Arch 210: Tropical Design Principles

Objectives of Arch. 210 Tropical Design

• The course aims to study climates in the Philippines.
• Understanding climate changes in various settings is an objective.
• Global warming effects and international provisions are studied.
• Implementation of the Philippine green building code is part of the course.
• Students will design a residential house using tropical design principles.
• The course includes analyzing case studies on climate change effects.

Course Requirements

• Plates using Tropical design in coordination with the green building will be a factor
• Computation and analysis skills will need to be in coordination with green building plates
• Midterm plate submission will need to be a two-story residential house design
• The final plate needs to be a mixed-use structure design
• Examinations and quizzes will be given
• Attendance is mandatory

Introduction to Tropical Architecture

• Tropical architecture focuses on responding to tropical climatic conditions.
• It leverages studies influencing architecture’s impact in tropical regions.
• Passive strategies are developed to reduce heat gain.
• The design encourages air movement within buildings.
• Tropical architecture reduces energy consumption, and at least 50% of the energy consumption comes from cooling buildings
• Passive strategies help in reducing energy consumption.
• Tropical design responds to the hot and humid climate
• It uses passive strategies to reduce heat gain and promote air movement.
• Open spaces, large windows, and natural ventilation are used to mitigate environmental features.

Principles of Passive Design

• Passive design comfort includes two categories: natural ventilation and solar shading.
• Passive ventilation is naturally moving air through an indoor space.
• Stale air is removed and replaced with fresh air from the exterior.
• Passive ventilation relies on natural forces without mechanical systems.
• Cross ventilation involves wind entering a building from the windward side and exiting through another side.
• Obstructions like walls should be avoided to ensure proper cross ventilation.
• Buoyancy-driven ventilation uses air density differences to promote air movement in a room.
• Hot air rises and exits at a high level through clerestory windows or roof vents known as the Stack Effect.

Passive Ventilation Strategies

• Have a small inlet and big outlet windows to create a vacuum effect, increasing airflow speed.
• Use a bottleneck design, wind flows from a large space into a smaller opening, to force air and increase wind velocity in the room.
• Open windows diagonally to allow wind flow from the windward to leeward side.
• Windows at opposite corners maximizes wind flow through the space.
• Install clearstories or roof vents such as jalousies or louvre windows to allow hot air to escape and let cooler air enter at low-level windows/doors.
• Use windows vents at the top, especially near the ceiling level, to allow hot air to escape.
• Vents can be placed at the top of doors or separating walls to allow both wind and hot air to flow from one room to another.
• Casement windows redirect the breeze and are a good additional design to have
• Casement windows are good for redirecting a breeze
• A small distance for air to travel from one end to the other, improves air quality
• If the longer side of a narrow building where is oriented perpendicular to prevailing winds is best.
• Courtyards can reduce the distance wind travels through a home which allows interior warm air to escape.
• Ventilating a house with passive measures is ideal in the tropics.
• Large windows and doors on two or more walls in each room promote cross ventilation.
• Upper-level windows or vents near the roof allow rising hot air to escape.
• Understanding air movement helps maintain thermal comfort.

Solar Shading

• Sun shading or solar shading design is critical for creating cooler tropical homes.
• Direct sunlight increases temperature, but sun/solar shading design strategies can decrease heat gain.
• Solar shading allows for more thermally comfortable homes.
• Solar shading is not as common in homes in modern tropical regions
• Solar shading uses elements to reduce heat from the sun entering a building.
• These strategies help protect openings and walls from direct sunlight and control indoor temperature.
• Direct sunlight affects internal temperature, making sun shading important.
• The sun heats walls, however, heat impacts are higher when sunrays enter through glazed windows or doors.
• It is difficult for heat passing through glass to exit the room.
• Thermal massing radiate heat back into the room, creating warmer interiors in the tropics.
• Closed doors and windows in air-conditioned rooms cause heat to pass through the glass, heating the room.
• Air-conditioning units use more electricity to cool rooms which increases the load.
• Effective sun shading devices can keep directed sunlight out
• Factors include latitude, site orientation, day, and year time

Solar Shading Methods

• Large roof overhangs provide shade and cooler temperatures.
• Vertical screens/shutters can also be used to shade
• Trees and other vegetation provide shade while ensuring cooler surroundings.
• Verandas and covered patios provide shade.
• Exterior structures can utilize shade sails and fabric canopies
• Horizontal shading and sun shading devices create shade.
• Exterior shutters window provides shade from the outside of the house
• Landscaping allows building owners to create shade and plant vegetations outside of the home
• Brise Soleil and Jalis enable home owners to create shade and plant vegetation

Solar Shading Conclusion

• Exterior residential solar shading devices are not commonly used anymore
• Benefits to having in a tropical home include having benefits from direct sunlight if installed
• This strategy helps ensure that the indoor temperature remains as cool as possible
• Solar shading can ensure your home remains comfortable in tropical climate
• Large roof overhangs, verandas, and horizontal shading devices protect north/south facing walls and allow max ventilation
• Shutters, screens, and trees protect from direct sunlight
• Solar or sun shading can be the missing piece to making your home thermally comfortable

Strategies for Tropical House Design

• Prioritize natural ventilation for rooms when planning site orientation.
• Orient shorter sides of your home to face east and west if it doesn't compromise natural ventilation.
• Have large roof overhangs and or covered outdoor areas for shading.
• Plant trees and other vegetation to shade walls and to provide cooler surroundings
• Have large windows and door openings with more than two side to create a cross ventilation
• Upper windows or vents near the roof allow rises to escape
• Avoid using Thermal massing such as concrete without shading
• Use light weight walls and allow it to cool quickly
• High pitched roof and use light covering
• A double roof system helps the the layer is concrete
• Build patios and cover verandas
• A court yard will help natural ventilation

Water and Energy Efficiency

• Use water and energy efficient fixtures
• A great additional is to use solar water heaters with photovoltaic panels
• Harvest and store water