AR1329| CLIMATE, ECOLOGY, ENVIRONMENT
SPRING 2023 | Y2S2 T2 | GROUP 6 TASK 1
MARCUS LOH MEN TONG TAN WAN THENG ZHANG SHIJIE
ZIKRY NASRULLAH BIN ZAIRUL AZIDIN
LAU PA SAT (“OLD MARKET”, FORMERLY KNOWN AS TELOK AYER MARKET) WAS COMPLETED IN 1894 TO REPLACE A WETMARKET (BUILT IN 1825) DEMOLISHED FOR THE TELOK AYER BASIN LAND RECLAMATION.
IN 1894, THE MARKET WAS REBUILT IN A NEW OCTAGONAL SHAPE WITH CAST-IRON COLUMNS AND A CLOCK TOWER. THE MARKET WAS A POPULAR GATHERING PLACE FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, AND IT SERVED AS A SOCIAL HUB AND A VENUE FOR CULTURAL EVENTS.
IN THE 1970S, AS SINGAPORE MODERNIZED AND DEVELOPED, LAU PA SAT WAS SLATED FOR DEMOLITION. HOWEVER, PUBLIC OUTCRY LED TO THE BUILDING BEING DISMANTLED AND RECONSTRUCTED IN A NEW LOCATION IN 1991.
THE OCTAGONAL STRUCTURE WAS PRESENT SINCE THE 1820S, BEARING THE STRUCTURE OF A TIMBER-AND-ATTAP FISH MARKET SET AT THE WATER’S EDGE. THE ORIGINAL CAST IRON FRAMEWORK INCORPORATING A VICTORIAN STYLE SUPPORTS THE ROOF. THE REBUILT VERSION WAS SIGNIFICANT AS THE FIRST MARKET BUILT BY THE MUNICIPAL COMMISSION AND ONE OF THE FIRST STRUCTURES IN ASIA MADE OF PREFABRICATED VICTORIAN CAST IRON. THE MARKET WAS BUILT WITH A CENTRAL SPACE SURROUNDED BY EIGHT SMALLER OCTAGONAL WINGS, EACH WITH A ROOF MADE OF CAST IRON AND GLASS. THE CAST-IRON COLUMNS AND DECORATIVE ELEMENTS WERE IMPORTED FROM GLASGOW, SCOTLAND. LAU PA SAT WAS REFURBISHED IN 2014 AND DESIGNED TO INCREASE SEATING CAPACITY, AND IMPROVE TRAFFIC AND AIR FLOW BY THE INSTALLATION OF INDUSTRIAL CEILING FANS1.
1.1.1 AREAS OF INTEREST
CLIMATICALLY, LAU PA SAT IS LOCATED IN THE HEART OF SINGAPORE’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT AND IS SURROUNDED BY TALL BUILDINGS, WHICH CAN CREATE AN URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT. HOWEVER, THE BUILDING’S OPEN-AIR DESIGN AND ROOF VENTILATION SYSTEM HELP TO MITIGATE SOME OF THE HEAT, ALLOWING FOR NATURAL AIRFLOW AND VENTILATION. THE BUILDING’S LOCATION IN A DENSE URBAN ENVIRONMENT ALSO MAKES IT A CONVENIENT AND ACCESSIBLE PLACE TO GATHER AND ENJOY FOOD AND DRINKS, PARTICULARLY IN THE EVENING WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE COOLER.
THE UNIQUE ORTHOGONAL AND GEOMETRIC STRUCTURE LENDS ITSELF TO A GEOMETRIC MODULATION OF THE ROOF WHICH WOULD PROVIDE INTERESTING AREAS IN THE INTERIOR TO INVESTIGATE THEIR EFFECTS ON A PERSON’S THERMAL COMFORT.
1.2.1 SUN PATH DIAGRAM ANALYSIS
FIGURE 1.2.1 BELOW REVEALS THE SUN PATH DIAGRAMS AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY DURING THE SUMMER AND WINTER SOLSTICE. IT IS EVIDENT THAT THE SURROUNDING TYPOLOGIES OF HIGH-RISE OFFICE BUILDINGS EFFECTIVELY SHADE THE LOW-RISE LAU PA SAT HAWKER CENTRE. NONETHELESS, WHILE THESE BUILDINGS CAST LONG SHADOWS AT 0900HRS AND 1500HRS, THE SINGLE-STOREY HAWKER CENTRE IS LARGELY EXPOSED TO THE SUN AT 1200HRS DURING THE SUMMER SOLSTICE WHERE THE SUN IS DIRECTLY ABOVE. HENCE, THERE SHOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT RISE IN OUR VALUES WHEN COLLECTING DATA AT 1200HRS.
DESPITE BEING DENSELY POPULATED WITH HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS, THERE ARE STILL MOMENTS DURING THE DAY WHEN LAU PA SAT HAWKER CENTRE IS DIRECTLY EXPOSED TO THE SUN. THIS CAN BE OBSERVED AT 1500HRS DURING THE WINTER SOLSTICE AS THE SUN ALIGNS IN A POSITION IN BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS AND SHINES DIRECTLY AT LAU PA SAT HAWKER CENTRE. THEREFORE, THE VARYING HEIGHTS AND SIZES OF THE SURROUNDING TYPOLOGIES COULD BE A POTENTIAL JUSTIFICATION FOR ANY ANOMALIES WHEN COLLECTING THE DATA.
1.2.2 POTENTIAL HOTSPOTS AT LAU PA SAT HAWKER CENTRE
PRIOR TO OUR DATA COLLECTION, WE WANTED TO IDENTIFY THE POTENTIAL HOTSPOTS TO LOOK OUT FOR BY RUNNING A POINT-IN-TIME ILLUMINANCE SIMULATION ON CLIMATE STUDIO. BY IDENTIFYING THESE AREAS, WE ARE ABLE TO BEGIN QUESTIONING POSSIBLE REASONS FOR THE HIGH AND LOW LUX LEVELS WHILE ALSO USING THESE VALUES TO CROSSCHECK WITH OUR MEASURED VALUES ON SITE.
MEAN LUX: 540| HIGHEST LUX VALUE: 12506
MEAN LUX: 379| HIGHEST LUX VALUE: 10433
MEAN LUX: 663 | HIGHEST LUX VALUE: 14292
1.4.1 ILLUMINANCE
AS THE RANGE OF LUX LEVELS RECORDED WERE LARGELY DIFFERENT FOR BOTH INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SPOTS, THE DATA WAS ANALYSED SEPARATELY IN ORDER TO BETTER VISUALISE THE GRAPH WITH SIMILAR VALUES.
1.4.1.1 INDOOR SPOTS
FROM FIGURE 1.4.1.1, IT IS EVIDENT THAT THE GLASS SKYLIGHT BRINGS IN DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGHER AMOUNTS OF NATURAL SUNLIGHT INTO THE SPACE BELOW WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER AREAS INSIDE LAU PA SAT. IN ADDITION, THE LUX LEVELS PEAK AT AROUND NOON WHEN THE SUN IS ALMOST DIRECTLY ABOVE THE SPOT UNDER THE GLASS SKYLIGHT.
1.4.1.1 OUTDOOR SPOTS
FROM FIGURE 1.4.1.2, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN LUX LEVELS AT BOON TAT STREET ENTRANCE AND OUTDOOR SEATING FROM 1000HRS TO 1230HRS UNLIKE THE CROSS STREET RAFFLES QUAY ENTRANCE. THE DROP IN LUX LEVELS DURING THIS PERIOD COULD BE SUBSTANTIATED BY THE VARYING HEIGHTS OF SURROUNDING BUILDINGS THAT COULD HAVE BLOCKED THE SUN FROM DIRECTLY SHINING ONTO THE ENTRANCE.
1.4.2 TEMPERATURE VS RELATIVE HUMIDITY
ACROSS ALL SPOTS, FIGURE 1.4.2.1 AND 1.4.2.2 REVEALS A GENERAL INVERSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEMPERATURE AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY. NOTABLY, AS TEMPERATURE INCREASES, MAXIMUM WATER VAPOUR CARRYING CAPACITY IN AIR ALSO INCREASES. THEREFORE, ASSUMING THE SAME ABSOLUTE HUMIDITY LEVEL, THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL DROP AS TEMPERATURE INCREASES FURTHER INTO THE DAY. THIS RELATIONSHIP IS JUSTIFIED THROUGH THE READINGS RECORDED AT THE DIFFERENT POSITIONS AROUND LAU PA SAT.
THE WIND SPEED RECORDED AROUND LAU PA SAT WAS HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY THE MEGA CEILING FANS PLACED THROUGHOUT THE SPACE, EXCEPT THE VALUES RECORDED AT POSITIONS OUTSIDE OF LAU PA SAT. OUT OF THE OUTDOOR POSITIONS AROUND LAU PA SAT, A NOTABLE TREND WAS OBSERVED IN FIGURE 1.4.3 FOR THE OUTDOOR SEATING UNDER UMBRELLA WHERE THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN WIND SPEED AT 1230HRS. THIS COULD BE JUSTIFIED DUE TO CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND SLOWER MOVING VEHICULAR TRAFFIC AROUND ROADS SURROUNDING LAU PA SAT DURING LUNCH PEAK HOUR.
ADDITIONALLY, THE SEATS UNDER THE GLASS SKYLIGHT HAD RELATIVELY CONSTANT AND LOW WIND SPEEDS COMPARED TO THE OTHER POSITIONS, AS IT IS SITUATED AWAY FROM THE MEGA-CEILING FANS.
WE DECIDED TO MAP A TEMPERATURE-WIND COMFORT LEVEL GRAPH AND TABLE THAT ATTEMPTS TO UNDERSTAND IF THE WIND SPEED AT THAT POSITION, BE IT NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL VENTILATION, IS ENOUGH TO AFFECT THE THERMAL SENSATION EXPERIENCED.
1.4.4 TEMPERATURE - WIND COMFORT
BASED ON ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR WONG NYUK HIEN’S STUDY OF TEMPERATURE-WIND COMFORT, WE DECIDED TO MAP THESE TWO DATA POINTS TOGETHER TO QUANTITATIVELY JUSTIFY THE THERMAL SENSATION EXPERIENCED AT THE DIFFERENT POSITIONS. THE TABLE BELOW HIGHLIGHTS THE RECOMMENDED WIND SPEED BASED ON THE TEMPERATURE.
BASED ON THE TABLE ABOVE, WE DECIDED TO APPLY IT TO OUR DATA MEASURED AND DETERMINE IF THE WIND SPEED MEASURED WAS A RECOMMENDED LEVEL BASED ON THE TEMPERATURE, SUCH THAT THE USER WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE AT THAT POSITION.
BASED ON THE TEMPERATURE-WIND TABLE, WE WERE ABLE TO REVEAL THAT THE WIND SPEEDS WERE GENERALLY ABLE TO COMPENSATE ON THE HIGH TEMPERATURES AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY. HOWEVER, THERE WERE TWO ANOMALIES, DINING AISLE NEAR AIRCON SHOPS AT 1445HRS AND OUTDOOR SEATING UNDER UMBRELLA AT 1230HRS WITH WIND SPEEDS THAT ARE BELOW RECOMMENDED. THIS WAS ALSO RECORDED IN OUR DATA COLLECTION WHERE ‘WARM’AND ‘SLIGHTLY WARM’ WERE USED RESPECTIVELY TO DESCRIBE THE THERMAL SENSATION AT THESE POSITIONS.
CROSS VENTILATION OPPORTUNITIES
LAU PA SAT’S ROOF SLOPE DESIGN ALLOWS FOR THE COLLECTION OF HEAT GENERATED BY THE STALLS TO BE NATURALLY CHANNELED UPWARDS FROM THE CLOCK TOWER, WHICH HISTORICALLY HAD OPEN WINDOWS, CREATES A STACK EFFECT,CONTRIBUTING TO NATURAL VENTILATION IN THE BUILDING.
1.5 RECCOMENDATIONS TO MAKE THE SPACE MORE COMFORTABLE
PROVIDE SHADE: LAU PA SAT COULD BE MADE MORE COMFORTABLE BY PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SHADE. THIS COULD BE ACHIEVED BY INSTALLING RETRACTABLE AWNINGS, UMBRELLAS, OR CANOPIES TO SHIELD VISITORS FROM DIRECT SUNLIGHT AND REDUCE THE HEAT ABSORBED BY THE BUILDING.
IMPROVE VENTILATION: WHILE LAU PA SAT’S OPEN-AIR DESIGN IS EFFECTIVE IN PROMOTING NATURAL AIRFLOW, ADDITIONAL VENTILATION OPTIONS SUCH AS CEILING FANS, MECHANICAL VENTILATION, OR MISTING FANS COULD HELP TO FURTHER CIRCULATE THE AIR AND REDUCE HEAT BUILDUP.
REDUCE HEAT ABSORPTION: LAU PA SAT COULD BE MADE MORE COMFORTABLE BY REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF HEAT ABSORBED BY THE BUILDING. THIS COULD BE ACHIEVED BY PAINTING THE ROOF WITH REFLECTIVE PAINT, USING LIGHT-COLORED OR POROUS PAVEMENT, OR INSTALLING GREEN ROOFS OR WALLS.
MANAGE HUMIDITY: SINGAPORE’S HIGH HUMIDITY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO DISCOMFORT IN OUTDOOR SPACES. LAU PA SAT COULD BE MADE MORE COMFORTABLE BY USING DEHUMIDIFIERS OR PROVIDING SHADED AREAS WITH FANS TO REDUCE THE MOISTURE IN THE AIR.
THE AIRCON VALLEY CHOSEN FOR OUR DATA COLLECTION WAS BEHIND THE ROW OF SHOPHOUSES IN BETWEEN AMOY STREET AND TELOK AYER STREET. THE IMAGE BELOW SHOWS A SNAPSHOT OF THE AIRCON VALLEY FROM GOOGLE MAPS.
TO PROVIDE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CLIMATIC CONDITIONS DURING OUR DATA COLLECTION, FIGURE 2.1 DEPICTS THE SUN-PATH DIAGRAM AT THE TIMES OF DAY THAT WE COLLECTED OUR DATA. AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE SUN PATH WILL BE ABLE TO GIVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING WHEN ANALYSING OUR DATA.
THE SITE IS BEING SHADED BY ADJACENT TALL BUILDINGS FROM THE SOUTH-EAST DIRECTION. HOWEVER, DURING THE MIDDAY, THE SUN SHINES DIRECTLY DOWNWARDS ONTO THE SITE, CAUSING THE LUX READINGS TO PEAK AT 190 000 LUX. IN THE AFTERNOON, THE SITE IS SHADED BY SHOPHOUSES IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA.
WE EXPERIENCED THE MOST THERMAL DISCOMFORT AT THIS SITE, LIKELY DUE TO A COMBINATION OF HIGH SOLAR RADIATION, BUT ADDITIONALLY THE HOT EXHAUST BLOWING FROM ALL THE AIR CONDITIONER UNITS BLOWING INTO THE ALLEYWAY.
THE SEALED SURFACE CHOSEN FOR OUR DATA COLLECTION WAS THE ROOFTOP CARPARK LOCATED IN HONG LIM COMPLEX IN CHINATOWN. THE IMAGE BELOW SHOWS A SNAPSHOT OF THE ROOFTOP CARPARK, ADAPTED FROM GOOGLE MAPS.
TO PROVIDE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CLIMATIC CONDITIONS DURING OUR DATA COLLECTION, FIGURE 3.1 DEPICTS THE SUN-PATH DIAGRAM AT THE TIMES OF DAY THAT WE COLLECTED OUR DATA. AS THE SEALED SURFACE IS LOCATED ON THE ROOF, IT IS HIGHLY EXPOSED TO THE SUN AND THE SUN-PATH DIAGRAM WOULD GIVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING WHEN ANALYSING OUR DATA.
ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS OF SEALED SURFACES IS THAT THEY CAN CAUSE AN INCREASE IN THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND (UHI) EFFECT. THE UHI EFFECT OCCURS WHEN URBAN AREAS ARE WARMER THAN THEIR SURROUNDING RURAL AREAS, AND IT IS CAUSED BY A VARIETY OF FACTORS, INCLUDING THE PRESENCE OF SEALED SURFACES.
DUE THE ORIENTATION OF THE COMPLEX, THE SEALED SURFACE AT HONG LIM COMPLEX RECEIVES PARTIAL SHADING FROM TWIN NORTHEAST-SOUTHWEST FACING RESIDENTIAL BLOCKS. DURING THE MONTHS NEAR THE SUMMER SOLSTICE (JUN 21), THE BLOCKS ONLY SHADE THE SEALED SURFACE FROM MORNING SUN, HOWEVER NEAR THE WINTER SOLSTICE (DEC 21), THE BLOCKS SHADE THE SEALED SURFACE FROM THE AFTERNOON SUN.
IN SUM, A LARGE AMOUNT OF SOLAR RADIATION ABSORBED DURING THE DAY, AND THEN RELEASED IT BACK INTO THE ATMOSPHERE AT NIGHT, WHICH CAN RESULT IN HIGHER NIGHTTIME TEMPERATURES.
OPPORTUNITIES
THE FOREST CHOSEN FOR OUR DATA COLLECTION WAS THE FOREST BEHIND SANDWICH ROAD AND ST. MARGARET’S ROAD. THE IMAGE BELOW SHOWS A SNAPSHOT OF THE FOREST AREA, ADAPTED FROM GOOGLE MAPS.
HIGH DENSITY OF TREES ALLOW ONLY RAYS OF LIGHT TO SEEP IN THROUGH CANOPY. CERTAIN AREAS WHERE THERE IS NO TREE COVER WILL HAVE FULL EXPOSURE TO SUN’S RAYS.
THE PARK AREA CHOSEN FOR OUR DATA COLLECTION WAS THE PARK LOCATED ALONG COLLEGE AVENUE EAST. THE IMAGE BELOW SHOWS A SNAPSHOT OF THE PARK AREA, ADAPTED FROM GOOGLE MAPS.
THE PARK HELPS TO HELPS TO MITIGATE THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT IN SEVERAL WAYS:
SHADE: TREES AND OTHER VEGETATION PROVIDE SHADE THAT CAN REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF DIRECT SUNLIGHT THAT REACHES BUILDINGS AND SEALED SURFACES. THIS, IN TURN, CAN HELP LOWER TEMPERATURES AND REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF HEAT ABSORBED BY THESE SURFACES.
ALBEDO: THE ALBEDO OF A SURFACE REFERS TO ITS ABILITY TO REFLECT SUNLIGHT. VEGETATION TYPICALLY HAS A HIGHER ALBEDO THAN ASPHALT AND OTHER DARK SURFACES, WHICH MEANS THAT IT REFLECTS MORE SUNLIGHT AND ABSORBS LESS HEAT.
THE HIGH-RISE CONDOMINIUM IS THE TALLEST BUILDING (145 METERS) IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY, AND DOES NOT RECEIVE ANY SHADING FROM ADJACENT BUILDINGS GIVEN THEIR DISTANCE. THE PENTHOUSE FACING NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST IS EXPOSED TO DIRECT SUNLIGHT IN THE MORNINGS AND EVENINGS. NOTABLY, DUE TO THE APARTMENT'S GEOMETRY AND ORIENTATION, WITH A PROTRUSION IN THE SOUTHEAST CORNER, THE SOUTH-FACING ROOMS, INCLUDING THE ROOM IN OBSERVATION, ARE SHADED FROM THE MORNING SUN DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS. THIS EFFECT IS NOT PRESENT DURING WINTER MONTHS.
THE MAJORITY OF FENESTRATIONS ARE SETBACK INTO THE BUILDING TO REDUCE SOLAR EXPOSURE. ADDITIONALLY, BALCONIES ON THE 43RD STOREY EXTEND OVER THE FENESTRATIONS ON THE 42ND STOREY, REDUCING DIRECT SOLAR RADIATION AND PROVIDING SHADE. ROOF-MOUNTED BRISE-SOLEILS PROVIDE SHADE FOR THE 43RD STOREY BALCONIES.
SAMPLING POINTS
1.WINDOW
2.WORKDESK
3.BED
4.CLOSET
CLIMATIC HARDWARE
ALUMINIUM CLADDED BRISE-SOLEIL
AIR CONDITIONING
SINGLE-PANE TINTED SLIDING WINDOW
CROSS-VENTILATION
OPPORTUNITY - DOOR
ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING
BLACKOUT CURTAINS
BROWN COMPOSITE DECKING
CRITICAL EVALUATION
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ROOM ARE LEND ITSELF TO POOR PERFORMANCE IN THE CLIMATIC EVALUATION.
A SIGNIFICANT DROP OFF IN LUMINANCE IS OBSERVED AS ONE MOVES DEEPER INTO THE SPACE; LUX LEVELS ARE INSUFFICIENT AT POINTS 2, 3 AND 4 WITHOUT THE ASSISTANCE OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT.
THE ROOM RECEIVES LITTLE DIRECT SUNLIGHT, AND THE DARK, MATTE FINISHING OF THE BALCONY DIRECTLY OUTSIDE THE FENESTRATION DOES NOT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE LUX LEVELS INSIDE. EVEN OPENING OF THE WINDOWS (WHICH HAS A NOTABLE CUT IN TVIS) BARELY IMPROVES THE LIGHTING DEEPER INTO THE SPACE.
RELATIVELY LOW AMOUNTS OF SOLAR RADIATION ARE DEPOSITED IN THE ROOM, ALLOWING THE ROOM TO STAY COOL THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THE DATA CONFIRMS THIS, WITH LITTLE TEMPERATURE CHANGE.
THE IMPACT OF THE BLACKOUT CURTAINS WERE NOT TESTED DURING MY SAMPLING AS THEY DO NOT PRIMARILY PERFORM TO BLOCK OFF DIRECT SUNLIGHT, AND INSTEAD FUNCTIONS TO BLOCK OFF INDIRECT SUNLIGHT,
ALTHOUGH THE APARTMENT IS UNOBSTRUCTED, CROSS-VENTILATION OPPORTUNITIES ARE POOR, WITH THE DOOR DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO THE WINDOWS, WIND DOES NOT NATURALLY PASS THROUGH THE LIVING SPACES. THERE ARE ALSO NO CROSS-VENTILATION OPPORTUNITIES WITH ADJACENT APARTMENTS, CORRIDORS ARE DOUBLE LOADED BUT ONLY SHARED WITH ONE OTHER APARTMENT, WITH ONE NORTHWEST OPENING. IN THEORY THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY SHOULD BE IN THE LOW-MID 70% - MOISTURE CARRIED AWAY BY WIND, PREVAILING CONDITIONS ON THE DAY OF SAMPLING (RAIN) RESULTED IN HIGHER HUMIDITY.
ALL THESE FACTORS COULD BE ROOTED IN THE ROOM’S ORIGINAL DESIGN: AS AN AVDDITION AND ALTERATION PROJECT, THERE WAS POOR CONSIDERATION WHEN OPTIMISING THE CLIMATIC PERFORMANCE OF THE SPACE, INSTEAD DEPENDING ON ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING AND AIR-CONDITIONING TO ENSURE AN OPTIMAL WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND COMFORT.
DIAGRAM DEPICTING MAXIMUM SUNLIGHT PENETRATION INTO BEDROOM
21 JUNE | SUMMER SOLSTICE ALTITUDE: 62.89° AZIMUTH: 136.42°
WINTERSOLSTICE
UNDERSTANDING
2.
3.
4.
5.
POTENTIAL
Sengkang 5-Room HDB
Shijie’s Bedroom Analysis
South facing facade of bedroom is shaded by the block itself and the surrounding apartment blocks all day during summer solstice (June) as the sun is the north.
Hours when the room gets exposed to direct sunlight (assuming clear weather) peaks during winter solstice (December), when the sun shining from the most southern direction.
Expectation: Decrease in lux levels should be more drastic the deeper in the room when blinds are half pulled down, compared to when the blinds are fully opened. Also, mornings/afternoons should be more affected as the lower angle of incidence will increase the amount of direct light blocked by the blinds.
Observation: Contradicts the expected scenario. Possibly due to the fact that the sun angles where direct sunlight could enter the room at this period of the year was never low enough to be blocked by the half-down blinds. Majority of the direct sunlight is already shaded by the external horizontal shading device. On top of this, measurements were taken on overcast/rainy weather. There is hardly any direct sunlight entering the room at any point in time. Hence, the blinds only served to block indirect sunlight when pulled down.
