LINDA.

Passive design does not require mechanical heating or cooling. Buildings that are passively designed take advantage of natural climate to maintain thermal comfort. 

 

Incorporating the principles of passive design in building:

* Significantly improves comfort

* Reduces or eliminates heating and cooling bills

* Reduces greenhouse gas emissions from heating, cooling, mechanical ventilation and lighting.

 

Building envelope is a term used to describe the roof, walls, windows, floors and internal walls of a building. In a tropical climate, the envelope should controls heat gain and exclusion of rainwater. Well-designed envelopes maximize cooling through air movement and exclude the solar radiation. The fundamental principles of passive design are relatively simple and can be applied to various climate zones, house types and construction systems.

 

For this project, we, as a group of 6, were required to do some research and find a particular building with at least 3 passive design strategies. In cinjuction to that, we were needed to choose the best 2 strategies in which has the most impact in the thermal comfort of the building. 

 

After researches and discussion, we decided to pick the Digi Technology Operation Center, Shah Alam. This building was designed by the very famous local architecture company, T. R. Hamzah Yeang Sdn Bhd Selangor.

Besides online research, we went to the site itself, and was able to talk to the Associate Principal Communications & Corporate Responsiblity, Mr. Philip Ling regarding the designing strategies and the consideration that were taken. We managed to obtain a deeper understanding on the passive designing strategies and the reasons to justify them.