Architecture and the environment - report

Abu Dhabi University Architecture and the Environment Fall 2014-2015

Name: ID:

Malak Ali 1047378

Site Microclimate The Architecture & Environment emphasis allows one to explore how human beings have positioned themselves spatially in relation to the environment at various cultural and historical moments. The history of humanity’s interaction with the environment which is the focus of the emphasis Architecture & Environment. Whenever and wherever architects, engineers, and planners design and erect houses, places of business, office and industrial buildings, neighborhoods, and entire towns and cities, they interact with the physical environment.

Architecture often stands at the center of public regard and debate, especially when at stake are such issues as urban growth, preservation of the countryside, revitalization of inner cities, the future of historic districts, sustainable living, and the provision of affordable housing.

Starting with the site, it is located next to Al Ain Road on the west side of Abu Dhabi University, an isolated sandy area surrounded by several trees near a graveyard. Moving on to the climate of United Arab Emirates features a desert climate with hot summers and cool winters.

Most days are sunny and pleasant except the middle of the summer season between July and August when it’s very hot. Summer temperatures are in the mid-40s, but can be higher inland.

Humidity in coastal areas averages between 50 and 60 percent, touching over 90 percent in summer and autumn. On the other hand, winter daytime temperatures average a very pleasant 26°C, although nights can be relatively cool, between 12–15°C on the coast, and less than 5°C in the depths of the desert or high in the mountains. Local north-westerly winds frequently develop during the winter, bringing cooler windy conditions.

Sun orientation: The placing of a building in relation to the sun; depending on the geographical area, the building may be oriented to maximize the amount of heat gained from solar radiation during the coldest months, or it may be oriented to minimize the amount of heat gained in the warmest months. Due to UAE’s dry desert climate, there isn’t a very big change in the sun orientation and path.

Sun path: is a visual representation of the sun's range of movement across the sky at the geographic location specified for the project. The sun path allows you to position the sun at any point within its range of movement, between sunrise and sunset, throughout the year. As you can see in the following diagram, the sun path of the site located near Abu Dhabi university changes throughout the day.

The picture on the left represents the sun path at 3:00 pm on the 9th of November.

The picture on the right represents how sun path is different at 9:00 am on the 9th of november as well.

Sun dial: an instrument that indicates the time of day by means of the position, on a graduated plate or surface, of the shadow of the gnomon as it is cast by the sun.

This diagram represents the sun position in the capital, Abu Dhabi on the 9th of November.

Daily sunrise and sunset with twilight

Shadow cast The shadow casts in the following diagrams show the specific site near Abu Dhabi University on the 9th of November at various hours of the day.

The average daily sunrise hours throughout the year in Abu Dhabi: Considering Abu Dhabi is a desert, sunlight is very often available. As we will see in the chart below, it will show us the average hours throughout the year this city has. May and June have the highest average hours due to hot weather and summer season, and so the sunshine starts decreasing while we move to July and August. In the beginning of the fall season which October lies in, the average hour changes to 11, and by January it reaches the minimum possible which is 9 hours.

Precipitation The probability that precipitation will be observed at this location varies throughout the year.

Precipitation is most likely around March 8, occurring in 17% of days. Precipitation is least likely around June 17, occurring in 1% of days.

Probability of Precipitation at Some Point in the Day

Wind direction Distribution in (%) The direction from which a movement of air comes is called wind direction. The average daily wind speed in November has been around 11 km/h, that’s the equivalent to about 7 mph, or 6 knots. In recent years the maximum sustained wind speed has reached 48 km/h, that’s the equivalent of around 30 mph, or 26 knots. The following diagram represents the wind direction changes throughout the year.

Wind Speed Wind speed is a fundamental atmospheric rate. Wind speed is caused by air moving from high pressure to low pressure. The chart below plots the average daily wind speed you can expect for any month. It also shows the maximum recorded sustained wind speed for each month.

About Abu Dhabi’s average temperature: August is the hottest month in Abu Dhabi with an average temperature of 36°C (96°F) and the coldest is January at 18°C (64°F) with the most daily sunshine hours at 13 in June. The wettest month is February with an average of 20mm of rain. The best month to swim in the sea is in August when the average sea temperature is 33°C (91°F).

The highest rainfall occurs during the winter, the result of cyclonic cloud bands that pass over the UAE driven by the westerly troughs. The average rainfall in Abu Dhabi is less than 100 mm annually, although this varies across the Emirate geographically and from year to year; e.g. one day's precipitation could exceed the total rainfall of two or three years.

Average Humidity in the capital: Humidity is the highest at night and in the early morning. When the temperature cools down at night and the direction of the wind comes from the sea, it brings water vapor over the land and this causes humidity. Humidity was recorded at 84 percent in Abu Dhabi. Humidity depends on the direction of the wind, so if it’s continuous from the sea to the land, towards the interior part of the country, the humidity will increase in the interior. But if the wind speed is fast, the relative humidity will decrease. Humidity in Abu Dhabi varies from one area to another. For instance, areas in the southeast of Abu Dhabi in the desert where it is 99 per cent humid. The higher the humidity, the more heat people will feel.

Types of vegetations available Vegetation Map

The site contains no green grass, but many trees on the back side of the area. The benefit of trees is that it reduces the heat, and acts as a shading system. Trees also clean the air by absorbing odors and pollutant gases (nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulfur dioxide and ozone) and filter particulates out of the air by trapping them on their leaves and bark.

Design strategy Orientation: Sun orientation is important for rooms in the building. Orient rooms to take advantage of the sun when it’s wanted, but avoid overheating and glare. Some rooms should be located to take best advantage of the sun. Starting with the north facing rooms, its best to have the living, family, and dining rooms as the rooms will receive most daylight of the day, but they may require horizontal shading to prevent overheating in the summer. East facing rooms are most suited as kitchen and breakfast areas as they can benefit from early morning solar gain throughout the year and will be cooler in the late afternoon when evening meal preparation takes place. Bedrooms that face east will be cooler in the late afternoon and evening, making them more comfortable for summer sleeping. South facing rooms are most suited for the location of the garage, laundry, bathroom, toilet, workroom and stairs, where people spend little time and/or use infrequently.

Due to the location of the site, it’s in a sandy isolated area surrounded by trees. This can be an advantage for the villa as the trees are a shading system. How? By their height, capacity, and width, for they can cover a particular area in respect with the sun’s direction, they shading area varies throughout the day.

Building components: When choosing building materials, one must choose wisely, as any simple small mistake will lead to a disaster in the future. Building components tend to fail depending on materials, designs method of construction, environmental conditions and the use to which the building is put. Wood for instance would be the worst choice for building material in Abu Dhabi due to the high level of humidity and the fact that wood absorbs heat.

Construction Products

Steel props: Supporting steel props are used temporarily in construction to support and hold the ceiling component in place until its construction is sufficiently advanced to support.

Deformed steel bars Deformed Steel bars are commonly used in reinforced concrete and reinforced masonry structures. It is usually formed from carbon steel, and is given ridges for better frictional adhesion to the concrete.

Laminated Veneer Lumber Laminated Veneer Lumber Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) is an engineered wood product that uses multiple layers of thin wood assembled with adhesives. It offers several advantages over typical milled lumber: it is stronger, straighter, and more uniform. It is much less likely than conventional lumber to warp, twist, bow, or shrink due to its composite nature. Made in a factory under controlled specifications, LVL products allow users to reduce the onsite labor. They are typically used for headers, beams, rim board, and edgeforming material.

White wood In general white wood is easy to work: it forms the bulk of wood used by humans. White wood has a huge range of uses: it is a prime material for structural building components, but is also found in furniture and other products such as millwork (moldings, doors, windows).

Double glass

Natural stone: in the hot and dry zones, natural stone is a suitable material for constructing plinths for clay buildings to resist erosion or for external walls requiring little maintenance. Its use is advantageous only in regions where it is found locally; as the transport of this heavy material is expensive and working it is also costly. Stone offers little thermal insulation but when combined with insulating or fired hollow or clay, bricks in the form of double-shell structure it can provide highly suitable and functional concept.

Ventilation Wind catcher is an architectural element to create natural ventilation in buildings. Wind catchers come in various designs: uni-directional, bi-directional, and multi-directional. Wind catchers can be used as ventilation. The wind catcher can function in three ways: directing airflow downward using direct wind entry, directing airflow upwards using a wind-assisted temperature gradient, or directing airflow upwards using a solar-assisted temperature gradient

References:

https://www.environmentalatlas.ae/geographicInheritance/climateOverTime http://www.windfinder.com/windstatistics/abu_dhabi http://suncalc.net/#/24.4667,54.3667,13/2014.11.08/15:13 http://www.sunposition.info/sunposition/spc/locations.php#1 http://www.sunearthtools.com/dp/tools/pos_sun.php#top https://weatherspark.com/averages/32850/Abu-Dhabi-United-Arab-Emirates http://www.abmcdxb.com/products1.aspx?CatID=1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windcatcher