UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE, PLANNING, AND SURVEYING

(UITM PERAK BRANCH, SERI ISKANDAR CAMPUS)

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONS) IN CONSTRUCTION

TECHNOLOGY

PASSIVE DESIGN BUILDING

(BCT533) ENVIRONMENTAL GREEN STUDIES

GROUP: AP256 3A
NAMA MATRIKS ID MARKS

NAJIHA BINTI AZMI 2020963175

SHARIFAH NUR ATIQAH BINTI SYED 2020963365
MUZZAFAR SHAH
NURNATASYA NABILLA BINTI ADZMI 2020963067
NUR AINIE IZATIE BINTI NONAZAHAR 2020963403

ADHWA FADHLIN BINTI YUSUP 2020963331

LECTURER : DR. ASMAT BINTI ISMAIL

SUBMITION : 29 JUN 2020
Contents
CHAPTER 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1

1.1 Passive Design Strategies ................................................................................................ 1

1.1.1 Passive Heating ................................................................................................... 4

1.1.2 Passive Cooling .................................................................................................... 4

1.2 Elements for The Passive Design Strategies .................................................................... 5

1.2.1 Building Orientation .............................................................................................. 5

1.2.2 Natural Lighting Strategies ................................................................................... 6

1.2.3 Natural Ventilation Strategies ............................................................................... 7

1.2.4 Building material selection .................................................................................... 7

1.2.5 Building façade selection ...................................................................................... 8

1.2.6 Shading ................................................................................................................ 8

1.2.7 Landscaping ......................................................................................................... 8

1.3 Introduction to Case Study............................................................................................... 9

1.4 Objective of the study .................................................................................................... 10

CHAPTER 2.0 RESEARCH METHOD ................................................................................. 11

2.1 Literature of Study ......................................................................................................... 11

2.2 Observation Method....................................................................................................... 11

2.3 Measurement Method .................................................................................................... 12

2.3.1 Measurement Equipment.................................................................................... 12

CHAPTER 3.0 RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS ................................................................ 13

3.1 Element of Passive Design............................................................................................. 13

3.1.1 Building Orientation ............................................................................................ 13

3.1.2 Natural Ventilation Strategies ............................................................................. 16

3.1.3 Natural Lighting Strategies ................................................................................. 20

3.1.4 Landscaping ....................................................................................................... 23

3.1.5 Building Façade Material .................................................................................... 24

3.1.6 Building Material Selection ................................................................................. 24

 3.1.7 Shading .............................................................................................................. 25

CHAPTER 4.0 ......................................................................................................................... 28

CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................ 28

LIST OF REFERENCES ......................................................................................................... 29

 CHAPTER 1.0
INTRODUCTION

This introduction is consisting of 4 thing which is, passive design strategies, elements for the
passive design strategies, introduction to case study and objective of the case study. Under the
topic passive design strategies has 2 more element which is passive heating and cooling, while
under topic elements for passive design strategies has 7 element, which is building orientation,
natural lighting strategies, natural ventilation strategies, building material selection, building
material selection, building façade selection, shading and landscaping.

1.1 Passive Design Strategies

Passive design measures are key considerations in the design of building for low energy and
environmental performances. The importance of Passive Design is underscored by its
precedence overactive design measures in green and low energy building. Passive design
measures (which are principally architectural in nature) aims to embed features into a building
which are intrinsically green and low energy in nature. Active measures are design features
which requires ‘active intervention’ of building systems (such as air conditioning, mechanical
ventilation, lighting systems etc) which will contribute to green and/or low energy
performances. Current pressing requirements for green design and low energy in building
which are increasingly driven by mandatory building codes (e.g. recent revision to the UBBL
incorporating parts of MS1525) requires knowledge of Passive Design as in the skill set of the
design architect. Passive design are features which are intrinsic (or part of) the building form
which contributes to good environmental qualities such as provides shelter or insulation against
the hot tropical sun or its layout is such that it ensures quality environment for occupant.
Passive design features can be listed as the following design measures; building orientation
(sun path), building thermal envelope (OTTV), roof thermal envelope (RTTV), microclimate
of surrounding (landscaping), naturally ventilated building and natural day lighting by
windows, daylighting system such as light tube, light shelf etc (Peu, 2014).

Optimising the energy efficiency in a building is a far more cost-effective measure to reduce
carbon emissions than by using renewable energy. Unfortunately, there is no magic silver bullet
when it comes to energy efficiency in office buildings for the Malaysian climate. In other

1
words, there does not exist one single item which can reduce building energy consumption by
50% or more. Energy efficiency in office buildings in this climate must be addressed
holistically by addressing every available opportunity. Due to the rapid technological
advancements in Malaysia in electrical lighting, air-conditioning and the availability of cheap
energy from the mid-20th century onwards, unhealthy energy efficiency design practices in has
crept into building design and operation. Today, one can easily identify hundreds, if not
thousands, of items in building design and construction that can be made better to help improve
the energy efficiency in buildings. Nowadays, many building product manufacturers and
suppliers are aggressively marketing building materials with claims of improving the energy
efficiency in buildings. It is also very important to understand that if 50 energy efficient features
are implemented in a building, even a 1% efficiency gain per feature will yield a total of 50%
energy savings for the building. In addition, if more than 50 items are addressed, the inability
to meet one item alone will not destroy the entire energy efficiency of a building. For example,
it is not disastrous if the site does not allow for good orientation of the building because it is
still possible to make improvements on many other energy efficiency features to compensate
for this loss of efficiency. It is only disastrous when most opportunities to improve the energy
efficiency in the building are totally ignored (Tang & Chin, 2013).

Passive design is an approach to building design that responds to the local climate and site
conditions to maximize the comfort and health of building users while minimizing energy use.
Building designers carefully consider the building structure and systems when following a
passive design approach in order to optimize their interaction with the local microclimate. The
goal of passive design is to eliminate the need for any active mechanical systems to maintain
occupant comfort, though this is not a realistic goal for most commercial building projects.
Passive design solutions are most cost-effectively and easily employed in new buildings, and
strategies are best implemented during the initial design phase for new construction projects.
However, passive design can also play an important role during retrofits of existing buildings
but may be more challenging. Because the average commercial building has a lifespan of 70-
75 years,1 there are more opportunities to renovate existing buildings than there are to influence
new buildings, which only replace or add a few percent to the existing building stock each year.
Each renovation that follows a passive design approach offers an opportunity to optimize the
interaction of buildings and their local microclimates, taking advantage of energy efficiency
opportunities for relatively low cost. The proper application of passive design solutions can
greatly reduce building energy requirements before the consideration of mechanical systems.
2
Even the most efficient mechanical systems will use more energy to maintain thermal comfort
in a poorly designed building than in a well-designed building (Gavina et al., 2016).

Passive design has been used by humans since the beginning of the earliest times of settlement
building. The settler’s built their homes to respond to their unique climate through techniques
called passive design. The strategies of passive design are defined using natural characteristics
like the sun, wind and the natural laws of physics to produce low energy costs, reduced
maintenance and superior comfort. In other words, there are no mechanical systems involved
in making or conserving the energy in the building (Stankov et al., 2017). These design
strategies were so critical to early day humans in controlling the built environment that many
of its fundamental principles we still use today originate from this time period. Passive design
has worked in many past situations as a successful way in decreasing energy consumption in a
building and responding intelligently with natural non-active systems (Womeldorf, n.d.).

Passive design sustainable architecture features are elements that are permanently attached to
or part of the building design such as building orientation, double skin envelope, sun-shading
device, large overhang etc. The active design sustainable architecture features are elements that
bring in different results and actively react to the surrounding such as the solar panel,
photovoltaic, rainwater harvesting, roof spray, landscape etc. Some of the features illustrated
in a few literatures include those on the passive cooling, lighting and ventilation (Aziz &
Adnan, n.d.). Passive design is about taking advantage of natural energy flows to maintain
thermal comfort. It is about using the appropriate building orientation, building materials and
landscaping. The buildings should be properly oriented, and the fabric of the building envelope
should be specified to prevent or minimize heat gain (Altan et al., 2016).

Therefore, it is important to understand that passive design approaches are significant in

designing net zero healthcare buildings in Malaysia. In response, the aim of this paper is to
present findings based on reviewing extensive of literature as well as an exploratory study of
Malaysian construction practitioners in the influence of building’s passive design approaches
towards the potential of net zero healthcare buildings implementation in Malaysia (Abdellah et
al., 2019)

3
1.1.1 Passive Heating

Passive solar heating is the least expensive way to keep the heat in a building (Reardon et al.,
2013). To create a comfortable condition for occupants, heating in building may be necessary
to prevent condensation, activities such as drying or cooking and industrial processes. Air are
included as moisture in a form of water vapour. This will affect the efficiency of the building
and causing problems such as (Health, 2004):
I. Mould growth and Mildew
II. Damage to equipment
III. Corrosion and decay to the building fabric

1.1.2 Passive Cooling

Passive cooling strategies are providing cooling to buildings from overheating by using the
cooler outdoor air for a good ventilation and blocking solar gains. To be effective, passive
cooling techniques need to cool both the house and the people in it — with elements such as
air movement, evaporative cooling and thermal mass (McGee, 2013). Other than that, this
cooling strategies are not using any mechanical system. The elements that contribute to passive
cooling include the following (Health, 2004):
I. Fixed/operable external shading
II. Thermal mass
III. Low window to wall area ratio
IV. Natural Ventilation
V. Evaporative cooling

4
1.2 Elements for The Passive Design Strategies

In the passive design strategies, there are 7 important elements. This element influence to
achieve a good passive design strategy. The 7 elements are building orientation, lighting,
ventilation, building material, façade, shading and landscaping.

1.2.1 Building Orientation

Building orientation represents the relation between its elevations and the original geographical
direction. In design process, it is important to consider the actual quantity of solar radiation on
the facades of a building, as it affects the thermal load of the building and controls the thermal
behaviour and the amount of thermal comfort of the space (Morrissey et al., 2011). In addition,
it affects the quantity of ventilation crossing inside the building, which in turn affects the
quantity of energy consumed in it to achieve the thermal and life requirements. The relative
position of the Sun is a major factor in heat gain in buildings, which makes precise orientation
of the building a fundamental consideration in passive solar construction (Gromicko, n.d.).

Figure 1.1: Example of building orientation

source: (Gromicko, n.d.)

5
1.2.2 Natural Lighting Strategies

The aim of daylighting in modern buildings is to increase natural light in building interiors with
consideration for uniformity, directionality and glare. This becomes a nontrivial design
challenge given sunlight’s dynamic nature. Daylighting strategies must manage changing
intensity, direction and spectral properties across seasonal, daily and meteorological variations
(Strobach & Boriskina, 2018). Among the characteristic of green architecture is an energy-
efficient lighting and indoor environmental quality (lighting comfort). The Malaysian Green
Building Index (GBI), (2015) for Interiors space assessment, has stated that daylighting is one
of the elements to create a good Energy Efficiency (EE) and Indoor Environmental Quality
(EQ). In Malaysian Standard (MS 1525), there is also a clause that highlights the importance
of daylighting towards achieving an energy efficiency building. The purpose of both acts is to
encourage the new and existing buildings in Malaysia to comply with energy efficiency
approaches (DEPARTMENT OF STANDARDS MALAYSIA, 2014). The building in figure
1.2 has been design for natural lighting and natural ventilation.

Figure 1.2: Example of natural lighting

source: (Hulit Reit,INC, n.d.)

6
1.2.3 Natural Ventilation Strategies

Natural ventilation has the potential to significantly reduce the energy cost required for
mechanical ventilation of buildings. These natural ventilation systems may reduce both first
and operating costs compared to mechanical ventilation systems while maintaining ventilation
rates that are consistent with acceptable indoor air quality. Also, some studies have indicated
that occupants reported fewer symptoms in buildings with natural ventilation compared to
buildings with mechanical ventilation (Mendell et al., 1996). If natural ventilation can improve
indoor environmental conditions, such improvements can also potentially increase occupant
productivity by reducing absenteeism, reducing health care costs, and improving worker
productivity (Fisk & Rosenfeld, 1997).

Figure 1.3: Example of natural ventilation

source: (Poddar, 2017)

1.2.4 Building material selection

Passive design is a design that use the climate to maintain a comfortable temperature for the
occupants in the building. Passive design is the key to sustainable construction, it requires the
selection of building materials. This strategy is the first opportunity for a designer to increase
the building energy efficiency before entering a more advanced building system. Passive design
is the way to find on reducing the size of the heating and cooling system by maintaining the
heat (or cold air) in the building (Marro, 2018).

7
1.2.5 Building façade selection

Façade is known as building envelope or building skin, which are important exterior elements
for building functionality. Façade is the one in every of the foremost significant contributors to
the energy conservation and luxury parameters of any building (Patil & Associates, 2017). The
objectives of this façade are that the first line of defense against environmental and physical
exposure supported its design. With a suitable design for the façade, the building will achieve
high performing, comfortable, safe and aesthetic (McFarquhar, n.d.)

1.2.6 Shading

The temperature and comfort of the building is depended by the climate. Air temperature,
ground temperature, and the amount of sun that comes through the window of the building, can
make the building cooler or hotter than you expect it to be. Shading is a method to block the
sun to get through into the building and minimize the incident solar radiation and make the
building cooler effectively, hence these affects the building energy performance. There are a
few types of shading, which are moveable opaque, louvers and fixed (Kamal, 2010).
I. Movable opaque: Roller blind curtains, awnings etc. reduce solar gains but impede
air movement and cut the view.
II. Louvers: They are adjustable or can be fixed. To a certain extent impede air movement
and provide shade to the building from the solar radiation.
III. Fixed: Overhangs of hajjes provide protection to the wall and opening against sun and
rain.

1.2.7 Landscaping

Landscaping can boost energy efficiency; hence a good landscape design can reduce the energy
bills throughout the year. The shades of the trees have the ability to cool down the landscape
by the maximum amount as 6 degrees and reduce indoor temperature up to 25 degrees. This is
not only reducing the energy but also prolongs the lifetime of the unit by reducing wear from
regular operation. When designing the landscape, choose plants that are environmentally
friendly and place them where they will get the best amount of light and shade. Make sure to
water only when the plants need moisture, and watering time for the coldest part of the day to

8
avoid excessive evaporation. Choose plants with a strong root system to hold the soil in place
and create a more efficient environment. There are two main elements in a landscape which
are softscape and hardscape. Hardscape is a hard stuff like, cement, tar, concrete and stone,
while softscape is like soft things such as trees, flowers, shrubs and succulents (Taylor, 2019).

Figure 1.4: Example of softscape and hardscape.

source: (Taylor, 2019)

1.3 Introduction to Case Study

For this report the scope of the case study is focused on one building/house with factors in
terms of passive design strategies at Puncak Iskandar. This house is located at Sri Iskandar,
Perak. There are 7 elements to observe in this building, which is building orientation, natural
lighting, natural ventilation, façade, shading, building material selection and landscaping. This
building has 3 rooms, 1 office, 1 store 1 prayer room, 2 dining hall, 6 toilets and 1 kitchen.

Photo 1.1: Front area of house no. 16, phase 2A/1

9
1.4 Objective of the study

I. To conduct a study on selected residential building, of passive design features elements.

II. To identify the environmental conditions related to the site conditions, climate and so
on (Wind, Solar, Weather.)
III. To study about passive design strategies in order to reduce a building energy
construction by minimizing the mechanical system use.

10
 CHAPTER 2.0
RESEARCH METHOD

The methodology used to obtain information for the case study consists of literature study,
observation and measurement. Literature study is a secondary sourced which describe, discuss
and summarize process primary sources. While secondary sources refer to observation and
measurement to provide direct about an event or work that have not been processed.

2.1 Literature of Study

The information regarding the passive design studies had been collected from websites. The
plan that had been gotten provide the extra information for this report such as material used
and the details of the building elements.

2.2 Observation Method

Observation method is done by visiting the designated location, which is Najiha’s house at No
16, Jalan 2a/1 Puncak Iskandar, Seri Iskandar, Perak. The main focus of the observation is to
identify the criteria of the building including the building elements that comply with the passive
design strategies. The observation focus on the prayer room. From the observation, the house
is consisting of an office, store, prayer room, 3 bedrooms, 2 living rooms, kitchen and 6
bathrooms. The room that was held the measurement was in prayer room. The prayer room
consist of 3 panels casement window. Photo 2.1 shows the prayer room.

Photo 2.1: Prayer room

11
2.3 Measurement Method

Measurement is another method in order to obtain information for this study. The measurement
has been done in prayer room of the house, on 18 June 2020 for 1 hour starting from 3.00pm.
There are 2 aspects that being measured which were natural ventilation and natural light
(illumination level).

Natural ventilation uses the natural forces of wind and buoyancy to introduce fresh air and
distribute it effectively in buildings for the benefit of the occupants. Fresh air is required to
achieve a healthy, fresh, and comfortable indoor environment for people to work and live in.
Natural ventilation can ensure or support the supply of adequate breathing air, adequate
ventilation of contaminants, adequate thermal conditioning and moisture dissipation, and
contribute to well-being through a connection to the dynamics of nature. For natural ventilation
to be effective, there must be a close relationship between the architecture and the air
circulation system. This includes the relationship between the built form, the site environment
in a location, and the layout within the building (Meyers, 2012).

2.3.1 Measurement Equipment

Below is the equipment that was used to measure the rate of illuminance level and rate of air
velocity. The device needs to be set based on what kinds of measurement that are needed. This
equipment was connected to the Lux meter and Wind speed meter in order to set and collect
the readings automatically. Figure 2.1 sows the multifunction data logger.

Figure 2.1: Data logger

12
 CHAPTER 3.0
RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS

Result and discussion are about to discuss the element of passive design. From this point, all
the elements that has been observe can be repair or find a solution to the certain problem. This
is important if wants to improve the passive design of the building.

3.1 Element of Passive Design

In this element, it has recommendation for some topic to improve the passive design of the
building.

3.1.1 Building Orientation

According to the Malaysian Standard 1525 (MS 1525), one of the passive design strategies is
orientation of building. Najiha’s house is considered well orientated because its long facades
are facing north and south, and short facades are facing east and west as shown in Figure 3.1.
With this orientation direct sunlight only shines at the shorter facades in the morning and
evening.

Figure 3.1: Position of the house

source: (Google Maps, n.d.)

13
Referring to the below Photo 3.1, it can be seen that the Northeastern façade receives the most
sunlight at 9am until 4pm when it is shaded. The South Eastern façade is shaded during the day
until 4pm when it is fully exposed to sunlight.

Photo 3.1: Front elevation of the house

Photo 3.2: Side elevation of the house

As seen at the below Photo 3.3, the interior spaces of the building are lit up with natural
daylighting especially the spaces in the Northeastern side during 9am to 4pm, and the
Southeastern spaces from 4pm onwards. The curtain wall at Northeast façade allows sunlight

14
to illuminate the main office areas during working hours from 9am to 4pm, when the façade
receives the maximum daylight exposure.

Photo 3.3: Natural daylight illuminates the master bedroom area.

Photo 3.4: Natural daylight brightens up the hallway area.

To avoid the entering of direct sunlight into the facades east and west, the building is designed
to have minimal windows at these two short facades. On the other hand, the longer facades are
filled with windows to allow maximum amount of daylighting to enter the building. Natural
lighting that enters the building through the long facades are diffused light, not direct sunlight.
Diffused light has lesser thermal impact compared to direct sunlight. Hence, with this design

15
strategy, the building is able to achieve higher thermal comfort. Photo 3.5 shows the exterior
view of the sliding door.

Photo 3.5: Exterior view of the sliding door

3.1.2 Natural Ventilation Strategies

Passive ventilation design is essential for a design of the building as it help to conserve
electricity used to run the active ventilation. In another word, passive ventilation design
promotes natural air ventilation to ventilate the space exchanging the air between interior and
exterior. Nowadays, global warming is becoming an issue, in order to fight or reduce global
warming, active ventilation is not entirely effective and only scratching the surface of the
problem. There are two types of passive ventilation that Najiha’s house applied which is cross
ventilation.

Due to various wind directions, the winds are nearly transferred equally. Najiha’s house main
ventilation is by air-conditioning system and natural ventilation. The air-conditioning systems
for the room area only. Moving on to the natural ventilation; winds, the sliding doors as shown
at photo 3.6, could be open for natural ventilation to flow throughout the living room areas.
Semi-detached building provides airflow in between the zones and provide better circulation
of hot and cool air in and out of the building. Openings and windows are present on front and
rear facades, allowing natural light to enter the building. Moreover, the external walls of the

16
building provide cross ventilation even in air-conditioned spaces. Air movement is encouraged
in the building, specifically at the living room areas as it opens to the surrounding land.

Photo 3.6: Interior view of sliding door

As part of the ventilation strategy at Najiha’s house, double casement windows shown in photo
3.7 below were installed in every areas and side of the house, 4 sliding doors were installed at
the living room and master bedroom areas. Casement windows have the same advantages of
the vertical pivot windows as windows that are pivoted have high ventilation capacity but have
the likelihood of being burst by wind. If casement windows must be used to channel wind, they
should be opened in the wind direction when they are used as inlets and they should be opened
away from the direction of wind when they are used as outlets (Dutton & Shao, 2010). This
allowed the cross-ventilation strategy in house, which did not have direct access to the roof.

Photo 3.7: Interior view window at kitchen

17
 Photo 3.8: The edge of the window

Photo 3.9: Casement window for every room

The building has eighteen ventilation openings. Four of these openings are sliding doors and
door placed at the north east façade. The south east façade has a window and sliding doors.
While for west east façade has 6 windows and door. This opening allows the prevailing wind
flow to go through almost every building face, improving the total air change rate of the
building. Furthermore, a vertical and narrow window may provide a well-distributed airflow
throughout the whole building.

18
Table: Measurement Air Velocity at Najiha’s House
No Time (hr) Temp (◦C) Air Velocity (m/s)

1 13:00 28.2 0.15

2 13:15 28.4 0.13

3 13:30 28.7 0.10

4 13:45 28.8 0.10

5 14:00 29.0 0.09

6 14:15 29.3 0.08

7 14:30 29.5 0.07

8 14:45 29.0 0.09

9 15:00 28.9 0.11

10 15:15 29.7 0.06

11 15:30 30.0 0.05

12 15:45 30.2 0.04

AVERAGE 29.14 0.09

19
 3.1.3 Natural Lighting Strategies

The optimization of natural lighting in building is an effective way to decrease a building

energy use. As Malaysia receives 12 hours long of daylight on average, it is highly encouraged
for architects and designers to fully utilized this natural source of light that comes free. This
reduces the energy need to power the light during the day. In Najiha’s house has maximized
the natural lighting into the interior shown in the photo 3.10 below, through the building
planning and the installation of skylights. The open plan of Najiha’s house has allowed a fair
amount of daylight into the building as there are many sliding doors and windows allowing the
reach of light in figure. Hence, it eliminates the needs for artificial lighting during the day.

Photo 3.10: Interior view of the house

Many daylighting designs will employ skylights for top lighting or admitting daylight from
above. While skylights can be either passive or active, majority of the skylights are passive
because they have a clear or diffusing medium (usually acrylic) that simply allows daylight to
penetrate an opening in the roof. They are often comprised of a double layer of material, for
increased insulation. Active skylights, by contrast, have a mirror system within the skylight
that tracks the sun and are designed to increase the performance of the skylight by channelling
the sunlight down into the skylight well. Some of these systems also attempt to reduce the
daylight ingress in the summer months, balancing daylighting with cooling loads (Ander,
2016). Skylight is an opening on windows, roofs or ceilings that allows natural light to be
admitted into the building. In Najiha’s house, plastic fixed unit skylights are installed on the

20
roof at the kitchen and living room area. It is non-operable, but it works well in bringing the
natural light into the interior. Photo 3.11 shows the skylight at the kitchen area.

Photo 3.11: Skylight at the kitchen area

The detailing of windows depends highly on their orientation. North facing apertures have no
need for overhangs or sun control measures due to the absence of direct sun penetration. In
addition to the considerations above regarding windows, a daylighting-optimized fenestration
design will increase system performance. The window has two essential functions in a daylit
building daylight delivery or admittance, and provision of view to the occupants. As a rule, the
higher the window head height, the deeper into the space the daylight can penetrate. Therefore,
good daylighting fenestration practice dictates that the window should ideally be composed of
two discrete components a daylight window and a view window. Photo 3.12 shows casement
window for every room.

Photo 3.12: Casement window for every room

21
The application of the passive design strategies in Najiha’s house helped in consuming energy.
The use of natural lighting during the day in the house also helps in reducing usage of energy
as the need for mechanical lighting during the day is eliminated.

Table: Measurement of Illumination Level for Natural Lighting at Najiha’s house

No Time (mins) Illumination level (lux)
1 13:00 400
2 13:15 387
3 13:30 364
4 13:45 365
5 14:00 366
6 14:15 354
7 14:30 350
8 14:45 348
9 15:00 337
10 15:15 335
11 15:30 326
12 15:45 319
AVERAGE 354.25

22
3.1.4 Landscaping

Landscaping that has been choose for this house is softscape and hardscape. In figure – shows
that most the landscape is hardscape because of the white tiles that covered the whole
landscape, while the softscape which is full of green thing is near the front house. The softscape
at Najiha’s house has been designed to reduce the reflection of the sunlight from the floor to
the wall of the building. The white tiles that has been use as shown in Photo 3.13 can potentially
reflect the sunlight from the building.

Photo 3.13: Hardscape of the landscape

Photo 3.14: Softscape of the landscape

23
 3.1.5 Building Façade Material

Before the renovation, this house has provided façade. The facades have been removed
because of it consume space.

3.1.6 Building Material Selection

One of the most important factors is the suitable selection of materials that applied in the design
and sustainability of the item (ESA, 2017). This whole house has been built by using the cement
brick instead of clay brick. Some part of the house has been built taller than usual, within 6m
height because to avoid the heat is circling on our level (Figure 3.1 and Photo 3.15). Other than
that, roofing and flooring are also important for the building material selection, so this house
is using a pitch roof, while the floor that being used is white ceramic tiles. This house are
provided with a lots of opening (glass) as in Photo 3.15. Next, a small part of the house that
has been renovate is using metal roof and ceiling metal deck.

Figure 3.1: Example of ventilation

24
 Photo 3.15: The opening glass at the rooftop

Recommendations
I. Decrease the number of glass opening that not allow a huge amount of sunlight
can pass through the opening, so it can make the house cooler.
II. Use a clay brick instead of cement brick, because the clay brick will make the
building cooler than the cement brick.
III. Use insulation between the metal roof and the ceiling metal deck so that will avoid
a lots of heat gain from the sun.
IV. Increase the plantation around the house or at the area that allow sun enters directly
into the house.

3.1.7 Shading

The temperature and comfort of the building is depended by the climate. Air temperature,
ground temperature, and the amount of sun that comes through the window of the building, can
make the building cooler or hotter than you expect it to be. Shading of your house and outdoor
spaces reduces summer temperatures, improves comfort and saves energy. An effective
shading can block up to 90% of this heat which can include eaves, window awnings, shutters,
pergolas and plantings (McGee, 2013). The trees are planted around the corner of the house to
make sure the sun is not directly entering into the house as shown in photo 3.16 and figure 3.2.
Study sun angles and understand the sun angles to critical various aspects of design including

25
determining basic building orientation and selecting shading devices (Prowler, 2016). Other
than the landscape, wooden shading roof also has been built to avoid the sun light and heat
directly to the building as shown in photo 3.17. The shading also made from wood for aesthetic
and wood is cooler than a metal roof. The height of the shading also affected the air flow to
ensure the movement of clean air into and around the area.

Photo 3.16: Landscape with tall trees

Figure 3.2: Example of side landscape features

Source: (Prowler, 2016)

26
Photo 3.17: The side view of shading

27
 CHAPTER 4.0
CONCLUSION

Passive design strategies are very important to keep people comfortable. By using the right
combination of passive and active design strategies can create comfortable house. High-
performance buildings use the right blend of passive and active design strategies to minimize
energy, materials, water, and land use. There are 7 elements of passive design strategies that
all building needs to follow to achieve comfortable building.

The importance of passive design cannot be overstated. Passive design utilizes natural sources
of heating and cooling, such as the sun and cooling breezes. It is achieved by appropriately
orientating your building on its site and carefully designing the building envelope. Well-
designed building envelopes minimize unwanted heat gain and loss.

For best results, ‘passive’ homes need ‘active’ users that is people with a basic understanding
of how the homework with the daily and seasonal climate, such as when to open or close
windows, and how to operate adjustable shading. A number of different and interrelated
strategies contribute to good passive design. The best mix of passive design strategies also
varies depending on the particular attributes of your site. Choose a designer who is experienced
in passive design for your climate and consider engaging a thermal performance expert to
model different design options using thermal performance software. Good passive design is
critical to achieving a lifetime of thermal comfort, low energy bills and low greenhouse gas
emissions.

28
 LIST OF REFERENCES

Abdellah, R. H. B., Masrom, M. A. N. B., Chen, G. K., Mohamed, S., & Manap, N. (2019).

Examining the Influence of Passive Design Approaches on NZEBs: Potential Net Zero

Healthcare Buildings Implementation in Malaysia. MATEC Web of Conferences, 266,

01019. https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201926601019

Altan, H., Hajibandeh, M., Tabet Aoul, K., & Deep, A. (2016). Passive Design. In Springer

Tracts in Civil Engineering (pp. 209–236). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31967-

4_8

Ander, G. D. (2016). Daylighting | WBDG - Whole Building Design Guide.

https://www.wbdg.org/resources/daylighting

Aziz, A. A. A., & Adnan, Y. M. (n.d.). AnizaYasmin_Incorporation of innovative passive

architectural features.pdf.

http://www.prres.net/papers/AnizaYasmin_Incorporation%20of%20innovative%20pa

ssive%20architectural%20features.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF STANDARDS MALAYSIA. (2014). MS 1525 2014 Energy efficiency

and use of renewable energy for non-residential buildings—Code of practice.pdf.

http://portal.unimap.edu.my/portal/page/portal30/Lecture%20Notes/KEJURUTERAA

N_SISTEM_ELEKTRIK/Semester%202%20Sidang%20Akademik%2020182019/EE

T432%20Electrical%20Energy%20Utilization/Reading%20References/MS%201525

%202014%20Energy%20efficiency%20and%20use%20of%20renewable%20energy

%20for%20non-residential%20buildings%20-%20Code%20of%20practice.pdf

Dutton, S., & Shao, L. (2010). Window Opening Behaviour in a Naturally Ventilated School.

ESA. (2017, September 29). ESA Corp. - The Importance of Material Selection During the

Engineering Design Process. Engineering Science Analysis Manufacturing and Design.

29
 https://www.esacorp.com/the-importance-of-material-selection-during-the-

engineering-design-process/

Fisk, W. J., & Rosenfeld, A. H. (1997). Estimates of Improved Productivity and Health from

Better Indoor Environments. Indoor Air, 7(3), 158–172. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-

0668.1997.t01-1-00002.x

Gavina, C., Buckman, A., Marty, R., Willman, L., Vitoff, D., McDonald, C., Horton, D.,

Mohunta, S., Morimoto, P., Wei, C., & Cue, P. (2016).

Passive_Design_Guidebook_Designed_2015-12-31_0.pdf.

https://sustainca.org/sites/default/files/publications/Passive_Design_Guidebook_Desi

gned_2015-12-31_0.pdf

Google Maps. (n.d.). Google Maps. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from

https://www.google.com/maps/search/persiaran+puck+iskandar/@4.3684537,100.946

805,15z/data=!3m1!4b1

Gromicko, N. (n.d.). Building Orientation for Optimum Energy. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from

https://www.nachi.org/building-orientation-optimum-energy.htm

Health, I. of M. (US) C. on D. I. S. and. (2004). Damp Buildings. In Damp Indoor Spaces and

Health. National Academies Press (US).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK215649/

Hulit Reit,INC. (n.d.). Environmental Initiatives | Initiatives towards ESG | Hulic Reit, Inc.

Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www.hulic-reit.co.jp/en/esg/sustainability2.html

Kamal, M. A. (2010). A Study on Shading of Buildings as a Preventive Measure for Passive

Cooling and Energy Conservation in Buildings. 10(06), 4.

Marro, M. (2018). Passive Design Strategies (https://www.metalarchitecture.com/)

[Text/html]. Metal Architecture; Metal Architecture.

https://www.metalarchitecture.com/articles/passive-design-strategies

30
McFarquhar, D. (n.d.). The Role of the Building Façade—Curtain Walls. 11.

McGee, C. (2013). Passive design | YourHome. https://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design

Mendell, M. J., Fisk, W. J., Deddens, J. A., Seavey, W. G., Smith, A. H., Smith, D. F., Hodgson,

A. T., Daisey, J. M., & Goldman, L. R. (1996). Elevated Symptom Prevalence

Associated with Ventilation Type in Office Buildings. Epidemiology, 7(6), 583–589.

JSTOR.

Meyers, R. A. (2012). Natural Ventilation in Built Environment.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282818804_Natural_Ventilation_in_Built_E

nvironment

Morrissey, J., Moore, T., & Horne, R. E. (2011). Affordable passive solar design in a temperate

climate: An experiment in residential building orientation. Renewable Energy, 36(2),

568–577.

Patil, S., & Associates. (2017). Window-Facade-Magazine_Cover-Stor-web.pdf.

https://www.hbdesign.biz/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Window-Facade-

Magazine_Cover-Stor-web.pdf

Peu, L. H. (2014). Computer Simulation For Building Energy Efficiency, Module 5 – Computer

Simulation.

http://www.architecturemalaysia.com/Files/Pool/26_141210_1354305430_5_compute

r_simulations_by_looi_hip_peu__031014.pdf

Poddar, Y. (2017, April 20). Natural Ventilation Methods in House Constructions. Happho.

https://happho.com/natural-ventilation-methods-house-constructions/

Prowler, D. (2016). Sun Control and Shading Devices | WBDG - Whole Building Design Guide.

https://www.wbdg.org/resources/sun-control-and-shading-devices

Reardon, C., Mosher, M., & Clarke, D. (2013). https://www.innovationhouse.com.au/wp-

content/uploads/2014/08/YOURHOME-%20Orientation.pdf

31
Stankov, B., Kaloyanov, N., & Tomov, G. (2017). Solar walls for high-performance buildings.

International Journal of Energy Production and Management, 2, 339–351.

https://doi.org/10.2495/EQ-V2-N4-339-351

Strobach, E. M., & Boriskina, S. V. (2018). Daylighting. http://www.osa-

opn.org/home/articles/volume_29/november_2018/features/daylighting/

Tang, C., & Chin, N. (2013). Building Energy Efficiency Technical Guideline for Passive

Design.pdf. http://bseep.gov.my/App_ClientFile/df08bc24-99fb-47a3-937f-

dc25df9d3997/Assets/Building%20Energy%20Efficiency%20Technical%20Guidelin

e%20for%20Passive%20Design.pdf

Taylor, L. H. (2019). What is the Difference Between Hardscape and Softscape? The Spruce.

https://www.thespruce.com/learn-difference-between-hardscape-and-softscape-

2736691

Womeldorf, B. (n.d.). Strategies in Architecture: Passive Design. Retrieved June 30, 2020,

from

https://www.academia.edu/16217094/Strategies_in_Architecture_Passive_Design

32