FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY

INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURE and FINE ARTS

THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE 2
2nd Semester AY 2018-2019

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN PROCESS • Coordination with Engineering Consultants –

Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Fire
The essentials of the structure Protection, Structural or MEPFS
• Architecture is represented by a building which • Identify Problems with the Design
meets in a satisfactory manner the • Client meetings to address issues
requirements: • Rooms and Spaces
• Of logical function • Additional Drawings
• Sound Construction • Construction Details
• Beautiful Composition • Interior Elevations
• Schedules
The design process • Specifications
• The phases and events within a typical
Architectural Project Construction documents
• The timeframe can vary depending on the size • Working Drawings phase
of the Project • Every aspect of design is drawn to scale and
Pre-Design appropriately specified
Schematic Design • Time and Energy intensive
Design Development • Design Team
Construction Documents • Design of the project must be well established
Construction Administration • Owner- Architect Agreement that changes after
DD Phase should be part of Additional Services
Pre- design • CD Plans are given to Bidders for Construction
• Architect and Consultants and for Government Permits
• Site Selection and Evaluation
• Environmental Analysis Construction documents
• Community Participation • Site Development Plan
• Feasibility Studies • Floor Plans
• Programming • Reflected Ceiling Plans
• Cost Analysis • Interior Elevations
• Conceptual Design • Exterior Elevations
• Building Sections
Schematic design • Wall Sections
• Major Design Ideas • Construction Details
• Site Development Plan • Interior Details
• Floor Plans • Door and Window Schedule
• Elevations • Finishes Schedule
• Sections • Specifications
• Cost Estimate • Complete Engineering Plans
• Multiple presentations to the client • Complete Engineering Specs
• Review and approval • Engineering Computations
• Prespective
• Renderings Construction administration
• Models • Regular site visits
• Review shop drawings
Design development • Change orders
• Detailed Development of Design • Request for information (RFI)
• Drawing Sets for accurate cost estimate • Coordination with Contractor
• Punch list

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 • Certificate of Occupancy
ARCHITECTURAL TERMINOLOGIES
Architecture
The art and science of designing and
constructing buildings
Urban design
The aspect of architecture and city planning that
deals with the design of urban structures and
spaces
Interior design
The art, business, or profession of planning the
design and supervising the execution of
architectural interiors, including the color
schemes, furnishings, fittings, finishes and
sometimes architectural features.
Engineering
The art and science of applying scientific
principles to practical ends in the design and
construction of structures, equipment, and
systems
Landscape architecture
The art, business or profession of designing,
arranging, or modifying the features of a
landscape for aesthetic or practical reasons
Construction
The process of building, from site preparation
through erection, assembly, and finishing
operations
Architect
The person who engages in the profession of
architecture, usually trained and experienced in
the design and construction of buildings
Owner
A person or organization having the legal right or
title to a piece of property, usually the architect’s
client and party to the owner-architect
agreement
Engineer
A person trained, skilled, or professionally
engaged in any of the various branches of
engineering, as structural, mechanical, or
electrical engineering.
Contractor
A person or organization that contracts to
provide the materials and perform the work for a
construction project at a specified time and rate
Aesthetics
The branch of philosophy that deals with the
nature of art, beauty and taste, with a view to
establishing the meaning and validity of critical
judgement concerning works of art
Drawing
The art, process, or technique of representing
an object, scene, or idea by means of lines on a
surface.
Building
A relatively permanent enclosed structure
constructed over a plot of land for habitable use
Building code
A code regulating the design, construction,
alteration, and repair of buildings, adopted and
enforced by a local government agency to
protect the public safety, health, and welfare.
House
A building in which people live
Structure
A stable assembly of structural elements
designed and constructed to function as a whole
in supporting and transmitting applied loads
safely to the ground without exceeding the
allowable stresses in the members
Substructure
The undelying structure forming the foundation
of a building or other construction
Superstructure
The vertical extension of a building or other
construction above the foundation
Story
A complete horizontal division of a building,
having a continuous or nearly continuous floor
and comprising the space between two adjacent
levels
Orientation
The position of a building on a site in relation to
true north, to points on the compass, to a
specific place or feature, or to local conditions of
sinlight, wind and drainage.
Column
A rigid, relatively slender structural member
desiged primarily to support axial, compressive
loads applied at the member ends.
Span
The extent of space between 2 supports of a
structure.
Arch
A curved structure for spannung an opening,
designed to support a vertical load primarily by
axial compression
Beam
A rigid structural member designed to carry and
transfer transverse loads across space to
supporting elements
Foundation
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 The lowest division of a building or other
construction, partly of wholly below the surface
of the ground, designed to support and anchor
the superstructure and transmit its loads directly
to the earth.
Floor
The level, base surface of a room or hall upon
which one stands or walks. (sahig)
A continuous supporting surface extending
horizontally througout a building, having a
number of rooms and constituting one level in a
structure. (palapag)
Basement
A story of a building that is wholly or partly below
ground level
Concrete
An artificial stonelike building material made by
mixing cement and various mineral aggregates
with sufficient water to cause the cement to set
and bind the entire mass.
Form
Boarding or sheeting of wood, metal plastic, or
fiberglass for containing and giving a desired
shape to newly placed concrete until it sets and
gains sufficient strength to be self supporting.
Wall
Any of various upright constructions presenting
a continuous surface and serving to enclose,
divide, or protect an area
Façade
The front of a building or any of its sides facing a
public way or space, especially one distingushed
by its architectural treatment
Masonry
Building with units of various natural or
manufactured products, as stone, brick, or
concrete block, usually with the use of mortar as
a bonding agent.
Fenestration
The design, proportioning, and disposition of
windows and other exterior openings of a
building
Door
A hinged, sliding, or folding barrier of wood,
metal, or glass for opening and closing an
entrance to a building, room, or cabinet.
Window
An opening in the wall of a building for admitting
light and air, usually fitted with a frame in which
are set operable sashes containing panes of
glass
Ceiling
The overhead interior surface or lining of a
room, often concealing the underside of the floor
or roof above.
Roof
The external upper covering of a building,
including the frame for supporting the roofing.
ARCHITECTURAL STYLES
Islamic architecture
Domes, minaret, arches
Pointed arch, horseshoe arch, ogee arch, multifoil arch
Taj mahal, golden mosque
Gothic architecture
Large stained glass windows, pointed arch, flying
buttress, rose window, ribbed vault, ornamentation,
flying buttress & ribbed vault
Notre dame paris, san sebastian church
Renaissance architecture
Italy, 14th-16th century, rebirth of the classical, roman
columns, symmetry, dome
Doric, ionic, corinthian, tuscan, composite
St. Peter’s basilica
Neo-classical architecture
18-1900, new classical, columns, pediments
White house, national museum
Art nouveau
New art, non-traditional design, curve lines, organic
shapes, asymmetry
Casa batllo
Art deco
Geometric pattern, repetition, sharp edge, rounded
corners
Empire state, far eastern university
Bauhaus
Walter gropius, germany, cubic, large windows, flat roof,
no ornament
Bauhaus school
Modern architecture
No ornament, functionality, simplicity, open plan, plain
geometric forms
“form follows function” -louis sullivan
“a house is a machine for living in” -le corbusier
“ornament is a crime” -adolf loos
“less is more” -ludwig mies van der rohe

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Post modern ▪ Every solution is different
Modern take on traditional methods, add ornaments,
sculptural forms, colors DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
Denver public library, sony building ny ▪ Site analysis
▪ Building laws
Brutalism ▪ Zoning
Raw concrete, rigid geometric blocks ▪ Circulation
Boston city hall, cultural center of the Philippines ▪ Accessibility
▪ Tropical design
Minimalism ▪ Feng shui
Finding beauty in elegant simplicity, simple materials, ▪ Sustainable design
cubist geometry, function, straight clean lines, tadao
ando Site analysis
Church of light Orientation
-true north
Deconstructivism -sun path
Freedom of form, non rectilinear shapes, surface -wind pattern
manipulation Existing site condition
Walt disney concert hall, dlsu-csb sda -observation
-site visit
International style Terrain
Architecture of the machine age, skyscraper Vegetation/ water
architecture, use of steel, glass & concrete, rectangular Adjacent buildings
forms, Road access
No ornament Pedestrians/ vehicle
Seagram building, zuellig bldg Noise
Views
Organic Architecture
Frank Lloyd Wright, Design with landscape in mind, Laws
Inspired by nature Pd 1096- national building code of the Philippines
Falling Water, San Miguel Building Ra 9514- fire code of the Philippines
Ra 9266- architecture act of 2004
Neo Futurism Ra 1378- national plumbing code of the Philippines
Space age architecture, High tech themes, Flowing
design, Unique angles, Abstract Zoning
Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center, Conrad Hotel Activity
-noisy
-quiet
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS Access
-public
ARCHITECTURE -semi-private
▪ Of Logical Function- Design -private
▪ Sound Construction- Building Technology -service
▪ Beautiful Composition- Architectural Styles
Circulation
PRE-DESIGN Site circulation
▪ Site Selection and Evaluation -vehicular
▪ Environmental Analysis -pedestrian
▪ Conceptual Design Ideas Site circulation
ARCHITECTURE DESIGN IDEAS -vehicular
▪ Every project – Design Problem -pedestrian
▪ Architects- Solve this Room circulation
▪ Not one formula for buildings -anthropometrics

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-ergonomics  Specify Materials or Products That Avoid Toxic
Way finding Chemicals or By-products
Permeability
Dead ends CHROMICS OR ‘COLOR-CHANGING’ SMART
Pathways MATERIALS
Entrance & exits Fundamental characteristics of chromics
A class of smart materials that are invariably fascinating
Accessibility to any
Bp 344- accessibility law designer is the so-called ‘color-changing’ material group
which includes the following:
* Photochromics – materials that change color when
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS exposed to light
* Thermochromics – materials that change color due to
 Materials for Sustainable Sites temperature changes.
 Materials or Products that Minimize * Mechanochromics – materials that change color due to
Environmental Impacts imposed stresses and/or deformations.
 Smart Materials * Chemochromics – materials that change color when
 Extending the Lifetime of Materials exposed to specific chemical environments.
(mtls.optimization) * Electrochromics – materials that change color when a
 Use No New Materials, Don’t Rebuild voltage is applied. Related technologies include liquid
 Reuse Existing Structures in Place crystals and suspended particle devices that change
 Reduce Material Use color or transparencies when electrically activated.
 Use Durable Materials
 Reclaim and Reuse Materials or Products in DESIGN FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
Whole Form
 Use Reclaimed Materials from Other Sources Environmental Design
 Reprocess Existing Structures and Materials for • A broad discipline that takes into account the
Use On-site (downcycle) surrounding environment in planning &
 Use Reprocessed Materials from Other Sites designing.
 Specify Materials and Products with Reuse • It is nothing new
Potential and Design for Disassembly (DfD) • Modern environmental design still use many
 Specify Recycled-content Materials and concepts passed down from the ancients while
Products new technology and ideas continue to evolve.
 Use Materials and Products with Recycling • Environmental design is not always about new
Potential technology, although recent advances have
 Reclaim and Reuse Materials or Products in furthered the field considerably.
Whole Form • It is about using what is readily available.
 Use Reclaimed Materials from Other Sources
 Reprocess Existing Structures and Materials for Design for the Environment
Use On-site • Dates: 1986–present
 Use Sustainably Harvested or Mined Materials • Motives and intentions: Design awakens to its
 Use Certified Wood responsibilities and duty of care to the
 Use Minimally Processed Materials environment
 Specify Low Embodied Energy Materials • Form-giving: Embeds eco-efficient feature
 Use Local Materials through high-tech solutions and/or light-
 Specify Low-polluting Materials weighting, use of recycled or recyclable
materials
 Specify Low-water Use and Low–water-polluting • Target audiences: Industry and design culture
Materials • Beneficiaries: Helping industry meet increasing
 Specify Materials Produced with Energy from regulatory pressures and position ‘green
Renewable Sources marketed’ products
 Low-emitting Materials and Products Sustainability elements:

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 • Economic: Economic gains through being eco-
efficient
• Ecological: Reduction of impacts on the
environment
• Institutional: Encouraging shift to more
responsible manufacturing and design practices
Eco Design
• Ecodesign is one aspect
of environmental design.
• It addresses sustainability concerns that
considers the entire life cycle of a product.
• The goal is to design products in a way that
minimizes any negative impact it might have on
the planet.
• Ecodesign is used in the design of small to large
products, or systems of products such as
buildings which are made up of many products.
• A core feature of ecodesign is to check the
entire life cycle of a product to get an estimate of
what the product's environmental impact will be.
• A life cycle assessment, is a systematic and
holistic investigation into each stage of the
product's life. The stages are product
development, production, marketing, sale,
project management and disposal.
Life Cycle Design
• Sustainable product life cycle systems reduce
environmental loads, resource consumption, and
waste generation.
Life Cycle Assessment
• Life cycle assessment is a “cradle-to-grave”
approach for assessing industrial systems.
“Cradle-to-grave” begins with the gathering of
raw materials from the earth to create the
product and ends at the point when all materials
are returned to the earth. LCA evaluates all
stages of a product’s life from the perspective
that they are interdependent, meaning that one
operation leads to the next. LCA enables the
estimation of the cumulative environmental
impacts resulting from all stages in the product
life cycle. (www.epa.gov)
• The term “life cycle” refers to the major activities
in the course of the product’s life-span from its
manufacture, use, and maintenance, to its final
disposal, including the raw material acquisition
required to manufacture the product.
(www.epa.gov)
SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
STRATEGIES
Where buildings are situated on a site can have a
huge impact on the overall greenness of a facility.
 Minimize development impacts while retaining
as much undeveloped open space as possible.
 Locate buildings and roadways to minimize site
disturbance, particularly where significant
wetlands and wildlife habitat are present
 Keeping buildings and infrastructure on an area
of the site close to public highways and with
easy access to utilities will reduce material use
and permit as much open space as possible to
be retained.
 Slope and soils considerations are very
important in building and infrastructure
placement. Consider both long-term stormwater
management issues and short-term erosion
impacts during construction. Avoid very steep
slopes and those with unstable soils.
 Site plans that consider orientation in the
placement of buildings provide abundant
opportunities to benefit from natural systems
 Rectangular buildings should be oriented with
the long axis running east-west. In this
configuration, east and west walls receive less
direct sun in summer, so unwanted heat gain is
reduced.
 Proximity of trees to buildings should take into
account growth rate, life span, and ultimate
canopy shape. Planting decisions and decisions
about which trees to leave require a careful
balance between the desirable qualities of
shade with the loss of future solar access.
 The building envelope is comprised of the outer
elements of a building—foundations, walls, roof,
windows, doors and floors.
 The prime functions of the building envelope are
to provide shelter, security, solar and thermal
control, moisture control, indoor air quality
control, access to daylight, and views to outside,
fire resistance, acoustics, cost effectiveness and
aesthetics.
 The "sustainable" approach supports an
increased commitment to environmental
stewardship and conservation, and results in an
optimal balance of cost, environmental, societal,
and human benefits while meeting the mission
and function of the intended facility.
 The main objectives of sustainable design are to
avoid resource depletion of energy, water, and
raw materials; prevent environmental
degradation caused by facilities and their
infrastructure throughout their life cycle.
 Optimize Site/Existing Structure Potential
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 Creating sustainable buildings starts
with proper site selection, and the location,
orientation, and landscaping of a building affect
the local ecosystems, transportation methods
and energy use. It is usually more sustainable to
renovate an existing building than to tear it down
and construct a new one. Consider reuse and
retrofit of available existing buildings before
deciding to build new.
 Consider Climatic Conditions—consideration of
the local climatic conditions (temperature,
moisture, wind) can influence the materials of
construction of the building envelope, the
amount of and performance of glazing used
specific to each orientation, and the overall
energy performance of the building.
 Reduce Urban Heat Islands—the design of the
horizontal elements (roof) of the building
envelope should consider the impact on the
site's urban heat island. Finish the facility's roof
with light colored finish materials or vegetated
components to reduce energy loads and extend
the life of the roof, especially in warmer climates.
Consider incorporating vegetated roof materials.
 Optimize Energy Use
 A sustainable building should rely on
efficiency and passive design measures rather
than fossil fuels for its operation. It should meet
or exceed applicable energy performance
standards.
 Optimize Thermal Insulation—optimize the
insulation performance of the envelope opaque
elements for both heating and cooling seasons.
 Incorporate High Performance, Spectrally
Selective Glazing—the orientation, amount and
performance of vertical and horizontal
glazing should be appropriate for the climate of
the building.
 Employ Effective Solar Shading Devices—use
exterior shading devices such as overhangs,
vertical fins and light shelves as energy
efficiency measures (with consideration of
maintenance and security/safety issues).
 Consider using lighting sensors to control
perimeter lighting levels when adequate daylight
is available to reduce power and HVAC loads,
particularly at peak demand periods which often
coincides with times for high daylight availability.
 Integrate Photovoltaic Panels—incorporate
Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) panels
as part of the building envelope system or solar
shading system as a way of generating on-site,
renewable energy.
 Analyze Envelope Performance with Energy
Simulation—use energy simulation and life-cycle
analysis tools to optimize the performance of all
components of the building envelope. Make
informed decisions about the components of the
building envelope based on life-cycle
performance.
 Protect and Conserve Water
 In many parts of the country, fresh water
is becoming an increasingly scarce resource. A
sustainable building seeks to reduce, control,
and/or treat site runoff, use water efficiently, and
reuse or recycle water for on-site use when
feasible.
 Use Environmentally Preferable Products
 A sustainable building should be
constructed of materials that minimize life-cycle
environmental impacts such as global warming,
resource depletion, and human toxicity. Life-
cycle raw materials acquisition, product
manufacturing, packaging, transportation,
installation, use, and reuse/recycling/disposal
should all be taken into account.
 Enhance Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)
 The indoor environmental quality of a
building has a significant impact on occupant
health, comfort, and productivity. Among other
attributes a sustainable building should
maximize daylighting, provide appropriate
ventilation and moisture control, and avoid the
use of materials that are high in VOC emissions.
 Value Aesthetic Decisions—windows should be
provided that afford building occupants views
outside but do not negatively impact the visual
and acoustic comfort of the work environment.
 Provide Thermal Comfort—components of the
building envelope should adequately address
issues of thermal comfort at the building
perimeter, particularly thermal and solar
performance of glazing systems.
 Maintain Appropriate Indoor Air Quality—design
and construction of the building envelope should
give appropriate consideration to the moisture
dynamics so that water is not transmitted
through the building envelope in to the building
construction such that indoor air quality is
compromised.
 Avoid Use of Materials High in Pollutants—limit
the use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in
such products as paints and coatings,
and sealants and adhesives.
 Create a High Performance Luminous
Environment—design the glazing systems to
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 maximize the use of daylight. Make sure that the
electric lighting is controlled to respond to
daylight levels to maintain a consistent light level
on the work surface in the perimeter spaces.
Use internal shades or blinds for glare control
(not for control of solar gain) to maintain a
healthy visual environment.
 Optimize Operational and Maintenance
Practices
PRINCLIPLES OF SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
• Become a passive and active structure that is
designed to maximize the use of sites’ natural
renewable resources.
• When buildings are conceived as organisms
instead of objects,
they become part of the ecological neighborhood.
• Operate off existing site and regional renewable
energies
• It needs to be dynamic and a living process.
• Sustainability is not static—it is iteratively
changing, based on evolving knowledge that
connects science and design.
• The design must be capable of functioning
“unplugged” from the external nonrenewable
energy sources and resources in order to be
sustainable.
• Connectivity: Design to reinforce the relationship
between the project, the site, the community,
and the ecology. Make minimal changes to the
natural system functioning. Reinforce and
steward those natural characteristics specific to
the place.
• 2. Indigenous: Design with and for what has
been resident and sustainable on the site for
centuries.
• 3. Long life, loose fit: Design for future
• generations while reflecting past generations.
The projects should meet the following criteria:
• Be developed within existing urban boundaries
and within walking distance to transit options.
• New projects would preferably be built on a
cleaned-up brownfield.
• Use green energy and be unplugged from non-
renewables.
• Be fully useful for intended function in a natural
disaster, a blackout, or a drought.
• Be made of materials that have a long and
useful life—longer than its growth cycle—and be
anchored for deconstruction (every design
 Incorporating operations and
maintenance considerations into the design of a
facility will greatly contribute to improved work
environments, higher productivity, and reduced
energy and resource costs. Designers are
encouraged to specify materials and systems
that simplify and reduce maintenance
requirements; require less water, energy, and
toxic chemicals and cleaners to maintain; and
are cost-effective and reduce life-cycle costs.
should be a storehouse of materials for another
project).
• Use no more water than what falls on the site.
• Connect impacts and wastes of the building to
useful cycles on the site and in the environment
around it.
• Be part of a cycle.
• Be compelling, rewarding, and desirable.
LIGHTING STRATEGIES
• In homes and offices from 20 to 50 percent of
total energy consumed is due to lighting.
• Lighting accounts for 20 percent of all electrical
energy usage.
• Lighting accounts for about five to ten percent of
total energy use
• The approach to sustainable energy use is a two
pronged:
1. Energy Conservation
2. Energy Efficiency
It can be described as minimizing energy consumption
and carbon emissions while still maintaining suitable
illumination on an economically satisfactory basis.
Daylighting
• Is the practice of placing windows or other
openings and reflective surfaces so that during
the day natural light provides effective internal
lighting.
• Most simply, daylighting is the practice of using
natural light to illuminate building spaces
Natural Lighting Benefits
• Reduced energy consumption.
• Reduction of mildew or mold built-up.
• Healthy dose of vitamin D.
• Improved performance due to change in working
environment.
• Increased visual appeal in interiors.
Daylighting Strategies
• Sidelighting
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is a daylighting strategy that uses apertures located in
the wall planes as the point of admission for ambient
daylight.
• Toplighting
is a daylighting strategy that uses apertures located at
the roof plane as the point of admission for ambient
daylight.
3 ways to improve the amount of light available from a
window.
• Place window close to a light colored wall.
• Slant the sides of window openings so the inner
opening is larger than the outer opening.
• Use a large light colored window sill to project
light into the room.
• Light Shelves
• Are used to more evenly distribute daylight
entering a building through sidelighting
apertures
• 12” minimum width
• An effective way to enhance the lighting from
windows on the equator-facing side of a
structure.
• The light shelf projects beyond the shadow
created by the eave and reflects sunlight upward
to illuminate the ceiling.
• Skylight
is any horizontal window, roof lantern or oculus, placed
at the roof of the building, often used for daylighting.
• The optimal area of skylights varies according to
climate, latitude, and the characteristics of the
skylight.
• It is usually 4-8% of floor area.
• Spacing of skylights are usually equal to the
ceiling height.
• Light Tube
• Also called a solar tube, solar pipes, light pipes.
• A devices consisting of a lens that is
• installed on the roof, an adjustable mirror-lined
tube (10- 20” diameter)
• It is placed into a roof and admits light to a
focused area of the interior.
• Reduce the surface area of Glass
• Too much glass could end up with heat-gain and
heat-loss problems, and glare issues.
• Filter and shade daylight to avoid direct sun and
sky light
• Open Planning
• Limit Private Rooms / Spaces
• Pick Light Colors with High Reflectance
Coefficient
• Avoiding incandescent lights, use CFLs or light-
emitting diode.
• The color of the walls, ceilings and furnishings
should be kept light so that it reflects more light
to the workspace areas.
• Reducing the general illumination level by
employing task lighting.
• Consider solar powered lighting.
FENG SHUI
FILIPINO BELIEFS
 Buildings facing east are lucky
 Site and buildings shaped like a triangle are
unlucky
 Trapezoid shaped lots with a wider rear
dimension are lucky (supot shape)
 Building on a high ground is considered lucky
 Building on a T shaped road or “tumbok” is
unlucky
 Stairs facing east are lucky
 Stairs facing a mountain, river or shoreline are
lucky
 Water bodies should not be facing a stair
landing
 Oro, Plata, Mata – Gold, Silver, Death
 The floor planks should be perpendicular to the
stairs
 Bathrooms should not be located above kitchen
 Ovens or Gas range should face East
 Septic tanks should not be located under the
garage
 The roof should not slope or slant towards the
front of the house
 Doors should not face each other
 Wide windows located at the front of the house
should not face neighbors
 Main doors should not face west
 Bedroom doors should not face the foot or head
of the bed
 Drains should not be located inside bedrooms
 Houses should not be shaped like a cross
 Bedrooms should be located higher than the
living room
 Ground breaking on construction on a Monday is
lucky
 Ground breaking in February is unlucky
 Concrete pouring and ground breaking on a full
moon is lucky
 Coins and medallions should be placed on each
foundation
CHINESE BELIEFS
 Main doors should face South or East
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  Doors should not face each other
 Main door should not face gate, electrical post or
a dead tree
 Stairs should not face the main door
 Number of steps on stairs should not be divisible
by four
 Kitchen stove should not face a door
 Kitchen stove and sink should not face each
other or aligned with each other
 Faucets and showers should face the interior of
the building
 Windows should not be located on the
headboard of a bed
 Bed should not face a door
 Bed should not rest on a wall with a watercloset
on the other side
 Exposed beams above the bed are unlucky
 Waterclosets should not face a door
 Eating areas should not be located below toilets
 Round dining tables are lucky because it is
shaped like a coin
 Altars should not be placed below staircases
 Exposed columns should be round in shape
 Columns should not be opposite a door or a
window
 Number of coulmns should be an even number
and should not be divisible by four
 8 silver coins wrapped in a red cloth should be
placed in each foundation of a column
TROPICAL DESIGN
 Global energy consumption in 2011 was
estimated at 13.9 trillon kilowatt hours. If the
present demand continues, it is estimated the
global demand by 2025 the world will be using
23.7 trillon kilowatt-hours (EIA, 2006)
 EIA- International Energy Agency
 Buildings are responsible for consuming more
than half of global energy and one-third of
energy resources from natural gas.
 Buildings are responsible for releasing one third
of total greenhouse gas emissions
 1. Global demand for all energy sources is
forecast to grow by 57% over the next 25 years
 2. U.S. Demand for all types of energy is
expected to increase by 31% within 25 years
 3. By 2030, 56% of the world’s energy use will
be in Asia
 4. Electricity demand in the U.S. will grow by at
least 40% in 2032
 5. New Power generation equal to nearly 300
power plants will be needed to meet electricity
demand by 2030
 6. Currently, 50% of U.S. electrical generation
relies on coal; a fossil fuel; while 85% of US
green house gas emissions result from energy-
consuming activities supported by fossil fuels
 Man began building structures to satisfy our
need to provide shelter from nature
 Forces of nature varies from different places,
just like how tropical countries built huts made of
wood and temperate countries build huts made
of stone.
 Climate is a defined region with certain
temperature, dryness, wind, light etc. It is an
integration in time of the atmospheric
environment of a certain geographical loction.
 1. Hot Humid (Tropical)
 2. Hot Arid (Desert)
 3. Temperate
 4. Cold
 1. Sunlight (Solar radiation)
 2. Air Temperature- annual, monthly and daily
maximum and minimum temperature
 3. Atmospheric Humidity
 4. Rainfall
 5. Wind- direction, frequency and force of the
wind throughout the year
 Tropical and Maritime
 Relatively high temperature, high humidity and
abundant rainfall
 Humidity- moisture content in the atmosphere
 Rainy Season- June to November
 Dry season- December to May
 Cool Dry season- December to February
 Hot Dry season- March to May
 1. High Temperature Level (heat)
 - heat gain due to direct solar radiation
 - heat gain due to reflected solar radiation
 - heat transfer
 2. High Humidity Levels
 - water content in the air and on the body does
not evaporate as fast resulting in very low
comfort levels
 3. Slow wind velocities
 4. High precipitation levels during rainy days
 5. High incidence of Typhoons
 6. Abundance of insects and rodents due to
damp ground conditions
 1. Minimize Heat Gain
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 - Protect from direct and reflected solar radiation  3. Rain Sensor
within a given urban or interior space  - automatically deactivates the automatic
 - Prevent materials from storing heat/ Protect irrigation system of gardens to save on water
materials from heat gain consumption
 2. Maximize Ventilation  4. Motion Detectors
 3. Prevent unnecessary increase in humidity  -switches off lights in areas with no movement
levels  5. Pressure Sensor on escalators
 - avoid use of water element within a given  -detects pressure and operates escalators when
urban or interior space someone uses them
 4. Have good drainage to accommodate high  Building Orientation
annual precipitation  Double Façade System
 5. Protect spaces from insects and rodents  Thermal Insulation
 1. Daylight sensors  -using materials with high resistance to heat flow
 Regulates artificial light depending on natural  -keeping heat outside
light entering the building
 2. Automatic Blinds/ Kinetic Façade
 - protects interior spaces automatically from
afternoon sun

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