Singapore
Day and night phenomenon is created by the rotation of the earth about its axis. The length of the day and night is relative to the time of the year and the latitude of the location. For places in the northern hemisphere, the shortest solar day is around December 21 which is the winter solstice and the longest day is around June 21 which is the summer solstice. Theoretically, during the time of the equinox the length of the day is equal to the length of the night.
"Seasons are caused by the Earth axis which is tilted by 23.5 with respect to the ecliptic and due to the fact that the axis is always pointed to the same direction. When the northern axis is pointing to the direction of the Sun, it will be winter in the southern hemisphere and summer in the northern hemisphere. Northern hemisphere will experience summer because the Sun's ray reached that part of the surface directly and more concentrated hence enabling that area to heat up more quickly. The southern hemisphere will receive the same amount of light ray at a more glancing angle, hence spreading out the light ray therefore is less concentrated and colder. The converse holds true when the Earth axis is pointing towards the Sun."
The annual changes in the path of the Sun are represented in an efficient and effective way in a sun path diagram. Their most quick use is that the solar azimuth and altitude can be seen for all times of the day and month of the year for a city lying at a certain latitude.. In addition, they offer a unique synopsis of solar position that the architect can go back to when reflecting shading requirements and design choices. A section or perspective of the building concerned can be overlaid in a sun path diagram of the appropriate area so as to establish better heights and widths of windows according to the sun. (Anastasia Boutsika)
http://www.math.nus.edu.sg/aslaksen/gem-projects/hm/0304-1-66-sun_and_architecture.pdf
The case study for the hot humid climate we chose is Singapore. There is no strong prevailing wind for Singapore. This is called doldrums. Historical maritime usage gives rise to this colloquial expression and talks about the parts of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean which are on the Intertropical Convergence Zone, a low-pressure territory around the equator where the prevailing winds are calm. Therefore there is no need for wind breaks. There is no usually downdraught effect next to the skyscrapers as usually there is no strong wind.. (Anastasia Boutsika) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doldrums |
Sun shades are needed for the sun and trees as they already exist to absorb the humidity.Sun shades are needed mostly for the south sides of the buildings as the sun heat during noon time and early afternoon is very uncomfortable. As far as evaporative cooling is concerned it is not applied due to the humidity of the climate. In other words the relative humidity at the prevailing temperature is high reaching a level of being saturated.Several buildings if not most of them are white in Singapore so as to reflect the rays of the sun thus impending the absorption and accumulation of heat. Humidity is tackled with green Spaces and Singapore is the second city in the World with the highest green space. The percentage is 47 per cent. http://www.skyscrapercity.com/
showthread.php?t=1660203(Anastasia Boutsika) |
In Singapore there used to be a loose urban pattern in the past allowing breezes between buildings that deal with the heat to achieve thermal comfort. In the winter there is no need for passive heating as the winter is mild. In singapore a lot of turbine vents are used as they are effective and efficient for natural ventilation by means of enhanced air draft. Cross ventilation and stack ventilation are used.DeKay p223)
(Anastasia Boutsika) |
Putrajaya, Malaysia
Putrajaya is a planned city ,25 km south of Kuala Lumpur ,Malaysia and was created to became the economic and political center of the country due to the overcrowding and congestion of the capital. The city is surrounded by a natural landscape and a lake and was planned from the beginning as an garden city. Construction of the city is still on progress and it is projected to be inhabited by 330.000 people while in 2007 the population was 30.000 people.
Climate.The climate of Putrahaja is the same as in Kuala Lumpur.There are two seasons. The wet from October to April and dry from May to September.There are also two monsoon periods in April and November and the last is mightier.
The temperature is an average of 28 degrees through the year. The wormest month is March while the coolest is January. There are no big variations in the monthly temperature which is considered hot.
Facts about Putrajaya
- There is a network of wide boulevards and open spaces that allow air flow along the city
- 38 % of the city area is planned for green spaces that create a connection with the surrounding natural environment creating green corridors
- Putrajaya is a low carbon city as uses efficient lighting and water management systems
- Putrajaya’s wetlands (200 hectares) are a bird breeding ground
- Existing vegetation was used on-site for mulch, while stone quarried during construction was used on-site for roads, dams and some buildings.
- There is a network of wide boulevards and open spaces that allow air flow along the city
- 38 % of the city area is planned for green spaces that create a connection with the surrounding natural environment creating green corridors
- Putrajaya is a low carbon city as uses efficient lighting and water management systems
- Putrajaya’s wetlands (200 hectares) are a bird breeding ground
- Existing vegetation was used on-site for mulch, while stone quarried during construction was used on-site for roads, dams and some buildings.
(T.M)