CAMIGUIN POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE

INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
CIVIL TECHNOLOGY

NARRATIVE REPORT

VANESSA B. OCHAVILLO
1st YEAR – BT CIVIL TECHNOLOGY
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

SOL GIOVANNI D. ALIANZA

INSTRUCTOR

1st SEMESTER SY 2021-2022

TOPIC: SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE, BIOCLIMATIC ARCHITECTURE, RESILIENT BUILDING

DESIGN

I. INTRODUCTION

With modernization, we are exposing ourselves to the detrimental effects that

negatively impact the environment we live in. However, architects and engineers

together with ecologists come up with approaches in building structures that will

lessen its negative effects in nature while keeping its design. Among those approaches

are SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE, BIOCLIMATIC ARCHITECTURE, and RESILIENT

BUILDING DESIGN.

II. KNOWLEDGE/LEARNING ACQUIRED

Sustainable architecture are also referred to as “GREEN ARCHITECTURE”.

Although it can mean literally, sustainable architecture has something to do with the

design of the building, the materials that will be used, the process of building, and its

maintenance. With this approach, this avoids shortage of natural resources and will

hurt less our environment. In the video, he pointed out four key aspects in achieving

sustainable architecture: SPACE, ENERGY, MATERIALS, and WATER. The space of a

building will let us know how much energy/sources will be needed, how much

materials will be needed, and how much maintenance cost will be spent. When there

is a larger space, more materials (e.g. furniture) are needed, more appliances and
energy sources, like lighting and cooling appliances will be necessary, and

maintenance of these appliances will ripped off your budget. Not only will sustainable

architecture benefit the environment, but it also allows us to save money. Sustainable

architecture strives to be energy-efficient. With proper orientation of a particular

space, that is not too exposed to sunlight, we can have a natural ventilation, allowing

natural light (sunlight) to seep inside a room, it will need less of lighting bulbs. In the

sample video, sloping walls get more sunlight than ordinary ones. Thus, saving energy

and electricity in the process. Having more windows will replace artificial cooling

appliances. Using solar panels as energy source is a great approach to a greener

environment. The choice of materials is also necessary to adopt a greener

architecture. Choosing construction materials that will prevent the shortage of natural

resources is considered as a “green approach” to architecture. Natural resources can’t

be replaced except wood. Wood is an ultimate construction material, from making

posts, beams, shingles, furniture, walls, windows, doors, and almost everything. If we

know how to use, we must also know how to give back. Therefore, using wood means

planting trees for every wood you cut – replace what you get. In the video, there is

this CLT concept in wood that strives to make the wood an alternative for concrete.

The last key aspect in sustainable architecture is WATER. The video introduces the

gray water system, which uses gray water (water from bathtubs, showers, or laundry)

to be processed in a filtering system and collected in a reservoir to be later reused, as

either for watering plants or carwashing. We must know how to preserve to prevent

the shortage of water resources.

 On Iberdrola’s website, bioclimatic architecture was defined as a way of designing

buildings based on the local climate conditions – sun, wind, rain, etc. It is made to be

carbon-absorbing and make efficient use of energy, and other natural resources such

as rainwater. Dr. Ken Yeang, an architect and ecologist, dedicate his life in developing

green architecture – a green future. He says that 80 % of the impact of the building is

caused by its design. “When we design a building, we’re not looking at it as an object

but we’re looking at it and its relationship with the natural environment”. Thus, how

we design a building, is a key feature in determining its effects on the natural

environment. Dr. Yeang’s sustainable design methodology has three main forces. First

is climatic. That buildings should be designed to optimize the ambient conditions

within spaces and based on the climate condition of its location. Second was cultural.

That architecture needs to respond to the local conditions of life. The third was

aspirational and driven by the desire of countries to join the “developed” world. Yeang

used these methodologies in developing a bioclimatic skyscraper – an approach to tall

buildings that respond to the climatic conditions of the site. Bioclimatic architecture,

according to Ken Yeang, therefore is an approach to architecture, which brings

vegetation and landscape, natural ventilation, the use of photovoltaics and solar

energy, and having a water filtration system (that collects rainwater and reused it)

into a single skyscraper. The goal of this building design was conserve the energy and

resorting to a more natural approach. In his interview, he referred the “green

building” as a human-made ecosystem. Moreover, he says that if we are committed

to a greener future, we can make it possible.

 What is resilient building design? It is an approach to designing our homes with

regards to climate change. Heavy floods, stronger storms, coastal flooding, and

extreme heat – was all because of global climate change. These disastrous events have

brought havoc to our homes and our community as a whole. Because our homes are

serves as our protective shelter against these disasters, investing in resilient and well-

designed building is the best way of adopting to climate change. The sample video

provides some real examples on designing a resilient building/home. In the first

example, the narrator pointed out the possibilities of fire and damaged foundations

of building materials due to extreme heat and drought. To resolve this, we can

position the building to capture the winds. Outer walls can be designed to channel

cool breezes indoors. More importantly, plants can be grown around our homes to

provide shade which reduces indoor temperature, allowing cool breezes to pass

through. Second example, was the impact of tropical cyclones in coastal areas – we

all knew strong tropical cyclones can severely damage structures. To prevent this from

happening, we can design build a wind-resistant homes, redesigning roofs with

multiple slopes that can withstand stronger winds, making secure attachment

between the walls and the roof, and planting mangroves- as it reduce windspeeds and

limit coastal flooding. Third example was building a flood-resistant home. Houses in

floodplains can be elevated so that floodwaters will flow underneath. The choice of

building materials with respect to the site’s condition will also help in preventing

floodwater to come inside the house. Planting trees and preserving the natural
 ecosystem will always be the best way in preventing flood because it absorbs

rainwater into the ground.

III. CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATION

Frank Lloyd Wright, a famous 20th century architect had said, “Study Nature, love

Nature, stay close to Nature. It will never fail you.” It denotes the human-nature

relationship and that can be applied in constructing sustainable building design. How

we design our building is how we respect our environment. Sustainable and

bioclimatic architecture and designing resilient building, not only provides our

physiological needs – shelter, but also in aiming lesser pollution, preserving our

natural resources, adopting to climate change, energy-efficient, and absorbing carbon

emissions. By resorting to these three approaches to a greener future, is a way of

giving back to nature what we received from it.