ARC 1435 Learning Module 2 - 1st Sem 2021-22

COURSE LEARNING MODULE
ARC1435: TROPICAL DESIGN

Far Eastern University 1st Semester SY 2021 - 2022
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION TO TROPICAL DESIGN ............................................................................................................. 5
MODULE 1 UNDERSTANDING CLIMATE ........................................................................................................... 7
Climate ........................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Radiation .................................................................................................................................................................. 8
Tilt of the Earth’s Axis .............................................................................................................................................. 9
Radiation at the Earth’s Surface ............................................................................................................................ 10
The Earth’s Thermal Balance................................................................................................................................. 11
Winds and Annual Wind Shift................................................................................................................................. 12
Influence of Topography ........................................................................................................................................ 13
Elements of Climates ............................................................................................................................................... 13

Temperature........................................................................................................................................................... 13
Humidity ................................................................................................................................................................. 14
Precipitation ........................................................................................................................................................... 15
Solar Radiation....................................................................................................................................................... 16
Wind ....................................................................................................................................................................... 17
Vegetation .............................................................................................................................................................. 18
Scales of Climate and their importance ................................................................................................................. 18

Deviations within the Zone ..................................................................................................................................... 19
Factors Affecting Local Climate Variations ............................................................................................................ 20
Major Tropical Climatic Zones ................................................................................................................................ 23
Climate in the Philippines ....................................................................................................................................... 26

Temperature........................................................................................................................................................... 26
Humidity ................................................................................................................................................................. 26
Rainfall ................................................................................................................................................................... 26
Prevailing Winds in the Philippines ........................................................................................................................ 27
The Seasons .......................................................................................................................................................... 27
Typhoons ............................................................................................................................................................... 28
Architectural Adaptations to Climate ..................................................................................................................... 29

Bahay Kubo............................................................................................................................................................ 30
Bahay na Bato........................................................................................................................................................ 32
Basic design principles for tropical design ............................................................................................................. 35
Useful Links............................................................................................................................................................ 36
References ............................................................................................................................................................. 36
MODULE 2 DESIGNING WITH NATURE ........................................................................................................... 37
Use of Energy in Buildings ..................................................................................................................................... 37

Energy Benchmarking ............................................................................................................................................ 38
Thermal Comfort ...................................................................................................................................................... 40

Thermal Comfort Factors ....................................................................................................................................... 40
Body’s Heat Production.......................................................................................................................................... 41
Body’s Heat Loss ................................................................................................................................................... 42
Psychrometric Chart............................................................................................................................................... 43
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Energy-efficient Building Systems ......................................................................................................................... 44
Active systems ....................................................................................................................................................... 46
Passive Systems .................................................................................................................................................... 47
Useful Links............................................................................................................................................................ 49
References ............................................................................................................................................................. 49
MODULE 3 GREENING THE CITIES .................................................................................................................. 50
Tropical Design and Sustainable Design............................................................................................................... 50

Urban Heat Island Effect ........................................................................................................................................ 50
Factors Contributing to the Heat Island Effect ....................................................................................................... 51
Strategies to decrease Urban Heat Island (UHI).................................................................................................... 52
Vegetation .............................................................................................................................................................. 52
Water bodies .......................................................................................................................................................... 54
Topography ............................................................................................................................................................ 56
Ground character ................................................................................................................................................... 57
Laws Related to the Use of Resources and Sustainable Design ........................................................................ 57

PD 1152: Philippine Environment Code ................................................................................................................. 58
PD 1067: Water Code of the Philippines................................................................................................................ 58
RA 6969: Toxic Substances, Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Control Act of 1990 ................................................ 58
RA 8749: Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999............................................................................................................. 58
RA 9003: Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 ................................................................................. 58
RA 9275: Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 ....................................................................................................... 59
PD 1096 Referral Code: Philippines Green Building Code of 2015 ....................................................................... 59
PD 1586: Establishing an Environmental Impact Statement system, including other environmental management
related measures and for other purposes .............................................................................................................. 59
Sustainable Tropical Building Design Principles ................................................................................................. 59

Energy and emissions ............................................................................................................................................ 59
Water and waste water .......................................................................................................................................... 61
Indoor environment quality ..................................................................................................................................... 64
Waste and construction materials .......................................................................................................................... 64
Local environment .................................................................................................................................................. 66
Sustainability Benchmarks ..................................................................................................................................... 67

Stakeholders using sustainability benchmarks: ..................................................................................................... 67
Green building case studies ................................................................................................................................... 68

Zuellig Building ....................................................................................................................................................... 68
Sun Life Centre ...................................................................................................................................................... 70
Readings in Sustainable Tropical Architecture .................................................................................................... 70

01 Green Design in the Hot Humid Tropical Zone by Ken Yeang.......................................................................... 71
02 Socio-environmental dimensions in Tropical semi-open spaces of high-rise housing in Singapore ................. 71
03 Policy and evaluation system for green building in subtropical Taiwan ............................................................ 71
04 In search of a habitable urban space-built ratio: A case study of building and planning regulation in Dhaka City
............................................................................................................................................................................... 71
05 Designing high density cities - parametric studies of urban morphologies and their implied environmental
performance ........................................................................................................................................................... 72
06 Urban Heat Island Effect in Singapore .............................................................................................................. 72
07 Tropical Urban Street Canyons ......................................................................................................................... 73
08 Tropical and traditional: Inventing a new housing model for the old 36 Streets Quarter in Hanoi, Vietnam ..... 73
09 ECOPET 21: An innovative sustainable building system for ecological communities in tropical regions ......... 74
Useful Links............................................................................................................................................................ 75
References ............................................................................................................................................................. 75
MODULE 4 BUILDING STRUCTURES IN A HOT HUMID CLIMATE ................................................................... 76
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Bioclimatic Design ................................................................................................................................................... 76
Climatic Issues in a Tropical Climate ..................................................................................................................... 77
Tropical Design Strategies ...................................................................................................................................... 78

Passive cooling through orientation ....................................................................................................................... 78
Passive cooling through site layout ........................................................................................................................ 79
Passive cooling through façade design.................................................................................................................. 80
Passive cooling through solar control devices ....................................................................................................... 83
Sun-shading devices .............................................................................................................................................. 86
Sun-path diagram................................................................................................................................................... 87
Passive daylight concepts ...................................................................................................................................... 91
Passive cooling by vertical landscaping ................................................................................................................. 95
Landscaping for cooling buildings .......................................................................................................................... 96
Passive cooling by wind and natural ventilation ..................................................................................................... 97
Basic ventilation concepts ...................................................................................................................................... 99
Wind concepts...................................................................................................................................................... 102
Useful links ........................................................................................................................................................... 106
References ........................................................................................................................................................... 106
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MODULE 2 DESIGNING WITH NATURE
Compiled and edited by Mar Lorence G. Ticao
This module takes us back on the fundamental question on why we design buildings. Designing with Nature will tackle energy
use in buildings and human thermal comfort, serving as starting point as well as a reminder on why we have to build resources-
efficient buildings. This module serves as an overview of the passive and active systems used for energy-efficient buildings.
You will be learning about energy-efficient systems and answering why we should prioritize passive design in buildings. At the end
of the of module, you should be able to correlate thermal comfort and energy use, as well as energy use and building design.
Use of Energy in Buildings
In physics, energy is the ability to do work. Although we cannot see energy, it can manifest itself in very different forms. When it
comes to electricity for example – cooling buildings, heating buildings, there are various units mixed together. In the Philippines,
sources of electricity come from coal, natural gas, geothermal, hydropower, oil, among others.
Figure 24 : Philippine power generation by source

Image source: Department of Energy. https://www.doe.gov.ph/energy-statistics?q=energy-resources/powermix&ckattempt=1
The building sector uses up a lot of energy. The residential sector alone consumes 35% of the total energy consumption of the
Philippines (Figure 25). This consumption, either in the form of electricity or gas, besides being a significant economic burden due
to the high cost of energy, results in large scale atmospheric pollution, mainly carbon dioxide (CO2) which is responsible for
the greenhouse effect.
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Philippine Electricity Consumption Per Sector (2019)
3%
0% Transport
35% 29%
Agriculture
Commercial
Industrial
33% Residential
Figure 25 : Philippine electricity consumption by sector.

The Department of Energy (DOE) recorded the Residential Sector as the top electricity consumer in 2019 utilizing as much as 30,000
Gigawatt hours (Gwh). Industrial and Commercial sectors are also not far behind at 28,000 Gwh and 25,000 Gwh respectively.
One gigawatt hour is equal to one million kilowatt hours. Electric power distribution companies calculate electric bills using kilowatt hours.
Source: FOI Philippines
The reduction of energy consumption in buildings can be achieved by simple methods and techniques, using appropriate building
design (bioclimatic architecture) and energy efficient systems and technologies, such as passive cooling systems.
Energy efficient building systems have always been viewed as an expensive initial investment and a costly renovation project for
most homes. But the truth of the matter is that improving the energy efficiency of homes can greatly reduce energy bills in the long
run. However, most building owners have been reluctant to invest in these technologies, which is also most likely rooted in lack of
awareness that apart from the more expensive solutions, there are actually basic design technologies that can be applied in the
design. Imagine how much energy usage can be reduced if each and every one of the building owner and occupant adapt more
efficient solutions to their homes.
Energy Benchmarking
To find out if buildings are energy-efficient, energy consumption has to be benchmarked. If we can measure the building’s
energy consumption, then we can control it. If we can control our usage, then we can properly manage it – leading towards
energy-efficient performance of our buildings.
One of the key metrics in benchmarking energy use would be the energy use intensity (EUI). EUI expresses a building’s
energy use as a function of its size or other characteristics. It is expressed as energy per square foot per year, calculated by
dividing the total energy consumed by the building in one year (measured in kWh by the total gross floor area (m2) of the
building).
Figure 26 : Calculating for the EUI
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An example is shown below for a school building with a ground floor area of 1,300 m2 and a second floor area of 1,100
m2. The past year, the building consumed a total of 1,150,000 kWh of electricity.
Figure 27 : A sample calculation of the EUI for a 2 storey school building
In this example, the school building has an EUI of 479.2 kWh/m2 which was calculated by dividing the annual consumption for
that year in question over its total building area.
Energy benchmarking for organizations:
as an internal process involves measuring your building’s performance against its own past performance or
against other buildings in one’s energy management portfolio
as an external process it is comparing your building to similar buildings outside your organization
Regular energy benchmarking provides hard data that encourages building operators to strive for continuous
improvement.
By making building energy benchmarking a routine practice, you can:
• identify poorly performing buildings
• establish a baseline for measuring improvement in energy consumption for all buildings
• enhance and create competition through comparison with like buildings
• participate in green building certification programs and various other environmental initiatives
What are the benefits of benchmarking?
Energy benchmarking:
• provides objective, reliable information on energy use and the benefits of improvements
• increases general awareness of energy efficiency among building occupants, which in turn may effect
changes in behaviour
• prioritizes poorly performing facilities for immediate improvement
• identifies best practices that can be replicated, either within a building or across a portfolio of
buildings
• establishes reference points for measuring and rewarding good performance
• helps to develop a comprehensive energy management action plan and build the business case for
capital investments (retrofits)
• leads to savings that will lower energy costs while maintaining – or even increasing – profit margins
Source: https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy-efficiency/energy-star-canada/energy-star-buildings/energy-
benchmarking-basics/18260
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Other building types are more energy intensive than others. A hospital for example will have a higher EUI compared to the
school building as it uses interior lighting and hospital equipment all throughout the day, while a school building will need lesser
amount of electricity in comparison as it is usually occupied only during the day.
Formative Assessment 3: How much electricity does your household consume?
Thermal Comfort
In building design, there are two important aspects we need to consider in relation to energy use. First, to make a building
comfortable, it should be kept within a suitable temperature range which is not as wide as the uncontrolled external environment.
Second, our bodies are capable of maintaining a very stable core temperature with a fairly constant metabolic heat output over a
wide range of external temperatures – sweating, altering the blood flow (and therefore the heat loss to the skin), and changing
clothes to suit conditions.
Modern buildings have achieved the first objective of maintaining fairly constant internal conditions to comfort standards with the
use of significant amounts of energy to provide heating or cooling to compensate for the changing external environment.
The amount of energy used could be reduced significantly if buildings adapted the principles of animal physiological control.
To do this one first needs an understanding of human comfort and how energy is expended to provide it.
Thermal Comfort Factors
Comfort is a subjective matter and will vary with individuals. It is that state of mind that expresses satisfaction with the thermal
environment. Alternatively, it is that state of mind that does not express dissatisfaction with the thermal environment. It is
equivalent to conditions in which we can sleep soundly and work comfortably and when there is a minimum demand on the
thermo-regulatory mechanisms of our body. Outside comfort exists discomfort, which is characterized by the degree and
duration of thermal stress.
Our daily life cycle comprises states of activity, fatigue and recovery. It is essential that the mind and body recovers through
recreation, rest and sleep to counterbalance the mental and physical fatigue resulting from activities of the day. This cycle can
be and is often impeded by unfavorable climatic conditions and the resulting stress on body and mind causes discomfort, loss
of efficiency and may eventually lead to a breakdown of health. The effect of climate on man, is therefore, a factor of
considerable importance.
In designing buildings and evaluating the thermal comfort conditions of a particular location, certain parameters are used.
These parameters are basically in the form of thermal indices which are derived from various climatic factors.
Figure 28 : Thermal Comfort Factors

Image source: https://www.simulationhub.com/blog/role-of-cfd-in-evaluating-occupant-thermal-comfort
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Climatic factors that influence thermal comfort are: (1) air temperature, (2) humidity, (3) air movement, and (4) radiation.
Subjective variables affecting human comfort are:
• Clothing: a person wearing a normal business attire and a cotton underwear will require a temperature of 9°C lower
that a naked body
• Acclimatization: adjustment to the change of a new set of climatic conditions
• Age and sex: metabolism of older people is slower, therefore they usually prefer higher temperatures; women have
also slower metabolic rates than men
• Body shape: surface to volume ratio has an effect
• Subcutaneous fat: fat under the skin is an excellent thermal insulator
• State of health: in an illness, metabolic rate may increase
• Food and drink: may affect metabolic rate which may be a reason for the difference in diet between tropical and
arctic people
• Skin color: may influence radiation heat gain; a lighter skin reflects three times more solar radiation than a darker
skin
The task of the designer is to create the best possible indoor climate as human response to the thermal environment does not
depend on air temperature alone. It has been established beyond doubt that air temperature, humidity, radiation and air
movement all produce thermal effects, and must be considered simultaneously if human responses are to be predicted. To
appreciate the effect of these climatic factors, it is necessary to examine briefly the basic thermal processes of the human
body.
Body’s Heat Production
Heat is continuously produced by the body. Most of the biochemical processes involved in tissue building, energy conversion
and muscular work are exotherm, i. e. heat producing. All energy and material requirements of the body are supplied from
consumption and digestion of food. The processes involved in converting foodstuff into living matter and useful form of energy
are known as metabolism.
The total metabolic heat production can be divided into basal metabolism, i.e. the heat production of vegetative, automatic
processes which are continuous, and the muscular metabolism, i.e. the heat production of muscles while carrying out
consciously controlled work. Of all the energy produced in the body, only about 20% is utilized, the remaining 80% is 'surplus'
heat and must be dissipated to the environment.
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A quick look…
Heat is continuously produced by the body.

Metabolism:
A process of converting food into useful form of energy.
Note: Of all the energy produced in the body, only about 20% is utilized, and the remaining 80% is “surplus” heat and
must be dissipated to the environment.
Body’s Heat Loss
Surplus heat produced by the body must be dissipated to the environment in order to maintain a balanced body temperature
(37°C) and this can be achieved through:
Figure 29 : Forms of body’s heat loss

Image source: https://xaktly.com/HeatTransfer.html
a) Convection: heat transmission from the body to the air in contact with the skin or clothing which then rises and is
replaced by cooler air; this is increased by:
• faster air movement
• lower air temperature
• higher skin temperature
b) Radiant heat loss: depends on the temperature of the body surface and the opposing surfaces
c) Evaporation heat loss (through breathing and perspiration): governed by the rate of evaporation which in turn
depends on the humidity of the air and on the amount of moisture available for evaporation
d) Conduction: depends on the temperature difference between the body surface and the object the body is in direct
contact with
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Psychrometric Chart
A psychrometric chart is a tool for understanding the relationship between air temperature and relative humidity and is often
used to plot the comfort zone.
How to read a psychrometric chart?

a. The x-axis pertains to air temperature (in the example, Fahrenheit is used instead of Celsius) while
the curve lines indicate the relative humidity (RH) expressed as percentage (%).
b. A suggested “comfort zone” is shaded. Project the extent of it to the x-axis to know the air
temperature range, which is 70°F to 80°F (or, 21°C to 26.6°C).
c. For the RH, just identify the extent of the shaded portion within the curve lines, which gives us a
range of 20% to 80%.
Figure 30 : A psychrometric chart with a suggested comfort zone and various types of discomfort
outside that zone (Koenigsberger)
This chart shows us that the comfort zone would be an environment with an air temperature range of 70°F to 80°F (or, 21°C to
26.6°C) and a relative humidity of 20% to 80%.
You can use this online tool to determine conditions that comply with ASHRAE-55 Standards.
https://comfort.cbe.berkeley.edu
Sample problem:
1. Assume that you are cooking at home, wearing typical summer clothes. The relative humidity in the kitchen is 90% and
you do not have a fan, but you can assume the default air speed is 0.1 m/s. Using the CBE comfort tool determine the
minimum operative temperature (in Celsius) at which you would still feel comfortable according to the Predicted Mean Vote
(PMV) thermal comfort model.
Answer: ________oC
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You can use this online tool to determine conditions that comply with ASHRAE-55 Standards.
Sample problem:
2. Now, assume that you are cooking at home, wearing typical summer clothes. The relative humidity in the kitchen is 90%
and you do not have a fan. Using the CBE comfort tool (https://comfort.cbe.berkeley.edu) determine the minimum
operative temperature (in Celsius) at which you would still feel comfortable according to the Adaptive Thermal Comfort
Theory (80% accessibility limits). The prevailing mean outdoor temperature outside over the past month was 25oC.
Answer: ________oC
Just play and tweak the values on the online app and you will be able to get the following answers:
2) 22.1oC
1) 20.4oC
Formative Assessment 4: How comfortable is your house?
Energy-efficient Building Systems
Buildings are among the largest consumers of energy in the world. Energy efficiency may be achieved by using ecological building
design. These are methods and devices that can be integrated into the building to perform the function of heat transfer and storage
with little or no assistance from electrical or other non-renewable energy sources.
Energy efficient buildings (new constructions or renovated existing buildings) can be defined as buildings that are designed to
provide a significant reduction of the energy need for heating and cooling, independently of the energy and of the equipment
that will be chosen to heat or cool the building.
This can be achieved through the following elements:
1. bioclimatic architecture: shape and orientation of the building, solar protections, passive solar systems
2. high performing building envelope: thorough insulation, high performing glazing and windows, air-sealed construction,
avoidance of thermal bridges
3. high performance controlled ventilation: mechanical insulation, heat recovery
Only when the building has been designed to minimize the energy loss, it makes sense to start looking at the energy source
(including renewable energy) and at the heating and cooling equipment.
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Figure 31 : 5-step energy-efficient building approach

Image slightly adapted from: https://www.isover.com/how-design-and-build-energy-efficient-building
Bioclimatic architecture takes into account climate and environmental conditions to help achieve thermal and visual comfort
inside. Bioclimatic design takes into account the local climate to make the best possible use of solar energy and other
environmental sources, rather than working against them. It includes the following principles:
• The shape of the building has to be compact to reduce the surfaces in contact with radiation; the building and
especially its openings are given an appropriate orientation (preferably towards the south); interior spaces are laid
out according to their heating requirements;
• Appropriate techniques are applied to the external envelope and its openings to protect the building from solar heat;
passive solar systems collect solar radiation for daylighting system; the building is protected from the summer sun,
primarily by shading but also by the appropriate treatment of the building envelope (i.e. use of reflective colors and
surfaces).
Thermal insulation is a low-cost, widely available, proven technology that begins saving energy and money, and reducing
emissions the moment it is installed.
• Well installed insulation ensures energy efficiency in every part of the building envelope including ground decks, roofs
lofts, walls and facades. It is also well suited for pipes and boilers to reduce the energy loss of a building’s technical
installations. Insulation is as relevant in cold regions as in hot ones. In cold/cool regions, insulation keeps a building
warm and limits the need for energy for heating whereas in hot/warm regions the same insulation systems keep the
heat out and reduce the need for air conditioning.
• An exterior wall is well insulated when its thermal resistance (R value) is high, meaning the heat losses through it are
small (reduced U value). Insulation is a key component of the wall to achieve a high R value (or a low U value) for the
complete wall. The thermal resistance R of the installed insulation products has to be as high as possible.
Air tightness reduces air leakage – the uncontrolled flow of air through gaps and cracks in the construction (sometimes
referred to as infiltration, exfiltration or draughts). Air leakages need to be reduced as much as possible in order to create
efficient, controllable, comfortable, healthy and durable buildings With more stringent building regulations requiring
better energy efficiency, air tightness is an increasingly important issue.
• Details that are vital to achieving good air tightness need to be identified at early design stage. The next and equally
important step is to ensure these details are carried over into the construction phase. Careful attention must be paid
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to sealing gaps and ensuring the continuity of the air barrier. It is far simpler to design and build an airtight construction
than to carry out remedial measures in a draughty home.
Most existing buildings, even those built recently, are far from being airtight and because of unwanted air infiltration generate
huge costs to owners and occupants, in environmental, financial and health terms. Most leaky dwelling will result in higher
CO2 emissions. The additional entry of heat will mean that a correctly sized air- conditioning system may not be able to meet
the demand temperature. Hot spots can cause discomfort. Excessive air leakage can allow damp air to penetrate the building
fabric, degrading the structure and reducing the effectiveness of the insulation. Air leakage paths often lead to dust marks on
carpets and wall coverings that look unsightly.
Ventilation is the intended and controlled ingress and egress of air through buildings, delivering fresh air, and exhausting stale
air through purpose-built ventilators in combination with the designed heating system and humidity control, and the fabric of
the building itself.
• If you do not insulate properly and ventilate too little, you can risk warm humid air condensing on cold, poorly insulated
surfaces which will create moisture that allows for molds and fungi to grow.
• A controlled ventilation strategy will satisfy the fresh air requirements of an airtight building. Air infiltration or opening
of the window cannot be considered an acceptable alternative to designed ventilation.
• As the saying goes: ‘build tight, ventilate right.’
Active systems
Active systems on the other hand are systems achieved through electro-mechanical means. Although these systems require
energy to function, they are designed to cause a general reduction in the building’s total energy consumption.
1) Daylight Sensors – regulates artificial light depending on amount of natural light entering the building.
2) Automatic Blinds – protects interior spaces automatically from the afternoon sun
3) Rain Sensors – automatically deactivated the Automatic Irrigation System of the gardens to save on water
consumption
4) Motion Detectors – switches off lights in areas with no movement to reduce light consumption
5) Integrated Lighting Control System – allows programming of building lights to conserve on energy consumption
6) Carbon Monoxide (CO) Monitoring System – operates fans to flush out Carbon Monoxide when levels exceed 15
ppm
7) Integrated Building Management System (BMS) – monitors and controls the mechanical and electrical (M&E)
equipment to optimize their operation of the systems.
8) Variable Air Volume (VAV) terminal units of the Air – Conditioning and Mechanical Ventilation (ACMV) System
– optimized the volume of air supplied to each space
9) Pressure Sensors on escalators – detects pressure and operates escalators only when someone uses them
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Daylight Sensor Motion Detector Rain Sensor Lighting Control
Image source: Image source: Image source: Image source: https://iconic-

http://waveguidelighting.co.uk https://www.cctvcameraworld.com/ https://www.plumbersstock.com/how-to- plus.com/project/lighting-control/
motion-detector-hidden-camera-high- sprinklers/how-do-rain-sensors-work.html
resolution.html
Passive Systems
Passive design is low-energy design that uses a building’s morphology and construction to maintain a comfortable temperature
within the building. Passive design techniques can involve highly technical calculations, simulations and processes. But the
basic concepts behind them can easily be employed by designers for building designs.
One example of passive design is proper building orientation. In tropical climates, the West-facing side of a building receives
large amounts of heat from the afternoon sun. By locating service spaces on this side of the building, the habitable spaces will
remain cool and require less energy for air-conditioning. Another passive system is the use of sun shading devices. By having
adequate sun-shading devices, the interior spaces of a building are protected from solar heat gain thus also for savings in
energy required for air-conditioning (Santos, 2008).
Ken Yeang (2000) lists 8 passive systems that can be used in building design:
1) Passive Design by Building Configuration
2) Passive Design by Built Form Orientation
3) Passive Design by Façade Design
4) Passive Design through Solar Control Devices
5) Passive Daylight Concepts
6) Passive Design by Color of Building Envelope
7) Passive Design by Vertical Landscaping
8) Passive Design by Use of Wind and Natural Ventilation
Similarly, the Department of Energy (DOE) of the United States government through its Federal Energy Management Program
presents eight (8) basic techniques to increase the energy efficiency of buildings.
1) Siting and organizing the building configuration and massing to reduce loads.
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2) Reducing cooling loads by eliminating undesirable solar heat gain
3) Reducing heating loads by using desirable solar heat gain.
4) Using natural light as a substitute for (or complement) electrical lighting.
5) Using natural ventilation whenever possible
6) Using more efficient heating and cooling equipment to satisfy reduced loads.
7) Using computerized building control systems
Likewise, Hui (1997) notes that there are six (6) planning concepts that affect the energy performance of a building in passive
design:
1) Site Selection
2) Site layout
3) Building Configuration
4) Building Shape
5) Building Orientation; and
6) Spacing and spatial relationships with other buildings
Passive system is basically using free energy available from the sun and the sky, the air and the wind. It can be used to
effectively cool or heat buildings, which requires careful design as it is not always necessary to install a complex active system
to realize an acceptable thermal condition indoors.
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Useful Links
ASHARAE-55: Thermal Environment Conditions for Human Occupancy
https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/bookstore/standard-55-thermal-environmental-conditions-for-human-
occupancy
CBE Thermal comfort tool
Energy benchmarking
https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy-efficiency/energy-star-canada/energy-star-buildings/energy-benchmarking-
basics/18260
Energy Use Intensity
https://www.archtoolbox.com/materials-systems/sustainability/energy-use-
intensity.html#:~:text=Calculating%20a%20Building's%20EUI&text=Kilowatt%2Dhours%20is%20multiplied%20by,
25%2C500%20%3D%20156.55%20kBTU%2Fsf.
References
Cairns Regional Council. (December 2011). Sustainable tropical building design: Guidelines for commercial
buildings. Queensland: Cairns Regional Council.
Koenigsberger, O.H., Ingersoll, T.G., Mayhew, A., & Szokolay, S.V. (1974). Manual of Tropical Housing and Building.
London: Longman Group Limited
Santos, J.R. (2020). Tropical design handout. Quezon City: CDEP.
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ARC 1435 Learning Module 2 - 1st Sem 2021-22

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COURSE LEARNING MODULE

ARC1435: TROPICAL DESIGN

INTRODUCTION TO TROPICAL DESIGN ............................................................................................................. 5

MODULE 1 UNDERSTANDING CLIMATE ........................................................................................................... 7

Elements of Climates ............................................................................................................................................... 13

Scales of Climate and their importance ................................................................................................................. 18

Major Tropical Climatic Zones ................................................................................................................................ 23

Climate in the Philippines ....................................................................................................................................... 26

Architectural Adaptations to Climate ..................................................................................................................... 29

MODULE 2 DESIGNING WITH NATURE ........................................................................................................... 37

Use of Energy in Buildings ..................................................................................................................................... 37

Thermal Comfort ...................................................................................................................................................... 40

MODULE 3 GREENING THE CITIES .................................................................................................................. 50

Tropical Design and Sustainable Design............................................................................................................... 50

Laws Related to the Use of Resources and Sustainable Design ........................................................................ 57

Sustainable Tropical Building Design Principles ................................................................................................. 59

Sustainability Benchmarks ..................................................................................................................................... 67

Green building case studies ................................................................................................................................... 68

Readings in Sustainable Tropical Architecture .................................................................................................... 70

MODULE 4 BUILDING STRUCTURES IN A HOT HUMID CLIMATE ................................................................... 76

Climatic Issues in a Tropical Climate ..................................................................................................................... 77

Tropical Design Strategies ...................................................................................................................................... 78

Use of Energy in Buildings

Figure 24 : Philippine power generation by source

Figure 25 : Philippine electricity consumption by sector.

Figure 26 : Calculating for the EUI

Figure 27 : A sample calculation of the EUI for a 2 storey school building

Energy benchmarking for organizations:

What are the benefits of benchmarking?

Formative Assessment 3: How much electricity does your household consume?

Thermal Comfort Factors

Figure 28 : Thermal Comfort Factors

Subjective variables affecting human comfort are:

• Acclimatization: adjustment to the change of a new set of climatic conditions

• Body shape: surface to volume ratio has an effect

• Subcutaneous fat: fat under the skin is an excellent thermal insulator

• State of health: in an illness, metabolic rate may increase

Body’s Heat Production

Heat is continuously produced by the body.

Body’s Heat Loss

Figure 29 : Forms of body’s heat loss

• faster air movement

• lower air temperature

• higher skin temperature

How to read a psychrometric chart?

Formative Assessment 4: How comfortable is your house?

Energy-efficient Building Systems

This can be achieved through the following elements:

3. high performance controlled ventilation: mechanical insulation, heat recovery

Figure 31 : 5-step energy-efficient building approach

• As the saying goes: ‘build tight, ventilate right.’

Daylight Sensor Motion Detector Rain Sensor Lighting Control

Image source: Image source: Image source: Image source: https://iconic-

1) Passive Design by Building Configuration

2) Passive Design by Built Form Orientation

3) Passive Design by Façade Design

4) Passive Design through Solar Control Devices

5) Passive Daylight Concepts

6) Passive Design by Color of Building Envelope

7) Passive Design by Vertical Landscaping

8) Passive Design by Use of Wind and Natural Ventilation

3) Reducing heating loads by using desirable solar heat gain.

4) Using natural light as a substitute for (or complement) electrical lighting.