3.2. Climate Consideration

3.2. CLIMATE CONSIDERATION

The open nature of the library complex and administration building’s core areas ensures that this sense of light and space is emphasised inside as well as out. However given the local tropical climate, the conundrum of how to maximise the natural light without attracting excessive solar gain.

“While the campus buildings do have some traditional climate-driven architectural elements, such as overhung roofs, other approaches used to combat temperature extremes are more contemporary,” “Here an even temperature is achieved partly through the reflective nature of the skylight, partly through strategically set louvers near the skylight that allow rising hot air to escape, and lastly through the open, walk-through nature of the base of the building that admits fresh air up into the interior,” “Similar principles were also used on the central structure in the administration building, although most enclosed areas of the campus are fully air conditioned.”

Figure 95View showing orientation of site