OBJECTIVES

In “Tropical Urban Regionalism: Building in a Southeast Asia Country,” Ken Yeang presents a comprehensive examination of sustainable architecture in the context of tropical urbanism. The book is a significant contribution to the discourse on sustainable architecture and urban planning in Southeast Asia, an area experiencing rapid urbanization and environmental challenges.

Yeang’s focus on sustainability in architecture is especially important in light of the significant environmental impacts of urbanization in the region. By highlighting the importance of sustainable architecture, Yeang provides a roadmap for architects and urban planners to develop ecologically sensitive and resilient buildings and communities. His approach emphasizes a deep understanding of the natural environment and how it can be integrated into architectural design and urban planning.

One of the book’s strengths is Yeang’s discussion of the social, cultural, and economic dimensions of sustainability in architecture. He recognizes that sustainability is not just about environmental considerations but also involves social and economic equity. This holistic approach ensures that sustainable architecture is not just a technical issue but a social one, rooted in the needs of people and communities.

Another focus/objective for Ken Yeang is to examine the building morphology in Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and many more. After reading the book, we can understand that these countries share similar building traits, the ideal elements that usually are present in this region, such as louvered windows, gable roofs, overhang eaves, verandahs, selective openings, air-well court, and latticework.

From the design that has been designed, taking into account building elements in the tropics, it is hoped that the new intervention building at JNM can be maximized and improved. From the theatre building intervention section diagram above, we can see the qualities of tropical climate building elements can be fulfilled or provided here.

First is the louvered window. Louvered windows act as heat reducers and sunlight. Besides that, their role is to make it easier for fresh air to enter. The proposed building will be energy efficient in terms of ventilation and lighting.

Second, the installation of a gable roof that has an overhang. The roof here is an antidote to excess sunlight and rainwater so that it does not enter the building. In addition, the sun’s heat can be reduced because of the overhang eaves.

The third is selective openings. Besides being beneficial for facilitating passive ventilation, the presence of a selective opening can function as a heat reducer. The atmosphere of a room can also be adjusted by playing with the design of selective openings. Wide openings allow plenty of light to come into the building, making it feel more expansive and more prominent, rather than small openings that only let a small amount of light come into the building, making it feel small, cramped, and uninviting.

The fourth is the verandah. Verandah plays as a buffer between the outside and the inside. It allows the hot wind to be cooled down before entering the building. It also gives the interior a beautiful repetitive shadow effect, like what latticework does. Latticework contributes as a heat reducer. It also allows the wind to enter the building to make the interior cooler.

In conclusion, combining all the aspects/elements that theoretically fit in the Southeast Asia climate will improve overall buildings’ performance and their spatial effect inside. Hopefully, it will also complement and enhance the features of the existing’s buildings.

wood plank roof structural wood plank

13 plywood plank wall metal railing plywood ceiling ceiling joist concrete stair

20x30cm concrete column

3mm clear tempered glass rigid insulation steel floor joist concrete base earth

The following are schematic diagrams of how the building’s utility system works. Starting from how to deal with fire disasters, staff walking circulation, moving clean water, dirty water, and rainwater, then HVAC, electrical, to waste management. The uniqueness can be seen in the diagrams. It shows that the groundwater tank system is divided into two because it considers the accessibility and efficiency of the waterways. Then, hydrant points were installed at the JNM complex to cover all intervention areas.