Open House International

Park, Jin-Ho

2022 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/ohi-09-2022-286

Koranteng, Christian; Nyame-Tawiah, David; Gyimah, Kwabena Abrokwa; Simons, Barbara

2022 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/ohi-02-2021-0057

As the global population keeps increasing with its associated urbanisation and climate change issues being experienced in various degrees worldwide, there is the need to find mitigating measures to improve thermal conditions within spaces. The study aimed to evaluate green roofs to determine whether they could provide thermal comfort within residential buildings.Design/methodology/approachForty-two-year weather data were retrieved from the Kumasi weather station to establish the pattern of the climatic variables. Furthermore, an experiment was conducted by constructing test cells to determine the potential of vegetation/green roofs on temperature development within spaces. This approach led to a simulation-based exploration of the thermal performance of the test cells to probe variables that could lead to the reduction in temperature after the models in the software (design-builder) had been validated.FindingsThe results on the 42 years (1976–2018) weather data showed a significant (p = 0.05) mean temperature increment of 2.0 °C. The constructed test cell with Setcreasea purpurea (Purple Heart) vegetation showed an annual mean temperature reduction of 0.4 °C (p = 0.05). In addition, the exploration using the simulation application showed combinations of various soil depth (70–500 mm) and leaf area indices (leaf area index of 2–5) having a potential to lower indoor temperature by 1.5 °C and its associated reduction in energy use. The option of green roofs as a valuable alternative to conventional roofs, given their potential in mitigating climate change, must be encouraged. A survey of occupants in six selected neighbourhoods in Kumasi showed varying subjective perceptions of several green issues (24–98%) and increases in temperature values because of the loss of greenery in the city.Originality/valueEmpirical data that point to the significant reduction of indoor temperature values and a subsequent reduction in energy use have been unearthed. Therefore, built environment professionals together with city authorities could invest in these sustainable measures to help humanity.

Anzagira, Lee Felix; Duah, Daniel; Badu, Edward; Simpeh, Eric Kwame; Amos-Abanyie, Samuel; Marful, Alexander

2022 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/ohi-02-2022-0054

Green building (GB) is globally acclaimed as the most formidable solution to the adverse effects that buildings and construction activities have on the climate and environment. Nonetheless, current evidence suggests that the adoption of GB in developing countries of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is at a snail’s pace and characterized by the absence of GB codes and frameworks. This paper aims to determine the current level of adoption and implementation of GB concepts and technologies in the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI).Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory method of investigation involving a quantitative approach was used to achieve the objectives of this study. A literature review was conducted, and a questionnaire survey was conducted among 292 stakeholders in the GCI. The survey data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics as well as other quantitative analysis techniques.FindingsThe analysis revealed that the five most applied green building technologies (GBTs) are technologies for optimizing site planning, building orientation and configuration, use of natural ventilation, integrative use of natural lighting with electric lighting systems, application of energy-efficient lighting systems and use of permeable paving: low-traffic areas. Notably, the majority of the GBTs belong to the energy-efficiency technologies category.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings indicate that GBTs are gaining momentum in Ghana and that there is a need for ongoing research to develop new and more environmentally friendly building technologies to aid in the preservation of our society and natural resources to achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) 12 and 13.Originality/valueIn effect, this study will enhance the awareness of GB development and contribute to the GB body of knowledge, particularly in the context of developing countries. It would also be useful to the GCI’s contribution to achieving the UN SDGs.

Vishnubhotla, Lakshmi Visakha; Shanmugam, Sornambiga; Tadepalli, Srinivas

2022 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/ohi-07-2021-0148

Energy codes for residential buildings in India prescribe design guidelines for each climate zone. However, these guidelines are broad and similar for different cities under the same zone overlooking climatic variations due to altitude, location and other geographical factors.Design/methodology/approachTo develop strategies addressing the city-specific requirements, a stepwise simulation approach was used. Integrated Environmental Solutions–Virtual Environment (IES-VE) was used to create a prototype of a singly detached residence. The applicability of strategies is studied during the day and night times. Optimum orientation, the thickness of insulation, Window–Wall Ratio, the impact of cross-ventilation and shading depth are determined for two cities – Tiruchirappalli and Coimbatore under the warm-humid climate zone of India.FindingsResults indicate that optimum insulation thickness and WWR vary between both cities during daytime and night time. In Tiruchirappalli, roof and wall insulation using polyurethane board (100 mm) and foam concrete (25 mm) offers a maximum reduction of 2.2°C indoors. Foam concrete (25 mm) insulation for roof and expanded polystyrene (25 mm) for walls reduce a maximum of 2.6°C during daytime in Coimbatore. Further, night ventilation with 20% WWR allows an average decrease of 0.5–0.6°C in triply exposed spaces facing the South. The use of a 2'0" depth shading device shows a maximum reduction of 0.1–0.3°C.Originality/valueThe contribution of this work lies in developing city-specific inputs presenting the advantage of easy replicability for other cities in the Indian context.

Feng, Tian; Huang, Yiru; Zhou, Bo

2022 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/ohi-10-2021-0216

Current policies and research on carbon emissions focus on operational emission but overlook the importance of embodied and user-transport emissions in residential buildings. This study built a comprehensive framework to assess the impact of life-cycle carbon emissions on different in-building open public spaces (open roof, open vertical garden, and open ground floor) in affordable housing.Design/methodology/approachA parametric model of a typical affordable housing building in Shanghai, China was constructed and 36 variations of open public spaces studied. Embodied, operational, and user-transport carbon emissions were quantified over 50 years.FindingsThe results show that the life-cycle carbon emissions decrease with the application of the open public space. In addition, the paper found that the carbon reduction due to user transport is seven times higher than the carbon increment due to construction and over long-term operation.Originality/valueThis paper provides quantitative evidence for carbon emissions and in-building open public spaces, and the authors suggest taking multiple aspects into account in addition to the structure of the building is crucial to sustainable building development.

Kim, Hyoungsub; Kim, Se Woong; Jo, Yongjun; Kim, Eujin Julia

2022 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/ohi-12-2021-0280

First, the contributions of spatial characteristics to microclimate were analyzed. And the results from mobile measurements were compared to those from fixed measurements to examine accuracy of mobile method. Air temperature and physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) profiles were plotted to explore the impacts of the spatial characteristics of that urban square and local street.Design/methodology/approachThis research investigates the effects of urban canyons and landscape on air temperature and outdoor thermal comfort in an open square in Seoul, Korea, a city of diverse thermal environments. Mobile field measurements were carried out to obtain local meteorological data based on higher spatial resolution.FindingsOn a day in October under clear sky, air temperature and PET differences of up to 1.77 °C and 9.6 °C were observed at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively. These were mainly from the impact of shading effects caused by surrounding obstacles. The current layout and volume of vegetation in the square seemed not effective for reducing air temperature and improving thermal comfort, which needs further study.Originality/valueThe authors tested a way to investigate time delay when using mobile measurements by correcting measured local data using adjacent meteorological observatory data. The findings of and limitations on mobile station-based field measurement and analysis are discussed herein.

Gençer, Funda; Karadağ, İlker

2022 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/ohi-12-2021-0284

The study aims to analyze both thermal and wind comfort conditions of a historical mosque's interior and outdoor spaces for the planning of further conservation decisions.Design/methodology/approachThe method is composed of two steps. First, thermal comfort analyses are conducted via Design-Builder Software. The predicted mean vote (PMV) and predicted percentage of dissatisfied indices were calculated and evaluated using the ASHRAE 55–2010 standard. Thermal comfort conditions are analyzed with the proposed three operations. Second, wind comfort analyses are conducted via computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software. Outdoor thermal comfort conditions are predicted by air temperature, mean radiant temperature, wind speed and relative humidity.FindingsThe (PMV) in the harim was calculated as −1.83 (cool) which corresponds to a predicted percentage of dissatisfaction (PPD) equal to 68.54%. Thermal comfort was provided by daytime and continuous operations; however, intermittent operations did not provide thermal comfort. The wind velocities around the mosque are well below the 5 m/s limit value for standing defined by NEN 8100 wind nuisance standard. Moreover, the limit value of 2.5 m/s for sitting was also satisfied with more than 80% of the semi-enclosed area around the entrance of the mosque. Last comer's hall remains in a slight cold stress range, the rest of the areas have no thermal stress.Originality/valueThis two-stage study creates a base for further improvements to provide comfort conditions in a historical building without interfering with its original features.

Ceylan, Salih

2022 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/ohi-08-2021-0174

This paper aims to elaborate on the characteristics of vernacular architecture, particularly the architecture of the Turkish eastern Black Sea region, through a case study in the area; and to attract the attention of architects and researchers on the unique characters of the region. Another aim of the paper is to examine the contribution of vernacular architecture to sustainability through its design methods and principles, which have been developed throughout centuries.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents a single case study on the architecture of the Turkish eastern Black Sea region through 14 unique samples from Senoz (Büyükdere) Valley. The case study is preceded by theoretical research on vernacular architecture, its characteristics and its contribution to sustainable architecture.FindingsThe case study carried out in the Senoz Valley revealed that the region's vernacular architecture is still living. However, it has lost its importance in the past. Outcomes of the case study indicate that the unique character of the architecture in the valley needs to be protected and sustained, so that future generations can also benefit from its special design features.Originality/valueSenoz Valley is a settlement located near the city of Rize in the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey. Vernacular architecture reflects the characteristics of the region and contains unique features in construction and planning. According to these special features, the architecture of Senoz valley deserves a place in the literature of vernacular architecture.

Na, Le Thi Hong; Park, Jin-Ho; Jeon, Yangsook; Jung, Sejung

2022 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/ohi-12-2021-0276

This study examines spatial layouts and sustainable features of vernacular houses in southern Vietnam to apply the lessons learned to the development of a contemporary housing design. This study proposes hypothetical low-rise street-house models popular in contemporary urban Vietnam by applying the spatial and ecological lessons learned from the analysis.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 23 well-preserved vernacular houses in Dong Hoa Hiep – an 18th century village in the Tien Giang Province – were chosen for a 2-month, on-site investigation. During the field survey, the houses were measured to fabricate scale drawings for detailed analysis, and photographs were taken.FindingsAn in-depth evaluation highlighted unique characteristics of spatial compositions, sustainable features, and architectural components that contribute to climate adaptive strategies.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough numerous potential arrangements of the models are possible, a few examples are illustrated to validate that the assembly could help achieve a dynamic streetscape for street houses.Social implicationsFrom this perspective, vernacular houses in Vietnam are a rich architectural resource and a significant cultural heritage, because these houses have adopted sustainable design strategies suitable for the local climate and culture to ensure comfort and well-being for a long time. Perhaps, sustainable lessons drawn from Vietnam's indigenous houses are a prerequisite to developing contemporary housing in the country.Originality/valueEmploying the lessons learned from vernacular houses, this study developed three sustainable prototypical designs for the development of contemporary street houses in densely populated cities in Vietnam.

Peker, Ender

2022 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/ohi-12-2021-0266

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of locally-produced architectural design solutions for the provision of thermal comfort in the vernacular settlements of Mardin, Turkey.Design/methodology/approachWith an aim of extracting clues of climate responsive design, the paper develops a socio-technical assessment methodology and presents a comparative inquiry between the vernacular and contemporary built environments of Mardin.FindingsFindings display that the capacity of vernacular architecture in providing a more climate responsive living environment than contemporary one is in fact correlated with the design of living spaces in harmony with the local climatic conditions as well as how inhabitants traditionally use and behave in designed space.Originality/valueThe paper argues for a need for (re)conceptualization of thermal comfort within and through the production of housing, as well as by taking into account the ways in which end-users interact, adapt and sustain end-users' everyday life in accordance with the local climatic characteristics.

Ismail, Zul-Atfi

2022 Open House International

doi: 10.1108/ohi-12-2021-0285

The green building (GB) maintenance industry has been under increasing pressure by designers to demonstrate its evaluation and information management of building information modelling based model checking (BMC) to the competency's performance and design knowledge of building control instrument. This main problem has been termed as maintenance planning level. Although maintenance planning has been explored in GB maintenance environments, less is known about what maintenance planning problems currently exist and what their causes are, such as the recent fire in the Grenfell Tower (14 June 2017, about 80 fatalities) in North Kensington, West London. The aim of this paper is to identify how GB maintenance environments could integrate BMC within their processes. The purpose of this study is to assess the BMC technology management of GB maintenance ecosystem and that of a soft skills level to establish the impact of innovation policy features on database and safety risk function mechanism.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve this aim, a comprehensive literature review of the existing conceptualisation of BMC practices is reviewed and the main features of Information and Communication Technology tools and techniques currently being employed on such GB maintenance ecosystem is carried out to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the previous studies. The conceptual framework explores the importance of integration of BMC in the construction phase to identify alternative methods in the automation system (AS) process to co-generate, monitor and optimise BMC.FindingsThe results confirm that BMC tool positively influences database application and risk mechanism of construction project safety while agreeableness negatively does. Besides, database application has a negative influence on innovation policy of company towards BMC implementation. Propositions derived not only shed light on guidance for future research on the soft skills of construction organisations, but also provide decision-making support through a better understanding of the factors affecting soft skills level amongst biggest construction companies.Originality/valueThus far, this study advances the knowledge about how GB maintenance environments can ensure BMC delivery. This paper highlights the need for further research to integrate BMC in GB maintenance environments validates the framework across the construction phase with different GB project managers and engineers.