Asian architecture case study paper_8d_house

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGN

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE

ASIAN ARCHITECTURE (ARC60403 / ARC2234)

PROJECT: CASE STUDY PAPER

AN ANALYSIS OF THE APPLICATION OF DESIGN STRATEGIES OF

VERNACULAR MALAY ARCHITECTURE TO ACHIEVE THERMAL COMFORT

IN 8D HOUSE, BUKIT DAMANSARA

GROUP MEMBERS:

CHAN YI QIN (0315964)

CHIA CHENG WEI (0322091)

CHEW JIA CHEN (0322852)

KOOI YONG KAI (0323152)

LEE XIANG LOON (0322090)

LECTURER: MS NURUL ALIA AHAMAD

SUBMISSION DATE: 29 NOVEMBER 2016

An Analysis of the Application of Design Strategies of Vernacular Malay Architecture to Achieve Thermal

Comfort in 8D House, Bukit Damansara

2 | Asian Architecture (ARC60403 / ARC2234)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Pages

Abstract 3

1.0 Introduction 4

2.0 Objectives 5

3.0 Methodology 5

4.0 Limitations 6

5.0 Case Studies 7 – 8

5.1 Vernacular Malay Architecture 7

5.2 Overview of 8D House 8

6.0 Findings 9 – 24

6.1 Choice of Local Materials 9 – 12

6.2 Building Form and Orientation 13 – 15

6.3 Landscape 16 – 20

6.4 Roof Design 21 – 22

6.5 Louvered Sun Screens 23 – 24

7.0 Conclusion 25

8.0 References 26

9.0 Appendix 27 – 33




ABSTRACT

The purpose of this research paper aims to investigate how the application of vernacular Malay

architecture design strategies help to reduce solar heat gain and achieve thermal comfort in 8D

House, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur. Due to the rise of commercial developments in Bukit

Damansara that contributes to the increase of thermal heat, the 8D House was designed to curb

this climatic issue to improve the thermal comfort for the building occupants. To assist the

validation of research, literature reviews based on various sources such as books and articles

on the building and thermal comfort were conducted to complete this case study paper.

Vernacular Malay architecture is greatly influenced by climate and it is the most appropriate

to attain thermal comfort in Malaysia. 8D House is efficiently designed to adapt local climatic

requirements by using raw local materials, carefully orientated to the direction of prevailing

winds, landscaping placed in relation to sun paths, usage of large insulated overhanging canopy

and metal louvered sun screen to reduce solar radiation. Hence, it is concluded that the

application of these design strategies in reference to vernacular architecture does reduce solar

heat gain and achieve thermal comfort in 8D House.




1.0 INTRODUCTION

Twenty years ago, Bukit Damansara began as a residential scheme for government servants.

Commercial projects were slowly poured into the area and buildings began to develop into

office complexes, which give rise to temperature and significantly affects the housing estate

including where our research building is situated. The 8D House project started off with the

intention to design a three-storey bungalow incorporating vernacular elements in response to

climate change within the area to achieve thermal comfort. Malaysian architecture started off

with a vernacular design approach to suit the local hot and humid climate, adapting to its

surrounding context and were designed to fulfil the needs of the user. Thermal comfort,

according to ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55, is the condition of mind which expresses

satisfaction with the thermal environment.

This research paper focuses on how the application of design strategies of vernacular Malay

architecture helps to reduce solar heat gain and improve thermal comfort in 8D House by

responding to the following questions:

How does the choice of materials address solar heat gain issues to achieve thermal

comfort in 8D House, Bukit Damansara?

How does the implementation of shading devices improve thermal and visual comfort

in 8D House, Bukit Damansara?

How does the site response contribute to the reduction of solar heat gain in 8D House,

Bukit Damansara?

How does local materials, site response and shading devices modernize traditional

vernacular architecture in 8D House, Bukit Damansara?




2.0 OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this research paper aims to conduct a thorough study on the implementation of

various vernacular Malay architecture design strategies in 8D House, Bukit Damansara. It also

aims to investigate how these strategies help to reduce solar heat gain and achieve thermal

comfort in this building.

3.0 METHODOLOGY

The research data that has been found is collected from online resource materials and also

books. The research was conducted with the aim to gather an in-depth understanding of what

vernacular architecture and how its design strategies are implemented into the 8D House in

order to achieve thermal comfort. Components of a vernacular Malay house such as roof, built

form, landscape, materials and sun screens have been studied upon and analysed. Architectural

drawings of the research building obtained are also studied and analysed.




4.0 LIMITATIONS

Although the research has reached its aims, there were some unavoidable limitations. Firstly,

due to time constraints, this research is being studied as a data comparison between and

traditional and contemporary Malay vernacular architecture. Thermal comfort conditions

achieved in 8D House are examined by comparing passive design features in traditional Malay

architecture. Besides, we were unable to set up an appointment with the architect to obtain

more information about the building due to limited resources. Since 8D House is a private

residential building, the public is strictly prohibited to enter and visit the building without

proper permission. Therefore, the information collected for the purpose of this study was

mainly through photo documentation of traditional architecture within the area of study where

many deviations from the traditional ways of designing and construction of houses were

noticed.




5.0 CASE STUDIES

5.1 Vernacular Malay Architecture

Figure 1: A typical traditional Malay house (Source: musimpanas, 2010)

Traditional vernacular Malay architecture is greatly affected by climate, hence, this architecture

includes dwellings and other elements which relate to their surrounding climate and weather.

Since Malaysia is situated in a tropical region, vernacular Malay architecture uses raw materials

such as timber, rattan, tree roots, bamboo and leaves as they are easily obtained from the

tropical rainforests and have high specific heat capacity to ensure the spaces inside a building

are cool and comfortable. Vernacular Malay houses attempted numerous methods to respond

to their climate including building orientation to avoid direct sunlight, large openings to allow

natural ventilation and eaves to reduce the glare of the sun. These ideas and concept responding

to its climate are still being implemented and referenced into today’s contemporary architecture

in places like Malaysia and other tropical countries.




5.2 Overview of 8D House

Figure 2: 8D House sits on a sloping site in Bukit Damansara (Source: ArchDaily, 2016)

Situated on a slope looking over the views of the Petronas Twin Towers in the suburb of Bukit

Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, 8D House is designed by architect Dr Tan Loke Mun. The site, in

which the building sits, comprises a long and narrow lot sloping down the Lengkok Setiabudi

road by about 10 meters. The intention behind the design of this bungalow was meant for two

family generations with resort facilities and green sustainable features. The opportunity of the

long road frontage allows the architect to design a 70-meter long tropical verandah made of

contemporary materials such as steel and off-form concrete with sawn timber finish to shelter

the house from the evening sun. Large insulated overhanging roof and metal louvered sun

screen wraps the entire building to provide the necessary shade and shelter to curb the hot and

humid climate for 8D House.




6.0 FINDINGS

6.1 Choice of Local Materials

The lightweight construction of the vernacular Malay architecture with minimum mass and

much voids, using low thermal capacity and high insulation materials, is the most appropriate

for thermal comfort in Malaysia’s climate. 8D House, a contemporary architecture, is

efficiently designed to suit the local climatic requirements using raw local materials.

In Bukit Damansara, most masonry finishes like bricks, marble and slate are thin veneers that

have been adhered to the structural wall and floor of the building, and are mostly found on

ground and eye level around the entrance of the building.

Figure 3: Raw clay red brick boundary wall of 8D House (Source: ArchDaily, 2016)




Figure 4: Brickwork as the flooring seen on the patio of the living area of 8D House

(Source: ArchDaily, 2016)

With thermal mass and high specific heat capacity, even long after the air conditioning has

switched off, masonry walls will remain cool to reduce heating loads and improve occupants’

comfort. In addition, the commonly available red bricks require comparatively less energy to

sustain thermal comfort conditions. Thus, the internal temperatures in such buildings remain

fairly stable despite external diurnal fluctuations which make it a good choice for a building

material especially in hot climates.

Concrete seems to be the material of choice among contemporary vernacular architecture in

Bukit Damansara as it gives stability, versatility and lightness to the appearance of the buildings.

With high thermal mass, concrete is the most common building material and has the property

to store and delay heat conduction through structural elements and thereby provide thermal

comfort.




Figure 5: Concrete as the walls of the annexe and staircase (Source: ArchDaily, 2016)

Standing out from its neighbouring houses, timber is heavily used in 8D House mainly because

of minimal maintenance required. The decision of using wooden wall panels and sun screen

gives warmth in contrast with the dull concrete and cold marble flooring. Timber is acceptable

in terms of thermal insulation properties that are suitable for all kinds of applications in

windows, doors, roofing and flooring. Moreover, timber has a higher heat capacity and

relatively low density compared with other building materials.




Figure 6: Both 8D House and vernacular Malay house use timber as a wall material


Figure 7: Wooden panels in contrast with cold marble flooring in the interior of 8D House





6.2 Building Form and Orientation

A traditional Malay house exhibits a quality of openness with large voids in windows and

features an open plan interior layout with minimum partitions. This quality reflects the

importance given to ventilation in the design of such Malay houses. The open plan layout

makes use of spaces while encompassing multifunctional spaces to allow easy passage of air

and proper cross ventilation within the interior spaces. Traditional Malay houses are oriented

in an east-west direction to face Mecca for religious purposes and this also helps to minimize

areas exposed to solar radiation and best suited for the wind patterns in Malaysia.

Figure 8: Open plan layout of a typical Malay house (Source: W. B. W. Abidin, 1981)

The 8D House has a perfect rectangular building form with low surface area-to-volume ratio

(S/V) and this makes it inherently more efficient than buildings with complex shapes. The

building is thin and has low building depth (narrow building shape) which allows internal heat

to be lost to the outside. The interior buffer zones such as stairs, lift and entry corridors are

placed in the building’s west side to protect the living and working areas from the hot afternoon

sun as highlighted in Figure 9. This house demonstrates a similar spatial layout to that of a

typical Malay house with minimum internal partitions for cross ventilation.




Figure 9: Buffer zones shield living areas from hot afternoon sun (Source: ArchDaily, 2016)

Figure 10: Cross ventilation within the interior spaces of 8D House


The long facades of the building is orientated to the east-west direction, relatively 23 degrees

away from the north. Ample shading devices are used to reduce solar heat gain in the building

on the narrow site which east-west orientation is not possible. The long sides of the building




are arranged to face the direction of incoming prevailing winds and since these sides are

difficult to shield from the low sun, special shading devices such as the long verandah and

sufficient fenestration are used on the west and east elevations.

Figure 11: The long facades facing the direction of incoming prevailing winds

(Source: meteoblue, 2016)

Figure 12: View looking towards the main and into the verandah





6.3 Landscape

Traditional Malay vernacular landscape design consists of soft and hard landscape elements.

A typical Malay house is separated into three areas; the front, side and rear compound.

Placements of landscaping features depend on the different compounds. As shown in Figure

13, the front is not obstructed by any vegetation but the vegetation on the side and rear

compounds slowly densifies. Coconut trees are often the favourable choice as the thin bark

does not disrupt air circulation into the house and the large vegetation at the top of this tree

provides sufficient shading from the sun.

Figure 13: A vernacular Malay house (Source: Connor, J., 2015)




Figure 14: Functional spaces in a vernacular Malay house (Source: Yuan, 1987)

Figure 15: Climatic impact on vernacular Malay houses

(Source: Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2008)




The landscaping around 8D House is designed to respond to sun paths and prevailing winds

where vegetation allows shadows to be casted on the north-east façade and also cools down

prevailing winds. Landscaping such as trees, bushes with dense foliage acts as a vertical

shading device to prevent direct solar radiation onto the façade of the building.

Figure 16: Landscaping in the 8D House (Source: ArchDaily, 2016)

Evapotranspiration, the process by which water is transferred from land to the atmosphere by

the help of wind, evaporation from the soil and other surfaces, and by transpiration from plants

and leaves, will help cool down surrounding air. Ground elements such as grass and water

features replacing pavements to reduce overall ground temperature. These features do not

reflect heat like how harder materials such as paving and stones do.




Figure 17: Relationship between prevailing winds and landscape (Source: ArchDaily, 2016)

Figure 18: Climatic impact on 8D House (Source: ArchDaily, 2016)




Materials such as stones and paving may have higher specific heat capacities, which enable

them to store mass amounts of heat. However, clay brick pathways are kept in the shade,

preventing them from heating up quickly. Water features are also strategically positioned

around the east and south sides of the building to cool down prevailing winds through

evaporation.




6.4 Roof Design

Figure 19: Overhanging roof of 8D house and traditional Malay house

(Source: ArchDaily, 2016; fjodolf, 2008)

Vernacular Malay architecture uses large thatched roofs with large overhangs to provide

shading and protection against driving rain. 8D House applied similar strategies and

modernized it by using large insulated overhanging canopy roof to control the penetration of

solar radiation. A 7.5-meter overhang on the east side of the building helps to avoid direct

exposure from sunlight. Due to the house built mostly with exposed materials, the roof tends

to be under lighted to give a psychological effect of coolness as strong light is often mentally

associated with heat.

Figure 20: North elevation of 8D House (Source: ArchDaily, 2016)

Beside overhangs, the roofing material is another factor to improve building’s thermal comfort.

Vernacular Malay architecture uses attap due to its good insulting properties and it retains heat




into the building. In the modern context, attap is no longer suitable as a roofing material and

therefore, the 8D House roof was constructed with lightweight metal deck in a light grey with

0.52mm total coated thickness (TCT). According to the Reflectance Index of Roof Surface,

light grey colour may absorb less than 50% of incoming solar energy. The internal layers

include highly insulated by 200mm rock wool and have an air gap of 300mm that acts as a

barrier to heat flow.

Figure 21: Sectional detail of the 8D House roof (Source: Foo, W., 2016)




6.5 Louvered Sun Screens

Similar to the climatic control concept of vernacular architecture, 8D House controls glare from

the open sky and surrounding by using metal louvered sun screen to wrap the entire mass of

the living spaces. Sun screens extend rather than attach to the facades to form a distance for air

ventilation as well as preventing large amount of heat to pass through the transparent glasses

directly which may cause overheating.

Figure 22: Climatic design of a traditional Malay house (Source: Yuan, 1987)

Extended corridor without any form of blockage is formed through the distance of facade and

sunscreen. This helps the spaces to remain cooler as air flow is encouraged. Louvers are also

incorporated into the shade to prevent the high-angle sun falling on the glass facades, but also

to allow small portion of sunlight to provide some passive solar heating. Louvered sun screens

are very effective at shading south-facing glass facades when sun angles are high. However,

the same device is ineffective at blocking low afternoon sun from entering west-facing areas

during peak heat gain. This explains why the west side sun screen is longer than the east and




north side. The sun screen at the east side of 8D House extends until the head level to ensure

no blockage of air flow occurred, maintaining good air ventilation at the main side of living

areas.

Figure 23: Extended walkway and sun screen detail of 8D House


The reason why an egg-crate sunscreen is chosen for 8D House is because the ideal orientation

of this type of sun screen device is at east and west and as such, visual restriction is also low.




7.0 CONCLUSION

8D House demonstrates a series of different design strategies in relation to vernacular

architecture to attain thermal comfort in its building in a modern context. The use of local raw

materials helps to reduce solar radiation and promote coolness in the interior spaces. Utilization

of building materials and passive technologies in buildings can effectively offer the solution

for thermal comfort demands and substantially reduce energy demand. The rectangular

building is orientated with the long facades arranged to face the direction of incoming

prevailing winds. Landscaping such as vegetation and water features that help promote

evapotranspiration to cool down surrounding air are carefully placed in relation to sun paths.

Large insulated overhanging canopy roof constructed with lightweight metal decking is used

to provide necessary shade and control the penetration of solar radiation. This bungalow also

controls glare from the open sky and surroundings by using metal louvered sun screens to wrap

the entire mass of the living space, varying in lengths on different sides of the façades.




8.0 REFERENCES

American Society of Landscape Architects (n.d.). Combating Climate Change with

Landscape Architecture. Retrieved November 19, 2016, from

https://www.asla.org/climatechange.aspx

ArchDaily (2016). 8D House / DRTAN LM Architect. Retrieved September 13, 2016, from

http://www.archdaily.com/784182/8d-house-drtan-lm-architect

Green Home Building (n.d.). Shaping buildings for the humid tropics - Green home building.

Retrieved October 6, 2016, from

http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/pdf/shapingbuildings1.pdf

Janzen, C. (2016). Vernacular Architecture in Malaysia. Retrieved November 16, 2016, from

http://connorjanzen.com/vernacular-malaysia/

Lim, J. Y. (1987). The Malay house: Rediscovering Malaysia's indigenous shelter system.

Pulau Pinang, Malaysia: Institut Masyarakat.

Lim, W. S., & Tan, H. B. (1998). The new Asian architecture: Vernacular traditions and

contemporary style. Hong Kong: Periplus Editions.

Vernacular Architecture (2011). Malay houses. Retrieved October 5, 2016, from

https://vernaculararchitecture.wordpress.com/2011/12/30/hello-world/




9.0 APPENDIX

Asian architecture case study paper_8d_house

Education

Transcript of Asian architecture case study paper_8d_house