asian architecture case study

The Importance of Environmental Aspects in Regards to Selecting Materials to Assure the Sustainabilityof Sekeping Terasek retreat house, Bangsar

Asian Architecture [ARC 2213/2234]

PROJECT 1: CASE STUDY

Paper Title

NAME: EVELYN PAUL

STUDENT ID: 0311619

LECTURER: Mrs Sharianne

SUBMISSION DATE: 9th June 2015

ARC 2213/2234 Asian Architecture 1


The Importance of Environmental Aspects in Regards to Selecting

Materials to Assure the Sustainability of Sekeping Terasek retreat

house, Bangsar

Abstract .........2

1.0 Introduction .........3

2.0 Sustainable Architecture .........4

2.1 The Hot & Humid Climate .........5

3.0 Sustainability of Clay Bricks and Concrete in an Urban Context

3.1 Properties of Clay Bricks ……7

3.2 Properties of Concrete ……9

3.3 Selecting Clay Bricks and Concrete ..…11

4.0 Other Possible Materials which can Replace Current Materials

to Further Improve Sustainability of Retreat Houses

…..12

5.0 Conclusion ….14

6.0 References ….15

Table of Contents Page



Abstract

Retreat houses, similar to the Sekeping Terasek retreat house, will almost

always be built to be sustainable in its surrounding context. Materials play a very big

role in the sustainability of a building, be it in the structure itself or even in the

maintenance of the building. Though concrete and clay bricks can be extremely

reliable, sturdy, and sustainable materials, it is also not the easiest to maintain based

on the site context. However, since Sekeping Terasek is situated in the midst of a

concrete jungle, it is reliable enough as sustainable materials for the retreat house. It is

evident throughout the entirety of the Sekeping Terasek retreat house, in the interior,

the exterior, the living spaces as well as the roof terrace that the environmental aspect

played a huge role when materials selected, and were based purely to aid in the

sustainability of the building. The sustainability of the building can be evaluated by both

personal observation as well as research on materials by asking the maintenance

management about how the building is kept at its best. For example, the outer body of

the building will show more clay bricks than concrete. Eventually, sun damage can

cause the colour of these exterior bricks to fade if the concrete bricks are surface

painted, then chipping or other wear and tear may reveal discoloration. Clay tends to

retain colour and structural appeal much longer than cement. Thus, cement bricks may

not be worthwhile if long-term visual appeal is considered, seeing that the retreat house

is situated in the city where it is almost always sunny and barely shaded except by the

greens set there. Sustainability of materials are to be considered in every aspect as the

retreat house is clearly designed to please its new-comers and regular visitors

aesthetically as well as to make them feel comfortable when made present in the

building. Therefore, taking the environmental aspect as a major part in selection of

materials for the retreat house creates a very sustainable and viable building in its

context.



1.0 Introduction

It is hot and humid in Malaysia throughout the year and this conditions call into

question whether our normal ways of dealing with our climate (using primarily insulation

and air conditioning for cooling) is the only economical and ecological approach to

these climate extremes. The selection of materials for a retreat house considers

sustainability as its first factor. This is attained by looking into the environmental

aspects of the location of the building. This demonstrates how the environment

(climate) integrates with the properties of materials to ensure the sustainability of a

building. The materials used in the Sekeping Terasek retreat house are very industrial,

but represents how it’s selected to support sustainability according to hot and humid

climate of the concrete jungle of its location at Bangsar.

This paper will study the importance of considering the environmental aspects in

regards to selecting materials to assure the sustainability of Sekeping Terasek retreat

house by responding these questions:

Question 1 : How does the site context play a part in the selection of materials used?

Question 2 : How do the selection of materials affect the spaces within the building?

Question 3 : What are the properties of clay brick and how is it sustainable for

Sekeping Terasek retreat house?

Question 4 : What are the properties of concrete and how is it sustainable for

Sekeping Terasek retreat house?



2.0 Sustainability in Architecture

The meaning of the word sustainable in the Oxford Dictionary is defined as ‘to

be able to be maintained at a certain level or rate’, ‘preserving an ecological

balance by avoiding depletion of natural resources’. In Kyoto 1997, scientists and

policy makers around the world met and agreed by 2010 that greenhouse gas

emissions should be reduced to a level approximately five percent lower than

1990 levels. Ever since then, the world concentrated on debating the value and

responsibilities or sustainable behaviour. Sustainability in Architecture also means

Eco- housing, green development and sustainable design.

Rocky Mountain Institute in its ‘Primer on Sustainable Building’ describes it as

“taking less from the Earth and giving more to people”. In other words, green

housing can vary from being energy efficient, using nontoxic interior finishes to

being constructed of recycled materials or completely powered by the sun. For

Asian context, supported by the book ‘Greening Asia’ by Nirmal Kishnani, he

offers six principles of sustainable architecture that are food for thought:

Efficacy – Seeking long term effectiveness

Ecology - Respecting and repairing networks

Wellness – Connection with outdoors, community, and nature

Embeddedness – Local reliance and self-sufficiency

Advocacy – Building as a cultural force

Integration – Aligning process towards performance

In pictures shown throughout this report, one will notice that there are simply 2

materials used in the whole building, which are presented in its rawness, baring its

properties.



2.1 The Hot and Humid Climate

Humidity and heat make a perfect duo when it comes to testing the limits of

materials in construction. The heat at the location (Bangsar) of the retreat house is

much more intense because the surrounding area consists of lesser trees and it is a

densely populated area.

When the air inside a building is either too dry or moist, you feel it. Moist air

feels sticky and clammy, and dry air escapes you reaching for hydration. So, the level

of comfort is affected by humidity. However, we aren’t the only one affected by the

levels of humidity in a building. Too much or too little humidity can cause a host of

structural and indoor air quality issues, as well. That’s why it’s important to control the

level of humidity within the building, and keep it within a desirable range.

Places that are close to sea or oceans have a humid climate as there is a large

amount of water vapour in the air. What happens is that land and water don’t get

heated at the same rate. The temperature of land heats up faster so it emits the energy

that heats the air above land, which results in the air above the land getting warmer

faster than air above the water bodies. Hot air is lighter so it moves upwards and the

surrounding air above the seas rushes to take its place which has lots of water vapour

in it. This is the reason for humidity. One more reason for that is the fact that Malaysia

is by the Equator, which is more or less where the light from the sun is exposed most

directly. The Earth is slanted in the sun’s direction, so hence the heat from the sun is

best received there.



In hot and humid climate regions, high temperatures are accompanied by very

high humidity levels leading to immense discomfort. It is hot and humid in Malaysia

throughout the year and this conditions call into question whether our normal ways of

dealing with our climate (using primarily insulation and air conditioning for cooling) is

the only economical and ecological approach to these climate extremes. Adequate

sharing measures are also necessary to protect the building from direct solar radiation.

In a nutshell, the climate can’t be changed, but the building can be kept sustainable by

looking into how these materials react and function under these circumstances.



3.0 Clay Bricks and Concrete in an Urban Context

3.1 Properties of Clay Bricks

Brick is used for an enormously wide variety of applications in an equally

extensive range of building and engineering structures. In particular, it can be used for

load bearing structures which greatly simply the construction process so as to save

materials, time and labour. Besides, brick can be make into convenient shape and size

to facilitate the construction work. It is very flexible and handy in application almost

everywhere.

In terms of

colour, standard

brick give more

natural red

colour compared

to cement bricks

which gives out a

very dull colour.

However, this

could be an

advantage for

clay bricks as nowadays different colour schemed and textures are available to meet

the design criteria. Using red bricks enhance the looks of the building to add to the

aesthetics. Red bricks are sustainable because at the Sekeping Terasek retreat house,

it is used mostly at the ground floor and outside. This is because of the high thermal

mass properties of clay bricks, which maintains a steady level of heat energy for a

prolonged period.

The main factors that encourage the use of clay brick in this environment are as

follows:


Entrance of the retreat house


FIRE RESISTANCE - Clay brickwork does not burn when exposed to bushfire

and can help protect the more combustible items inside a house.

This ensures that if a fire were to break out at the Sekeping Terasek retreat

house, the building will most probably be still standing due to the resistance that

the clay brick provide.

HIGH COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH AND STRUCTURAL CAPABILITY - Clay

brickwork walls can support relatively high loads such as suspended concrete

slabs. Clay brickwork is commonly used in four-storey construction and with

suitable detailing can be used for loadbearing walls in much higher buildings.

THERMAL MASS - Clay brickwork has high thermal mass. If a building with

interior clay brickwork walls and concrete floors is exposed to a heating and

cooling cycle that crosses the comfort zone, the brickwork and concrete will

sustain a stable level of heat energy for an extended period.

SOUNDS INSULATION - Due to their mass, clay bricks provide brilliant sound

insulation, mostly for low frequency noise.

SUSTAINABILITY (ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS) - Clay brick manufacture

uses energy but the investment of embodied energy is repaid by the longevity

of the material. Clay brick homes have a long life and low maintenance costs

making them a potentially sustainable form of construction.

Dining Room at the Ground floor



3.2 Properties of Concrete

Concrete is robust which gives the opportunity to strip down a building

repeatedly to its structural framework, for refurbishment and redesign. Concrete

foundation components from a building can also be reclaimed for another application in

a new building. When concrete is considered as a material for the building, these

factors come as an advantage seeing that as a retreat house where the building is

utilised at all times, it is much needed so that the rustic aesthetics of the building can

be maintained (rather than looking abandoned down with moss growing between

cracks or along the corners of the walls of the retreat house) with no trouble.

Since the concrete part of the building is likely to be demolished due to planning

changes and usage changes rather than physical condition (for example, durability),

the selected material should be suitable for deconstruction and reuse, thus it is

therefore important. A key

to more sustainable

concrete structures is

maximising the potential to

which they can be stripped

back to their concrete

core, and then rebuilt.

Part of a building’s

endurance is the ability of

its component elements to

repel extreme weather events, such as flooding. As a consequence of climate change,

flooding is predicted to become more frequent in New Zealand (Camilleri, 2000).

Concrete’s water resistance as a building material means that the re-occupancy of a

building can occur quickly, as cleaning, drying and repair is minimised. At most,

concrete would only require low cost cosmetic repair. This making it very much flexible

to work with when refurbishing is needed.

The best known properties of concrete are as follows:


Bedroom looking out into the “courtyard”


STRENGTH - Concrete structures can withstand natural disasters such as

earthquakes and hurricanes

LOW MAINTAINENCE -Concrete, being

compact, non-porous, and inert does not

invite mold or lose its key properties over

time

LOW LIFE-CYCLE CO2 EMISSION - 80%

of a buildings Carbon Dioxide emissions are generated not from the

construction of the materials used in its construction, but from the electrical

utilities of the building over its life-cycle

LOCALLY PRODUCE AND USED - the relative expense of land transport

usually limits cement and concrete sales to within 300km of a plant site. Very

little cement and concrete is traded and transported internationally. This saves

significantly on transport emissions of CO2 that would otherwise occur.

FIRE PERFORMANCE - Concrete does not burn or melt and it also does not

produce smoke, release toxic gases or leak molten material (Concrete Centre,

2004). Concrete structural elements are known to have superior inherent fire

performance as not only are they non-combustible, but an endothermic reaction

occurs within the cement paste during a severe fire.

3.3 Selecting Clay Bricks and ConcreteARC 2213/2234 Asian Architecture 11


From the research as stated previously, it is clear that clay bricks and concrete

are indeed the right materials selected for the Sekeping Terasek retreat house. When

compared with other commonly used materials such as wood, glass, etc.

Using wood for the structure in that urban environment will cause

inconvenience for maintenance because it is very much exposed to the sun and the

rain. This of course will cause the wood to reek and therefore is not sustainable to be

used to build in that surrounding environment. Using glass would not be sustainable as

well as it will not assist the thermal comfort for the retreat house seeing that the street

the Sekeping Terasek retreat house is located at is very much exposed to the heat

from the sun.

It is clear as day that the selected materials were the most appropriate for the

Sekeping Terasek retreat house. After surveying the environment, the other building

surrounding site context also use concrete and clay brick. Both of these materials work

well under harsh weather and therefore making the house very much sustainable as

the users comfort and also structure.



4.0 Other Possible Materials which can Replace Current

Materials to Further Improve Sustainability of Retreat

Houses

After much research, instead of using regular concrete, Autoclaved Aerated

Concrete would be the next best replacement. Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) is

made up of fine aggregates, cement, and an expansion agent which causes the fresh

mixture of concrete to rise like bread dough. AAC does not easily degrade structurally

when open to moisture, but its thermal performance may have negative effects. As a

matter of fact, this type of concrete has 80% air. The material is moulded and cut into

precisely dimensioned units when it is made. There are many advantages that AAC

has which will be suitable for the Sekeping Terasek retreat house; and they are:

Autoclaved aerated concrete combines structural capability and insulation in

one material for walls, floors, and

roofs. Its light weight/sponge like

properties make it almost effortless

to shape, cut, or even shave, it

welcomes screws and nails readily,

and also allows it to be directed to

form rushes for electrical channels

and smaller-diameter plumbing runs. This allows design and construction

flexibility at the Sekeping Terasek retreat house, and to be able to make easy

adjustments in the field.

Dimensional Stability & Durability. The cement-based material, AAC resists

water, moss, mildew, rot, and pests. Units are accurately moulded and imitate o

tight tolerances.

R-values for AAC are comparable to conventional frame walls which mean that

it is light weight, but they have greater thermal mass, provide air tightness, and

as already mentioned, are not flammable. The light weight also aids as sound

reduction for privacy, both from outdoor noises and from other rooms within the

house when used as partition walls for the interior.



Components can be used for walls, floors, and roof of the Sekeping Terasek

retreat house as the lightweight material offers excellent sound and thermal insulation,

and like all cement-based materials, is strong and fire resistant; thus making it a good

replacement for concrete. The purposely lightweight nature of AAC makes it prone to

impact damage. With the surface protected to resist moisture penetration it is not

affected by harsh climatic conditions and does not degrade under normal atmospheric

conditions and therefore further supports the reason to be used in the environment the

Sekeping Terasek retreat house is located at.



5.0 Conclusion

Often times, surrounding environments serve only 1 purpose, which is to solve

the problem of thermal comfort and provide picturesque views. However, Ng Sek San

has shown us that its effects impact the selection of materials. In a building where the

materials are an integral part of the user’s experience, the quality of how sustainable it

is in its selected location goes to show that the surrounding plays the biggest role in

one’s entire experience at a retreat house.

The involvement of the environment in the Sekeping Terasek retreat house is

fundamental in providing the building with the necessary reasons towards selection of

material to allow the retreat house to fully engage in its sustainable structure, as well as

engaging with the architecture both interior and exterior and the living spaces within the

building.



6.0 References

Paulo B. Lourenco, F. M. (2010). Handmade clay bricks : chemical, physical and mechanical properties. 37.

Sustainable Materials. (2015). Retrieved June 5, 2015, from Welcome to sustainable materials: http://www.sustainablematerials.org.uk/

The properties of clay bricks. (2012, July 22). Retrieved June 9, 2105, from Clay Brick For good: http://www.claybrick.org/content/properties-clay-brick

ThinkBrick Australia. (n.d.). Retrieved June 5, 2015, from The properties of clay masonry units: http://www.thinkbrick.com.au/system/uploads/files/11/original.pdf?1407727685

World Business Council for Sustainable Development. (2014). Retrieved June 5, 2014, from Properties Of Concrete: http://www.wbcsdcement.org/index.php/en/key-issues/sustainability-with-concrete/properties-of-concrete


http://www.wbcsdcement.org/index.php/en/key-issues/sustainability-with-concrete/properties-of-concrete

http://www.wbcsdcement.org/index.php/en/key-issues/sustainability-with-concrete/properties-of-concrete


ARC 2213/2234 ASIAN ARCHITECTUREPROJECT 1 LITERATURE REVIEWFINAL ESSAY MARKING SHEET (20%)

Name :Lecturer :

CRITERIA 1 2 3 4 5 TOTALUnsatisfactory Developing Satisfactory Proficient Excellent (100%)

Content (40%)

No evidence of thesis statement

Has written a thesis statement (at least inferable), using appropriate language (although not necessarily with the best choice of words); may use passive voice verb(s)

Has written a thesis statement (at least inferable), using appropriate language (although not necessarily with the best word choice); at least one active verb

Has an understandable thesis statement, using some strong language, active verb(s), and appropriate descriptive words and / or phrases

Has a clear thesis statement, using strong language, active verb(s), and appropriate descriptive words and / or phrases

Consequences of the issue are absent

Consequences of issue are vague or confusing

At least one consequences of the issue is presented

Short and long term implications of this issue are presented

Short and long terms implications of issue are clearly outlined and linked together

Discussions and/or recommendations are absent or confusing

Discussions and/or recommendations are absent or inappropriate

One general discussion and/or recommendation is presented

One or two appropriate discussions and/or recommendations are presented

Two or more thoughtful discussions and/or recommendations are convincingly presented

Organization (20%)

Arrangement of details and ideas is confusing

Arrangement of details and ideas is unclear

Details and ideas are roughly arranged in a workable order

Details and ideas are well organized with a beginning, middle and end

Details and ideas are carefully arranged to add interest and clarity

Ideas are aimless and unconnected

Writing is very disorganized and few ideas are connected

Writing is sometimes off topic

Ideas generally relate to the discussions and recommendations being presented

Ideas and details build towards a convincing argument for the discussion and recommendations

Many run-ons, fragments and awkward phrasings making it hard to read the paper

Sentences are often awkward and/or contain run-ons and fragments

Sentences are generally well constructed but there may be one or two run-on, fragments or awkward sentences

Sentences are complete and well-constructed. There are attempts at making the writing interesting

Sentences are clear, complete and of varying lengths. Writing is interesting and convincing

Writing Communication is Communication is Communication There are a Correct spelling,



Conventions (20%)

unclear due to many errors

occasionally interrupted by the errors made

is generally clear despite some errors

couple of spelling, punctuation and/or grammatical errors

punctuation and grammar

No evidence of sources

Uses at least 2 sources evenly in the paper




APA Citations (20%)

Paper has more than 4 parenthetical errors

Paper has no more than 4 parenthetical errors



Paper has no more than 1 parenthetical error

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