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SCHOOL OF THOUGHTS
COMMUNITY CENTRE 2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This project would not have been possible without the guidance and the help of several individuals who in one way or another contributed and extended their valuable assistance in the preparation and completion of this portfolio. First and foremost, my utmost appreciation to Mr. Amr Alkhiami, my module coordinator for this module at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, Faculty of Architecture and Built Environment, who gave me the golden opportunity to do this wonderful project and for his guidance and support, in which it is very useful in the days to come. Furthermore, I would love to express my infinite thanks to Miss Hidayati and Miss Chan Mei Chun who were my tutors for this module. Their insights and the wisdom that they have passed down to me are invaluable. My gratitude goes as well towards selected classmates and friends for their help in building ideas and that despite of the distance, they have thoroughly e-mailed the information I needed. I would also like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my family who supported me morally and financially. Last but not the least, the one above us all, the omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent God, for answering my prayers and giving me the strength and wisdom to get through this semester.
SCHOOL OF THOUGHTS
The schools of thought in architecture are basically regarded as the LANGUAGE in how the design of a building is mainly approached. In a way, these schools of thought pave the way on how an architect's idea or concept can be CONVEYED in their design. Nevertheless, there is no such thing as only one school of thought approach in a building but it is possible to have one as the DOMINANT language over the others.
POETICS
The poetic school of thought is defined as the architectural language that evokes emotional response through space and sensory experiences (sight, smell, touch, hear) which are usually emphasized with density of materials and play of light including prolonged experiences of tranquility before reaching the climax or vice versa. In a way, the poetics in architecture intrigue the psychological aspect of a human being. Since each individual is different from each other, the causes and effect of evocation towards their own being are also different thus producing varying responses. This why poetics are very subjective but at the same time interesting.
READER Thinking Architecture, By Peter Zumthor
• Experience
of space without any thought articulation through atmosphere.
• Material usage in assuming a poetic quality by bringing out their specific meanings.
• Portrayal
of unrealized ideals in the concrete world, providing a promise of how things should be.
• Details
lead us to an understanding of the whole of which they are an inherent part that is in the end able to move us.
• The
poetics of architecture is concerned with insights, understanding and above all with truth. Perhaps poetry itself is unexpected truth.
• Architectural
poetics are also a way of expressing the secret passion that inspires an architect which comes from feeling and insight.
• Everything refers to everything. Every detail
of a building is connected and serves a purpose either big or small.
CHURCH ON THE WATER TADAO ANDO
It was built to commemorate wedding ceremonies as part of the Alpha Resort Hotel in Tomamu, Japan. It's location and design are physically and visually distinct from the surrounding resort, reinforcing the difference between the sacred and mundane. The artificial pond created by a nearby stream emphasizes the connection of the church with nature. Furthermore, the L-shaped wall acts like a punctuation mark that distinguishes the sacred inner space from the mundane aspects of the exterior.
At to the top level, four crosses are arranged in a square inside steel-framed glass walls. The crosses indicate the four cardinal points, symbolizing the universe that correlates with Christianity as a whole.
A route then passes around the outside of these crosses that lead to steps to a semicircular staircase to a lower level where there is waiting room under the crosses and the main chapel hall.
The contrast between light and darkness defines main points of interest in the building. Daylight comes from the glass box on the top level and from the open wall of the chapel where reflected light illuminates the area.
VALS THERMAL BATHS PETER ZUMTHOR
This themal bath in Vals, Switzerland is positioned on a steep slope and partly embedded in the mountain. The building uses local stone as a major material and symbolic element of the design thus resulting in a modest response to local culture and environment with a sense of timelessness. This is a building to experience in use, the spaces evoking feelings of rest and rejuvenation in bathers as they progress through the rituals of immersion in a sequence of hot and cold pools, steam rooms and relaxation areas.
The interior space of the thermal baths is sensuous, quiet and primordial. With textured walls and water of different temperatures, it is a tactile environment for personal reflection. The indoor pool, feels like a private space, despite its size that allows movement in many directions.
Isolated spaces create areas for self reflection and segregation from public areas. This quality is amplified through narrow corridors and changes in ceiling heights. The low steps that descend in long strides contribute to bathing as a process since entering the water itself is a ritual.
SALK INSTITUTE LOUIS KAHN
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies was designed by an American architect Louis Kahn as a laboratory and office complex for scientists engaged in biological research. The building goes beyond such technical requirements to create a complex that transcends the cultural gap between the sciences and the humanities. Its design is developed as a dialogue between the technical spaces of the scientific laboratory and the meditative - almost mystical - spaces of the central plaza. Through the interplay of monumental concrete forms in the strong Califonia sun, a series of transition spaces help to bind the empirical processes of the laboratories with the contemplative task of research thinking in the offices
If the central court is considered in relation to the vegetation on the east edge and the cliff face on the west, the complex can be seen as an enclosed and private sanctuary corresponding to the courtyard type.
the study cells are treated as places of retreat to separate researchers from the laboratory environment. The treatment of the cells in wood help to generate a warm and intimate environment appropriate for thinking.
CIVIC NARRATIVE
The definition of civic narrative architecture is that there must be an engagement between humans and the building itself. The buildings with civic narrative are generally found in cities specifically in urban areas and are involved in history, culture of society and the nation.
READER Complexity & Contradiction in Architecture, By Robert Venturi
•Does
not like subjective and complicated architecture
• Reminding the “past" • Hybrid rather than ‘pure' • Compromising rather than ‘clean' • Distorted rather than ‘straightforward' • Ambiguous rather than ‘articulated' • Boring as well as ‘interesting' • Conventional rather than ‘designed' • Basically
designing a complicated structure in the most simplest form
BERLIN JEWISH MUSEUM DANIEL LIBESKIND
The Jewish museum is an addition to the original museum facilities in Kollegienhaus, an 18th century Baroque building. The forms and materiality of the new structure are in obvious contrast to the historical forms of the existing museum. The design explores a more paradoxical relationship with the past, where the present has a distinct identity yet is deeply dependent on the past. The visitor is forced to gain access to the building through the old Kollegienhaus structure, where the access to the 'new' is literally embedded in the depths of the 'old', in the form of the basement stair access.
The conceptual relationship with the invisible Jewish past is explored by the introducing the idea of three axes which are Axis of Continuity, Axis of Holocaust, and Axis of Exile, which recreate the Jewish experience in Germany. The three linear axes leads to the three major design elements; the exhibition space, the Holocaust Tower and the Garden of Exile.
The formal qualities of the zigzag plan form are used to argue for a literal dismantling of the symbolic marker of Judaism; The Star of David; as a technique for developing the overall form of the building.
SARABHAI HOUSE LE CORBUSIER
The Sarabhai House is a private residence on a large 8-hectare estate in the city of Ahmedabad, India. The house does not have direct contact with the city's urban fabric. The house is spread around the landscape as connected blocks enclosing a series of open spaces between them.
The combination of the built block and the surrounding vegetation creates barriers and thresholds that define the public and private nature of various spaces and control access. The concrete bands capture the flat and horizontal character of the site. The thin brick piers capture the vertical accents of the surrounding trees.
The giant slide along the southern edge that connects the rooftop pavilion and the pool reflects the formal qualities of the iconic Jantar Mantar; an 18th century architectural-scale astronomical instruments in New Delhi. The scale and nature of the brise-soleil on the southern facade reflect the qualities of the shaded arcades of Fatehpur Sikri and other similar traditional Indian structures.
CANOVA MUSEUM CARLO SCARPA
The extension is slotted between pre-existing buildings without compromising their integrity. The forms can be seen as subtraction from and assembly of blocks, as in Canova's sculptures. Visitors experience a sequence from low-key rural town to grand global Neoclassicism, to idiosyncratic modernity.
The extension places a rectangular space next to a low converging space. An illusion of depth is created by narrowing part of the long space. The addition is kept away from the wall of the basilica by cutting away a narrow passage, part indoors and part outdoors.
Awareness of form is heightened by changes in level, proportion, height, and direction. The architecture is much more than a neutral background for the sculptures, but never dominates them.
The exterior of the extension is seen in glimpses, never as a whole. Compression and then release of space add to the drama of entering the tall gallery.
TECTONIC
Tectonic architecture is defined as the poetry of craft in a building and construction. Technics referred to just craft, but tectonics involve the details and beauty in the craft. Craftsmanship play an important role here, especially to the detailings and structural systems that are very important for buildings fall under this category. Material selection and mix joint types and construction systems influence the buildings of tectonic. Tectonic is also defined as form follows function which means the shape of the building should be based upon its intended function.
READER Studies in Tectonic Culture, By Kenneth Frampton
• The
term tectonic derives from the Greek w o r d t e k t o n m e a n i n g c a r p e n t e r, builder. Tekton in turn is closely related with the Greek words techne, artistic skill, art and technikos, artistically skillful, artistic, technical.
• Sophisticated
exercise in prefabricated modular construction using a component grid for the facade.
• Fabric
of components encompassing the building structure.
• Building
a valid project philosophy from which view-point all project decisions shall be reviewed is a precondition for achieving architectural quality.
• We must bear in mind the evolutionary state of construction technology.
ROBIE HOUSE FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT
The main features of this house’s style revolves around it’s horizontality and harmony with nature aside from its philosophy of form following function. The materials used for this house are mostly bricks with a little bit of glass, wood concrete and steel. The steel beams, which carry the roof, are directed towards the size of the windows in the facade because the centre to centre measurement of the beams.
To ensure the slim roof ending, steel beams were added to carry the heavy load and long span length. In order to keep the construction stable, the architect ensured he had more weight installed as a counterbalance on the other end of the roof.
As for the relationship between the facade and tectonic design, the masons were told to place the horizontal joints deeper into the bricks and the vertical joints to be aligned with the bricks to ensure horizontality. The joints were also painted red to match the same colour.
NATURAL GAS TOWER ENRIC MIRALLES
Another example of tectonic architecture is this building which is also known as the Mare Nostrum Tower which is an office skyscraper located in La Barcelona neighbourhood of the Ciutat Vella district in Barcelona, Spain.
The relationship with the urban periphery makes the new office building of Gas Natural a member of the family of contemporary buildings which have started to appear on the skyline of the city. It has the verticality of an office tower, while at the same time offers an entrance that shows the representative character of the building from a rapid view of the interior.
Interest lies in the fragmentation of the buildable volume into a series of constructions that at the end form a unified volume, which responds to different scales and in clear relation to the nearby apartment buildings, forming a great doorway allows the opening up of the district of La Barcelona and a singular public space that brings the construction to the ground.
NEUE NATIONAL GALLERY MIES VAN DER ROHE
Using only glass and steel, this building exudes a stylish and simplistic building. By showing the construction, the rawness of the building can be felt as clear as daylight and thats what makes the building special. The facades are symmetrical aligning with the first floor.
The square shapes of the beams pattern show the usage of a geometric form while an industrial style is displayed through the materials which are steel and glass that are used for the exterior and interior. The construction that can be seen is the crossed IPE beams and columns.
A stereotomic design is applied as well by showing gravity through showing the weight of the roof. Minimising the amount of columns is done so that the space will not be cramped. The construction is also symmetrical which looks simple.
SITE ANALYSIS
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LIBRARY
SENTUL - MANJALARA
KUALA LUMPUR ZONING
LEGEND Existing Road
Green Areas
Village Areas
Rivers & Lakes
Development
Existing Rail Lines
TOWNSHIP A township is referred to as a subdivision used to administer a large parish which contain a village or small town according to British standards. The concept of a township embraces all the basics, the highly essential schools, hospitals and the much needed recreational facilities. Nowadays though, premium and exclusive condominiums, villas, penthouses and row houses with beautiful landscapes is the new address of townships where the rich seek a sumptuous lifestyle. Therefore, security and well being of the citizens is of primary importance. Furthermore, home level burglar alarms with security cameras and security personnel at the entrance gates is a must.
DESA PARK CITY A master-planned community in Kuala Lumpur, its provides a wholesome, healthy living to its residents by embracing New Urbanism principles. This township was actually a former quarry devoid of redeeming qualities before environmental clean-up and hill slope repairs made the area hospitable for living. Site earthwork and building construction began in 2002 while the masterplan itself had been started since 1999. Regarding the governance, the parliament for this township is Kepong while the parish is Batu. On the other hand, this township is located within the zone of Sentul - Manjalara. Aside from that, this township features 19 residential enclaves including specially crafted strata-titled terrace homes in gated and guarded communities such as the Adiva (park homes, courtyard terraces and apartments), Adora (courtyard terraces and apartments) and Amelia (garden homes). In addition, this modern mixed-use 54.36 acre development is a compelling regional destination but what makes Desa Park City stand out is its open air, pedestrian-friendly and safe environment set around a lake.
KEY PLAN KUALA LUMPUR
LOCATION PLAN DESA PARK CITY
DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE
SITE PLAN
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25
50
SUN & WIND DIRECTION
SUN ORIENTATION As everyone should know, the sun moves from east to west where the evening sun is hotter than the morning sun.
WIND CIRCULATION The prevailing wind is highest from the northwest which travels at approximately 2.74 km/h COLD WIND HOT WIND
PRECIPITATION DATA
QUESTIONNAIRES RESIDENT OR NON-RESIDENT?
RESIDENT
NON-RESIDENT
TRANSPORTATION USED?
CAR
BUS
MOTORBIKE
BICYCLE
IF THERE’S A COMMUNITY CENTRE WOULD YOU PARTICIPATE?
YES
NO
MAYBE
IS THE PARKING ENOUGH?
DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENT?
TRANSPORTATION
ENVIRONMENTAL
TECH FACILITIES
SATISFIED
DO YOU DRIVE HERE?
YES
YES
NO
NO
SITE RESPONSE
The original site is basically an empty plot of land surrounded by trees and has a narrow road leading to it.
The first site response is to primarily extrude a basic massing based on the shape of the site.
The ingress and egress of the site is based on the flow of vehicles where most come from the main entrance which leads to the roundabout that shows the site fully.
The parking of the vehicles is strategically located below the building itself in order to reduce heat absorption compared to cars parked outdoors and save space.
As for the path for pedestrians which are very common on site, a shortcut would reduce the walking distance compared to walking the entire perimeter of the site.
In order to respond to rainfall precipitation on site, the roof is designed as a green roof that could collect water and be used within the building.
Regarding the wind that comes from the west side of the site, a path is created which allows the air to flow through site for circulation.
As for the views, the community centre is oriented to face the positive views which are the West Park and the children’s playground behing the Waterfront.
In order to counter the heat for the pedestrians, natural shading such as trees are planted along the pedestrian paths.
As for the visual linkage, the glazing which allows onlookers to view the building’s interior is focused towards the Persiaran Residen road and Residen 2 road.
The noises discovered on site which basically come from vehicles and the playground are countered by the courtyard form of the community centre.
The cumulative responses toward the site produces a design that will be able to relate to the community within the area thus be able to remain relevant for a long time.
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EXTERIOR
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IDEATION
NARRATIVE ARTWORK
Nowadays, Earth faces an ecological crisis where the planet’s temperature keeps rising due to uncontrolled developments around the world. If not contained, this will lead to the depletion of natural resources such as basic needs like food and water due to an inhospitable environment thus disrupting the food chain. This lack of resources will soon lead to civil unrest as mankind struggles among themselves for sustenance which can eventually cause man-made catastrophes such as nuclear wars. However, it is never too late to mend what can still be fixed. There is still hope that humans can still learn from their mistakes and remedy this issue. One of the ways to do that is through education. An institution that could cultivate the current generation on how to preserve our environment so that the upcoming generations could inherit it. As we can see, Desa Park City is a very secure township and could provide the essential necessities that it’s residents could possibly need due to it’s wholesome environment. Nevertheless, any civilisation would fall and crumble eventually if not properly sustained. The residents would take the amenities that they were provided with for granted if not properly educated. Thus, a community hub with the typology of an ENVIRONMENTAL CENTRE would be a good start in order to prolong the livelihood of humans and Mother Earth itself because in the end, prevention is better than the cure.
CONCEPT STRATEGIES ENERGY SAVING The sustainability of the community centre itself would be prolonged by reducing the amount of energy consumption through rainwater harvesting and solar harnessing aside from implementing artificial LED lights that uses less power compared to other incandescents lamps.
MASTERCLASSES These interactive classes will educate visitors regarding skill specific courses and at the same time spread awareness on how to sustain themselves and the environment such as the correct way of recycling. Even domestic skills such as cooking or sewing can be learned here.
ENVIRONMENTAL ARCHIVE A special library that focuses on the aspect of environmental awareness which could be a primary source for scholars or environmentalists. It will also function as a repository of references regarding the natural domain.
URBAN FOREST Integration of natural greenery into the building itself provides visitors the experience of walking inside a rainforest without leaving the confines of an urban environment. Furthermore, they provide therapeutic benefits such as reducing stress, improving air quality and lowering background noise.
PLANT NURSERY A garden where plants are propagated and grown to a usable size that could be an interactive space for visitors. Not only is it good for our environment since it absorbs CO2 but it releases O2 as well. This garden is able to teach people to be responsible towards Mother Nature herself. Besides, it can reduce the urban heat island effect.
THE POETICS OF THE GREEN The poetic school of thought in architecture can be experienced in this environmental community centre by using the five senses that we humans have. The way light falls through the skylight in this main lobby lets us visualise how light is directed towards a main entity which is the tree in the center of this main lobby. The smell of the flora will take the visitor to a whole different place as if they were in the forest themselves. The experience will therefore be spontaneous without requiring thought at all. At the same time, it will make humans appreciate what little nature we have left since Mother Nature herself is being torn apart by her own children which is us ironically. Therefore, it all comes back to our actions that will determine our own survival on this planet. Save the planet to save ourselves in order to perpetuate life on this Earth.
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SPATIAL DIAGRAM
PUBLIC
SEMI-PUBLIC
PRIVATE
ACCESS
LEGEND I1 - INGRESS 1 I2 - INGRESS 2 E - EGRESS D - DROPOFF L - LOBBY S1 - SEMINAR ROOM 1 P - PRAYER ROOM G - GALLERY LI - LIBRARY CC - COMPOST CENTRE GR - GARDEN S2 - SEMINAR ROOM 2 MH - MULTIPURPOSE HALL T - TOILET LB - LOADING BAY F - FOOD PREP AREA CR - COURTYARD A - AMPHITHEATER C - CAFE M - MANAGEMENT SB - SUB-BASEMENT AV - AV ROOM
COURTYARD
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CASE STUDIES
AQUATERRA ENVIRONMENT CENTRE FRANCE The aim of this building is to make visitors aware of environmental questions. The building is the anchor point for the relationship between people and nature, between the industrial history and the future, and between the town and the landscape.
Universal Form The lens-shaped design of the building opens outwards on all its sides and offers a great openness and transparency between the inside and the outside. Outside, the circular facade opens onto a panoramic landscape. On the inside, this simple figure allows very clearly readable, compact and economic spatial organization.
Program Hemispheres The building’s programs are separated into two hemispheres where the south contains the public reception, permanent and temporary exhibition spaces and the greenhouse while the north comprises the back office and service rooms.
Bioclimatic Design The architectural style follows a constructive bioclimatic design scheme, The roof is planted with plants while supporting photovoltaic panels. Rainwater is recovered in tanks that are used for watering the greenhouse and toilet flushing.
KING’S PARK ENVIRONMENT CENTRE AUSTRALIA This building acts as a home base for the educational programs run by the Botanic Parks and Garden Authority that focuses on fostering wider community understanding and appreciation of the natural environment, and on the benefits of renewable and sustainable design.
Aesthetics of Sustainability By folding together the building and its site and re-vegitating the earth roof with flora, adoption of double glazing, LED lighting, recycled materials, cross ventilation and solar heating, the facility consumes 60% less power than an equivalent building and it reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 30.2 tonnes per year.
Structure Submergence Submerging the building into the landscape allows visitors to experience the true protagonist of the project which is the landscape itself while descending into the long entry ramp into the earth between concrete walls through exposure of the entire landscape once they reach the atelier and the administration wing.
NANYANG TECH. UNIVERSITY SINGAPORE This five-storey facility sweeps a corner of the campus with an organic, vegetated form that blends landscape and structure, nature and high-tech and symbolizes the creativity it houses.
Swirling Green Roof It helps to absorb the intense heat from the sun and slows run off during downpours aside from enhancing the outdoor gathering space Exposed Facades The facades of the building which are oriented to face north and south minimize solar gain is an expansive curtain wall facade of high performance, double glazed glass that maximizes interior daylight while minimizing heat penetration.
Almond-shaped Courtyard The courtyard expands access to daylight and cooling effects. It provides natural light into interior spaces as well as in providing cooling properties from the water attributes.
BRNO-KOHOUTOVICE COMM. CENTRE CZECH REPUBLIC Located in a historic downtown, this project takes advantage of a sloping site to create two buildings of differing architectural language, connected together with an active public space to create one multifunctional town centre.
Public Plaza This project features a public space that is easily accessible to the community. A plaza in front of the town hall could serve as a public meeting space, farmers market or even a place to screen movies in the summer.
Space Splitting A second public space is located on the lower level in front of the main entrance to the community centre below. These two public areas are connected by fan-shaped terraces where a staircase at the centre of the area provide circulation between the upper and lower levels.
SCHEMATICS
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CAFE
Space Splitting This courtyard acts as a buffer zone between the multipurpose and the main building in order to give the spaces a breathing space for wind circulation. This courtyard also acts as an event space where outdoor activities can take place such as a meeting place or even a farmers market. As it can be seen, the courtyard is channelled in a way that where the north west breeze can flow through seamlessly.
SECTION A-A
Structure Submergence
LEGEND
The submergence of the green roofs into the ground seamlessly allows visitors to fully appreciate the landscape of the community centre as it integrates with the site while also displaying the fluidity of the building’s organic form which is partly inspired by the mound of ants.
1. DROPOFF 2.MAIN LOBBY 3. WAITING AREA 4. MALE TOILET 5. FEMALE TOILET 6. MALE PRAYER ROOM 7. FEMALE PRAYER ROOM 8. SEMINAR ROOM 1 9. STORAGE 10. ELV ROOM 11. TELEPHONE ROOM 12. SUB-METER ROOM 13. GALLERY 14. LIBRARY 15. VIEWING ROOM 16. MOTORCYCLE PARKING 17. COURTYARD 18. CAFE 19. HALL LOBBY 20. MALE TOILET 21. FEMALE TOILET 22. CAFE STORAGE 23. REFUSE CHAMBER 24. FOOD PREP KITCHEN 25. MULTIPURPOSE HALL 26. STORAGE ROOM 27. TNB SUBSTATION 28. PLATFORM STAGE 29. AV ROOM 30. M&E SERVICES
0
20
40
SECTION B-B
Swirling Green Roof The green roof helps to mitigate the urban heat island effect, increase longevity of roofing membranes, reduce noise and air pollution, sequester carbon and even making the building more aesthetically pleasing aside from reducing rain runoffs during downpours.
LEGEND 1. STEEL FRAMED GLASS ROOF (REFER TO DETAIL A) 2. 4500 LITRE CAPACITY WATER TANK 3. VERTICAL FRAMING STEEL PROFILE TO ENGR’S DTL 4. DOUBLE GLAZING CURTAIN WALL TO ENGR’S DTL 5. ALUMINIUM CASEMENT AWNING WINDOW TO ENGR’s DTL 6. EXTERIOR FIXED ALUMINIUM LOUVERS TO ENGR’S DTL 7. 12MM THK CERAMIC TILE 8. WELDED MESH TO ENGR’S DTL 9. 150MM THK CONCRETE SLAB TO ENGR’S DTL 10. MEXICAN BEACH PEBBLES 11. 40MM THK POLYTHENE DAMP PROOF COURSE ON BLINDING TO ENGR’ DTL 12. 150MM THK WELL COMPACTED CRUSHED STONE TO ENGR’S DTL
EAST ELEVATION
FIRE ESCAPE RADIUS (45M)
WATER SUPPLY LINE
HOSE REEL LINE
DRAINAGE LINE
RAIN WATER LINE
FIRE STAIRCASE
FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND HOSE REEL
EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC
ROOFTOP GARDEN
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SUSTAINABILITY APPROACH
RAIN HARVESTING SYSTEM As part of the response, a rainwater harvesting system is applied to this community centre as the amount of precipitation levels occurring on the site is quite a lot. This is supported by the fact that this country has a tropical climate which is hot and humid all year round which causes rain to happen a lot. Basically, the rain water collected will be used for irrigation purposes such as watering the plants of the rooftop garden and for flushing the toilets. This in turn will reduce the cost of the water bills while at the same time diminish the wastage of water since rain is a recurring cycle.
60% However, the rainwater must undergo several steps steps of treatment including sterilisation and filtration before being used because it is not safe to use until it treated as it poses a risk to people exposed to it. This pathogen-rich rainwater can cause sickness or infections if it comes into contact with wounds or ingested.
ENERGY-SAVING LIGHTING In a nutshell, this community centre applies the usage of LED lights as part of the artificial lighting system. Since this building focuses on environmental awareness, it is a given that it must use energy as low as it possibly can. That is where the LED lights come in.
90%
LED lights are up to 80% more efficient than traditional lighting such as fluorescent and incandescent lights. 95% of the energy in LEDs are converted into light while only 5% is wasted as heat. This is compared to fluorescent lights which convert 95% of energy to heat while only 5% to light! LED lights also draw less power; a typical 84 watt fluorescent can be replaced by a 36 watt LED to give the same level of light. This reduces the demand from power plants and decreases greenhouse gas emissions. A longer life span means lower carbon emissions. LEDs last up to six times longer than other types of light, reducing the requirement for frequent replacements. This results in using fewer lights and hence fewer resources are needed for manufacturing processes, packaging materials and transportation.
COMPOST DEPOSIT CENTRE Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed in a process called composting. This process recycles various organic materials otherwise regarded as waste products and produces a soil conditioner.
In short, this community centre provides the opportunity for everybody either residents or not to participate in depositing their food waste to turn them into compost for plants and vegetables instead of throwing them away. As incentive, the contributors can take the plants or vegetable that their compost has helped to grow back home.
30%
Compost is rich in nutrients. It is used, for example, in gardens, landscaping, horticulture, urban agriculture and organic farming. The compost itself is beneficial for the land in many ways, including as a soil conditioner, a fertilizer, addition of vital humus or humic acids, and as a natural pesticide for soil. In ecosystems, compost is useful for erosion control, land and stream reclamation, wetland construction, and as landfill cover.
ROOFTOP GARDEN 30%
On the other hand, This community centre’s rooftop is occupied by a garden which also acts as a plant nursery where various vegetables and flora can be planted that is suitable in this country’s climate. Plants have the ability to reduce the overall heat absorption of the building which then reduces energy consumption. The primary cause of heat build-up in cities is insolation, the absorption of solar radiation by roads and buildings in the city and the storage of this heat in the building material and its subsequent reradiation. Plant surfaces however, as a result of transpiration, do not rise more than 4–5 °C above the ambient and are sometimes cooler. This then translates into a cooling of the environment between 3.6 and 11.3 degrees Celsius, depending on the area on earth.
LEGEND 1. 2. 3. 4.
TOMATO
CHILLI
LETTUCE
CUCUMBER
This therefore shows that the rooftop garden is an efficient way to cool a building aside from providing an aesthetically pleasing space for visitors to come by and spend their time. The visitors will also be provided with the opportunity to learn how to do gardening through the masterclasses organized by the community centre.
MULTIPURPOSE HALL
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CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
BRICK WALL TO STEEL COLUMN DETAIL (B)
GLASS ROOF DETAIL (A)
STEEL TRUSS TO STEEL COLUMN DETAIL (D)
GREEN ROOF DETAIL (C)
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GALLERY
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GROUND FLOOR AREA
APPENDIX
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SUB-BASEMENT PARKING