Tropical umbrella: manipulating shade and skin, Yeang suggests ways to make energy-efficient tropical offices.Research by design is a critical factor in the ongoing evolution of Ken Yeang's architecture. Smaller projects are used to test ideas that are then selectively applied to skyscrapers and other large building types. In a series of projects dating from the early Roof-Roof House of 1984 and to the more recent Guthrie Pavilion (AR October 1998). Yeang has explored the notion of the umbrella roof, which he suggests is the ideal analogy for a roof in the tropics tropics, also called tropical zone or torrid zone, all the land and water of the earth situated between the Tropic of Cancer at lat. 23 1-2°N and the Tropic of Capricorn at lat. 23 1-2°S. , being operable operable /op·er·a·ble/ (op´er-ah-b'l) subject to being operated upon with a reasonable degree of safety; appropriate for surgical removal. op·er·a·ble adj. and directional In one direction. Contrast with omnidirectional. to screen wind, sun and rain. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The latest project to continue this investigation is Mutiara Mesiniaga, a five storey, no-frills office building in Penang that integrates many of the features of Yeang's ecological agenda. Designed and constructed during an economic downturn in Malaysia, it is an environmentally conscious building on a limited budget. Given the thrust of Yeang's most recent publications in vertical urban design, groundscrapers and ecologically conscious high-rise towers, this is an exercise in applying such ideas to a small building for a client who demanded both low construction and life cycle costs. Principal office spaces are orientated o·ri·en·tate v. o·ri·en·tat·ed, o·ri·en·tat·ing, o·ri·en·tates v.tr. To orient: "He . . . to face north and south, so minimizing penetration of direct sunlight. Placing services on the west elevation further reduces insolation. Horizontal metal louvres on the north, south and east elevations provide additional shade. Sky courts are created in the form of an executive balcony on the fourth floor facing south towards the city (with distant views of Yeang's 1998 UMNO UMNO United Malays National Organization (Malaysia) office tower AR September 1996) and a deep incision incision /in·ci·sion/ (in-sizh´un) 1. a cut or a wound made by cutting with a sharp instrument.incis´ional 2. the act of cutting. in·ci·sion n. 1. on the north elevation contains the staff and visitor dining court on the second floor. A balcony on the floor above also overlooks the dining court. The arrangement of the office floors is designed to exploit natural ventilation Natural ventilation is the process of supplying and removing air through an indoor space by natural means. There are two types of natural ventilation occurring in buildings: wind driven ventilation and stack ventilation. and several mature trees around the edge of the site have been retained to reduce reflected solar heat. A broad roof terrace is provided for recreational use, shaded by a second profiled steel roof at higher level. Prayer and recreation rooms are located here with planter planter, farm or garden implement that places propagating material such as seeds or seedlings into the ground, usually in rows. Broadcasting, i.e., scattering seed in all directions, by hand followed by harrowing (see harrow) to cover the seed with soil was an early boxes provided for the use of future tenants. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The key design feature is a lofty second roof which acts passively as an umbrella. Yeang has always wanted to design a building that operates reactively to climate conditions, and Mutiara Mesiniaga marks another step towards achieving that objective. It also demonstrates that it is possible to design a memorable building on a minimal budget that adds to the debate on the development of ecologically conscious architecture in the tropics. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] |
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