Tropical Design Lecture 4

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Republic of the Philippines

SORSOGON STATE UNIVERSITY
Department of Engineering and Architecture
Bachelor of science in Architecture
Sorsogon City
TROPICAL DESIGN
LECTURE 4
rafael j. balicano, fuap, dpa, ms arch. Second semester SY 2021- 2022
III. 10 Things to Remember when Designing in Tropical Climate

With reference to the same, the prompted design considerations vary with
existing structures, contextual typologies, and nature itself, but the most
prominent of all is the location of study and build. Below listed are 10 design
considerations an architect must make while building in tropical climates.
The field of architecture, for any layman, would be to build a shelter that
provides maximum protection from the elements and is composed of hospitable
spaces; and theoretically speaking, the said being the core of the field is
irrefutable. For an architect, however, to recite the same expectations into
a physical form while considering the demographics, aesthetics, meteorological
linearity, and accompanying complexities call for the evaluation of a greater
sphere of study called ‘climate-responsive architecture’.
Often referred to as ‘climatology’, it is to study the various climate-based

influencing factors on our living conditions, particularly under the heads of
seasonality, sunlight, rain, wind and humidity of the target construction site, for
maximal dialogue between the structure and its surroundings, in particular, the
climate. With reference to the same, the prompted design considerations vary
with existing structures, contextual typologies, and nature itself, but the most
prominent of all is the location of study and build.
Below listed are 10 design considerations an architect must make while building
in tropical climates:
1. Sun Study
For a tropical zone, the kind with peak temperatures touching 30 degree C and
diurnal variations being as much as 20 degrees C; to study the sun and daylight,
its solar radiations along with the energy analysis is pivotal if one plans to
segregate the external spaces, interiors, and the light-sensitive spaces while
including the characteristic passive design elements such as mutual shading
and adaptability to the seasonal locus change of the sun.
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Influence on the Topographical Arrangements due to the Seasonal Locus Change of the
Sun)
2. Form
For a hot, windy and often, humid environment, the form is one of the primary
considerations for passive design when the objective is to provide superlative
thermal comfort to the user and protection of both, the living spaces and the
external areas. ‘Compactness’ and ‘Perimeter to Area Ratio’ are two proven
methodologies for optimal design in terms of combat against thermal gain,
orientation along sun paths, and ease of access of sunlight wherever necessary
on the premises. Demanding compact buildings and levied with minimal
compromises, inward-looking buildings with interior courtyards for the creation of
cooling areas are necessary to minimize the heat gain and when clubbed, the
volumetric effect for grouped cooling in massive buildings is another avenue to
explore in urban design.
Compactness and Form

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Form and Heat Loss
Heat Loss and Compactness
3. Orientation
The orientation of a building being majorly influenced by the varying amount of

solar radiation falling on different sides of the building at different times of the
day is another passive design strategy concentrated into the design along with
the form, the aim of which is to encourage clustered arrangements for heat
absorption and shading opportunities. Besides sun orientation, another factor to
look at is the orientation of the building along with the directions of the
prevailing winds for optimum cross-ventilation and cooling of the structure.
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Prevailing Wind Orientations
Sun Orientation
4. Openings
Being the determinant of breathability of a building primarily through the
exchange of air, openings are critical in a building but the location and size of
which vary with the geographical targets. Irrespective of the same, however, it is
to be made sure of that the wind entering the house is not passing over hot
surfaces and that the openings are large and operable yet manageable when
it comes to rain, insects and other gears of nature; all considered during the
meticulous placement of the openings along wind channels and behind tree
buffers for alignment with the wind orientations and even sun orientations to limit
the daylight entering the structure.
Cross Ventilation
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Cross Ventilation
Cross Ventilation
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Sun Path and Openings, Access of Daylight
5. Shading
To limit the heat gain, access to daylight and its entry through the openings,
shading devices are essential environmental controls that greatly reduce the
need for mechanical heating and cooling systems. The architect has to choose
between external and internal shading devices focusing on keeping the mean
radiant temperature of the building low, also achievable through the coherent
formation of solar envelopes for self-shading and natural flora and its buffers.
Shadow Angles
Shadow Masks for

Combinational Shadow Angles
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Rotating Wood matte glass copper screens
Bamboo Chicks, VPO in Gava, Barcelona
Solar Envelopes for Self Shading
6. Glazing
To further limit the entrapment of heat and entry of solar radiations into the
building through the openings, proper window performance is of utmost
importance since windows incur 20 to 30 times more transactions of heat in a
structure than the walls. The glazing in windows traps the heat and increases the
mean radiant temperature of the building which in turn stimulates the internal
temperature and imbalances the conditional nature of the utility spaces which
are in fact, heat-sensitive centers of a building.
Comparison of different types of glazing

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Relevant Glazing Properties for Daylight Harvesting and Energy Efficiency
Window to Wall Area Ratio in terms of Net Glazing Area
7. Planning
Planning or zoning of a building involves prudent thought applied in terms of
room-by-room layouts, consideration of different seasons and times of the day
the spaces are used the most extensively and better defining the spaces as
primary or auxiliary in relation with the former two. The architect must exploit the
climatic advantages of the spaces accessible in the overall plan and even
ideation of transformability of spaces through the day and night for segregation
of areas that have higher internal radiant loads and areas with active
requirements for conventional cooling.
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Space Planning to Curtain Heat Ingress
Section of an Adobe Puelo House in Taos, Mexico
Cool breezes work the best in open play layouts and narrow spaces
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8. Spaces
Of the three primary spaces in a house, namely the external, the internal, and
the light-sensitive spaces, the former two are common to every house and
hence, require attention in terms of ingress of light during the seasonal flux and
the overall vertical and horizontal zoning schemes developed. The light-sensitive
spaces, exclusive to museums, natatoriums, etc, which do not need direct
sunlight have to be well planned in terms of positioning and detachment to
eliminate the risk of direct exposure to the natural elements.
Visualization of internal solar gains during the seasonal flux
Direct Sunlight analysis on the exterior ground plane
Maintenance of sunlight in a gymnasium

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9. Constructional Elements
While building structures with high thermal capacity for optimal heat gain and
retention would be ideal, such a setting fails in a tropical climate. In fact,
buildings built in low thermal capacity and lightweight construction are ideal.
That paired with the principles of heat transfer, the ceiling must be kept at the
same temperature as the other surfaces, i.e. a literal reflective surface, for which
a double ceiling constructed above the spaces under the influence of solar
radiation suffers immense decrements in heat gain.
Solar Design Strategy involving Roof and ventilation
Solar Design Strategy involving Walls and Heat Gain affecting the ingress of winds
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Solar Design Strategy involving Walls and Heat Gain affecting the ingress of winds
10. Thermal Mass

Thermal Mass of a material is its ability to absorb and store heat, and for a
climate as hot and humid as the kind found in the tropical zones, the denser
thermal mass material used, the better; all due to its ability to absorb heat just as
fast as it releases it. The statement entails using appropriate levels of shading,
ventilation, and insulation while keeping in mind the mass color as well.
Climate Responsive Architecture, as mentioned, is an entirely separate sphere of

study that extends beyond just architecture and it is going to expand farther
beyond the mentioned heads because of its necessity in cities, the urgency of
its immediate application, and a creative basis for innovative solutions. The
ideation, in fact, stems from the changing climatic conditions of the world and
the detachment of the urban lifestyle from the architecture of this sort, the sort
that is essential in our lives as it has been for centuries, as can be seen in
vernacular architecture, as can be witnessed dwindling from today’s
modernized take on functional spaces and in particular, a home.
Source: Mour, Pratik. Rethinking the Future, 2021 Global architecture and Design
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Republic of the Philippines

rafael j. balicano, fuap, dpa, ms arch. Second semester SY 2021- 2022

III. 10 Things to Remember when Designing in Tropical Climate

Often referred to as ‘climatology’, it is to study the various climate-based

Compactness and Form

Form and Heat Loss

Heat Loss and Compactness

The orientation of a building being majorly influenced by the varying amount of

Prevailing Wind Orientations

Sun Path and Openings, Access of Daylight

Shadow Masks for

Rotating Wood matte glass copper screens

Bamboo Chicks, VPO in Gava, Barcelona

Solar Envelopes for Self Shading

Comparison of different types of glazing

Relevant Glazing Properties for Daylight Harvesting and Energy Efficiency

Window to Wall Area Ratio in terms of Net Glazing Area

Space Planning to Curtain Heat Ingress

Section of an Adobe Puelo House in Taos, Mexico

Visualization of internal solar gains during the seasonal flux

Direct Sunlight analysis on the exterior ground plane

Maintenance of sunlight in a gymnasium

Solar Design Strategy involving Roof and ventilation

10. Thermal Mass

Climate Responsive Architecture, as mentioned, is an entirely separate sphere of

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