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TROPICAL DESIGN NOTES

1. CLIMATE
– defined a region with certain temperature, dryness, wind, light etc.
– an integration in time of the atmospheric environment of a certain geographical location
Weather and climatic forces are products of solar radiation. The atmosphere of the earth absorbs solar
energy, which in turn warms the planet’s surface. The air close to the surface is heated and rises,
creating low pressure. As the earth is not heated evenly, pockets of relatively high and low pressures are
formed over its surface and wind is a direct consequence of this pressure differential, as air is moved
from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.

CLIMATIC FACTORS
1. Solar Radiation
a. UV radiation
b. Visible Light
c. Short Infra-Red Radiation (Radiant Heat)
2. Tilt of the Earth’s Axis
3. Thermal Balance
4. Winds
5. Topography

CLIMATIC ELEMENTS
1. Solar Radiation – absorbs direct scattered source of almost all earth’s energy occurs in short
wavelengths
Radiant Heat Affects the Structures
a. Direct Short Wave Radiation
b. Diffused Short Wave Radiation
c. Reflected Short Wave Radiation
d. Long Wave Radiation (From heated ground and surrounding structures)
2. Air Temperature – annual, monthly and diurnal maximum and minimum temperature
DRY BULB TEMPERATURE (DBT) - This is the measurement of the temperature of the air and as far as
possible excludes any radiant temperature. It is always measured in the shade. DBT is measure using
a thermometer and can either be in units of ºF or ºC.
3. Atmospheric Humidity
a. Absolute Humidity – amount of moisture present in the air (g/m3)
b. Specific Humidity – weight of unit vapor per unit weight of air (g/kg)
c. Vapor Pressure – partial pressure of water vapor present in the air
d. Relative humidity (RH) - refers to the amount of water in the air. RH is measured using a
hygrometer and can be in the form of Wet Bulb Temperature (WBT) in ºF or ºC or in Relative
Humidity (RH) in percent (%).
RH – abs. hum. X 100
saturation pt.
RH – Act. Amt of moisture present
Amt of moisture the air could hold
4. Precipitation – data in the form of total monthly rainfall of maximum rainfall during the 24 hr.
period. This is mainly rainfall but can also be in the form of dew. Precipitation is measured using rain
gauge in units of inches or centimeters.
5. Wind – The direction, frequency and force of the wind throughout the year.

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MICROCLIMATIC CONDITIONS
1. Time of day
2. Topography
3. Water
4. Ground Surfaces
5. Vegetation

2. WORLD CLIMATES
GENERAL TYPES OF CLIMATE
1. Hot Humid (Tropical)
2. Hot Arid
3. Temperate
4. Cold

THERMAL COMFORT
Human comfort as determined by the ability of the body to dissipate the heat and moisture it produces
by metabolic action.
Thermal comfort is a condition of both physical and mental well-being, and designers are responsible for
providing an internal climatic environment that can produce it. The ventilation of a building is directly
related to thermal comfort. By increasing the air velocity, the comfort zone shifts to a higher
temperature. This means that occupants of the building will feel more comfortable, even though the
building is not actual being cooled.

MICROCLIMATE
If a building is to relate to and gain from its environment, it is important to understand regional weather
patterns, but the microclimate of the area must also be carefully examined. The following factors can
alter the macroclimate to produce a quite different microclimate:

TIME OF DAY – Day and night will produce two quite different conditions sometimes reversing the
direction of the prevailing wind. This is particularly the case in mountainous regions, where air will rise
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up a mountain during the day and fall during the night. Large bodies of water can also have the effect of
reversing the wind flow as day turns to night.

VEGETATION AND SOIL TYPE – Vegetation can be produced enclosed conditions, either altering or
reducing the wind speed or direction. The heat capacity, color and water content soil will affect the
amount of heat absorption and therefore the ground temperature. This can have a significant effect on
the microclimate because the ground temperature influences pressure systems.

MAN-MADE STRUCTURES – The built environment can significantly alter a microclimate. Overall, wind
speed will be 25% lower in built-up areas, though very high local wind speeds can occur due to urban
canyons (buildings and streets that channel wind flow).

TOPOGRAPHY – Generally, wind speeds will increase with altitude. The steeper the slope of land, the
faster the temperature will drop at night, and this will alter the wind direction. The topography of the
earth’s surface has a major effect on microclimate, diverting or blocking winds, are therefore more
desirable than north-facing slopes.

PROXIMITY TO BODIES OF WATER – The proximity of land to a water mass will create air currents. Water
has a high heat capacity and therefore a large water mass will not absorb heat as quickly, but will retain
it longer than a similar area of land mass. Temperature changes over water therefore tend to be more
moderate and produce a different pressure system from that over land. This pressure difference can
generate daily alternating land and sea breezes.

TROPICAL CLIMATE
– those regions where heat is the dominant problem, where the annual mean temperature is not less than
20 degrees

TROPICAL DESIGN
This is concerned with countries where discomfort due to heat and humidity are the dominant problems.
Tropical Design is applicable to Tropical, Sub-Tropical and Equatorial Climates covering the Southeast Asian
Countries.

CHARACTERISTICS OF TROPICAL CLIMATES

1. Temperature – average mean temperature (dbt) 20 – 30 deg C
Small diurnal temperature change/range 2-5 deg C
2. Humidity Levels - 50% - 100% Relative Humidity
3. Wind Conditions – Slow Wind Flow
Average of 2 m/s
Prevailing Wind in the Philippines:
Amihan (NE) – November to April
Habagat (SW) - May to October
4. Sky Conditions – Overcast Sky most of the time
- a lot of reflected heat/ solar gain
6. Precipitation – high during the year – average of 1000mm/yr.
7. Others :
a. Climate conditions breed insects (flies, mosquitoes, termites)
b. Damp Ground Conditions

PROBLEMS IN AREAS WITH TROPICAL CLIMATES

1. HIGH TEMPERATURE LEVEL (HEAT)
- due to direct solar radiation--
- reflected solar radiation – heat gain
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- long wave radiation

- heat transfer (convection)
- others
2. HIGH HUMIDITY LEVELS
- water content in the air an on the body does not evaporate as fast resulting in very low comfort
levels
3. SLOW WIND VELOCITIES
4. HIGH PRECIPITATION LEVELS DURING RAINY DAYS
HIGH INCIDENCE OF TYPHOONS
5. ABUNDANCE OF INSECTS AND RODENTS
6. DAMP GROUND CONDITIONS

Design Objectives in Tropical Climates:

1. Minimize Heat Gain
a. Protect from Direct and Reflected Solar Radiation within a given urban or interior space.
b. Prevent occurrence of Long Wave Radiation within a given urban or interior space.
c. Prevent materials from storing heat/ Protect materials from heat gain.
2. Maximize Ventilation (but protect from typhoon wind)
3. Prevent unnecessary increase in humidity levels
-avoid use of water element within a given urban or interior space
4. Have good drainage systems to accommodate high precipitation during the year.
5. Protect spaces from insects and rodents.

3. HEAT TRANSFER
A designer’s objective is to create comfort conditions within the structure, within the enclosed
space. Comfort, though is greatly affected by heat coming into or going out of the space. This
process of heat transfer must be understood by the designer.
Heat transfer in buildings may take place in four (4) different ways.

CONDUCTION
Conduction is the flow of heat through a material by transfer from warmer to cooler molecules in
contact with each other. The amount of heat which is conducted though solid materials will depend
in the conductivity; that is the rate of heat transfer that occurs through a unit thickness of material
for a unit area subjected to a unit difference in temperature.

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CONVECTION
Convection is the transfer of heat from one place to another by the flow of molecules from one
place to another. The flow of heat in fluids (liquids or gases) can either be by natural convection that
is the movement of the molecules as a result of the heat energy they possess (i.e. hot air rising) or
forced convection which results from the movement of fluids by pumps, fans or other movement
caused by external forces. The rate of flow of heat due to natural conditions is usually measured by
the conductance of a surface or an air movement to a building construction.
RADIATION
Radiation is the transfer of energy through space by electromagnetic waves. Radiation travels
through air and the rate of transfer of energy is independent of the temperature of the air. The rate
of radiation transfer is measured in Watts per square meter. The rate of flow of radiant heat from
the sun can be found from the radiation overlay when it is placed over the sun path diagram.
EVAPORATION AND CONDENSATION
Heat can also be absorbed or given out when materials alter their state, that from gas to liquid, etc.
The evaporation of water absorbs energy to change it from liquid to vapor form. This cooling effect
can be used in and around buildings by arranging pools of water, fountains, planting or simply
sprinkling water on the ground. All these methods are found in hot dry climates where water will
evaporate readily.

4. PASSIVE COOLING SYSTEM

A cooling system using a building’s design and construction to maintain a comfortable temperature
within the building
Passive design is essentially low-energy design achieved by the building’s particular morphological
organization rather than electro-mechanical means.
Some passive cooling methods used in building design are:
1. Building configuration, site layout and site planning
2. Building orientation
3. Façade design
4. Solar Control devices (Sun shading devices)
5. Wind and natural ventilation
6. Others : Passive daylight devices, Building envelope color, Vertical Landscaping

BUILDING CONFIGURATION, SITE LAYOUT and SITE PLANNING

A building can be protected from direct

sunlight by placing it on a location within
the site that utilizes existing features such
as trees.

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BUILDING ORIENTATION

In tropical countries such as the

Philippines, it is best to place service
areas in the west and east facing sides of
the building because these sides are
exposed to direct sunlight.

FACADE DESIGN
Double-layered façade – operates on the principle of using a ventilated
double “skin” with an intermediate shading device. The intermediate
shading device reflects out a majority of the incoming solar radiation back
through the external glass.
Low-emissivity glass(Low-e glass)- glass that transmits visible light while
selectively reflecting the longer wavelengths of radiant heat. This type of
glass is produced by depositing a low emissivity coating either on the
glass itself of over a transparent plastic film suspended in the sealed air
space of insulating glass.
Insulation – another effective way to reduce energy consumption in the
building, particularly in temperate and cold climates, is to increase
external wall insulation to reduce leakages and to lower the ratio of solid
glass area. Insulation reduces the rate that heat can flow through the
elements in which it is installed. In heated and cooled buildings, this will
result in significant energy savings and thermal comfort.

CHOOSING ROOF AND WALL MATERIALS FOR COMFORT IN HOT CLIMATES

In Northern European and American climates where cold winters are the
main thermal problem, standards have been developed for the insulation
which has to be provided to achieve comfortable conditions with
economy.
In climates where heat is the dominant problem, similar care must be taken when choosing wall and roofing
materials in order to achieve comfortable conditions
The first major difference between the heat loss in the cold climates ad heat gain in warm ones is that the
heat loss is considered as the transmission of heat from the air inside the building to the air outside.
Heat gain in tropics is due mainly to solar radiation at the surface and only a smaller extent the air
temperatures.
In hot climates, heat gains are highest when there are low wind speeds, and less heat is transferred to the
air and more to the building structure.
Since the major heat gain is from solar radiation, the absorptivity of the surface to solar radiation is of
primary importance when considering the proportion of heat received at the surface.
The amount of heat flowing out from buildings in cold climates is dependent on the difference in
temperature between air temperatures inside and outside buildings.
But in large areas of the equatorial zone, especially in equatorial regions the relative humidity are very high,
air movement is the most effective way of increasing comfort by encouraging the evaporation of sweat from
the skin.
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This air movement can be simply and economically achieved by designing buildings through which the wind
can pass, with a minimum obstruction. This causes the inside and outside temperatures to be very close. In
these cases, additional discomfort is caused by solar radiation which is absorbed at the outside surface and
transmitted through the roof or wall construction to the inside surface, which radiates heat to those inside
the building. The absorptivity and the insulation must be chosen to minimize the proportion of heat from
the sun which penetrates the structure when the air temperatures inside and outside are similar.
In the warm and humid tropics another aspect which should be considered especially in housing and
buildings used at night is that the materials chosen should not store the heat absorbed during the day.
They should be lightweight and cool down quickly in order to achieve the improved comfort conditions
required for sound sleep.

SOLAR CONTROL DEVICES (SUN SHADING DEVICES)

ALTITUDE SOLAR PATH DIAGRAM

The angular elevation SUMMER SOLSTICE
A graphicSUMMER
depiction SOLSTICE
of the path of the
of a celestial body sun withinThe
thetime
sky vault projected onto June
above the horizon. of year, on or about
a horizontal
21, plane.
when the sun reaches its
northernmost point on the celestial
sphere marking the beginning of
summer in the northern
hemisphere.
EQUINOX
Either of the two time during the year
when the sun crosses the plane of the
celestial equator and when the length of
day and night are everywhere
approximately equal; occurring about
March 21 (vernal equinox or spring
equinox) and September 21 (autumnal
equinox)
AZIMUTH WINTER SOLSTICE
The time of year, on or about December 21
when the sun reaches its southernmost
Point on the celestial sphere, marking the
beginning of winter in the northern hemisphere.

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SUN SHADING DEVICES

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SUN SHADING DEVICES

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Sun Shading Devices

HORIZONTAL TYPES
1. Horizontal overhangs are most efficient toward south of southern orientations. Their mask
characteristics are segmental.
2. Louvers parallel to wall have the advantage of permitting air circulation near the elevation. Slanted
louvers will have the same characteristics as solid overhangs, and can be retractable.
3. When projection is needed for low sun angles, louvers hung from solid horizontal overhangs are
efficient.
4. A solid, or perforated screen strip parallel to wall cuts out the lower rays of the sun.
5. Movable horizontal louvers change their segmental mask characteristics according to their
positioning.

VERTICAL TYPES
1. Vertical fins serve well toward the near east and near west orientations. Their mask characteristics
are radial.
2. Vertical fins oblique to wall will result in asymmetrical mask. Separation from wall will prevent heat
transmission.
3. Moveable fins can shade the whole wall, or open up in different directions according to the sun’s
position.

EGGCRATE TYPES
1. Eggcrate types are combinations of horizontal vertical types, and their masks are superimposed
diagrams of the two masks.
2. Solid eggcrate wind slanting vertical fins results in asymmetrical masks.
3. Eggcrate device with moveable horizontal elements shows flexible mask characteristics. Because of
their high shading ratio, eggcrate are efficient in hot climates.

SUN PATH DIAGRAM (MANILA)

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5. WIND AND NATURAL VENTILATION

Wind is a major design factor for architects. It greatly influences thermal comfort, modifying heat exchange
of a building envelope both in terms of convection and infiltration of air into the building. Understanding the
nature of wind, and in particular how site wind conditions will affect a building proposal, is crucial of a
construction is to be environmentally successful.

Local conditions to a large extent determine wind velocities, directions and temperatures. Information
about these, and how they vary with seasonal changes, must be obtained if design issues are to be handed
properly. The local weather station usually compiles this type of weather data.
Most areas of the world have a prevailing wind, but do not mean that these conditions occur all year round.
It is likely that wind directions will vary according to season and the prevailing temperature.

PREVAILING BREEZES AND AIR MOVEMENT

1. In Warm-Humid Climates, the feeling of discomfort is mainly attributed to high humidity: the
presence of more water vapor in the atmosphere.
2. One factor that can negate this is the wind factor. To experience comfort during periods of high
humidity, it is necessary that the human skin will feel breeze passing through at a certain velocity
(approx. 2.5 to 5.0 meters per second).
3. Buildings therefore must be oriented in such a way that to window side faces the prevailing breezes.
4. Corresponding openings in the leeward side must be carefully located to effect effective cross
ventilation of all areas.
5. Wind shadows must be anticipated in order to be assured that other areas are not deprived of
prevailing breezes.

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STACK EFFECT / CHIMNEY EFFECT

The tendency of air or gas in a shaft or other vertical space to rise when heated, creating a draft that
draws in cooler air or gas from below

CROSS VENTILATION
The circulation of fresh air through open windows, doors or other openings on opposite sides of a room

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Wind speeds increase with the height above the ground, and the smoothness of the ground surface. This
variation in wind speed is known as wind gradient.

As the wind passes over hills, there is an increase in wind speed on the windward side and a more
sheltered area in the leeward side.

Hills may cause strong draughts and turbulence for some distance in their wake.

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Although towns are “rough” and slow down the wind tail, buildings will often deflect strong winds down
to a lower level.

Permeable wind breaks do not give so much shelter immediately behind them but slow down wind for
some distance.

Solid wind breaks give more local shelter but also cause strong down draughts and give higher wind
speeds at low level than areas behind permeable ones.

If there are large expanses of hard ground surfaces outside buildings, the air will become heated, and
wind will pick up dust, etc.

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Trees and grass will keep the ground partially shaded and cooler.

Low bushes will restrict air movement at ground level, and will deflect the wind away from openings.

A traditional solution to these problems is to raise the building off the ground to avoid dust, etc. and to
reach the faster wind speeds at the higher level.

Bushes at low level can be used to deflect the wind into interiors which would otherwise suffer from low
wind speeds.

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If air movement is needed and the prevailing breeze is from

the west, buildings should not be oriented to catch both sun
and wind. The discomfort due to solar radiation will almost
always exceed the comfort due to air movement.

Also, air movement can be directed around corners to a

limited extent, while radiation travels in straight lines.

When the wind strikes the face to a building at more than 45 degrees to the normal, the internal wind
velocities will drop sharply. (if the windows are protected by mosquito nets this will be 40%)

If vertical fins, mullions, projecting crosswalls are used, internal velocities and distribution are improved
up to about 60%.

There are number of ways in which air movement affects

buildings. Air movement over the skin in warm humid
conditions encourages evaporation of sweat from the skin,
causing a cooling sensation and lowering the effective
temperature.

Air movement through a building can also prevent an

increase in internal air temperature due to internal heat
sources: people, lighting, equipment.

Air movement across the surfaces and in the air spaces can
reduce a heat build-up due to solar radiation. The radiation
will be greatest when wind speed in slowest, and air
movement though cavities does not affect heat transfer due
to radiation.

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If the inlet and outlet are at a high level, then the stream
of air passing across the room will be at high level.

If the outlet is lowered, then the stream of air is only

altered at the back of the room.

Air movement at the required height in the room can

only be achieved by positioning the inlet correctly.

If partitions are used which give visual privacy, they will

also prevent good air movement at low level.

If the inlet is larger that the outlet, the fastest wind

speeds will occur at just outside the outlet.

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If the inlet is smaller that the outlet, the fastest wind

speeds will occur in most areas inside the room.

When an opening is placed centrally on a façade and the wind

blows straight onto the face of the building, the air stream inside
the opening is in the same direction as the wind.

If the opening is not placed centrally, the areas of positive

pressure will be unequal on different sides of the opening and
the wind stream is deflected.

A central opening with a projection to one side will also have a

deflected air stream.

A slot between the wall and projection will allow the areas of
positive pressure on both sides of the opening to act on the wind
stream.

Louvers, open windows may also deflect air stream.

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High slab buildings cause a strong down draught

on the windward face. This causes high wind
speeds at low level. The wind streams separate,
the top third blowing upwards and the bottom two
thirds downwards.

A low building in front of the tall block causes even

stronger winds at low level.

Spaces under the building if it is on columns (piloti)

are likely to experience high velocities. Rain can be
blown up the face of the building.

The eddy on the lee side can cause smoke to be blown

downwards and onto the lee face of the building. The fast
velocities at ground level are in front of the building and at
the corners.

Buildings which require air movement must be

spaced so that the wind which is deflected
over them can return to low level.

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If they are too closely spaced, there will be a

large drop in the wind speeds in the
sheltered buildings. In these cases, the third
row may have more wind than the second.

Buildings laid out in regular rows will shade each other, and the wind will be channeled into the spaces
between them.

A staggered arrangement allows greater space between the first row and the building behind. Any
deflected wind is directed to the face of the next building.

Note: PLAN A and PLAN B-both plans have the same number of blocks in the same space.

As air flows around curved surfaces, it will tend to

follow the curve for a while d then break away. The
point at which it breaks away will depend partly on
the wind speed.

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The air stream, as it breaks away forms eddies. These

may form on alternative sides, setting up oscillations.
These may cause wires, chimneys and other cylindrical
shapes to vibrate or sway.

As air passes over curved surfaces, areas of suction are

set-up around the curve. This suction provides the “lift”
on an airplane wing and may also cause damage to
curved roofs if they are light and not well fixed.

In order to achieve an accurate representation of air flow around scale models of buildings with
curved surfaces in wind tunnels, it may be necessary to use a roughened surface. With square or hard
edged models, this is not necessary as the break away points occur at the edges of the flat surfaces.

A small inlet and a large outlet will result in a high maximum

speed, a medium average speed, a large are of low wind speed.

A small outlet with a large inlet will result in a medium

maximum speed, a medium average speed, a small area of low
wind speed.

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The percentage in the diagrams relate to the percentage

of the outside wind speed at the same height.
The average wind speed in the room will relate to the
size of the opening, expressed as a percentage of the
wall area, taking either the inlet or the outlet, whichever
is the smaller. The graph shows the percentage
increases fairly rapidly as the percentage opening area
increases from 0 to 20%. Above 30% increase in area,
the wind speed does not increase so fast. The graph
applies to rooms which are close to a square on plan,
where the wind blows directly onto the face of the
building. When the wind blows obliquely, the average
wind speed may be increased slightly, as shown in the
diagram.

WIND BEHAVIOR WITHIN A ROOM

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Definition of Terms
AIR-CHANGE – the replacement of the volume of air contained within a room with an equivalent
volume of fresh air within a given period of time. The term air-changes per-hour is often used to
specify ventilation standards,
ALTITUDE – the angular elevation of a celestial body above the horizon
ATTIC VENTILATOR – a wind motor-driven fan for assisting the natural flow through an attic space
AZIMUTH – angle between a line connecting the observer and the projection of the sun on the
horizon
BERM – man-made mound or small hill of earth
BRISE-SOLEIL – a screen, usually of louvers, placed on the outside a building to shield windows from
direct sunlight.
CHIMNEY EFFECT – the tendency of air or gas in a shaft or other vertical space to rise when heated,
creating a draft that draws in cooler air or gas from below
COMFORT ZONE – area between the upper and lower comfort limits, the range of effective
temperature over which the majority of adults feel comfortable
CONDUCTANCE (C) - similar to thermal conductivity except that it refers to heat transfer by
conduction through non-homogenous materials
CONDUCTION – the transfer of heat from the warmer to the cooler particles of a medium or of two
bodies in direct contact, occurring without perceptible displacement of the particles themselves.
CONVECTION – the transfer of heat by the circulatory motion of the heated parts of a liquid or gas
owing to a variation in density and the action of gravity
VENT- an opening, as in a wall, serving as an outlet for air, smoke, or the like
COMFORT ZONE – the range of dry-bulb temperature, relative humidity, mean radiant temperature
and air movement judged to be comfortable by AMERICANS and CANADIANS. This comfort zone
varies with climate, the season of the year, the type of clothing worn, and the activity level of the
individual. Also called comfort envelope.
CROSS VENTILATION – the circulation of fresh air through open windows, doors, or other openings
on opposite sides of a room.
EQUINOX – either of the two times during the year when the sun crosses the plane of the celestial
equator and when the length of day and night are everywhere approximately equal, occurring about
March 21(vernal equinox or spring equinox) and September 21 (autumn equinox)
FENESTRATION – a term used to signify an opening in a building to admit light and/or air
GLARE – an abundance of daylight that may cause problems with vision due to the angle of the light
GREENHOUSE EFFECT – refers to the characteristic tendency of some transparent materials such as
glass to transmit shorter than about 2.5 microns and block radiation of longer wavelengths
HUMIDITY – amount of water vapor suspended in air at a given temperature
INSULATION – materials or systems used to prevent loss or gain of heat, usually employing very
small dead air spaces to limit conduction or convection
LATITUDE – the angular distance north and south from the equator of a point on e earth’s surface,
measured in degrees along the meridian passing through the point
LONGITUDE – the angular distance east of west on the earth’s surface, measured from the prime
meridian at Greenwich, England, to the meridian of a given and expressed either in degrees or a
corresponding difference in time
MERIDIAN – a great circle on the earth’s surface passing through both geophysical poles
NATURAL VENTILATION - the process or ventilating a space by natural movement of air rather than
by mechanical means

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RADIATION – the process in which energy in the form of waves of particles is emitted by one body,
passed through an intervening medium or space and absorbed by another body
SHUTTER BLIND – a manually or electrically controlled exterior Venetian blind for protecting a
building interior from solar gain and glare.
SHUTTER PANEL – a louvered awning the metal fins of which are angled to shade a window from
direct sunlight and glare while preserving the outside view and admitting soft, diffused light.
SOLAR ENERGY – energy derived from the sun in the form of solar radiation
SOLAR ORIENTATION – the placing of a building in relation to the path of the sun, either to maximize
the amount of heat gained from solar radiation during the coldest months, or to minimize the
amount of heat gained in the warmest months
SOLAR PATH DIAGRAM – a graphic depiction of the path of the sun within the sky vault projected
onto a horizontal plane.
SOLAR SCREEN- a panel of miniature external louvers for shading a window from direct sunlight and
glare while allowing a high degree of visibility, daylighting, ventilation, visual daytime privacy and
insect protection.
SUMMER SOLSTICE – the time of the year, on or about June 21 when the sun reaches its
northernmost point on the celestial sphere, marking the beginning of summer in the northern
hemisphere
SUN CONTROL – any of various exterior devices for regulating t amount of solar heat and sunlight
that enters w window, consisting of moveable horizontal or vertical fins controlled manually or
operated automatically with time or photoelectric controls
SUN PATH DIAGRAM – diagram showing the position of the sun in the sky at different times of the
day and at different tomes of the year for a particular latitude
SUNSHADE – any various exterior devices consisting of fixed horizontal or vertical fins angled to
shield a window from direct sunlight
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY (K) – a measure of the ability of a given material to transmission heat
THERMAL COMFORT – Human comfort as determined by the ability of the body to dissipate the heat
and moisture it produces by metabolic action
THERMAL RESISTIVITY (1/K) – the reciprocal of conductivity
THERMAL RESISTANCE (R) – a measure of the ability of a material to resist heat flow is calculated as
the product of thermal resistivity (1/K) and thickness
TIME LAG – difference in time between the occurrence of the maximum external and the maximum
internal air temperature under conditions of periodic heat flow
TROPIC OF CANCER – a circular line parallel to the equator at + 23.5° north, denoting the most
northerly position of the earth sun line
TROPIC OF CAPRICORN – similar to the tropic of cancer but located at the southern hemisphere
U-VALUE (Coefficient of Heat Transfer) – a measure of the ability of a building section to transmit
heat
VENTILATION – replacement of used inside air by outside air measured in numbers of air changes
per hour
VENTURI EFFECT – the principle that the fluid velocity will increase and pressure will decrease while
passing through a constricted section of a tube with flared ends
WHOLE - HOUSE VENTILATOR – a motor driven fan for pulling stale air from the living areas of a
house and exhausting it through attic vents
WINTER SOLSTICE – the time of the year, on or about December 21, when the sun reaches its
southernmost point on the celestial sphere, marking the beginning of winter in the northern
hemisphere

Tropical Design Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Arch. Ticao College of Architecture and Fine Arts
Page 25 of 25

VENTILATE – to provide a room with fresh air to replace air that has been used or contaminated
VENTILATOR – a louvered opening or motor-driven fan for replacing stagnant air with fresh air
ZENITH – point on the celestial sphere directly overhead (90° from the horizon)

References:
Manahan, Geronimo V., Passive Cooling Technology for Buildings, UAP.
Handouts from the Center for the Designed Environment Professions (CDEP).

Prepared by:
Arch. Mar Lorence Ticao for Tropical Design, College of Architecture and Fine Arts, PUP

Tropical Design Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Arch. Ticao College of Architecture and Fine Arts