The Ingenieur Vol 59 July-Sept 2014 The Ingenieur Vo. 59, July-Sept 2014 | Page 65

Figure 6: The north-south orientation of the houses mean that each
house will receive the optimal amount of natural daylight, thus
cutting down the use of electric lights in daylight hours.

Figure 7: North-South orientation and strategic placement of large
glass doors and windows optimises the natural daylight into the
house.

Coupled with efforts to ensure
the strategic placement of large
glass doors and windows in
the houses means that, during
daylight hours, electric lights are
not usually required as 100%
of the habitable space receives
natural daylight.
The project has also gone
one step further by brightening
up traditionally dark corners of
the home by placing transparent
roof tiles on the stair landings.
This effort means that an
otherwise un-used corner can
be functional. To add to this,
an indoor planting space under
the skylight was also created.
Again, this creates a dual effect.
Light from the skylight facilitates
plant growth. Indoor plants
lower internal temperatures and
also create healthier indoor air
quality.
Thanks
to
the
dual
exploitation of natural light
and energy-efficient electrical
lighting, residents’ dependence
on electricity is further reduced
compared
with
traditional
standard units where such
locations as the staircase and
kitchen may require lighting even
during the day.
Passive principles are
employed wherever possible to
mitigate the impact of the hot
tropical climate. These include
cool roof technology, ventilation
holes in the eaves to channel
rising heat out of the interiors,
and breathable roofs. Breathable
roofs work by allowing the heat
that is usuall