Module 1 INTROUCTION TO TROPICAL DESIGN

An approach to building design focusing on the advantages and disadvantages of the elements of climate in tropical
regions

Goal of Tropical Design

To make the building users happy

Objectives of Tropical Design

Reduce human discomfort due to

 Solar heat
 Humidity
 Temperature
Harness the benefits of climate

 Sun
 Wind
Sun gives vitamin D, sanitize space, kills bacteria, gives natural light.
Wind cools the space, cools the body, supply of more oxygen, source of natural ventilation
Both natural lighting and ventilation, if properly incorporated in building design, can lessen energy consumption.
Impacts of climatic elements on building cause damages

 Precipitation
 Wind
 Humidity
Building materials such as wood and concrete can be damaged due to dampness if exposed to rain and humidity. Bacteria
and molds thrive in damp areas. Water proofing and damp proofing are applied to these materials to lessen the impact of
these elements. Due to climate change, heavy rainfall also affects building design. Rain conduits and catchment of
building should be redesigned to absorbed additional volume of rain water. Additional rain water catchment should be
incorporated in the building design to anticipate the worse effect of climate change.
Wind -specifically the south west monsoon or the habagat during typhoon can damage the building.

Climate-
The interrelationship of the five elements: temperature, humidity, precipitation, sun for a longer period of time
Weather – the condition of the five elements: temperature, humidity, precipitation, sun for a shorter period of time period
of time.
Climate According to area
Macroclimate-the climate prevailing in general for a given region of a country
Mesoclimate- the climate prevailing in general for a given city
Microclimate-the climate prevailing in general for a specific site

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Elements of Climate and Instruments used

1. Temperature – degree of coldness and hotness of the atmosphere. Temperature affects humidity, cloud formation,
precipitation, atmospheric pressure resulting to varying weather conditions
2. Humidity -water vapor content in the atmosphere
3. Precipitation -rain, ice snow, sleet.
4. Wind -air in motion
5. Solar radiation-light and heat coming from the sun

ature

Thermometer-calibrated hollow glass bulb

with mercury or alcohol inside a tube. This
liquid rises or fall when there is a change in
temperature.

Dreamstime.com

Thermometer is used to measure temperature.

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2. Humidity hygrometer-measures air moisture in the
atmosphere

Dew-point hygrometers-used to measure dew. the instrument is made up of cooled at constant water vapor and constant
pressure polished metal mirror typically consist of a polished metal mirror that is cooled at a constant pressure and
constant water vapor.
3. Precipitation

Rain gauge-measures rain fall from the

atmosphere

4. Atmospheric pressure

barometer-measures atmospheric pressure

5. Wind

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 anemometer-measures wind speed

Wind sock -direction of wind

6. Solar /sun

Pyranometers are radiometers designed for

measuring the irradiance on a plane surface,
normally from solar radiation and lamps.

Philippines is located 21° 10' N, just a bit away from the tropic of cancer. The tropic of cancer lies 23° 26′ 22″ N

CLIMATIC ZONES OF THE WORLD

1. Frigid zones- also known as tundra and polar regions located in the north and south poles. These areas have long
cold winter and short summer.
2. Temperate
3. Tropical

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THE TROPICS

TROPICS- areas located 23°26′13.9″ above north of equator bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and 23°26′13.9″below
south of equator bounded by Tropic of Capricorn.
The distance of Manila from the equator is 1626 km = 1010 miles

TROPICAL CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

HOT AND HUMID

• Temperature

Maximum - 27°C to 32°C in summer

Minimum - 21°C to 27°C in winter
Little seasonal variations both annual and diurnal ranges of temperature is very narrow
• Humidity- high around 75%-100%
• Precipitation-2000-5500 mm rainfall
• Wind-typically low wind velocity

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 Strong wind with torrential rains
• Solar radiation-intensity high during summers and moderate during winter

HOT AND DRY

• hot dry weather in summer and cold in winter
• Very little rainfall
• Very low humidity
• Sandy or rocky ground with very low vegetation
• High temperature difference between night and day
• Hot winds and frequent dust storms
• High summer day time temperature (32-36 C)
• Above 40-50C in hotter regions
• High solar radiation
• Clear sky most of the year
PHILIPPINES BELONG TO HOT AND HUMID CLIMATE.

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TROPICAL COUNTRIES
• NORTH AMERICA Montserrat Tanzania
Mexico Netherlands Antilles Uganda
Puerto Rico
• CENTRAL AMERICA Saint Barthelme • WEST AFRICA
Belize Saint Kits and Nevis Benin
Costa Rica Saint Lucia Burkina Faso
El Salvador Saint Martin (France) Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
Guatemala Saint Vincent and the The Gambia
Honduras Grenadines Ghana
Nicaragua Trinidad and Tobago Guinea
Panama Turks and Cacaos Islands Guinea-Bissau
United States Virgin Islands Liberia
• SOUTH AMERICA Mali
Bolivia • CENTRAL AFRICA Mauritania
Brazil Angola Niger
Colombia Cameroon Nigeria
Ecuador Central African Republic Saint Helena
French Guiana Chad São tomé and Principe
Galápagos Islands Congo Senegal
Guyana Democratic Republic of Congo Sierra Leone
Paraguay (Zaire) Togo
Peru Equatorial Guinea
Suriname Gabon • SOUTHEAST ASIA
Venezuela Sudan Brunei
Suriname Zambia Burma (Myanmar)
Venezuela Cambodia
• EAST AFRICA East Timor
• CARIBBEAN Burundi Indonesia
Anguilla Comoros Laos
Antigua and Barbuda Djibouti Malaysia
Aruba Eritrea Philippines
Bahamas Ethiopia Singapore
Barbados Kenya Thailand
British Virgin Islands Madagascar Vietnam
Cayman Islands Malawi
Cuba Mauritius • India
Dominica Mayotte
Dominican Republic Mozambique
Grenada Reunion
Guadeloupe Rwanda
Haiti Seychelles
Jamaica Somalia
Martinique

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