Architectural Science

(HVAC)

Shelter and Climate

 Shelter
 Shelter, along with food and clothing,
is one of man’s three primary
necessities
 Shelter is the main instrument for
meeting human comfort.
 It modifies the natural environment
to optimum conditions of livability
 The most common form of shelter is
housing, however shelter has evolved
in different forms, as huts, shades,
tents, trailers and even houseboats.
 Cont.
Evolution of Shelter:
Stone shelters
Tents: bone, straw, animal skin
Huts: wood, thatch
Mud Houses: sun dried,
fired brick, adobe, wattle & daub
Dry Stone construction
Composite Construction
 A. Shelter In Hot Dry Climates
Nature of the climate
Hot dry climates are characterized by very hot, dry
air and dry ground.
Day-time air temperature usually higher than
31°C, at night it may fall as much as 22 °C
Humidity is continuously moderate to low
Little or no cloud cover and minimal rainfall
 Cont.
 Buildings in hot dry
climates feature heat and
sun control, and often try
to increase humidity.
 They take advantage of
wind and rain for cooling
and humidity, and make
the most of the cooler sun.
 Windows and outdoor
spaces are shaded from
the sun
 Cont.
Design Principles in Hot Dry
Climates
i) Site and Orientation
 Situated to a wind facing
direction and they are all
oriented to the East/north.
 They are sometimes terraced
 Sites in valleys near a water-
course are cooler than poorly
ventilated locations.
 Summer shade is provided to
the east and west and over
the roof.
 Cont.
ii) Space between buildings
Houses are isolated from
streets and enclosed by
high walls for shading
Especially designed in
courtyards
Plants and water are used
for psychological / physical
evaporative cooling and
providing shady areas
The presence of a fountain
or pool and plants
increases humidity.
 Cont.
iii) Form of the buildings
 Usually courtyard house
plans and compact forms are
chosen to reduce surface
area of solar incidence
 Enclosed courtyards offer
shade and encourage air
movement,
 Flat roofs and semi-open
areas are used
 Traditionally timber windows
and door entrances are small
in size and few in number.
 Cont.
iv) Thermo physical properties
 To profit from the time lag of the
building envelope, materials with
greater thermal mass are chosen.
 Thick walls and roofs constructed
with materials of high thermal
capacity absorb the heat entering
through the outer surface of the
wall during the day
 Sunlit surfaces should be a light
color, to reflect & reduce heat
absorption
 Cont.
 Minimization of the number
and size of windows
 Construction of a window at
a high level to obstruct the
floor radiation and dust
 Constructing a part of the
building into ground which is
to be always cooler than the
outer ambient temperature
in summer
 B. Shelter In Warm Humid Climates
Nature of the climate
Main characteristics of this climate are hot, sticky
conditions and continual presence of dampness
Air temperature remains averagely high, between
21 – 32°C, with little variation between day and
night
Humidity is high in all seasons with thick cloud
and water vapor
 Cont.
SHELTER IN WARM/HOT HUMID
CLIMATES
Buildings designed for
warm/hot humid climates
take advantage of shading
from the sun to reduce heat
gain and cooling breezes.
In a warm-humid climate
shading and ventilation are
greatly important
 Cont.
Design Principles in Warm
Humid Climate
i) Site and Orientation
 East and west exposures are
minimized to reduce solar
heat gain, although some sun
in cooler season may be
desirable.
 Orientation of buildings shall
be kept perpendicular or with
a range of 60-120˚ to the
wind direction for cross-
ventilation
ii) Form of the building
Cont.
 Traditionally, earth-walled
courtyard
houses are typical with broad
overhanging eaves to shade
exterior walls.
 Elongated or spread-out planning
is better than a compact one for
increasing wind facing surface
 Openings/windows are often
wide and always remain open to
take advantage of natural
ventilation.
 Fixed windows are not climatically
preferable in the warm-humid
climates
 Cont.
 Sometimes the floor is raised above the ground,
with a crawl space under the building for good air
circulation.
 Roofs are sloped having two qualities: removing the
solar heat gain by ventilation and by thermal
insulation of the roof.
 Roof colors must be bright or white to decrease the
solar heat gain
 Vegetation are also used to reduce excessive solar
radiation
 Interior height of buildings is raised
 C. Shelter In Cold Climates
 Buildings designed for cold climates emphasize heat
retention, protection from rain and snow, and winter
wind protection
 They often include passive solar heating, with the
building encouraging heat retention without
mechanical assistance.
 Minimizing surface area of the building reduces
exposure to low temperatures, it is oriented to absorb
heat from the winter sun.
 North slopes get less winter sun and more winter
wind, and hilltops lose heat to winter winds.
 Cont.
Design Principles in Cold Climate
i) Building’s Plan & Orientation
 Set a building to south to
reduce the amount of heat loss
and provide wind protection,
 In cold climates, dark colors on
the south-facing surfaces
increase the absorption of
solar heat.
 A dark roof with a steep slope
will collect heat, but this is
negated when the roof is
covered with snow.
ii) Interior space
Cont.
 Most of daily activities are done inside the rooms.
 They have verandas of limited width, only used for snow
and rain protection
 Spaces have a compact plan and texture.
 Ceiling of rooms in these regions are considered lower
than the similar rooms in the other regions
iii) Building Envelop
 Thick walls to prevent heat loss from the inner area of
building
 Small openings in low numbers are used to prevent the
heat exchange
 If windows are large, apply a shade. But openings used in
the south side are larger and longer
 Double glazed windows are also used to minimize
thermal exchange.
 D. Shelter In Temperate Climates
 South-facing walls are maximized in a building designed
for a temperate region.
 Summer shade is provided for exposures on the east
and west and over the roof.
 Deciduous shade trees that lose their leaves in the
winter help to protect the building from sun in hot
weather and allow the winter sun through.
 The building’s design encourages air movement in hot
weather while protecting against cold winter winds.
 E. Shelter In Tropical Upland Climates
Nature of Climate
Like Composite (monsoon) climates, no
consistent hotness and dryness, nor warmness
and humidity
Significant difference in temperature, humidity,
wind, sky and ground conditions
It changes season to season, alternating
between long hot, dry periods to shorter
periods of high rainfall and humidity
But still dominated by strong solar radiation,
often with moderate to cool air temperature.
 Cont.
Building Form and Planning
 Shall reduce heat gain during the day and heat loss during
night
 Protect windows and openings from solar radiation
 Advised to face the building north on the northern
hemisphere and south on the southern half for less solar
radiation
External Spaces
 Well shaded external spaces for out-door activities by the
building itself, by pergolas, awnings or by vegetation
 But during cooler period of the year, sunshine is essential
 Hence provide adjustable form of shading device or
alternative external spaces for use in the different seasons
 Cont.
Elements and Materials
 Nights are cool and solar
radiation can cause heating
during the day
 Use materials of high thermal
capacity with a time-lag of 8
hours
 North and south walls can be of
a lightweight construction
 A lightweight wall is also
possible, specially in multi-
storey buildings, if well
insulated and windows shaded
 Cont.
Openings
 No serious need for
physiological cooling by air
movement, and no need for
cross-ventilation, if solar
radiation is controlled
 No need to capture winds and
cooling breezes in deciding
orientation of buildings
 Size of openings will be
decided more by
considerations other than
thermal
 Building Materials Preference
For Hot Dry
 Traditional circular houses in hot-dry climatic regions
are usually built of mud walls and thatch-roofs
 These walls are smoothened by a indigenous varnish to
make it water resistant and reflect a large part of the
solar radiation
 Thatched roofs provide insulation against heat and cold
 Nowadays, in many areas these thatched roofs are
being replaced by metallic roofing sheets.
 Stone is better used in this climate than the warm-
humid regions
 Cont.
 Common walling materials:
 Mud/Mud blocks
 Stone
 Straw and skin
 Common roofing materials:
 Thatch/palm leaf
 Mud Bricks
 Wood
 Cont.
For Warm Humid
 Common walling materials:
 Wood and bamboo
 Concrete/Cement Blocks, Sand-cement blocks
 Burnt Brick/Mud bricks
 Stone
 Common roofing materials:
 Bamboo
 Asbestos/Slate
 Cement/Concrete
 Metal Sheets
 Roofing Tiles
 Cont.
For Cold Climates
 Materials should have a good thermal capacity and
resistance to keep the building warmth in its inner
area.
 Common walling materials
 Stone and bricks
 Wood, cob
 Mortar, concrete
 Adobe blocks
 Common roofing materials
 Timber and cob
 Cement Tiles
 Metal sheets or plastered sheets
Shelter and climate