A TROPICAL RESIDENTIAL BUILDING: TOWARDS ARCHITECTURE THROUGH PASSIVE DESIGN

ABSTRACT Passive design is a way of using the sun advantage for heating and cooling based from the design of the building. As residential building continuous to become more economical on building especially on urban places here in tropical countries, many changes may be made for the design and construction of building to make it more sustainable and comfortable for living. This review focus on the development of passive solar applications by considering principles of passive design to attain natural ventilation, building orientation and thermal mass of the residential building. This case study represents or tells information on how to attain passive design in tropical countries. It is essential to develop an understanding of passive design in order to be equipped for the years to come.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The aim of this study is based upon climate consideration for designing a residential building in tropical climate like here in the Philippines. This study may carry out empirical research through case study on passive design in the design of the residential building which can consider the attempts to control comfort in heating and cooling without consuming much electricity. The case study aims how can a residential building may convert or achieve passive design through by: considering based upon climate; using orientation of building to control heat gain and heat loss and; using the shape of the building to control the flow of air inside the building.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION Passive energy is more sustainable than active energy systems because passive systems use far fewer natural resources to build and maintain. They do not rely so heavily upon gas for heating or coolants for air conditioning. Passive systems are designed so that they can take natural energy from the sun to heat a building and use specific design principles to cool a building. Passive energy systems are also cheaper than active systems because they are less susceptible to malfunction since they rely completely upon nature, rather than using mechanical equipment to produce energy. In order to create a home that will maximize the effects of passive solar heating, a designer must take many different variables into account. Two major ideas crucial to creating effective passive solar housing are orientation and materials. Passive solar buildings should be oriented to receive as much southern sun as possible. In the summer, the hot sun can be blocked by using overhangs or through landscaping like large foliated trees. In the winter, sun should help heat the house because the sun angle is lower in the sky allowing more sun to hit the glazing more directly. Thought should also be given to the specifications of the windows for maximum solar gains and heat loss. By using the right building materials such as masonry or concrete and combining them with effective insulation, solar energy can be contained in the house allowing it to be comfortable year

Context The case study had consider the passive design to minimize the cost on electric bill, gain natural ventilation, building orientation, comfortable internal environment, gain natural heat and deflects extreme heat of the sun. Cost is a very important factor for designing sustainable architecture. Passive design may minimize the electric bill of a residential house because of the natural energy gain of the building through the natural ventilation inside the building through air flow and by using orientation of trees near the building for the cooling effect of air flow going to the building. This can minimize using mechanical devices for cooling like air-conditioning unit. Through orientation of the building and shape of the building may gain heat or heat loss and control air flow. During summer, there are ways to gain heat loss by providing roof air vent or ceiling louvers to create thermal comfort during summer to insulate extreme heat.

Definition of Terms Passive Design attempts to control comfort without using fuels and based upon climate considerations Heat a form of thermal energy resulting from combustion, chemical reaction, friction, or movement Heat Gain to the increase in temperature in a space, object or structure Heat Loss the heat that flows from the building interior, through the building envelope to the outside environment Orientation the position of a building with respect to the sun, a concept in building design Passive Energy natural energy that's harnessed to achieve a desired goal Natural Ventilation the process of supplying and removing air through an indoor space without using mechanical systems

Relevant Theories The primary design theory of passive solar design is collect heat from sun light directly by allowing it to enter through windows while at the same time minimize heat loss through windows where the sun is not prevalent. In the northern hemisphere this means a large number of big windows on the south side with minimal or no windows on the other three sides (http://www.naturallifenetwork.com/home/passivesolar.asp).

Research that has Already Taken Place The Passive House concept represents today's highest energy standard with the promise of slashing the heating energy consumption of buildings by an amazing 90%. Widespread application of the Passive House design would have a dramatic impact on energy conservation. Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that buildings are responsible for 48% of greenhouse gas emissions annually and 76% of all electricity generated by U.S. power plants goes to supply the Building Sector. It has been abundantly clear for some time that the Building Sector is a primary contributor of climate-changing pollutants, and the question is asked: How do we best square our building energy needs with those of our environment and of our pocketbook? In the realm of super energy efficiency, the Passive House presents an intriguing option for new and retrofit construction; in residential, commercial, and institutional projects (http://www.passivehouse.us/passiveHouse/PassiveHous eInfo.html).

A Passive House is a very well-insulated, virtually air-tight building that is primarily heated by passive solar gain and by internal gains from people, electrical equipment, etc. Energy losses are minimized. Any remaining heat demand is provided by an extremely small source. Avoidance of heat gain through shading and window orientation also helps to limit any cooling load, which is similarly minimized. An energy recovery ventilator provides a constant, balanced fresh air supply. The result is an impressive system that not only saves up to 90% of space heating costs, but also provides a uniquely terrific indoor air quality (http://www.passivehouse.us/passiveHouse/PassiveHouseI nfo.html).

A Passive House is a comprehensive system. "Passive" describes well this system's underlying receptivity and retention capacity. Working with natural resources, free solar energy is captured and applied efficiently, instead of relying predominantly on active systems to bring a building to zero energy. High performance triple-glazed windows, super-insulation, an airtight building shell, limitation of thermal bridging and balanced energy recovery ventilation make possible extraordinary reductions in energy use and carbon emission. (http://www.passivehouse.us/passiveHouse/PassiveHouseInfo.htm l).

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Passive design is applied for a residential building considering the orientation, overhangs and shading, insulation, windows and thermal mass. For considering these factors of passive design, the study may aim the main objective of the case study, to achieve and consider the passive design for attaining tropical residential building.

History and Development Passive design, an idea of green building, is a creative way of using the sun advantage of both heating and cooling based from building orientation. Ancient cultures considered factors of passive design such as solar orientation, thermal mass, and ventilation in the construction of residential dwellings. Greeks and Chinese first employed fully developed solar architecture and urban planning methods who oriented their buildings toward south to provide light and warmth. Also, Roman bathhouses had large south facing windows.

Mission and Purpose Preparing such case study on passive design attempts to achieve the goal of this study. The main objective of the case study is to achieve the passive design on tropical residential buildings especially on tropical countries like Philippines. The purpose of this case study was to minimize usage of mechanical cooling and to lessen the usage of electricity of residential building. Passive design may also be the way of attaining heating and cooling in natural way through the environment and natural ventilation of air flow of the residential building.

Principles Passive solar seems simple enough conceptually; it is the balance of all components that make it work year round. It is the balance of glass to mass and appropriate shading with natural ventilation strategies that makes the house work as a system (http://www.greenbuilding.com/knowledge-base/principles-passive-solardesign). The following list of principles should help guide the passive solar design process. 1) Orient the house within 30 degrees of due south 2) Super-insulate the house 3) Design the size of south glazing to meet the heat loss of the house 4) Configure thermal mass to absorb sunlight 5) Determine appropriate overhangs for all south glass 6) Limit east, west, and north glass while providing for cross-ventilation 7) Design appropriate shading strategies for east and west glass 8) Calculate the backup heating and cooling required

Orient the house within 30 degrees of due south

Super-Insulate the house

Design the size of south glazing to meet the heat loss of the house

Configure thermal mass to absorb sunlight

Determine appropriate overhangs for all south glass

PROGRAM ANALYSIS Lessons Learned The case study shows how can a residential building may accommodate a natural lighting, natural ventilation, solar heating, air cooling and less cost on electric bill through architecture by considering passive design on a residential house.

building. The aim of this study is based upon climate consideration for designing a residential building in tropical climate like here in the Philippines. The case study had consider the passive design to minimize the cost on electric bill, gain natural ventilation, building orientation, comfortable internal environment, gain natural heat and deflects extreme heat of the sun. This case study concludes that applying passive design may consider some principles to achieve the main goal of having a passive residential building in tropical countries. These principles are: Building orientation which to maximize energy production in a passive solar home. Because passive solar homes rely on natural sunlight to power the buildings utilities, the building should be oriented on the site in a way that will allow it to maximize the amount of sunlight and; Thermal mass which is another important concept to keep in mind when dealing with energy efficient housing. It is important for these types of homes to be built with materials that have a large amount of thermal mass.

REFERENCES A. Books Button, David and Brian Pye, ed. Glass in Building. Reed Int'l Books, Boston 1993 Desbarats, Guy, Low energy Building Design Awards and Competition, Minister, Canada, 1980 Hibshman, Dan. Your Affordable Solar Home, Sierra Club Books, San Francisco, 1983 B. Electronic Sources http://www.eslarp.uiuc.edu/arch/ARCH371-F99/groups/k/solar.html http://thekitchenworks.net/20/4-passive-design http://www.passivehouse.us/passiveHouse/PassiveHouseInfo.html http://www.esru.strath.ac.uk/EandE/Web_sites/0910/Hybrid_systems/passivedesign.pdf http://www.naturallifenetwork.com/home/passivesolar.asp http://www.greenbuilding.com/knowledge-base/principles-passive-solardesign#1 http://uncw.edu/csurf/Explorations/documents/ScottBarber.pdf