An evaluation of the tropical architectural concept on the building design for achieving thermal comfort (Case study: engineering faculty of Syiah Kuala university)

Abstract

Thermal comfort is one of the main goals in architectural design. For the tropics, thermal comfort can be achieved with passive cooling and active cooling. Buildings in the tropics should be designed to maximize the application of passive cooling to achieve thermal comfort by adapting to the climate using the concept of tropical architecture. The study was performed at the building of the Faculty of Engineering of Syiah Kuala University seen to be applying tropical architecture. The research aims to find out how the application of tropical architectural concepts in building designs to achieve thermal comfort. The methodology used was a qualitative method by observing the mass and orientation of the building, roofs, ceilings, walls, openings and vents, shading, and landscaping. The results indicated that the rectangular building with the shortest side faces east-west aiming to reduce the hottest exposure to solar radiation in the east and west. There are many openings on the north-south side to maximize air flow. The gable shape with a slope of 30° is a form of adaptation to the tropical climate to shade the building from the sun and rain. The use of vertical, horizontal, and hallway shading devices as shade can protect direct light from the sun. The building maximizes cross air flow with many openings. It is recommended to conduct further research in this study which is accompanied by field measurements and thermal comfort simulation tests.