LITERATURE REVIEW FOCUSED TOPICS
Environment have always directly affected humans. We continuously have kept
discovering how to protect ourselves from it, how to learn from it, how to protect it, how
to use its natural resources. After all, we mainly pursue how to balance our built society
with it. Modern society requires spaces for the grand amount of activities are held daily.
And, even though our society’s complexity increments, the environment keep affecting
us consistently. One of the consistent environmental effects on humans is our Comfort
Zone, mostly affected by thermal aspects, like sun heat impact in tropical and
subtropical zones. Then, how have we protected ourselves? What information have we
gathered that can helped us act on it?
Dr. Pedro A. Muñiz Rivera, a puetorrican architect, explains various themes
regarding thermal comfort in tropical climates, using Puerto Rico as case study. In his book,
“Enfoque Biotropical para la Arquitectura en Puerto Rico” (Biotropical Approach for
Architecture in Puerto Rico) he explains how to achieve thermal comfort in tropical climates
using a bioclimatic chart developed by Víctor and Aladar Olgyay. He shows with a
diagrammatic chart that to be in comfort zone at tropic, a human has to be in between
70ºF and 82ºF and 20% to 70% of Relative Humidity(HR) [image 1]. He also added that thermal comfort
also depends on clothing resistance that might be wearing the human. Nonetheless, Dr.
Muñiz’s information can benefit of adding to the research the cultural aspect. It can be a
more accurate information if it’s included a research on how influential can be to be
culturally accustom or have been exposed to the climate for a considerable amount of
time.
Dr. Muñiz have also talked about a shading systems. He specialized on vertical,
horizontal, mixed, and movable objects as shading technique. [image 2-3]
Dr. Muñiz explains that horizontal shading objects are better for north and south
façades; vertical for east and west façades; mixed for very hot climates. Although these
types of shading objects implementation have worked in many cases, the information
might not be updated to today’s technological application to buildings. It can be useful
to evaluate how effective are automated and reactive shading systems in order to better
maintain thermal comfort in tropical climates without depending on A/C.
Another shading system is explained directly by Víctor and Aladar Olgyay in the
Princeton University Press. He shows the shading effects of tress and vegetation. Victor
and Aladar Olgyay illustrates that trees, if densely planted, can reduce sound, leaves
catches the dust and filters the air, helps in visual privacy, and it is also has an excellent
thermal performance [image 4]. Personally I completely support the use of vegetation as a
shading system to achieve thermal comfort. It might be of use to analyze what trees
species are best for thermal comfort purposes, and also to how good they really are by
performing measured readings.
However, separate objects and vegetation are not the only ways of achieving
thermal comfort in the tropic, nor the only way of understanding this system is in buildings
as an object. M. Rohinton Emmanuel, on “An Urban Approach to Climate-Sensitive
Design, Strategies for the Tropics” explains an interesting concept of sun protection as a
part of urban massing. Its called “Shadow Umbrella”. He explains how buildings as part
of and urban context can contribute to a group shading system in which their
morphology creates shaded public spaces [image 5-7]. He also includes how little attention urban
locations in the tropic have put into it. His concept, however, lacks of the counterpart
information. It can benefit by adding how density overdose of building’s morphology
might reduce psychological comfort zone even when its achieving a thermal comfort. An
example can be, New York City, NY. The height and building density in its urbanism
protects efficiently sun radiation in summer, but at some spaces it can feel
claustrophobic and dark even though having a bright day.
Finally, Karla Grijalva, from Arizona State University completed a thesis titled:
“Associative Design for Building Envelopes; Sun Control and Shading Devices”.
She explains the importance of using shading systems for the better performance of
Energy Use on Buildings. She expresses that openings on a building's envelope can
contribute to solar heat gain if openings are not well protected nor have a high
performance glazing for reducing solar heat gain [image 8]. Ms. Grijalva also includes that solar
control in buildings not only helps on energy balance, it also helps on reducing power
use. Ms Grijalva’s expressions are accurate regarding the need for sun protection in
tropical climates in order to be responsible on energy consumption. It might have help
her tesis to include what might be a negative aspect on using complete shading
systems in tropics, regarding material, methods or technologies.
It’s clear how complex can be to achieve thermal comfort in a tropical climate.
Personally is a balance game that can be achieve with simple natural aspects and
decisions. Vernacular architecture have taught us a lot on it. But testing today’s century
method is never a bad idea for growth.
discovering how to protect ourselves from it, how to learn from it, how to protect it, how
to use its natural resources. After all, we mainly pursue how to balance our built society
with it. Modern society requires spaces for the grand amount of activities are held daily.
And, even though our society’s complexity increments, the environment keep affecting
us consistently. One of the consistent environmental effects on humans is our Comfort
Zone, mostly affected by thermal aspects, like sun heat impact in tropical and
subtropical zones. Then, how have we protected ourselves? What information have we
gathered that can helped us act on it?
Dr. Pedro A. Muñiz Rivera, a puetorrican architect, explains various themes
regarding thermal comfort in tropical climates, using Puerto Rico as case study. In his book,
“Enfoque Biotropical para la Arquitectura en Puerto Rico” (Biotropical Approach for
Architecture in Puerto Rico) he explains how to achieve thermal comfort in tropical climates
using a bioclimatic chart developed by Víctor and Aladar Olgyay. He shows with a
diagrammatic chart that to be in comfort zone at tropic, a human has to be in between
70ºF and 82ºF and 20% to 70% of Relative Humidity(HR) [image 1]. He also added that thermal comfort
also depends on clothing resistance that might be wearing the human. Nonetheless, Dr.
Muñiz’s information can benefit of adding to the research the cultural aspect. It can be a
more accurate information if it’s included a research on how influential can be to be
culturally accustom or have been exposed to the climate for a considerable amount of
time.
Dr. Muñiz have also talked about a shading systems. He specialized on vertical,
horizontal, mixed, and movable objects as shading technique. [image 2-3]
Dr. Muñiz explains that horizontal shading objects are better for north and south
façades; vertical for east and west façades; mixed for very hot climates. Although these
types of shading objects implementation have worked in many cases, the information
might not be updated to today’s technological application to buildings. It can be useful
to evaluate how effective are automated and reactive shading systems in order to better
maintain thermal comfort in tropical climates without depending on A/C.
Another shading system is explained directly by Víctor and Aladar Olgyay in the
Princeton University Press. He shows the shading effects of tress and vegetation. Victor
and Aladar Olgyay illustrates that trees, if densely planted, can reduce sound, leaves
catches the dust and filters the air, helps in visual privacy, and it is also has an excellent
thermal performance [image 4]. Personally I completely support the use of vegetation as a
shading system to achieve thermal comfort. It might be of use to analyze what trees
species are best for thermal comfort purposes, and also to how good they really are by
performing measured readings.
However, separate objects and vegetation are not the only ways of achieving
thermal comfort in the tropic, nor the only way of understanding this system is in buildings
as an object. M. Rohinton Emmanuel, on “An Urban Approach to Climate-Sensitive
Design, Strategies for the Tropics” explains an interesting concept of sun protection as a
part of urban massing. Its called “Shadow Umbrella”. He explains how buildings as part
of and urban context can contribute to a group shading system in which their
morphology creates shaded public spaces [image 5-7]. He also includes how little attention urban
locations in the tropic have put into it. His concept, however, lacks of the counterpart
information. It can benefit by adding how density overdose of building’s morphology
might reduce psychological comfort zone even when its achieving a thermal comfort. An
example can be, New York City, NY. The height and building density in its urbanism
protects efficiently sun radiation in summer, but at some spaces it can feel
claustrophobic and dark even though having a bright day.
Finally, Karla Grijalva, from Arizona State University completed a thesis titled:
“Associative Design for Building Envelopes; Sun Control and Shading Devices”.
She explains the importance of using shading systems for the better performance of
Energy Use on Buildings. She expresses that openings on a building's envelope can
contribute to solar heat gain if openings are not well protected nor have a high
performance glazing for reducing solar heat gain [image 8]. Ms. Grijalva also includes that solar
control in buildings not only helps on energy balance, it also helps on reducing power
use. Ms Grijalva’s expressions are accurate regarding the need for sun protection in
tropical climates in order to be responsible on energy consumption. It might have help
her tesis to include what might be a negative aspect on using complete shading
systems in tropics, regarding material, methods or technologies.
It’s clear how complex can be to achieve thermal comfort in a tropical climate.
Personally is a balance game that can be achieve with simple natural aspects and
decisions. Vernacular architecture have taught us a lot on it. But testing today’s century
method is never a bad idea for growth.
SOURCES:
• Muñiz, Pedro. Enfoque Biotropical para la Arquitectura en Puerto Rico. San Juan, Puerto Rico, Dr. Pedro Muñiz, 2011
• Rohinton, Emmanuel. An Urban Approach to Climate-Sensitive Design, Strategies for the Tropics. Abingdon, Oxon & New York,NY, 2005
• Olgyay, Aladar and Victor. Solar Control & Shading Devices. Princeton, New Jersey, 1957
• Grijalva, Karla. Associative Design for Building Envelopes. Sun Control and Shading Devices. Arizona State University, Arizona, USA, 2012
• Muñiz, Pedro. Enfoque Biotropical para la Arquitectura en Puerto Rico. San Juan, Puerto Rico, Dr. Pedro Muñiz, 2011
• Rohinton, Emmanuel. An Urban Approach to Climate-Sensitive Design, Strategies for the Tropics. Abingdon, Oxon & New York,NY, 2005
• Olgyay, Aladar and Victor. Solar Control & Shading Devices. Princeton, New Jersey, 1957
• Grijalva, Karla. Associative Design for Building Envelopes. Sun Control and Shading Devices. Arizona State University, Arizona, USA, 2012