Asian Architecture Research paper

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGN
Centre for Modern Architecture Studies in Southeast Asia (MASSA)
Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Architecture
Project 1: CASE STUDY PAPER
Providing natural ventilation through openings as design approach to achieve
optimum occupant comfort in S11 House
Name : Yap Zhi Jun
Student ID : 0310738
Intake : Semester 4 March 2015
Subject : Asian Architecture (ARC 2234 )
Building : S11 House
Date : 9th June 2015
Tutor : Pn. Norhayati

Providing natural ventilation through openings as design approach to achieve optimum occupant comfort in S11 House
ARC 2213 / 2234 ASIAN ARCHITECTURE Page | 2
Content
Abstract
Bubble diagram
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Natural Ventilation
3.0 Openings
3.1 Overview of openings
3.2 Openings in S11 House
4.0 Open plan in S11 House
4.1 Ventilation in Open plan
5.0 Ventilation in Malay house
5.1 Comparison of opening between Malay house and S11 House
6.0 Conclusion
References
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Abstract
This research paper is to study the solutions of ventilation challenge using openings as design
approach in achieving optimum occupant comfort in S11 House. Openings are designed
accordingly to implement in an open plan in S11 House to achieve effective natural ventilation. A
comparison of openings of Vernacular Architecture and Contemporary Architecture of S11 House
was intended to study the adoption and improvement made to improve natural ventilation of the
house. In assisting the validation of research, literature reviews based on various sources regarding
openings of buildings were conducted to enhance the process. S11 House is chosen to analyze and
interpret the significant and effectiveness of openings to provide natural ventilation. S11 House
rated as Malaysia’s first GBI Platinum (CVA) House which has good natural ventilation and low
energy efficiency house with the used of openings as design approach. With the environmental
factors like air temperature, air movement and humidity that affect occupant comfort, choices of
openings’ features are important. Features of openings included types, sizes, locations and
materials used of openings. In an open plan house of S11 House, design strategies for openings
are important and precise to provide good natural ventilation. As comparison, S11 House adopted
some design strategies of openings in open plan of Vernacular Architecture like types and location
of windows and made improvement in sizes and material to implement design in Contemporary
Architecture. In conclusion, to provide occupant comfort and improve natural ventilation in a
house, choices of openings design are important to cooperate with the environmental factors to
implement it in an open plan house with the adoption and improvement from Vernacular
Architecture.

Bubble diagram

1.0 Introduction
Figure 1: Exterior view of S11 House.
S11 House is located in an established older suburb of Petaling Jaya. In the early 1960’s the
existing old house was built on the site and had become dilapidated and run-down over the years.
A new green tropical house was planned for the site and conceptualized along the lines of a tree.
The large tree canopy would cover and shelter the living spaces underneath it. The S11 House was
designed to achieve the highest level Platinum rating of Malaysia’s Green Building Index (GBI).
This research paper is conducted about S11 house focusing on the relationship between natural
ventilation and the effectiveness of the openings in S11 House with the research topic of,
‘Providing natural ventilation through openings as design approach to achieve optimum occupant
comfort in S11 House’, with the following research question:
1. How significant the openings design approach in S11 House in achieving optimum
occupant comfort?
2. How are the openings design approach implement in an open plan in S11 House in
achieving optimum occupant comfort?
3. How S11 House adopt and improve the openings from Vernacular Architecture in
achieving optimum occupant comfort?

2.0 Natural Ventilation
Natural ventilation uses the force of the wind to pull air through the building. It is the most common,
easiest and least expensive form of passive ventilation and cooling. To provide better ventilation,
massing and orientation are important because building height and depth play a huge role in the
structure’s ability to effectively pull outside air through occupied spaces.
Figure 2: Ventilation of air in different level of the house.
In S11 House, first and second floor openings are larger than ground floor because upper floors
and roofs are exposed to more wind than lower floors. In first floor plan, there are deck, lily pond
and outdoor garden with open wall help ventilation work more effective.
Natural ventilation is determined by having good indoor air quality with high thermal comfort in
the ventilated space, while having least energy use for air conditioning.

3.0 Openings
3.1 Overview of openings
Openings is very important in the architecture to create an environment suitable for occupants. In
a house, windows and doors are used to control the airflow by opening or closing the element to
give good insulation and thermal comfort. Nevertheless, to maximize the natural ventilation and
air flow in the building, types, size, orientation and location of openings are important.
3.2 Openings in S11 House
The opening type of a window and door plays an important role in the architectural design of the
house. Every types of opening has its own specific features, advantages and disadvantages. The
openings are chosen according to the effectiveness of ventilation and area of application. In S11
House, there are mainly three types of openings are used for circulation, ventilation and also
daylighting which are sliding door, casement window and awning window.
Sliding door
Figure 3: Sketches of sliding door and pictures of sliding door in S11 House.
Sliding doors have sash that slide horizontally. Sliding door is large in size compare with panel
door which is easier for circulation especially in open area like living room and gathering space.
Large size allow more air flow between outdoor and indoor space that can improve indoor air
quality.

Figure 4: Floor plans shows the location of sliding doors in S11 House.
Refer to photos above, sliding doors are used a lot in S11 House. They are usually used in more
public space like living room, dining area, gathering space and bedroom. Sliding doors used to
connect rooms to balcony area, indoor to outdoor, living room to swimming pool and pond area.
Sliding doors are chosen in S11 House because of large size which opened up the area with
sufficient air flow to cool the spaces and also provide larger view to surrounding. Most of the
sliding doors located at North West and South East side. Size of sliding doors are smaller in
bedroom which are two moveable sashes and larger in dining area, living area and gathering space
which are four to six moveable sashes.
Casement Window
Figure 5: Sketches of casement window and photo of casement window in S11 House Galley room.
Ground Floor Plan First Floor Plan

Casement windows swing outward on side hinges. Casement window are commonly used because
it provide 100% ventilation area, casement windows can be fully opened and the out-swinging
sash can directly plenty of air into the building. Casement windows are easy to operate but the size
is limited as the opening has to be strong enough to support the window.
Figure 6: Floor plans show the location of casement window in S11 House.
Refer to photos above, casement windows are used in more private space like bedroom, gallery
room, storage room, study room and kitchen. Some of the casement windows are located side-to-
side of the sliding doors. Most of them are located South West and North East side. The opening
direction are designed according to the wind direction. It is opened at one side to draw the wind
flow in natural circulation which can easily cool the spaces. Because of the properties of casement
window, the size is designed to suit human body level. Air is flow through human body level which
bring comfort to the occupants.
Figure 7: Sketches shows air ventilation through casement window at body level.
Ground Floor Plan First Floor Plan Second Floor Plan

Awning window
Figure 8: Sketches of Awning window and photo of awning window in S11 House corner area.
Awning windows pivot at the top and have outward-swinging sash. The windows are operated
with put-out lever so the window can be adjusted to keep out of rain but let the fresh air in.
Awning windows provide up to 50% ventilation area. They are a weather-tight construction
which is a good choice in damp climates. They usually placed higher in walls or above other
types of windows. They provide natural light and ventilation without compromising privacy.
Figure 9: Sketches shows air ventilation through awning window.
In S11 House, Awning windows are applied in toilets and corner area like turning corner. They
are applied in these spaces because awning windows are good for ventilation with privacy
protected. Through awning windows, in toilet, the unpleasant smell can be drawn out and in
corner area, hot air rises and escape. Awning windows do not used a lot of wall space but it is
effective and well function in drawing air in and out to maintain the spaces with fresh air.

4.0 Open plan in S11 House
Open plan is a type of layout has one or more large open rooms that function as multiple rooms
within a single living space. The most common is a ‘great room’ that combines kitchen, dining
room and living room in one shared space. Combining rooms into one large space helps to get
more use in extra space. Open plan encouraging more social time with gathering people together
in one space. Open plan has less wall which open up the whole spaces for better air flow.
Figure 10: Floor plans show open plan layout in S11 House.
In S11 House, open plan layout is used in ground floor and first floor. In ground floor, living room,
dry kitchen and dining area are combined as one open space. Sliding doors are connect the space
to the outdoor pond and swimming pool. In the first floor, open deck, family hall and lily pond are
combined as one open space mainly for gathering purpose. In this open space, occupants can gather
and having different kinds of activities together. Disadvantages of open plan is it takes longer time
for cooling and heating as the space big. In open plan, air conditioning is less effective so natural
ventilation is required to cool the space naturally.
Living room
Dry kitchen
Dining area
Open deck
Family hall
Lily pond

4.1 Ventilation in Open plan
Figure 11: Sketches show air flow in open plan and not open plan layout.
In an open plan, ventilation work better than not open plan house. It is because the reducing of
wall in between allow air to flow more freely and openings can function more effectively. In an
open plan the openings are design according to the floor plan, space arrangement and wind
direction.
Cross Ventilation
Figure 12: Floor plans show cross ventilation in open plan layout.
Cross ventilation works with vent openings on both sides of the building uses the pressure
difference across the space to create air movement through the space. Cross ventilation depends
on a continuous airflow path, so it work most effective in an open plan layout.

Figure 13: Sketches of air flow in same level and ground floor plan of S11 House.
In S11 House, cross ventilation occur in every floor especially in open plan space. At the ground
floor, the openings are in same level which is the body level. The sliding doors are located
according to wind direction and act as the important openings for air flow. At ground level,
openings are large enough to catch sufficient air into the space and cool down every single area in
the house.
Figure 14: Photos of openings at ground floor plan, living room to pond (left), living room to swimming pool (right).
Inlet and outlet of openings located opposite one another for better and smooth air flow. In ground
floor plan, one sliding door is located between the pond and living area, while another sliding door
is located between the swimming pool and living area. The openings are located at the best place
as cool air from pond and swimming pool flow into the house to cool the center space which is the
living room. Occupants usually gather at the living room for social interaction and also daily
activities. Fresh indoor air and optimum indoor temperature allow occupants to enjoy the space
comfortably.
Ground Floor Plan

Figure 15: Sketches of air flow in different levels in S11 House.
As mentioned above, wind are more easily trapped by upper floor than lower floor. So, in S11
House, upper floor level have larger openings than then lower floor openings. At the first floor,
the opening at the family hall 1 is large, the air is flow and transfer into different floor, first floor
family hall 1 and second floor family hall 2 and escaped at the opposite side of openings.
Figure 16: Photos of S11 House, family hall 1 with double volume (left), openings at 2nd floor family hall 2 (right).
From the photos above, applying large sliding door at the family hall 1 with double volume is a
right choice where the open plan area is cooled with sufficient of air flow. The whole open plan
area has good indoor air quality with comfortable room temperature suitable for occupants to
gather and have activities together.

Stack Ventilation
Stack ventilation is where air is driven through the building by vertical pressure differences
developed by thermal buoyancy. The warm air inside the building is less dense than the cooler air
outside, thus will try to escape from openings high up in the building. The effectiveness of stack
ventilation depends on the height of the stack which control the volume of air that drives in.
Figure 17: Roof plan with location of wind turbines in S11 House.
In S11 House, wind turbines are used for stack ventilation. Wind turbine uses the Bernoulli’s
principle which uses wind speed differences to move air. In the general principle of fluid dynamics,
faster air moves, lower pressure. Architecturally speaking, outdoor air move faster than indoor air
thus has lower pressure. This lower pressure help suck fresh air through the building. In S11 House,
a special design wind turbine combined with a steel framed glazed pyramid provides the house
with ‘stack effect’ ventilation and light pipes. The 15 numbers of turbines are driven both by wind
as well as convection when the air within the glass pyramid heat up as a result of the greenhouse
effect.
Figure 18: Photo of wind turbine in S11 House. (Source: S11 House)
Roof Plan

5.0 Ventilation in Malay House
Figure 19: Sketches of ventilation in Malay house.
Vernacular architecture, Malay house has some strategies to attain optimal climatic control where
allowing adequate ventilation for cooling and reduction of humidity. It is good in ventilation which
cool the whole house and give comfort indoor spaces for occupants. Malay house has three main
circulation which are stack ventilation through the roof joint, cross ventilation through openings
and house is raised to cool the house.
Figure 20: Sketches of openings in Malay house.
In Malay house, the openings used are simple and very original. They used casement window in
their house for cross ventilation. The size and position are designed to allow air flow at body level.
For door, they used panel door mainly for circulation, enter and exit the house. The size of openings
are not very big to protect their privacy.

5.1 Comparison of openings between Malay house and S11 House
Figure 21: Comparison table of openings between Malay house and S11 House.
Adoption from Malay House
Both Malay house and S11 House have cross ventilation and stack ventilation. For cross ventilation,
S11 House use the same type of openings which is casement window. Both of the houses use
casement window because of its 100% ventilated area which cool the house area naturally. Besides,
both houses also apply stack ventilation in the house, which allow hot air rises.
Improvement made in S11 House
As S11 House has bigger floor area and more floor level compare with Malay house so the
adoption of openings from Malay house is not effective enough to cool the whole house.
Improvement is made from the adoption to provide better indoor air quality and better air
ventilation.
For cross ventilation, S11 House used different size of casement window. The sizes, location and
number of openings are design according human height, usage of space and headroom size. For
example, casement window in gallery space is larger and more in numbers because it is a space
Vernacular Architecture
(Malay House)
Specification
Contemporary Architecture
(S11 House)
• Cross ventilation
(openings)
• Stack ventilation
(roof)
Types of ventilation
• Cross ventilation
(openings)
• Stack ventilation
(wind turbine)
• Casement window
• Panel door
Types of openings
• Casement window
• Awning window
• Floor-to-ceiling
window
• Sliding door
Opening size in body level Size of openings Larger in size to allow more air
and light enter

where people will stay and have activity in the space. However, in storage space, casement window
is smaller in size and less in number because no activities happen in that area. Besides, in S11
House, more types of openings are used like awning window, fixed window, sliding door and
floor-to-ceiling window. Different types of openings are applied in S11 House to provide sufficient
air flow in all spaces. Awning window in toilets, floor-to-ceiling window in staircase area, sliding
door replacing not very ventilated panel door.
For stack ventilation, as S11 house has more floor levels, it is not so effective for natural stack
ventilation, so, wind turbines are used to draw hot air up and escape.

6.0 Conclusion
Openings are important in a building or house. To live in a comfortable space with good indoor
air quality, understanding of the existence of openings is a must not only for architecture but also
for common knowledge. The adoption of openings from vernacular architecture and improvement
made in contemporary architecture also important for future building development.
Nowadays most of the buildings are hotter inside compared to outside. As an architect, our task is
to design building sustainably without damaging or effecting the nature and surrounding
environment. We also design a space to provide comfortable living area for occupants where
natural ventilation is needed. Promote natural ventilation in a building should come with design of
openings with types, sizes, orientation and location.

References
Ahmad, S.S. and Hyde, R., (2004). A review on interior comfort conditions in Malaysia.
Department of Architecture, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072,
Australia.
Andy Walker. (2015) National Institute of Building Sciences. Natural Ventilation. Retrieved 28
April 2015 from http://www.wbdg.org/resources/naturalventilation.php
Davis, M.P. et al., (2000). A new building system for the construction of thermally comfortable,
energy efficient houses in the Malaysian humid tropics. Conference Proceedings of
Environment friendly Townships for Developing Countries, 31 January 2000, Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia.
Edward Ng. et al., (2005). Towards Better Wind, Daylight and Natural Ventilation for Building
And Urban Spaces in Ultra Dense Cities – An Experience From Hong Kong. Conference
Proceeding of The 2005 World Sustainable Building Conference, 27-29 September 2005,
Tokyo, Japan.
Hawkes,D. (2015). A History of Sustainable Architecture. Retrieved 28 April 2015 from
http://www.architecture.com/RIBA/Aboutus/SustainabilityHub/Sustainability.aspx
Greenbelt Home Inc. (2012). X.N. Building Openings: Windows, Doors, Skylights. Retrieved 26
April 2015 from http://ghi.coop/content/xn-building-openings-windows-doors-skylights
Ken Currie. (2015). O-Plan: the Open Planning Architecture (1990). Retrieved 27 April 2015
from http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.26.2844
Klote J.H (1991) A General Routine for Analysis of Stack Effect. National Institute of Standards
and Technology,report, United states Department of Commerce, Gaithersburg, pp: 28
Nick Baker. (2015). RIBA. Natural Ventilation: Cross Ventilation. Retrieved 27 April 2015 from
http://www.architecture.com/RIBA/Aboutus/SustainabilityHub/Designstrategies/Air/1-2-
1-3-naturalventilation-crossventilation.aspx
Yeang, K., (1986). Land Use, Climate and Architectural Form. In Design for High-Intensity
Development.Academy Editions, London.

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