust.

Figure 6: Typical examples,forjixed/ adjustable sun-shading devices (European Commission 1999)

3.4. Interior Systems

A flexible interior system may allow for user's freedom of interpretation or adaptation on
the use of internal spaces and may eventually reduce construction waste especially during
decoration stage. Flexibility of change is also another area of concerns since user requirement may
vary over time. As it is impossible for the designer to predict the specific needs of an occupant
beforehand, the building and its constituents may have to be designed so that flexibility of use can
be maximized. A flexible system usually provides greater ease of maintenance and allows for
coordination with other systems. With the incorporation of a suitable interior system, other
environmental-oriented and health-driven measures previously mentioned can be operated in a
more effective and efficient way.
In high-rise residential buildings, raised floor systems together with semi-flexible internal
partition systems are proposed for adoption. Raised floor systems widely used in office buildings
can be appropriately modified to suit the needs of residential buildings (Figure 7 & 8). The
advantages for their applications are discussed as follow:
A more organized space for housing building services can be provided: all plumbing
and drainage pipes can be installed within the individual unit without the need to pass
through another occupant's space, maintenance become more convenient and eliminate
pollutants/diseases transmission which as a result reduce the risk of cross contamination
between different apartments. Air-conditioning, ventilation ducts and electrical conduits
can be concealed under removable floorings, providing great flexibility for interior
organization, planning and alteration in future.
As the extent of building services being embedded in concrete is minimized, ease of
maintenance is thus enhanced.
Storage: as an alternative to traditional storage in vertical shelves and cabinets,
maximizing the spatial feeling horizontally.
Providing opportunity for integration with other systems like ventilated shoe racks
(with odour mitigation and quarantine of infected shoes), concealed up-lights, etc.
Allowing for spatial variations like split-levels and sunken courts.
Providing extra acoustic insulation between floors.
 - +- dventilated
shoe rack
Figure 7: Examples of raised,floor application in residentia1,flats (Lee et al, 2003)

5. W e & & sodel

plugtns are tnseded
according to user need

2. 6, covered up wiih

dwMwks wnnecfed

Figure 8: Installation of raised,floor system in residentia1,flats (Lee et a1 2003)

Semi-flexible internal partition system is also proposed which may integrate with the
raised-floor system during installation. The adoption may minimize the construction waste
generated due to dismantling of traditional concrete/block wall during interior alterations. Storage
shelves or cabinets can also be provided as an alternative to partition wall so that internal space
can be saved. As both raised floor and semi-flexible partition systems are proprietary products,
better control over material and workmanship can be facilitated.

4. STRUCTURE, SUPPORT AND INFILL OF THE MODEL

The adoption of sky-garden and utility platform within re-entrant space together with the
organized air exhaust and drainage system as discussed in Section 3 forms the basic structure of
the model. The principal goal is to provide a pollutant free re-entrant for the promotion of natural
ventilation within individual residential units. The raised floor system proposed and the envelope
design can be considered as support to the basic structure. Other building systems or components
can then be regarded as infill to the model, adoption of which is open and can be further combined,
modified and incorporated independently to meet specific site condition or design intentions.

5. CONCLUSIONS

The strategy of this proposed sustainable design is defined in terms of avoidance,

reduction and protection (Hasselaar & Morawska 2003). The ultimate goal is to provide a healthy
and livable environment for humans. In this way, a close relationship between indoor air quality,
health and sustainability can be established. In this proposed design of high-rise residential
buildings in the urban setting, it has been discussed that the control (avoidance) of pollutant
emission from the source, and the immediate availability of air free from hazardous contaminants,
are one of the basic criteria for the promotion of natural ventilation or cross ventilation. With such
provision, the adverse effects and consequence to health and the environment due to prolonged use
of air conditioning are mitigated (protection & reduction) in the long run. Besides, considerations
to user's freedom of choice should be started from a broader level. It can be seen that a habitant's
freedom in choosing the way of living will significantly be enhanced with the presence of a clean
and livable environment.

REFERENCES
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Fok, P. A., Fung, C.H., Lam, H. W., Ng, S. H. & Mok, K. F. 2003, Sustainable Building System
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