It is a matter of design
BESIDES the challenges of green architecture, space constraint is also one of the biggest concerns for architects today. Small-space living is the norm in the city. Instead of boxing out the interior spaces from the natural outdoors, architects are turning to nature for inspiration.
“When a structure is opened to the elements outside, it is not a static space anymore, unlike spaces that have boundaries or clear segments,” says Kanny.
Property prices are skyrocketing so to make homes affordable, developers are building smaller homes to offset the rising price-per-square-feet. Condominium units can be as small as 500sq ft and this is the typical first home for many young home owners especially in the city.
By making wise decisions in material choices, the market price for it can also be reduced over the course of time.
Timber, for example, easily takes more than a century to grow into quality hardwood that can be used for building material, making it not just expensive but an unsustainable choice. A cheaper local solution to this is bamboo, which can be used for flooring and even to make furniture. Bamboo grows much faster than timber and can be found in abundance.
“Additionally, the country is running out of local marble sources and relies on imported marbles. Just like fur, which used to be fashionable a few decades ago but is now rejected, I hope that the same will be true for materials like marble and timber as people change their perspective,” says Kanny.
Another problem faced by urban dwellers is sick building syndrome (SBS), which affects thousands of office building workers due to poor indoor air quality as a result of flaws in heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems.
Additionally, volatile organic compounds (VOC), toxic materials that can be found in paint and furniture adhesives, further contaminate the air quality indoors.
Thus, new green building designs attempt to remodel the way office buildings are designed to address SBS.
Besides switching to anti-oxidant paint and designing the buildings in such a way that it benefits from natural wind flow, another way to improve the health of office workers lies in using space and lighting efficiently. This is Lim’s area of interest and the subject of his research.
“My thesis argues that an office work space that uses natural daylight with task lamps are more economically, environmentally and ergonomically effective in comparison to the conventional office ceiling down lights. It is my hope that this research can contribute to a conclusion that we need not over-light an office space and incur unnecessary energy usage,” explains Lim.
The shift towards environmentally conscious consumer behaviour means that architects, designers and urban planners need to work together and rise up to the high expectations of delivering costsavvy and environmentally sustainable buildings while complying to the laws and regulations related to green architecture.
“The federal government has already imposed policies to ensure that new projects in Putrajaya and the Golden Triangle in Kuala Lumpur are certified as green buildings.
“It is not too far-fetched to imagine that in the future, there will be a blanket policy across the entire nation that will make it the norm,” says Kanny.
To put it succinctly, he concludes: “Green architecture is the only future for buildings”.