No Aircon: Contemporary Malaysian Urban Housing that Breathes

Abstract

The warm and humid tropical climate in Malaysia has a fairly consistent diurnal and annual average temperature. To relieve against the heat, cooling strategies are incorporated into the architectural design. However, most contemporary residential buildings in Malaysia are literal adaptations of Western models, resulting in closed and defensive designs. This approach has little success in responding to the tropical climate and compromises thermal comfort. Mechanical cooling systems are widely used to counteract this design flaw and create a desirable indoor environment. These bring adverse effects to the environment.

This thesis proposes a climatic responsive, high density housing design in a Malaysian urban context through a bioclimatic approach. This approach is based on the Ken Yeang’s interpretation of bioclimatic design, which perceives local climate as an integrated design consideration. Vernacular design principles are also considered in defining new local architecture, and later became central to this research.

Emphasis is placed on improving ventilation and shading performance. Vernacular design principles, such as stilted floors, large openings, overhangs, and open planning are reinterpreted and applied throughout the design process. By providing effective ventilation and protection from the sun, a cooler and climate responsive indoor environment is created. This is further enhanced through higher heat dissipation rates achieved by exposing extra surface areas to the external environment.

The research resulted in an apartment complex design that has good ventilation and sunshading performance located in Penang’s urban context.