SBA 2116 Design 3 Environmental Unit Seminar, Semester 2 Session 2009/10

IN SEARCH OF TIMELESS PARADIGM IN GREEN ARCHITECTURE:

AN ESSENCE TO BE QUESTIONED
Lim Gim Huang
http://limgimhuangportfolio.blogspot.com

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 SBA 2116 Design 3 Environmental Unit Seminar, Semester 2 Session 2009/10

ABSTRACT: This paper serves by no means to criticize any building design from past to
present, but a compilation of critical thoughts on the way of green buildings to achieve
timeless in order to serve the world better from a holistic view. As building demolition has
been a serious matter which is often overlooked by designers as well as developers, this
paper argues the need of holistic view in terms of ecological, sociological, as well as
psychological senses on design thinking and approach of green building in order to be
timeless, subjected to the goal of sustainable development.

1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 ON GREEN BUILDING

'Green building’ is a term used widely in books, internet and media to promote ideas
and creativity of designing a building in order to achieve a sustainable development and gives
welfare to human being. It has been perceived as a good building in a sense that, it passes
through two major tests, which is the building itself minimizes or gives no negative
environmental impact to the earth during its life cycle (sitting, designing, constructing,
operating and demolition), and to produce an excellent indoor as well as immediate outdoor
environment for the occupant.[5] From this point, it serves the society in two roles, preserves
the essence of the world for future generation, and to bring well being and good health to the
present generation. It is one of a strategy to achieve sustainable development. As the context
changes always, it is crucial to question the essence of being green, and what is meant by
green building for the current context. If a green building gives good health to the occupant,
what then is health?

1.1.1 On Health

We may talk about health in a biological sense and physiological sense that we need
solar energy, clean water and fresh air, but also in psychological sense which is equally
important. Health evolves human physical condition, thermal comfort, and psychological
well-being where it is strongly related to feelings, emotion, mood, stress etc. Green building
does less impact to the earth throughout its life cycle which is during the state of sitting,
designing, constructing, operating and demolition. Building demolition should be one of an
essential part to be concerned because the process of destructing a building creates waste,
consumes energy and produces pollution.

1.1.2 On Tropical Hot and Humid Climate

Architecture often speaks of mass, plane and volume. But for architecture in tropical
hot and humid climate, Malaysia for instance, design discourse and vocabulary should be
reconsidered where line, edge and shades would be an essential ingredient for generating
architecture for this particular region. Shades are always important as it is the container of
human activities in this climate. Moisture often decreases the rate of evaporation from skin of
human body, this means that the rate for body to release heat will be also decreased.

Principles such as building orientation, building shape, shading devices and roof
design, indoor and outdoor openness, vegetation and pilotis may provide a sense of well
being for occupants in terms of thermal comfort. With the revolution of technology, indoor
temperature may be reduced by putting green roof and living walls which decrease the rate of
solar heat gain from sun. Double skin design too serves as a good design principle, for

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instance, timber louvers and perforated metal skin might reduce some amount of direct heat
from the sun. A wise use of water in building interior may cool the building as well. An
extensive use of water at the outdoor environment may lead to the contribution of urban heat
island effect. Water which exposed to the sun during daytime would releases heat during
night time to the surrounding. This phenomena can be observed in the park of KLCC.

2.0 GREEN BUILDING IS NOT NECESSARY IN GREEN COLOUR

Green building performs in two senses, both in micro environment where it provide
excellent environment to the occupant, and macro environment where it gives less or no harm
to the global nature and human being during its life cycle. So what makes a value to a
particular building? Climate, topography and culture, these three would make manifest a
character of a place of its time. It is important to look at how the ancient architecture of the
world such as the Great Greek Temple, Roman architecture and so on which has been
sustained for more than 500 years. They are well served as great buildings during their
periods, while being a good place of tourism for now. The ancient architect, Vitruvius
speaked of the fundamental criteria of a building has to meet convenience or utility, durable
and beauty. By then, it is these three principles which sustained the architecture for a long
period.

2.1 QUANTITY VS. QUALITY

One example of a healthy breakfast consists of two slices of breads with cheese, an
egg as well as a fried hotdog, and a cup of fruit juice. But, when one decides to have six
slices of breads with cheeses, four eggs, three fried hotdog and five cup of fruit juice for
breakfast, what will happens? This analogy may be applied to buildings. Green building
should speak of its quality of being green, instead of the quantity of “greenness” that it
possessed. I would like to give an example which is a project of sustainable city in
Huangbaiyu, China, designed by Architect William McDonough[11], the founder of the
design concept of “Cradle to Cradle”. The project was the first model of sustainable city
bearing the principle of cradle to cradle, and it was intended to gives welfare to the
community and the world. A “waste equal to food” concept was introduced to the
community, where waste will be collected to generate gas for cooking. But surprisingly, this
project failed in the sense that, community of China cannot accept what is designed as what
was intended to be given [12].

Obviously, green design should speak of its quality from the first priority, rather than
quantity. But what then is the quality of being green?

3.0 ABSOLUTE VS. RELATIVE

A timeless way of building speaks of its ability to provide liberty to human being.
Human well-being comes from cultural perception, other than just physical thermal comfort.
Diversity in cultural perception from different group of human being may results in a
different state of self satisfactory or well-being in both physical and mental. Human from
different category may suits in different environmental settings, for instance, elder people and
babies are sensitive to lights and glare more than adults, young group of adult from Malaysia

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especially girls may not want to be exposed to the hot sun unlike people in western country.
Public squares which are opened to sky may work well in country like United Kingdom but it
will definitely not going to work in hot tropical region like Malaysia. From this point, we
might argue that there should not be any assumption of absolute comfort for various human-
being, but a relative state of comfort is much preferably concerned and it is strongly
dependent on an individual’s liberty to choose.

4.0 A BUILDING LIKE A BOOK

An architect designs with consciousness base on the past, for the present, and the
future of unknown. What does it takes to make a building shows respect or grateful of the
past, responds to the present and serves the future well? Does a timeless building exist? We
look at the architecture of five hundred years old, what really sustained them for so long?
And yet most of them are like a good book, from every page it opens us into a new source of
wonder, bringing us into another world of time with the consciousness of our time, it is that
sacred that it enlightens us and gives us knowledge to enjoy the fullest of life.

4.1 CONTEXT ARE ALWAYS IMPORTANT

But where do all these come from? There should be essence, and value which make a
building a good building. Contexts are always important. It is understood as circumstances
and issues which surround a site a place or even the world, both "concrete", and "abstract"
data. Concrete here can be interpreted as a site condition, topography and climate, while
abstract is referring to the history, memory, culture and event which is most of the time I
found them could be hardly figured out from surface.

We often found interpretation of building as an engine, or a machine to be living in.

But an engine works no different from place to place. We then found architecture which
grows itself, repairs itself, assemble-dissemble able. Self-sustaining building, container and
recycled buildings, and perhaps Native American architecture which is portable for instance.
To be significant, a building has to make manifest its place. Back to the fundamental
principle of architecture which is to provide human shelter. How do we want to be occupied
in space and access to the nature? Climate, weather, and topography should be made
manifest, and culture, event and memory should be celebrated. No one really knows whether
a timeless building exists and it is impossible to be experimented.

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5.0 CONCLUSIONS

From all the points mentioned above, I have come to a conclusion where, there is no
absolute, exact or correct way in producing a timeless green building. Here I would like to
summarize my thoughts in a form of laws.

1. Design process is timeless and evolutionary. It is essential to look back in the

history of architecture to understand the essence of science and art of designing a
building, reapply design methodology base on context from time to time.
2. Building should be in a form of enlightenment, and education. It dictates human to
lives naturally in the state of joy, and well being.
3. Building should speak of its ability to inform human’s participation in space by
taking responsibility, a freedom for the occupant to choose, with good intention.
4. Context, climate, culture served as a key element in forming a historical value,
character as well as identity of a particular place.

And yet good design process and design methodology should be timeless and precise, should
be questioned always, and it should be shared as a common language.

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REFERENCES

[1] Adolf K. Placzek. 1965. Andrea Palladio: The Four Books of Architecture. Translated
from The Four Books of Architecture by Isaac Ware. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.
(Originally published in 1738).

[1] Aminatuzuhariah Megat Abdullah. 2007. Introduction to Environmental Management

System. Malaysia: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

[2] Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, Murray Silverstein with Max Jacobson, Ingrid
Fiksdahl-King and Shlomo Angel. 1977. A Pattern Language. New York: Oxford University
Press.

[3] Mohamad Tajuddin Mohamad Rasdi. 2009. Thoughts on Malaysian Architecture.

Malaysia: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

[4] M. H. Morgan.1960. Vitruvius: The Ten Books on Architecture. Translated from The Ten
Books On Architecture by M.H. Morgan. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. (Originally
published in 1914)

[5] Tom Porter. 2004. Archispeak: An Illustrated Guide to Architectural Terms. London:
Spoon Press 11 New Fetter Lane.

[6] William McDonough. 1992 The Hannover Principles: Design for Sustainability. Prepared
for EXPO 2000, The World’s Fair Hannover, Germany.

[7] e²Series. Podcasts. Available at http://www.e2-series.com.

[8] Greenbuildingindex Sdn Bhd 2009. What & Why Green Buildings? Retrieved Dec. 20,
2009. Available from http://www.greenbuildingindex.org/why-green-buildings.html.

[9] ] RIAS 2008. Eisenman's six point plan. Available from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32aaRDyLPxo&feature=related.

[10 TED Conferences, LLC. Bjarke Ingels: 3 warp-speed architecture tales. Available from
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/bjarke_ingels_3_warp_speed_architecture_tales.html.

[11] TED Conferences, LLC. William McDonough on Cradle to Cradle design. Available
from
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/william_mcdonough_on_cradle_to_cradle_design.html.

[12] The Age. China's first eco-village proves a hard sell. Available from
http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/chinas-first-ecovillage-proves-a-hard-
sell/2006/08/25/1156012740582.html?page=fullpage

[13] U.S Green Building Council. What LEED Measures. Available from
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1989.