Water Feature as a Passive Architecture Design in Belum Rainforest Resort
Water Feature as a Passive Architecture Design in Belum Rainforest Resort Table of Contents
Page
Abstract ........................................................................................................................ 2
1.0
Introduction ..................................................................................................... 2
2.0
Passive Architecture Design ........................................................................... 3
2.1
Passive Cooling System.............................................................................. 3
2.2
Evaporating Cooling and Water Features .................................................... 3
3.0 Water Features in Phase 1 Building .................................................................... 4
4.0 Water Features in Phase 2 Building .................................................................... 5
5.0 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 8
6.0 References .......................................................................................................... 9
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Water Feature as a Passive Architecture Design in Belum Rainforest Resort
Abstract This research paper is talking about water features of passive architecture design apply in contemporary architecture which commonly use in architecture before. In Belum Rainforest Resort, water features were using all over the building, from main entrance to new building, totally mixed up with architecture before and after. The new building included water features don’t feel old but also bring the historical feeling into the building, bring the modern dwelling place into the nature. In order to validation of research, literature reviews base on various sources regarding modern residential water features were conducted to enhance the process. House N18 located in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia which design by Dr. Tan LM Architects which had provided mini fountain in the courtyard. Placing water feature in the courtyard is to gain attraction toward the space while having activity in the living room. Capturing the sound produced by the fountain will bring the visitor back to nature. Belum Rainforest Resort had done the same things which provide pond in between of restaurant and the rooms to give a focus to the nature. Moreover, Dr. Bartholomeusz house located in Colombo, Sri Lanka which design by Geoffrey Bawa also bring the water features into the middle of the courtyard. During year 1961, the house is function as a residential building which is the owner of Dr. Bartholomeusz. Inserting water features to have passive cooling for the building. Same goes to Belum Rainforest Resort which provides water features to cool down the temperature of the surrounding in phase 1 and phase 2 building. In conclusion, water features are integrated into the time zone which remain the taste of the history and related to plant which is courtyard, garden and etc
1.0 Introduction Belum Rainforest Resort is one of Malaysia’s premier ecotourism holiday destinations. It located in the midst of tropical paradise, Pulau Banding. As we know, Belum Rainforest Resort is getting hot due to forest logging in the area. Trees are logged and the weather is getting hot. Moreover, it is because of climate in Malaysia. Generally, Malaysia climate is warm and humid, it is never too hot. For architects, they want to provide a cool and relax environment to the visitor. To reduce the atmosphere temperature, in Belum Rainforest Resort, They had provided the use of water feature as a cooling architecture device and are increasing to using it because they want to fully use of water features to reduce the temperature of the building. One of the disadvantages of water feature is ‘bad smell’. Not everyone like the smell from the pond and lake. By using water feature can involve the building into the nature and retain the beauty of the nature. ARC 2213/2234 Asian Architecture
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Water Feature as a Passive Architecture Design in Belum Rainforest Resort This paper wiil investigate water features by responding to the following research questions: Question 1: What is Passive Architecture Design? Question 2: What is Passive Cooling System? Question 3: What is Evaporative Cooling & Water Features? Question 4: How it is implemented into the building? Question 5: How is water features had affected to contemporary building?
2.0 Passive Architecture Design Passive Design is the technique of placing, orienting, and massing a building to optimize the use of the sun and climate to provide natural lighting, heating, and ventilation. It is using the advantages of the climate, apply it into the building. The building orientation, mass and shape is used to increase the comfort level in the building, give the visitor to have a comfortable living place.
2.1 Passive Cooling System Passive cooling system is one of the passive architecture designs. Passive cooling system is not only the well-known traditional techniques, but also more sophisticated modern techniques. (Lechner, 2001) In preview building, buildings are commonly design in passive cooling system because there are not much mechanical equipment. The three-tier approaches to the sustainability design are basic building design (tier 1), passive system (tier 2) and mechanical equipment (tier 3). Tiers 1 and 2 are the domain of the architect, and proper design decisions at these two levels can reduce the energy consumption of buildings as much as 80 percent. In order to reduce the energy consumption of buildings, passive cooling system plays an important role in the way of design to give the best condition for visitor. Passive cooling system can be divided into 5 parts which is 1) cooling with ventilation, 2) radiant cooling, 3) evaporating cooling, 4) earth cooling and 5) dehumidification. (Lechner, 2001)
2.2 Evaporating cooling and water features There are two kinds of evaporating cooling, direct evaporating and indirect evaporating. Direct evaporating will increase the humidity by water is sprayed into the air to the building to lower the temperature and indirect evaporating is cooling the incoming air which entering into the building, without increasing its humidity. So, evaporating cooling is closely related to water features. Water features can do either direct evaporating or indirect evaporating to reduce the building temperature. ARC 2213/2234 Asian Architecture
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Water Feature as a Passive Architecture Design in Belum Rainforest Resort Water features is not functioning as a evaporating cooling, it also use as a faรงade which give a better outlook or design to the building. Besides, with the water sound can bring to relaxation. In Belum Rainforest Resort, phase 1 buildings have a lot of these kind of water features which bring the visitor back to nature, experiences the taste of forest living by giving the sound of water, smell of jungle and the green slight. Without the water feature, it is something like food taste without the salt but it still eatable just not very tasty. So, water feature is actually similar to salt which bring the taste into the building but it can never be too much because the more water features, the higher the probability of increasing the humidity in the building.
3.0 Water features in Phase 1 building Belum Rainforest Resort had different kind of water features that implemented into the building. One of the ponds where located at the last block of phase 1 building. (Fig. 1). The pond is clean and simple and brings the feeling of nature when it reacted with the material used. Brick is made from natural materials so when it mixed
with
the
pond,
it
shows the harmony of the nature.
Moreover,
the
Figure 1 Interior look toward the pond which located at last block of the phase 1 building
creepers are climb over the
wall which means that the plant is also joined harmony into the nature, make the pond not as a individual faรงade but it become one faรงade with the plants and materials. Next, the pond (Fig. 2) between last block and nearer block had a similar pond with the one I mention. The design of the pond is bring the visitor to have a
Figure 2 A pond between last block and 3rd block building of phase 1
crossing feeling which insert a pathway over the pond to the other side. The idea of the pond is by walking through the pathway, it is mean to walk into the nature. The pond is actually side by side only, to give better ventilation for the room. The
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Water Feature as a Passive Architecture Design in Belum Rainforest Resort wind will flow from high pressure to low pressure. High pressure is where the walkway between the hotel room. When the pond (Fig. 3) is outwardly looking into the building, it bring a different kind of outlook toward the building. The façade of the building is using vertical wood stick as a skin Figure 3 Exterior look toward the pond which located at last block of the phase 1 building
façade. In the moisture of the pond
is affected the wood stick façade after few years. it doesn’t seen old but bring the building more toward a traditional building. The historical is sneaked out from the conversation of the pond, façade and the building. Besides, the entrance of the water feature (Fig. 4) is nicely used to fit the word ‘gateway to nature’. It is a water feature that water flowing from higher ground to a lower ground, water flowing sound is produced from the water feature. The visitor drop-off in the area wills directly entering into the nature. The architects
Figure 4 Water features at the entrance of Belum Rainforest Resort at last block of the phase 1 building
have fully use the water features as a passive design to use the advantages of the climate to bring the beauty from the water feature.
4.0 Water features in phase 2 buildings’ The different kinds of water features languages are apply in phase 2 buildings in Belum Rainforest Resort. The water feature makes the building look more modern, contemporary and new. The design element and taste is the same but the things the architects want to show to the visitors are different. The entrance of family deluxe homestay (Fig. 5) is starting with water features which provide a barrier entering into the building. It gives the visitor has a sense of entering into the house, they need to pass through nature which represent the water feature. The entrance of the pond is mixed with brick wall which the design as same as the design in the phase 1 last block building. Instead of brick wall, it mixed with some new material which is aluminium, glass and concrete. It made the building toward nowadays ARC 2213/2234 Asian Architecture
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Water Feature as a Passive Architecture Design in Belum Rainforest Resort building. Likewise, there is other pond (Fig. 6) on the other side of the walkway. The materials here are using concrete, aluminium and decking (timber). When entering from the nature into the building, there are only ‘new’ element can show and fell the essence from the water features. The pond is no longer as a barrier for the building, but it became the decoration for the building as a passive design. If the pond is taken away from the building, it will fell something missing in the building and the air temperature might increase at the same time.
Figure 5 Water features at the entrance of Family Deluxe Homestay at the phase 2 building
Figure 6 Water features at the indoor balcony of Family Deluxe Homestay at the phase 2 building
There are a mini water features (Fig. 7) inside the building. Combine with skylight on top of the water feature bring it into a focus point when passing by the junction to the rooms. The outdoor air can be ventilated into the building. This water feature is function as direct evaporative cooling device in the building so the air ventilation is important in this area. If the air is not good in ventilation, the moisture of the room will increase and it will become an uncomfortable zone. Air ventilation is important when the water features is function as a direct evaporative cooling device, if the area is not good in maintaining, there will Figure 7 Water features in the midst walkway of Family Deluxe Homestay
become a disaster toward to building and visitor.
A simple pool design is provided in the lower balcony of the building which give the
Figure 8 Pool is extended out at lower balcony of Family Deluxe Homestay
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Figure 9 A view look up from lower balcony of Family Deluxe Homestay
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Water Feature as a Passive Architecture Design in Belum Rainforest Resort
visitor enjoy swimming in the midst of the forest. (Fig. 9) The pool is extended out (Fig. 8) to the building which give the visitor can enjoy a floating on the water while swimming in the pool. Next, it is also to give the visitor have a semi-panorama view toward the forest, bring the visitor one step nearer to nature. The building is used to be very contemporary building but with the pool, bring the visitor had a feeling staying at the tree-house while enjoying a high-level of building just beside a tall big tress. In addition, the other side of the phase 2 building which had insert water feature is on top of the swimming pool. (Fig. 10) The water from high group flow slowing at the wall to the pebble stone which is one of the direct evaporating cooling devices
Figure 10 Water feature on top of the pool at phase 2 building
had created in the phase 2 building. (Fig. 11) Due to the outdoor situation, it is totally different with the water feature that showed in the Family Deluxe Homestay. The direct evaporating cooling device at outdoor will have no problem with air ventilation because the air ventilation is more than enough. The water flow into the pebble stone and penetrate into the soil is represented the water flow back to nature. The water will still maintain on
Figure 11 Ground with pebble stone with the connected from the water feature of figure 10.
the surface to remain the evaporating cooling. For the pool side, (Fig. 12) It has the same concept of the Family Deluxe Homestay pool but this pool is facing toward the man-make lake. Connected to the water feature I had just mention Figure 11 Open pool area in phase 2
is to create a waterfall feeling in the pool. The
building.
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Water Feature as a Passive Architecture Design in Belum Rainforest Resort water at the end of the pool will drop on the pebble stone and water fall sound will be produced. This match the water falling concept which by slight toward the water feature at the wall (Fig.11) and the drop sound from the pool. The visitor can enjoy a good view toward the lake while swimming in the pool.
5.0 Conclusion Other
than
Belum
Rainforest
Resort, House N18 a residential contemporary building had also brought mini fountain as a water feature into the courtyard. The idea of the water feature is to capture the view from the living room (Fig. 12). The sound that produced by the pipe created the nature feeling Figure 12 House N18 mini fountain Sources from http://www.archdaily.com/423268/housen18-drtan-lm-architect/
to the owner which give people more environment awareness in the city life.
Water feature need to be maintained so that it won’t provide a ‘dirty’ smell. Belum Rainforest Resort try their best to maintain the water feature. One of the ways to maintain the water feature is to keep the water biological filters. While the water is clean, the freshness of the water will keep the smell away from the water features. Next, providing rock and gravel will also keep the cleanness of the water features. The rocks and gravel have the cleaning effect. Belum Rainforest Resort did that in the pool area where provide pebble stone to filter the water before it going into the ground. This process can bring the fresh water back to the man-made lake. Water feature is easily apply into the building just what Belum Rainforest Resort did. It bring the nature to human and human enjoy the nature. Water was a main element in the 18th century Water was a main element in the 18th century English landscape garden and is a significant aspect of historical preservation and continued enjoyment of Brown’s historic landscapes. (Podolak, K. et al, 2013, pg 61) In order to provide a better environment, using of water could create different kind of aesthetic toward the building.
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Water Feature as a Passive Architecture Design in Belum Rainforest Resort
6.0 References Lechner, N. (2001). Heating, cooling, lighting (1st ed.). New York: J. Wiley. Maton, C., & Edwards, M. (2002). Water features (1st ed.). Sydney: Murdoch Books. Podolak, K., Kondolf, G., Mozingo, L., Bowhill, K., & Lovell, M. (2013). Designing with Nature? The persistence of Capability Brown’s 18th century water features. Landscape Journal, 32(1), 51--64. Robson, D., & Bawa, G. (2002). Geoffrey Bawa (1st ed.). New York, N.Y.: Thames & Hudson. Archnet.org,. (2014). Archnet. Retrieved 28 May 2014, from http://archnet.org/ ArchDaily,. (2013). House N18 / DRTAN LM Architect. Retrieved 12 June 2014, from http://www.archdaily.com/423268/house-n18-drtan-lm-architect/
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