ASSIGNMENT – CASE STUDY REPORT 2,200 WORDS (40%)

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Research of the understanding and research of the understanding and the structural research of the
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CLO1 passive strategies structural system, passive strategies structural system, strategies and passive strategies 7 /5 / 35
and sustainable passive strategies and sustainable passive strategies sustainable and sustainable
building materials and sustainable building materials and sustainable building materials building materials
building materials at a higher level of building materials
complexity
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construction construction drawings & details construction
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Assessing the an exceptional analysis on expected level of and research of assess the no work is done
analysis on the suitability and analysis on the the structural suitability and
suitability and
the suitability and application of the suitability and system, passive application of the
application of the
CLO2 application of the case study’s application of the strategies and case study’s 6 /5 / 30
case study’s case study’s structure & building case study’s sustainable structure & building
structure & structure & building materials at a structure & building building materials materials
building materials materials higher level of materials
complexity

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BTAR2042 CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY & MATERIALS

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www.archdaily.com
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theconstructor.org
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Table of contents

Title Page Number

1.0 Introduction 2-4

2.0 Structural system
2.1 Structural system construction 5
2.2 Floor system for the construction of steel frame structure 6
2.3 Bracing 6
2.4 Roof construction 7
2.5 Plans and elevations of 8D house 8-10
3.0 Passive design strategies
3.1 Building form and orientation 11-13
3.2 Landscapes 13-14
3.3 Roof design 15
3.4 Louvered sun screen 16
3.5 Interior shading device and glazing 17
4.0 Sustainable building materials
4.1 Clay brick 18
4.2 Concrete 19
4.3 Timber 19-20
4.4 Marble 20
5.0 Conclusion 21
6.0 References 22

1
1.0 Introduction

Figure 1 : 8D house

Architect: DR TAN LM Architect

Completed Year: 2015

Built-up: 15,406 sqft

Land area: 21,904 sqft

8D House is a residence with retreat facilities set in the midst of metropolis Kuala Lumpur.
Large vernacular 2 to 3 storey bungalows is fully developed at the surrounding neighbourhood
of 8D house. Then, the site have a long and narrow lot sloping down from the road by about
10 meters. Therefore, the architect took the opportunity provided by long road frontage for a
70m long tropical verandah made of modern material, steel and off-form concrete with sawn
timber finish and reclaimed the land to construct a lower ground which is well-sheltered from
evening sun.

Client’s requirement

The client’s requirement is required a house for a two generational family with green
sustainable features and resort facilities such as gym room and swimming pool.

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 Figure 2: Location plan of 8D house

8D house is located on a hillside in the affluent suburb of Bukit Damansara (Damansara

Heights) with views of KLCC Twin Towers, located five kilometres from the city centre. It is
sought-after residential and commercial address in Klang Valley

Design Intentions

Twenty years ago, Bukit Damansara began as a residential scheme for government servants.
Commercial projects were slowly poured into the area and buildings began to develop into
office complexes, which give high rise to temperature and significantly affect the housing
estate. Therefore, the 8D house project is started off by the intention of to design a three storey
bungalow incorporating vernacular elements in response to the climate change within the area
to achieve thermal comfort and also create a peaceful rhythm along the street, Lengkok Setia
Budi, Damansara Heights.

Figure 3: The image shows the skyline along the Lengkok Setia Budi.

It shows the elevation of the buildings are considerably large, both in height and footprint. Site
surrounding bungalows are mostly 2-3 storey, each storey height is around 3.5m.

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Figure 4: Section cut of the street Figure 5: Massing of the street

This section cuts through residential part of street along Lengkok Setia Budi. It shows the
massing and built up of the area of the site. It can be clearly seen that the height, size and scale
of the buildings in this area is very similar with the ones in the distance (lighter colour) which
has created a peaceful rhythm along the street.

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2.0 Structural System
2.1 Structural construction
8d house is mainly constructed out of steel framed structure which is all building components
are assembled together to form the structure and this type of structure are suitable for 3-5
storeys building. Steel structure have a longer life span for light weight skeletal, allow larger
spans and bay sizes, creating flexibility and also easier to modify and reinforce, especially
modification work in future.

Steel framed structure construction begins with the construction of its foundation. The types of
foundation are based on the soil bearing capacity. Soil investigation including surface and
subsurface exploration is used to assess the condition of the soil on which steel frame rests. A
strip foundation or reinforced concrete bearing pads were used by transfer loads to soils capable
of supporting transferred load because it is not necessary to use a pile foundation unless the
strength of the soil is poor and imposed load is large.

Then, I-sections is commonly used in the construction. The web resist shear forces, flange resist
most of the bending moment as shown in Figure 6. The joints from column to foundation are
welded by base plate to the end of the columns.

Figure 6 : I sections details Figure 7: Steel column to foundation details.

Moreover, welded connected were used to join both steel columns above if a circular steel
columns were used.

Figure 8: circular steel columns were used in 8D house

5
2.2 Floor system for the construction of steel frame structure

Floor are commonly installed as the beams are erected. However, the floor system not only
support vertical applied loads but they also act like diaphragms and resist lateral load through
the use of bracings.

Figure 9 : Precast concrete slab placed on structural steel frame.

Minimum 50mm
concrete topping
PC Slab

Figure 10 : Precast concrete slab details

2.3 Bracing

Bracings are used to resist lateral forced imposed on structure and it transfer lateral loads to the
columns then to the foundation. Then, bracing using cables were used for the construction of
8D house as it is a temporary bracing during the construction.

Figure 11 :

6
2.4 Roof Construction

Figure 12: Roof of 8D house

Figure 13 : Sectional details of the 8D house roof

The 8D house roof was constructed of lightweight metal deck in a light grey with 0.52mm total
coated thickness (TCT). The internal layers include highly insulated by 200mm rock wool of
density 50kg/m3 and an air gap of 300mm that act as a barrier to heat flow.

7
2.5 Plans and elevations of 8D house

Figure 14 : Lower ground floor plan

Figure 15 : ground floor plan

8
 Figure 15 : first floor plan
From the floor plan, we can see that it is North-West and South-East orientated along the road
frontage. Since the site itself have a 10 meters slope down from the road, it provided an
opportunity to design a 70m long verandah which would be the main façade axis that ties the
entire program together from arrival to living and recreation.

Besides that, by having an open plan living area, the tropical design idea of blurring the
boundaries between both interior and exterior is injected to allow spatial continuous and
exposure to the natural surroundings.

Figure 16 : Front Elevation

9
 Figure 17 : Rear Elevation

Figure 18 : Right Elevation

Looking at the exterior form of 8D house, it is very simple and also rectangular. Therefore,
the modern architecture language of 8D house stands out on its own with this strong sense of
geometry.

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3.0 Passive Design Strategies

3.1 Building Form and Orientation

8D house has a perfect rectangular building form with low surfaces area-to-volume ratio (S/V)
and as such, making the building inherently more efficient than complex shapes.

Surface area= 1553.1m2

Volume=3904.2m3

S/V=0.397

Then, 8D house is thin and has lower building depth (narrow shape of the building) which
allows the internal heat to be lost to the outside. The interior buffer zones such as stairs, lift
and entry corridors are places in the west side of the house to protect the living and working
areas from direct sunlight in the afternoon.

Figure 19: Buffer zones shied living areas from afternoon hot sun

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 Figure 20: Cross ventilation within the interior spaces of 8D house

Figure 21: wind rose diagram on the building plan

Long facades of the building is orientated to the east west direction, relatively 22.4 degrees
from the north, resulted in reduction of shading effectiveness. On the narrow site which east-
west orientation is not possible, ample shading devices are used to reduce solar heat gain in the
building. Then, the long sides of the building are arranged to face the direction of the incoming
prevailing wind. Long sides are difficult to shield from the low sun and thus, special shading
devices are used such as the long verandah and sufficient fenestration on the west and east
elevations.

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 Figure 22: 70m long tropical verandah

3.2 Landscapes
The landscaping around 8D house is designed to respond to sun paths and prevailing winds
where vegetation allows shadow to casted on the north-east façade and cool down prevailing
winds. Landscaping such as trees, bushes with dense foliage acts as vertical shading device to
prevent direct solar radiation onto the façade of the building.

Figure 23: Landscaping in 8D house

Evapotranspiration, the process by which water is transferred from the land to the atmosphere
by evaporation from the soil and other surfaces and by transpiration from plants and leaves will
help cool down the surrounding air. Ground elements such as grass and water features replacing
pavements to reduce overall ground temperature in 8D house .These features does not reflect
heat like how harder materials such as paving and stones do. Water elements such as pond by
the verandah and the swimming pool next to gym allow evaporative cooling to take place.

13
Furthermore, water features are also strongly strategically positioned around the east and the
south sides of the building to cool down prevailing winds through evaporation.

Figure 24: ground elements such as grass and water features reduce heat gain.

Figure 25: The vegetation block the direct sunlight from entering the house

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3.3 Roof design

Figure 26: Overhanging roof of 8D house

8D house is using a large insulated overhanging canopy roof to control the penetration of solar
radiation. A 7.5-meter overhang on the east side of the building helps to avoid direct exposure
from sunlight. Due to the house built mostly with exposed materials, the roof tends to be under
lighted to give a psychological effect of coolness as strong light is often mentally associated
with that. The 8D house roof was constructed with lightweight metal deck in light grey with
0.52mm total coated thickness (TCT). According to the Reflectance Index of rood surfaces,
light colour may absorb less than 50 % of incoming solar heat. The internal layers include
highly insulated by 200mm rock wool and have air gap of 300mm that acts as a barrier to heat
flow.

Figure 27: Solar reflectance index of roof surface

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3.4 Louvered sun screen

Figure 28:External walkway and sunscreen details of 8D house.

8D house controls glare from the open sky and surrounding by using metal louvered sun screen
to wrap the entire mass of the living spaces. Sun screens extend rather than attached to the
facades to form a distance for air ventilation as well as preventing large amount of heat to pass
through the transparent glasses directly which cause overheating. Then, the extended corridor
without any form of blockage is formed through the distance of façade and sunscreen. This
helps the space to remain cooler as the air flow is encouraged.

Louvers are also incorporated into the shade to prevent the high-angle sun falling on the glass
façade, but also to allow small portion of sunlight to provide some passive solar heating.
Louvered sun screens are also every effective in shading south-facing glass façade. However,
the same device could not block the low afternoon sun from entering west-facing areas during
peak heat gain. This explain why the west side sun screen is longer than the east and north side.
Therefore, the sun screen at the east side of 8D house extends until the head level to ensure no
blockage of air flow occurred, maintaining good air ventilation at the main side of living area.

According to Dr Tan LM, the vertical louvers are aesthetically pleasure especially when it
comes together with a black background and these are used to form an identity to his
architecture design.

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3.5 Interior shading device and glazing

Figure 29: living room

8D house is constructed based on semi-open concept, having the sliding door making it optional
for the client to open up for ventilation and reduce humidity level. However, this would results
in large solar exposed area. Therefore, low-E safety laminated glass with the thickness of
9.38mm is used. Internal shading devices allow luminance and glare control which
subsequently contribute to user comfort and visual acuity. A white curtain is also used because
it has high solar reflectance value and allow more luminance to the interior, effectively reduce
the energy consumption in cooling and lighting.

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4.0 Sustainable Building Materials

8D house is efficiently designed to adapt local climatic by using raw local materials. Most
masonry finishes such as bricks, marble and slate are thin veneers that have been adhered to
the structural wall and floor of the building, and are mostly found on ground and eyelevel
around the entrance of the house.

4.1 Clay Brick

Figure 30 Figure 31

Raw clay red brick boundary wall Brickwork as flooring seen at the patio of
the of 8D house living area of 8D house

In 8D house, most masonry finishes have been adhered to the structural of the wall and floor
of the building. With thermal mass and high specific heat capacity, even long after the air
conditioning has switched off, masonry wall will remain cool to reduce heating loads and
improve occupants’ comfort. In addition, clay red brick also require relatively less energy to
achive thermal comfort conditions. Therefore, the choice of using this material in the building
is good in keeping the internal temperatures remain comparatively stable despite external
diurnal fluctuations especially in the hot climate.

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4.2 Concrete

Figure 32:concrete for gym room and concrete staircase

Concrete were used as the material to give stability , versatility and lightness to the appearance
of the house. With thermal high mass, concrete provide thermal comfort by storing and delay
the conduction of heat through structural elements. Moreover, it has low volumetric heat
capacity and thermal conductivity.

4.3 Timber

Timber is heavily used in 8D house because minimal maintenance is required. Wooden wall
panels and sunscreen had given warmth in contrast with the dull concrete and cold marble
flooring. Timber is acceptable in term of thermal insulation properties that are suitable for all
kinds of applications due to its low thermal conductivity. Lastly, timber also has higher heat
capacity and comparatively low density when compared with other building materials.

Then, standing out from its neighbouring house, timber is heavily used in 8D house mainly
because required less maintenance required.

Figure 33: Wooden panel in contrast with cold marble flooring in the interior of 8D house

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 Figure 34: Timber louver as partitions

To allow easy passage of air, partition made of timber louver allow smooth air ventilation
within the air

4.4 Marble

Figure 35: marble flooring were used in 8D house

Marble flooring provide high heat capacity, 880 J/kgC, which is also a good heat insulator in
keeping the shielded floor cool.

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5.0 Conclusion

8D house demonstrates a series of different design strategies in relation to vernacular

architecture to attain thermal comfort in its building in a modern context. The use of local raw
materials helps to reduce solar radiation and promote coolness in the interior spaces. Utilization
of building materials and passive technologies in building can effectively provide thermal
comfort demands and also reduce energy demand. The rectangular building is oriented with
the long facades arranged to face the direction of incoming prevailing winds. Landscaping such
as vegetation and water features that help promote evapotranspiration to cool down
surrounding air are carefully placed in relation to sun paths. Large insulated overhanging
canopy roof constructed with lightweight metal decking is used to provide necessary shade and
control the penetration of solar radiation. 8D house also controls glare from the open sky and
surrounding by using metal louvered sun screen to wrap the entire mass of the living space,
varying in lengths on different sides of the facades.

However, there are still some imperfections that affect the overall cooling load require to
achieve thermal comfort. In order to allow unobstructed view towards KLCC Twin Towers,
the vertical metal louvers are shorten, causing large exposure to sunlight. In another hand, the
whole building is painted black due to the desire of the architect to make the vertical louvers
more prominent. Black is elegant, but it absorbs too much heat. By having a lighter colour
façade, it helps to resist heat gain thus reduce the energy consumption.

Lastly, passive design strategies shall be apply to most Malaysian designs because these
passive designed shading strategies are validated as they show a great contribution in resisting
heat within a building. The semi open concept and compromised orientation of building allow
ventilation to work collaboratively with shading methods discussed and contribute in thermally
and visually comfort environment. Since there is a reduction of cooling load required, it offers
better living condition where air conditioning system is not indispensably required to make a
building habitable. Environmental issue in relation to energy consumption in a building will
greatly influenced by the thermal comfort.

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6.0 References

1. "8D House / DRTAN LM Architect" 21 Mar 2016, ArchDaily, accessed 10 September

2020.
https://www.archdaily.com/784182/8d-house-drtan-lm-architect

2. The 8D House ,9 June 2016, Malaysia architecture, accessed 10 September 2020.

https://ariel0806.wordpress.com/2016/06/09/the-8d-house/

3. Steel Structure Introduction, 10 September 2019, atad steel structure corporation,

accessed 10 September 2020
https://atad.vn/steel-structure-introduction/

4. 8d house by DR Tan LM architect, 14 April 2016, gooood, accessed 10 September 2020,

https://www.gooood.cn/8d-house-by-drtan-lm-architect.htm

5. Passive design, 6 May 2020, level, accessed 10 September 2020,

http://www.level.org.nz/passive-design/

6. 8D house Dr Tan LM architect, 21 March 2016,rushi, accessed 10 September 2020.

http://new.rushi.net/Home/Works/detail/id/226014.html

7. Construction, 3 May 2019, steelconstruction.info, accessed 10 September 2020,

https://www.steelconstruction.info/Construction#:~:text=The%20erection%20of%20s
tructural%20steelwork,sometimes%20site%20welding%20is%20used.

8. Buildings Using Passive Design Strategies for Energy Efficiency, 7 July 2014, Climate
Colab, accessed 10 September 2020,
https://www.climatecolab.org/contests/2014/buildings/c/proposal/1309226

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