Environmental Building Design: Applying ESD Principles to Housing

This project addresses the incorporation of Environmental Building Design (ESD) principles into a medium-density residential development. The solution proposes several design changes to improve sustainability, including increasing window sizes for natural light, relocating the cistern for easier plumbing and aeration, installing rainwater harvesting systems, using solar panels for green energy generation, and selecting appropriate building materials. Further modifications include reducing double parking to single parking garages to allow for fenestration, elevating the structure for natural ventilation, and optimizing window placement to minimize glare. The design also incorporates roof vents and a thermal chimney for cooling, bright interior colors for heat reflection, and solar shading devices to prevent direct sunlight penetration. These changes aim to enhance thermal comfort, reduce energy consumption, and promote ecological sustainability.

GSPublisherEngine 0.80.100.100
0.900 0.150 3.100 1.769
DiningKitchen
Bath
Bed
90mm internal timber walls
to be sheeted and painted
R.c. slab suspended on 200 diameter columns
r.c column
thermal chimney
roof vent
Selected aluminum framed sliding
doors installed to manu
'
f details
Face brick finish to
external walls
Selected colorbond gutter
fixed to fascia board
Roof tiles to fall at 22.5 deg
vehicular ramp
Selected panel lift garage door
Selected aluminum framed
windows installed to manu'f details
Face brick finish to
external walls
Roof tiles to fall at 22.5 deg
Face brick finish to
external walls
Selected colorbond gutter
fixed to fascia board
Roof tiles to fall at 22.5 deg
vehicular ramp
entry staircase
F
6 x 0.158 = 0.950
1
2
3
4
5
6
16 x 0.063 = 1.000
S-02S-02
Living
Dining
Kitchen
Bed
Bed Bed
Robe Robe Robe
Bath
Ensuite
Garage
linen
laundry
F
Elevating the house by 1000mm as a measure of
controlling floods or for ecological sustainability.
windows installed along east-
west direction should have
solar shading devices to avoid
penetration of direct light into
the spaces since excess light
causes discomfort
Water tanks should be installed in each house
for storage of rain water harvested and excess will
be directed to a ground storm water storage which
will also store running water. This water can be used
for garden purposes, washing cars etc. Water used in
the house can also be recycled and the water features in the
house such as showers and taps should be 5 star to help
in saving of consumed water
Installing of solar pannels will help in
generating green energy which will be useful
in heating and cooling purposes hence saving
on the cost of electricity
3100
Reduce double parking into
single parking garage to allow
for fenestration on the westside wall
that will allow in natural light into
the bathroom area and achieving ventilation
The maximization of the use of natural light
in the bathroom helps in energy saving strategies
that helps in reducing the cost of electricity bills
The removal of this parking space allows for the
changing of the position of the bedroom window
from the east-west axis to the north-south axis.
This change of window location has an advantage
to the space in that one will not be experiencing
direct sunlight rays which cause glare.
Increasing the window sizes for all rooms. The windows sizes provided at the moment
are relatively small and most of them lie in the north-south wing hence not much natural light
gets into those spaces due to the minimal exposure to direct sunlight.
This will greatly reduce the use of mechanical means to ventilate the space
Elevation of the structure also allows for ventilation naturally
from beneath. This ensures the spaces are cooled naturally
hence achieving thermal comfort without the use of air
conditioners that is very expensive to operate
Introduction of roof vents to our building will serve the
purpose of cooling the attic space. A well ventilated attic also
contributes to a good overall cooling of the structure. Good
and well placed vents extend the life of the attic and roof
structure in general. This helps in reducing the cost of
maintenance
Introduction of a thermal chimney. This chimney assists in the
vertical ventilation of the structure hence reducing the use of
mechanical device that may result in emission of greenshouse
gases.
Reduce The other design change was
to change the position of the cistern.
It was moved from theside wall bordering
the corridor to the external wall.
This move will help in making plumbing
workseasier and allow quick aeration of
the space since fresh air will get in very first
The interior of the building should be painted with a bright
color. Unlike a dull color, a bright color is highly reflective and
hence it does not absorb a lot of heat from the environment
hence making the spaces in the structure highly habitable.
ceiling height from a height of 2700mm to 3100mm. this increase
in ceiling height adds comfort degrees of a space since it creates
more headroom which allows for more air circulation hence
aiding in the cooling of the building naturally