Climatic types and Design

strategies
CLIMATIC CLASSIFICATION
Classification of climate in respect of
building design means zoning the
country into regions in such a way
that the difference of climate from
region to region are reflected in the
building design, warranting some
special provision for each
region. Based on this criteria, there
are five major climatic
zones, (i) hot-dry; (ii) warm-humid; (iii)
cold; (iv) temperate;
and (v) composite.
Climatic characteristic---
WARM HUMID CLIMATE
CLIMATIC FACTORS WARM HUMID CLIMATE
LOCATION BETWEEN 15°N & 15°S
MEAN MAX : DAY : 27 - 32°C / NIGHT : 21 -
AIR TEMPERATURE 27°C

HUMIDITY RELATIVE HUMIDITY - HIGH : 75% varies from

55 – 100 %

PRECIPITATION HIGH ANNUAL RAINFALL – 2000 TO 5000mm

SOLAR RADIATION CLOUD COVER 60 – 90% / LUMINANCE : 7000

cd/ m2
PARTLY REFLECTED – PARTLY SCATTERED
WIND VELOCITIES BY CLOUD COVER RADIATION REACHING
GROUND – DIFFUSED BUT STRONG
CAUSES PAINFUL GLARE

VEGETATION QUICK GROWTH DUE TO FREQUENT RAIN FALL.

SOIL POOR FOR AGRICULTURE. HIGH WATER
TABLE.
WIND VELOCITIES LOW. FREQUENT CALM PERIODS. ONE OR
TWO DOMINANT DIRECTIONS.
SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS HIGH HUMIDITY ACCELERATES MOULD &
ALGAL GROWTH ORGANIC BUILDING
MATERIALS – DECAY RAPIDLY.
Design strategies
- warm humid
climate
Objectives of design
DESIGN STRATEGIES WARM HUMID

NATURE OF THE CLIMATE Air temperature moderately high, sticky

conditions humidity is high during all seasons.
Winds are generally of low speed but constant in
direction
PHYSIOLOGICAL OBJECTIVES Because the air temp is closer to the skin temp
heat loss by conduction and convection is
negligible. But to achieve physical comfort there
must be heat loss form the body to the
environment. Since the air is also humid heat
loss by evaporation is also impossible. Heat loss
by ventilation is the only source of relief
FORM AND PLANNING
 As movement of air is the only relief from the climatic
stress, the building should be opened up for external
breezes.
 Open elongated plan shapes, with a single row of
rooms to allow cross ventilation. These rooms can be
accessible from open verandahs which also provide
shading.
 Group of buildings should be spread out. Extended
plans in a line across the prevailing wind direction
afford low resistance to air movement hence ideal
solution.
 It is ideal to locate buildings on stilts to capture air
movements of high velocities.
 Shading of all vertical surfaces of both openings and
solid walls will be beneficial.
 Openness and shading will be the dominant
characteristic of the building.
EXTERNAL SPACES
 Shading and free passage of air movement
are the basic requirement of open spaces.
 Trees and planting are good for shading
 Pergolas covered with climbing plants to be
provided for open spaces.
 It is difficult to provide privacy as well as
allow passage of air, but various systems of
fencing and screening could be devised such
as louvered timber boards, which do not
permit direct view but at the same time
allow the breeze to penetrate.
ROOFS, WALLS
 Since the temperature remains almost the same day and
night the principle of thermal storage cannot be relied
upon.
 It is advisable to construct buildings with low thermal
capacity and light weight construction.
 By opening up the building to air movements the
influence of walls on the indoor conditions is lessened.
 Roof is the important component.
 Reflective upper surface of the roof, double roof
construction with roof space ventilated, a ceiling with its
upper surface highly reflective and having a good
insulation could reduce the heat flow through roofs.
 Both the roof and ceiling should be of low thermal
capacity.
 Since rainfall is higher in these areas a pitched roof with
an insulation board is preferred.
 For solid vertical walls insulation is not necessary if they
are properly shaded.
AIR FLOW AND OPENINGS

 Openings should oriented to the prevailing

breeze and internal air flow should be at the
body level, i.e. in the living zone.
 Openings should be large and fully openable.
 The openings must be free from the effect of
outside obstructions
 The air should not pass through hot surfaces
before reaching the building.
VENTILATION
 Ventilation is necessary to keep up the
quality of air.
 It is required between the roof and the
ceiling
TRADITIONAL SHELTER
Traditionalshelters are of two types
Where timber is scarce single storey,
earth walled houses are typical with the
roof framed in timber, bamboo or palm
frond covered with thatch. Broad
overhanging eaves shade the walls.
shade
In regions with timber the shelters are
raised on stilts and are constructed from
local timber, or a bamboo frame with
open weave matting, timer or split
bamboo walls, floors, doors and shutters.
Climatic characteristic ---
Hot dry
climate
CLIMATIC FACTORS HOT DRY DESERT CLIMATE

LOCATION BETWEEN 15 - 30°N & 15 - 30°S

AIR TEMPERATURE MEAN MAX : DAY : 43 - 49°C / NIGHT : 24

- 30°C DURING COLD SEASON
MEAN MAXIMA IS 27 – 32°C & MEAN
MINIMA 10 - 18°C
HUMIDITY : RH VARIES FROM 10 - 55 %
VAPOUR PRESSURE : 750 – 1500 N/m2

PRECIPITATION SLIGHT & VARIABLE : 50 TO 155 mm /

Annum. FEW REGIONS HAVE FLASH
STORMS WITH 50 mm RAIN IN FEW
HRS. SEVERAL REGIONS MAY NOT
HAVE RAIN FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
SKY CONDITIONS NORMALLY CLEAR WITH FEW CLOUDS – SKY
COLOUR : DARK BLUE
LUMINANCE : 1700 – 2500 cd/ m2 & 3500 –
10000 cd/ m2 TOWARDS END OF HOT
PERIOD DUE TO DUST SUSPENDED IN AIR
CAUSING DIFFUSED LIGHT & PAINFUL
GLARE.
SOLAR RADIATION STRONG & DIRECT ; DIFFUSE RADIATION
ONLY PRESENT DURING DUST HAZE
PERIODS
WINDS ONLY LOCAL WINDS. HEATING OF AIR
CAUSES WHIRLWINDS. FREQUENT DUST
STORMS.
VEGETATION SPARSE & DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN. SOIL IS
USUALLY DUSTY & DRY. SUB SOIL WATER
TABLE IS VERY LOW.

SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS DUST STORMS & SAND STORMS ARE

FREQUENT. HIGH DAY TIME TEMP & RAPID
COOLING @ NIGHT MAY CAUSE THE
MATERIALS TO CRACK & BREAK UP.
Design strategies-
hot dry
climate
Objectives for design
ESIGN STRATEGIES
D HOT DRY CLIMATE

NATURE OF THE CLIMATE Very hot, dry air and dry ground.
Humidity is continuously moderate to
low. Clear sky, high intensity of direct
solar radiation.
PHYSIOLOGICAL OBJECTIVES Reduce heat gain, reduce of the
intense radiation from the sun, ground
and surrounding buildings.
FORM AND PLANNING
 Both buildings and external living spaces need to be
protected as much as possible from the intense solar
radiation and the hot, dusty winds.
 Enclosed, compactly planned, inward looking building is most
suitable.
 By placing as much as accommodation under one roof
 Surfaces exposed to the sun should be reduced as much as
possible.
 Houses with separate day and night rooms are good
 Larger dimensions of building should face north-south, west
orientation is the worst. Non habitable rooms can be
effectively used as thermal barriers if placed on east or west.
 Projecting roofs, verandas, shading devices, trees and using
surrounding walls to shade the roofs walls and outdoor
spaces.
 By aligning buildings closer especially east and west walls,
mutual shading would help decrease the heat gains on
external walls.
EXTERNAL SPACES
 Outdoor spaces enclosed by walls can reduce
the painful glare and reflected radiation
towards the building from the adjacent
buildings, pavements and dry ground.
 Trees, plants and water in the enclosed space
will cool the air by evaporation, help to keep
dust down and provide shade.
 The best external space is the courtyard- a
smaller courtyard with high walls cuts off the
sun, and larger areas of the inner surfaces and
courtyard floor are shades during the day,
thereby absorbing the heat during daytime
and reemitting it to the sky during night.
ROOFS, WALLS AND
OPENINGS
 Basically large thermal capacity structures, with high time
lag to make use of the large diurnal variations.
 Walls and roofs must be constructed of heavy materials
with large thermal capacity.
 Double roof construction is preferred a simple ceiling with
ventilated roof space is also effective.
 Light weight insulating materials on the outside of a
massive wall or roof would increase the time lag four times.
 The ground is also a valuable means of heat storage so the
ground floor should be solid and not suspended, and in no
case the building should be built on stilts.
 Openings- absence of openings is desirable or atleast small
openings high on the walls are suitable for daytime. But
during the night time openings should be large to provide
adequate ventilation for the dissipation of heat emitted by
the walls and roofs. There the best possible solution would
be to have large windows with massive shutters. E.g. heavy
shutters of wood.
ROOFS AND WALL SURFACES
Light coloured shiny external surfaces
will reflect a large part of the incident
solar radiation and much less heat will
enter the building fabric.
Roofs are the most critical part in the
whole building surface. therefore
importance should be given to the
surface treatment of walls.
Dark coloured surface must be
avoided.
VENTILATION AND AIR
FLOW
 During the day time the openings
should be closed and shaded.
Ventilation should be kept at the
absolute minimum necessary for
hygienic reasons higher internal heat
gains such as cooking should isolate
and ventilated separately.
 Ample ventilation at night is necessary
where the stored heat is dissipated.
 If double roofs or a separate roof and
ceiling is used then ample ventilation of
the roof space would increase the
conductive heat transfer.
TRADITIONAL SHELTER

Traditional shelters found in most of

the desert regions has heavy walls of
earth, brick or stone and roofs of the
same material, often supported by a
few vaults.
Courtyards are frequently used for
sleeping out doors
Rooms are often built around internal
courtyards.
Windows and door openings are
located high on the walls admitting
little heat and dust.
Climatic characteristic
- composite
climate
Composite climate
LOCATION LARGE LAND MASSES NEAR TROPIC OF CANCER &
CAPRICORN. Eg. LAHORE, NEW DELHI, KANO & MANDALAY

AIR TEMPERATURE SEASON MEAN MAXIMA. MEAN MINIMA

HOT- DRY 32 - 43 º C 21 – 27 º C

WARM- HUMID 27 - 32º C 24 – 27 º C

COOL –DRY UPTO 27 º C 04 – 10 º C

HUMIDITY
DRY PERIOD WET PERIOD

RELATIVE HUMIDITY LOW RH 20 – 55% RISES TO 55 – 95 %

VAPOUR PRESSURE 1300 – 1600 N/m2 2000 – 2500 N/m2
PRECIPITATION. MONSOON RAINS – INTENSE & PROLONGED. 25 – 38 mm/hr.
ANNUAL RAINFALL VARIES FROM 500 – 1300 mm

SKY CONDITIONS CLEAR WITH DARK BLUE SKY DURING DRY PERIOD.
HEAVILY OVERCAST & DULL DURING MONSOONS

SOLAR RADIATION. ALTERNATE BETWEEN CONDITION FOUND IN WARM HUMID & HOT
DRY DESERT CLIMATE

WINDS HOT & DUSTY DURING DRY PERIOD.MONSOON WINDS – FAIRLY

STRONG & STEADY.

VEGETATION SPARSE DURING DRY SEASON, CHANGES RAPIDLY WITH RAIN. RISK
OF SOIL EROSION DURING MONSOONS.

SPECIAL SEASONAL CHANGES IN RELATIVE HUMIDITY CAUSE RAPID

CHARACTERISTICS. WEAKENING OF BUILDING MATERIALS. TERMITES ARE
COMMON.OCCASIONAL CONDENSATION PROBLEMS
Design strategies for
composite climate
DESIGN STRATEGIES COMPOSITE CLIMATE

NATURE OF THE CLIMATE Alternates between long periods

of hot and dry and shorter
periods of heavy rainfall and
high humidity
PHYSIOLOGICAL OBJECTIVES Physiological objectives of hot – dry and
warm humid apply to the respective
seasons. Additional problem is due to the
cold climates.
DESIGN CRITERIA
Climates with changing seasons set a
difficult task for the
designer.Solutions suitable for one
season may not be suitable for the
other.Design criteria recommended
for the hot dry climate is also
suitable for the cold season with
minor variations but for rainy
seasons the building should be
designed for the criteria of warm
humid climate.
FORM AND PLANNING
 Moderately compact internal planning.
 Courtyard type buildings are suitable.
 Buildings to be grouped as to take
advantage of the prevailing breeze.
 A moderately dense low rise development
which provides mutual shading of walls,
shelter from the wind in the cold season and
shelter from the dust and reduction of
exposed surfaces, is suitable.
 Houses with separate day and night rooms
are good.
 Shading of walls is desirable
EXTERNAL SPACES
Large projecting eaves and wide
verandahs are out door living
spaces during warm humid
seasons.
Shading devices should be of low
thermal capacity.
Courtyards covered with pergolas
carrying deciduous creepers
provide shade in hot season but
admit sun in winter.
ROOFS, WALLS
 Roofs and walls of high thermal capacity are suitable
for hot and cold seasons.
 Therefore roofs and external walls are constructed of
solid masonry or concrete to have a 9 to 12 hr time
lag.

ROOFS AND WALL SURFACES

 Prevention of heat entering through the outer surfaces
of the walls and roofs is a fundamental rule.
 Surfaces exposed to the sun during warm and hot
seasons should be light coloured or of shiny polished
metal.
 During cold seasons the heat is important for providing
indoor comfort; therefore absorptive surfaces will be
required.
 Variable surfaces may be devised for the different
seasons.
OPENINGS
 Orientation of the openings is determined by
two factorsTowards the breeze prevailing
during the warm seasonTowards the sun during
the cold season.If the two factors are
contradicting then the most discomfort
situation can assist in the final decision
 Large openings in opposite walls preferably
with large shutters which can be opened when
cross ventilation is required and closed during
hot weather.
VENTILATION AND AIR FLOW.
 Two small openings one level high and the one
low level or ventilating stacks may be provided.
TRADITIONAL SHELTER
 House with ground floor with
massive walls with large shuttered
openings laid out around
courtyards and first floor structure
of light weight construction
 In such hybrid structure the family
shifts with the seasonal changes of
the climate.
\]
CLIMATIC FACTORS BETWEEN THE TWO 20º TROPICAL UPLAND CLIMATE
C ISOTHERMS. DBT DECREASES WITH
ALTITUDE.AT 1800 m MEAN MAX : 24 TO 30 º
C , MEAN MINIMA : 10 TO 13 º C
LOCATION MOUNTAINOUS REGION & PLATEAUX > 900
TO 1200 m ABOVE SEA LEVEL

AIR TEMPERATURE BETWEEN THE TWO 20º C ISOTHERMS. DBT

DECREASES WITH ALTITUDE.AT 1800 m
MEAN MAX : 24 TO 30 º C , MEAN MINIMA : 10
TO 13 º C
HUMIDITY RH VARIES BETWEEN 45 – 99%.
VAPOUR PRESSURE: 800 – 1600 N/m2

PRECIPITATION VARIABLE. HEAVY CONCENTRATED

SHOWERS. RARELY < 1000mm.

SKY CONDITIONS. CLEAR PARTLY CLOUDY. ABOUT

40%.OVERCAST DURING MONSOONS
SOLAR RADIATION STRONG & DIRECT DURING CLEAR
PERIODS.

WINDS. PREDOMINANTLY NORTH –EAST &

SOUTH EASTERLIES. WIND VELOCITY
RARELY EXCEEDS 15 m/s

VEGETATION GREEN BUT NOT VERY LUXURIANT.

WITHERS IN DRY SEASON.

SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS HEAVY DEW @ NIGHT.STRONG

RADIATION LOSS AT NIGHT.
OCCURENCE OF HAIL.
Design strategies for
tropical upland climate
Form and Planning
The building plan should be
reasonably compact, as it would
reduce heat gain during the day
and heat loss during the night.
An oblong shaped plan with the
longer walls facing north and
south should be designed with
major openings on these walls.
External spaces
Well shaded external spaces to be
provided
To provide some form of adjustable
shading device to the external activity
area.- can be canvas awning
cantilevered or supported by a pergola
like frame.
To provide alternate external spaces
for use in different seasons shaded for
the hot season and unshaded wind
protected for the cold part of the year.
Roofs and walls
 Nights are cool and solar radiation can cause
overheating of buildings during the day for
continuously occupied buildings the task is two
fold
 1. To limit the heat admitted during the strong
sunshine hours
 2. To store some heat, to be re emitted during
the cool period
 The roof recieves the maximum radiation hence
should be massive
 East and west walls should also be massive
 North and south walls may be of light weight
construction
Surface treatment
 More absorbent surface finish is more
suitable for storing heat for nights.
 Mass roof slab of more than eight hours time
lag is more suitable
 Thermal insulation with bituminous or
asphalt finish is preferred because they
absorb much of the solar heat during the day
to be released after sunset.
 At high altitudes the ultra violet radiations
are high rather than at the sea level which
may damage the materials hence well tested
materials should be used.
Openings
As it is very cold there is no need for
physiological cooling by air movement,
and no need for cross ventilation as
long as the solar control is solved.
It is essential to provide for adequate
closing of openings, windows and
doors.
For ventilation and daylighting in most
cases, a window of some 20% of the
elevational area will be quite adequate.
Traditional shelter
Most of the rural structures were round
huts with mud and wattle walls and
thatched roofs.
The walls have vertical poles driven into
the ground in a circle, horizontal twigs and
branches threaded in between to form a
basket weave pattern. The whole is
plastered with mud.
In urabn areas where stone is available
one can see masonry walling and slate
roofs.
Openings are very small.