Building for Comfort: The Bioclimatic Approach (Noguchi, 2016)
Imagine your house as a bubble separating you from the outside world. This “bubble” is called the building envelope, and it plays a big role in keeping you comfortable inside. But comfort isn’t just about temperature; it’s also about noise and how much light comes in.
The bioclimatic approach is a fancy way of saying we design buildings to take advantage of the local weather. Instead of relying heavily on air conditioning and bright lights, we use the natural environment to keep things pleasant. This approach starts even before construction begins by considering the climate of the area where the building will be built.
Think about it like this: in a hot climate, we might design a building with lots of shade and ventilation to keep it cool. In a cold climate, we might use big windows to capture the sun’s warmth.
Nature’s Toolkit: Building a Sustainable Shopping Experience (Noguchi, 2016)
Orientation:
Homes should be built with living areas that are heated and wind-protected in the winter and shaded during the sweltering summer.
Massing:
Building blocks have the ability to shade the surrounding area and either channel or impede the flow of wind. The building blocks’ geometry and design allow for the regulation of wind speed and flow. Depending on how much wind is needed during each season, massing blocks can help regulate the summer and winter.
Materiality:
A material’s colour, insulating qualities, and assembly style can all be taken into consideration when designing a structure. How much heat and light are absorbed and reflected depends on the colour of the finish. More absorbent properties are found in darker colours, while greater reflectivity is found in lighter colours. The insulating quality is also a key consideration when choosing a material. In order to minimise heat transfer between the interior and exterior spaces, adequate insulation is necessary.
Landscape:
The landscaping features on the site have a big impact on the microclimate.
Amount of hard pavement, location of water features, positioning of trees to provide shade, building block orientation and placement, etc. The quantity of hard paving that retains heat around a building is what creates the heat island effect.
Water bodies and Vegetation:
Because they evapotranspirate, trees cool the air entering buildings, making them more comfortable to be in. Additionally, vegetation reduces glare and softens the harsh sunlight, which is beneficial for the interior spaces of the building or complex. Given that these species have spent many years acclimatising to their new home, the more native they are, the better for the building and its environs. Because water bodies evaporatively cool the air entering the building, especially in hot and dry climates, they also add moisture to the air, making the space more comfortable to be in.
Daylighting:
Windows and other shading components, like the overhangs called Chajja in India, are positioned in relation to the sun in order to let natural light into a building. In general, the North Light is glare-free. Window orientation affects the type and size of shading. Vertical fenestration can block the sun from the east and west, while horizontal shading elements work best in the north and south.
Why are shopping malls changing?
Traditional malls rely heavily on artificial lighting and air conditioning, even though they often have a central open space that lets in some natural light. This constant use of energy takes a toll on the environment.
Imagine malls filled with natural light and fresh air! This “passive design” approach aims to reduce reliance on artificial systems, making malls more eco-friendly. It might be a design challenge, but it sets a positive example for sustainable living.
Shopping malls are popular hangouts, but they can also be models for saving energy. By using features like:
- Lots of windows
- Strategically placed sunshades (these can even be beautiful!)
- Open layouts that allow for natural air flow
Malls can significantly reduce their energy consumption. This not only benefits the environment but also shows people how to be more sustainable in their everyday lives.
Real-World Examples: Malls Leading the Charge in Sustainable Design
Salt Lake City Centre, Kolkata, India
Overview
City Centre Salt Lake is a mall that aims to win over customers’ hearts. An abandoned wasteland was turned into a landmark of Indian culture and served as a metaphor for change in a city like Kolkata that suddenly came alive. Salt Lake City Centre has a reputation for being diverse, unique, and inclusive. From the beginning, everyone was welcomed with open arms. It embodies Kolkata’s genuine spirit and its love of the “adda.” (Hangout Space). You would always want to be here, with the central “Kund” (Pond) and a plethora of other hangout options allowing you to carve out your own space among the crowd. A complete assortment of retail is the merging of society and the market. The mall’s design is distinctive of Charles Correa‘s architectural style, setting it apart from other shopping centres.
Bioclimatic Design Features
Kund:
Through evaporative cooling, the water in the kund lowers the temperature of the air entering the building. In this process, the moisture evaporatively transfers its water content to the air when the air hits the water, causing the air to cool. Furthermore, the Kund was carefully planned to provide users with a refreshing breeze in the complex’s south, where it is located in a wind flow pathway. In addition, the Kund serves as a public area where visitors can take advantage of the shopping centre and discover the value of water conservation.
Large apertures were also oriented towards the wind to allow breezes into the interior spaces, as shown in the picture attached below, in addition to the kund.
The majority of the complex’s vegetation is carefully planted in the west and northwest sections to block out direct sunlight, filter afternoon sun radiation, and reduce heat-producing breezes.
Daylighting:
Architect Charles Correa came up with a creative solution that also brightened the area to give the impression of street shopping without getting wet from the rain. The purpose of this was to cover the expansive pedestrian pathways with polycarbonate sheets. The stores are situated along the pathway to allow for diffused sunlight to enter. In addition to brightening the area and removing the glare, rain, and heat from the streets, this preserves the essence of street shopping. By planning the roof to rise more than 25 feet above the ground, the architect gave the covered street a sense of scale.
Harajuku Quest, Tokyo, Japan
Overview (Florian, 2022)
Located a short distance from popular public areas like Yoyogi Park, Meiji Jingu, and Harajuku Station, it is sandwiched between Omotesando and Oku-Harajuku. The goal of the Harajuku Quest project, which is in partnership with NTT Urban Development, a local real estate firm, is to inspire the residents of Harajuku to take advantage of the vibrant urban lifestyle. Harajuku Quest will unite Omotesando and Oku-Harajuku for the first time by attracting people and activities from both neighbourhoods. Through a narrow gateway, one enters the building and emerges into a spacious shopping complex that reflects the winding, narrow street design of that area.
Bioclimatic Design Features
Daylighting and ventilation:
The architect based the structure’s massing and form, or its three-dimensional geometry, on observations of the movement of the sun in Tokyo. A wind flow pathway for the same location was also considered by the designer, who carefully incorporated openings in the complex’s facades. The analysis gives life to the entire structure with its terraced, squirred, twisted, and angular form. This three-dimensional framework is made completely of glass to reduce the campus’s dependency on artificial lighting even further. The building’s geometry allows for an even distribution of natural light, which keeps it lit all day. To release the stagnant air trapped inside the constructed form, a portion of the fenestrations in the wind flow pathway are openable and oriented north-south. The squired and twisted geometry of the built form reduces the harshness and glare of the sun, facilitating people’s movement through terraced walkways and hallways.
Vegetation:
To shade out the sun, the majority of the vegetation is carefully placed in the south and west. In the south, terraced flora softens the sun’s rays, contributing to the three-dimensional geometry. In essence, creating a mini-grassland, the top terrace and its roof are designed as a roof garden with plants planted to lower the energy loads on air conditioning.
Alegro Sintra Shopping Centre
Overview (Pereira, 2020)
Working with the Portuguese design studio BOOST, Chapman Taylor made the decision to rename the Forum Sintra shopping centre Alegro Sintra in Sintra, close to Lisbon, Portugal, and give it a fresh look. The current shopping and entertainment complex is 165,000 square metres in size and includes three levels of restaurants, retail space, and recreational areas, in addition to three BREEAM-certified underground parking levels. Numerous outdoor terraces that offer breath-taking views of the surroundings complement the interior space. The structure was intended to be a collection of diagonally opposed malls, each with its own themes, structural layouts, and colour schemes. Plenty of greenery is used both inside and outside the entire time. Aside from that, there are terraces and roof spaces that are open to the public.
Bioclimatic Design Features
Daylighting and ventilation:
Planning a space in Sintra requires taking into account the city’s peculiar climate, which calls for the south sun to be trimmed in the summer and dominant in the winter in order to warm the space. By strategically utilising the climate, the architects have added skylights to the south and a few to the north, improving the natural lighting and overall quality of the space. The horizontal walkways on different levels or floors trim the skylights in the south to bring diffused lighting into the room. Translucent glass skylights in the upper floor corridors add light to the side walkways. A metal framework supports the majority of the perforated metal panels that make up the front facade. A few of the frame’s grids are left open to allow natural light and airflow throughout the shopping centre. The straight walls are sensitively designed to let and block the natural light during different times of the day. The metal grid framework pattern of open and perforated panels, even on the front facade’s roof, moves with the sun.
Vegetation:
To block off harsh winter winds, native flora is planted along the wind flow pathway, which runs from northwest to north. Terraces at various levels have been constructed in order to plant trees; they are specifically designed to minimise the amount of energy and cooling loads needed during the summer. In addition to eliminating unpleasant odours, vertical gardens in restrooms also provide a calm setting.
A Breath of Fresh Air for Everyone
Passive design isn’t just about environmental benefits. It can also make shopping malls more enjoyable places to visit. Natural light and fresh air can create a more inviting atmosphere, improve our mood, and make us feel more relaxed while we browse the shops. So, the next time you’re at the mall, take a moment to appreciate the design elements around you. You might just discover some eco-friendly features that contribute to a more sustainable shopping experience. Beyond the environmental wins, these design choices can make your shopping trip more pleasant and refreshing. After all, who wouldn’t want to shop in a mall that feels more like an open-air market, but with the convenience of modern amenities?
References:
- Noguchi, M. (2016). Passive Design. Springer Tracts in Civil Engineering, Volume 23 (66), pp. 209-236. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304479756_Passive_Design [Accessed on 17 April 2024]
- MallsMarket.com (2000). City Centre Salt Lake. [online]. Available at: https://kolkata.mallsmarket.com/malls/city-centre-salt-lake [Accessed on 19 April 2024]
- Florian, M (2022, November 03). Construction Begins at OMA / Shohei Shigematsu’s Commercial and Cultural Center in Harajuku, Tokyo. Archdaily. Retrieved from: https://www.archdaily.com/991643/construction-begins-at-oma-shohei-shigematsus-commercial-and-cultural-center-in-harajuku-tokyo?ad_source=search&ad_medium=projects_tab&ad_source=search&ad_medium=search_result_all
- Pereira, M. (2020, May 05). Alegro Sintra Shopping Center / Chapman Taylor + BOOST studio. Archdaily. Retrieved from: https://www.archdaily.com/938834/alegro-sintra-shopping-center-chapman-taylor-plus-boost-studio?ad_source=search&ad_medium=projects_tab
Image References:
- 1_ Massing of Building Blocks_Pedata
- 2_Passive Cooling_Layakarchitect
- 3_Passive Solar Heating_SolarToday
- 4_Salt Lake City Centre_Ambuja Realty
- 5_Salt lake City Centre: Kund_Ambuja Realty
- 6_Salt lake City Centre: Kund Section_Vigneahwar C
- 7_Salt lake City Centre: Section_Vigneahwar C
- 8_Salt Lake City Centre: Street Day Lighting_Ambuja Realty
- 9_Salt Lake City Centre: Street Day Lighting_Ambuja Realty
- 10_Harajuku Quest_OMA and INPLACE
- 11_Harajuku Quest: Daylighting_OMA and INPLACE
- 12_Harajuku Quest: Form for Daylighting_OMA and INPLACE
- 13_Harajuku Quest: Form for Daylighting and Ventilation_OMA and INPLACE
- 14_Harajuku Quest: SelfShading Form _OMA and INPLACE
- 15_Harajuku Quest: Terraced Form _OMA and INPLACE
- 16_Alegro Sintra_Francisco Nogueira
- 17_Alegro Sintra: Skylights_Francisco Nogueira
- 18_Alegro Sintra: Skylights_Francisco Nogueira
- 19_Alegro Sintra: Glass Skylights Flooring _Francisco Nogueira
- 20_Alegro Sintra: Facade Framework with Metal Perforation _Francisco Nogueira
- 21_Alegro Sintra: Facade Framework with Metal Perforation _Francisco Nogueira
- 22_Alegro Sintra: Vegetation _Francisco Nogueira
- 23_Alegro Sintra: Toilet Vegetation _Francisco Nogueira
