In George Town, Penang, the distinctive features of its heritage colonial buildings are its large... more In George Town, Penang, the distinctive features of its heritage colonial buildings are its large thermal mass and lofty ceiling heights. While differing greatly from the styles of Malaysian vernacular architecture – often defined by the traditional Malay kampung house – these western-inspired, clay-and-stone buildings have been claimed to be designed as such in order to provide comfortable indoor thermal conditions to its inhabitants by passive means. However, there have been relatively few studies published in relation to the thermal performance of these buildings in context of the hot and humid climate of George Town, Penang. This research investigates the unique features of several colonial heritage buildings and takes note of the thickness of its external walls. The thermal performance of the selected buildings is then assessed by comparing air temperature readings which were recorded indoors (Ti) and outdoors (To); simultaneously. Results show that temperature swings were greatly reduced in all heritage buildings, especially at midday when To reaches a high maximum. Among all samples, the building with thickest exterior walls (of 375mm in average) showed the most favourable average indoor-outdoor temperature difference (Ti-To) of-0.94°C during peak hour, as well as the most percentage of hours that indoor air temperature remains below that of the outdoors (Ti < To).
In 2008, George Town was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO, with numerous heritage buildin... more In 2008, George Town was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO, with numerous heritage buildings still intact from the British colonization of Malaya since the 1800s. These colonial buildings are of the same architectural styles as found in Britain – which has a climate much different from Malaysia. They do not at all resemble the indigeneous Malay architecture of ‘kampung’ houses made typically of local timber and attap roofs. In fact, two main characteristics of these colonial buildings are their large massing in walls and high ceilings. To date, there has been relatively few studies on how these heritage buildings perform thermally in a local context. This paper examines the thermal performance of several heritage buildings in Penang Malaysia, taking into consideration spaces with perimeter walls (separating it from the outdoors) to include indoor-outdoor climatic interactions. Environmental data collection in terms of indoor air temperatures (Ti) were taken simultaneously to the outdoor air temperatures (To) for comparison. Results indicate that these heritage buildings perform well in daytime hours with lower indoor air temperatures compared to the outdoors. However, at night, heat from the thermal mass was found to be released to the indoor spaces making it warmer and potentially uncomfortable for occupants.
Effective building design in hot and humid climates often calls for careful consideration when pl... more Effective building design in hot and humid climates often calls for careful consideration when placing glazed openings on the building envelope. Glass windows offer potential solutions to provide natural lighting and ventilation; however, inadequate planning of its placement, treatment and/or shading could risk causing a ‘greenhouse effect’ inside the building and subsequent overheating of the building’s interior. In such cases, the severity of the problem can be measured by using infrared (IR) thermography. This paper presents the results of a field study conducted on the exterior surfaces of a building in George Town, Penang. The field study involved time-sequential thermography of the building’s main elevations and its verification using simultaneously recorded close-range measurements taken with an IR thermometer over the course of a single fine weather day. Results show that readings taken from the IR thermal camera and the IR thermometer were consistent with one another. It was also shown that the glass windows retained heat for a longer period of time than the walls itself during the evening, indicating a significant amount of trapped heat within the building’s interior.
In recent years, Malaysia has seen an increase in energy consumption by buildings from all sector... more In recent years, Malaysia has seen an increase in energy consumption by buildings from all sectors. A significant portion of the energy consumed annually is spent to cool residential and commercial buildings. However, there is possibility that the country’s overall energy usage may be reduced, provided that steps are taken to minimize cooling loads in buildings via passive means. Considering Malaysia to be a country of hot-humid climate, many modern building designs have been observed to ignore the general characteristics of the region’s vernacular architecture. These are the key elements which help to reduce solar heat gains during the day. Properly conserved heritage buildings however, are seen to possess some of these qualities which may allow them to remain cooler than their modern counterparts under similar conditions. This paper discusses the thermal performance of a heritage shophouse in Penang, Malaysia, which uses passive cooling. Aspects which are looked at are the overall design of the buildings as well as recorded thermal data collected during a pilot study. The results show that the building provided an indoor environment that is cooler than the outside. Suggestions are also made to further improve the indoor thermal environment.
In George Town, Penang, the distinctive features of its heritage colonial buildings are its large... more In George Town, Penang, the distinctive features of its heritage colonial buildings are its large thermal mass and lofty ceiling heights. While differing greatly from the styles of Malaysian vernacular architecture – often defined by the traditional Malay kampung house – these western-inspired, clay-and-stone buildings have been claimed to be designed as such in order to provide comfortable indoor thermal conditions to its inhabitants by passive means. However, there have been relatively few studies published in relation to the thermal performance of these buildings in context of the hot and humid climate of George Town, Penang. This research investigates the unique features of several colonial heritage buildings and takes note of the thickness of its external walls. The thermal performance of the selected buildings is then assessed by comparing air temperature readings which were recorded indoors (Ti) and outdoors (To); simultaneously. Results show that temperature swings were greatly reduced in all heritage buildings, especially at midday when To reaches a high maximum. Among all samples, the building with thickest exterior walls (of 375mm in average) showed the most favourable average indoor-outdoor temperature difference (Ti-To) of-0.94°C during peak hour, as well as the most percentage of hours that indoor air temperature remains below that of the outdoors (Ti < To).
In 2008, George Town was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO, with numerous heritage buildin... more In 2008, George Town was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO, with numerous heritage buildings still intact from the British colonization of Malaya since the 1800s. These colonial buildings are of the same architectural styles as found in Britain – which has a climate much different from Malaysia. They do not at all resemble the indigeneous Malay architecture of ‘kampung’ houses made typically of local timber and attap roofs. In fact, two main characteristics of these colonial buildings are their large massing in walls and high ceilings. To date, there has been relatively few studies on how these heritage buildings perform thermally in a local context. This paper examines the thermal performance of several heritage buildings in Penang Malaysia, taking into consideration spaces with perimeter walls (separating it from the outdoors) to include indoor-outdoor climatic interactions. Environmental data collection in terms of indoor air temperatures (Ti) were taken simultaneously to the outdoor air temperatures (To) for comparison. Results indicate that these heritage buildings perform well in daytime hours with lower indoor air temperatures compared to the outdoors. However, at night, heat from the thermal mass was found to be released to the indoor spaces making it warmer and potentially uncomfortable for occupants.
Effective building design in hot and humid climates often calls for careful consideration when pl... more Effective building design in hot and humid climates often calls for careful consideration when placing glazed openings on the building envelope. Glass windows offer potential solutions to provide natural lighting and ventilation; however, inadequate planning of its placement, treatment and/or shading could risk causing a ‘greenhouse effect’ inside the building and subsequent overheating of the building’s interior. In such cases, the severity of the problem can be measured by using infrared (IR) thermography. This paper presents the results of a field study conducted on the exterior surfaces of a building in George Town, Penang. The field study involved time-sequential thermography of the building’s main elevations and its verification using simultaneously recorded close-range measurements taken with an IR thermometer over the course of a single fine weather day. Results show that readings taken from the IR thermal camera and the IR thermometer were consistent with one another. It was also shown that the glass windows retained heat for a longer period of time than the walls itself during the evening, indicating a significant amount of trapped heat within the building’s interior.
In recent years, Malaysia has seen an increase in energy consumption by buildings from all sector... more In recent years, Malaysia has seen an increase in energy consumption by buildings from all sectors. A significant portion of the energy consumed annually is spent to cool residential and commercial buildings. However, there is possibility that the country’s overall energy usage may be reduced, provided that steps are taken to minimize cooling loads in buildings via passive means. Considering Malaysia to be a country of hot-humid climate, many modern building designs have been observed to ignore the general characteristics of the region’s vernacular architecture. These are the key elements which help to reduce solar heat gains during the day. Properly conserved heritage buildings however, are seen to possess some of these qualities which may allow them to remain cooler than their modern counterparts under similar conditions. This paper discusses the thermal performance of a heritage shophouse in Penang, Malaysia, which uses passive cooling. Aspects which are looked at are the overall design of the buildings as well as recorded thermal data collected during a pilot study. The results show that the building provided an indoor environment that is cooler than the outside. Suggestions are also made to further improve the indoor thermal environment.
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Considering Malaysia to be a country of hot-humid climate, many modern building designs have been observed to ignore the general characteristics of the region’s vernacular architecture. These are the key elements which help to reduce solar heat gains during the day. Properly conserved heritage buildings however, are seen to possess some of these qualities which may allow them to remain cooler than their modern counterparts under similar conditions.
This paper discusses the thermal performance of a heritage shophouse in Penang, Malaysia, which uses passive cooling. Aspects which are looked at are the overall design of the buildings as well as recorded thermal data collected during a pilot study. The results show that the building provided an indoor environment that is cooler than the outside. Suggestions are also made to further improve the indoor thermal environment.
Considering Malaysia to be a country of hot-humid climate, many modern building designs have been observed to ignore the general characteristics of the region’s vernacular architecture. These are the key elements which help to reduce solar heat gains during the day. Properly conserved heritage buildings however, are seen to possess some of these qualities which may allow them to remain cooler than their modern counterparts under similar conditions.
This paper discusses the thermal performance of a heritage shophouse in Penang, Malaysia, which uses passive cooling. Aspects which are looked at are the overall design of the buildings as well as recorded thermal data collected during a pilot study. The results show that the building provided an indoor environment that is cooler than the outside. Suggestions are also made to further improve the indoor thermal environment.