This document summarizes a student's case study on the shading devices used at the Belum Rainforest Resort in Malaysia to reduce heat gain in buildings. It discusses how heat gain affects building performance in tropical climates and how shading devices like overhangs and vertical fins help filter direct sunlight. The resort uses traditional pitched overhangs on buildings to shade windows from afternoon sun while still allowing morning light. Vegetation and clustered building designs also help reduce heat gain. Overall, the shading devices are effective at improving thermal comfort and building performance in the hot, humid climate.

1. Asian Architecture [ARC 2213/2234]
PROJECT 1: CASE STUDY
A Study on Shading Devices Adopted by Belum Rainforest Resort to Reduce Heat Gain
NAME: Elaine Bong Poh Hui___________
STUDENT ID: 0310432____________________
LECTURER: Ms. Shahrianne _______________
SUBMISSION DATE: 11 November 2014

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A Study on Shading Devices Adopted by Belum Rainforest Resort to Reduce Heat Gain
Table of Contents Page
Abstract
1.0 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..4
2.0 Heat Gain……………………………………………………………………..………..5
3.0 Sun-Shading Devices…………………………………………………………………6
3.1 Shadow Angles
4.0 Vegetation…………………………….………………………………………..……..10
5.0 Thermal Comfort…………………...……………………………….………………..11
6.0 Effects on the Environment by Reducing Heat Gain.........................................12
7.0 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………….………12
References………………………………………………………………………...…………..13

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Abstract
Shading devices are essential in the country with tropical climate like us to shade us from the heat from the sun. Different types of sun shading device has been created and used throughout all these years in response with the climate in our country. This research of doing a study on shading devices adopted by Belum Rainforest Resort with the purpose of reducing the heat gain of the building in order to create a comfortable environment in the building in terms of thermal comfort of the users. To further assist the validation of the research, literature reviews based on Climate Responsive Architecture and various other sources about solar control to reduce heat gain of a building and increase its performances. As the buildings in Belum Rainforest Resort is designed and built in two phase hence there is an obvious difference in terms of design. But both phases are a combination of modern and traditional design which another tropical design in Singapore called Sentosa House has a similar blend of design. The simple sun shading devices are used a lot where glass openings are. Deep eaves helps to block solar radiation from reaching the glass and achieve thermal comfort in the indoors. Glass windows tend to have the highest heat gain of all the parts in a building. Longer façade of the building has to be oriented facing north-south sides whereas the shorter façade has to face the east-west sides to reduce window openings gaining maximum heat. Most of the buildings in phase two are in clustered design and still succeed in reducing the heat gain by orientating the building and designing shading device responding to the sun. On the other hand, buildings in phase one are mostly shaded with the shading devices made bamboo places horizontally. There are also plants allowed to grow depending on the bamboo to have better coverage from the sun radiation. With shading devices, buildings in Belum Rainforest Resort are well shaded to provide a comfortable internal environment for the users.

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1.0 Introduction
Royal Belum Forest has a long history in Malaysia along with the Tasik Temenggor and it is to believe that it has exists for over 130 million years making it the largest and oldest rainforest. This rainforest is located in the state of Perak, a little bit further up along the border of Peninsular Malaysia and Thailand. With its long existence, the Belum-Temenggor Rainforest grows into a large continuous forest complex to accommodate a large number of species of flora and fauna which many could not be found anywhere else. Belum Rainforest Resort offers people either from Malaysia or overseas an opportunity to appreciate the nature in Banding Island that could not be provided elsewhere. Great experiences can be obtained by joining the activities provided by Belum, especially at Lower Belum, while learning and gaining knowledge about the large biodiversity of the rainforest. The resort also promotes conservation which by all means to avoid any environmental or social impact to the Belum Rainforest. For a country with a typical tropical climate like Malaysia, the sun and heat can be a problem to the Belum Rainforest Resort as they might affect the tourist staying there.
The design team that has designed the accommodations in Belum Rainforest Resort has clearly put into thoughts of the common problems we mostly faced staying in a tropical country. This is to ensure comfort of the tourists visiting the place enhancing the experience of the visitors during their stay in Belum. The solution to this is applying sun shading device is one of the design strategies helps to reduce heat gain of the building thus improving the performances of the building.
This paper will look into the adaptation of shading devices in Belum Rainforest Resort to reduce heat gain moreover to increase the performances of the building by responding to these question below:-

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1. What is heat gain in a building?
2. What is the purpose of applying shading devices in Belum Rainforest Resort?
3. How does the existing landscape help to reduce heat gain in Belum Rainforest Resort?
4. How does heat gain affect the performance of a building in tropical climate?
2.0 Heat Gain
The heat in tropical country is always a problem to architects and their design. Heat gain by a building will affect the building performance cause the internal space to be warmer than what the users will feel comfortable. Heat gain is the net increase of heat which is caused by heat transmission within a given space. However the heat gain does not affect the indoor temperature instantaneously. (Stein, Reynolds & McGuinness, 1992) The heat radiated from the sun is absorbed and stored by the internal mass of the building and at certain hour the heat stored is slowly radiated into the internal spaces increasing the internal air temperature. Transparent or translucent components in a building such as window openings are the main sources of heat, light and ventilation during the day. But attention is needed because of the heat flow through the fenestration. During afternoon hours when the sun is the hottest, overheating might be experienced by the users in the building due to the minimal resistance of the heat radiation passing through the window. As fenestration has a great advantage in providing ample of sunlight and ventilation into the internal spaces of a building, the problem of overheating has to be overcome where the sun-shading device as one of the design strategies comes in.

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3.0 Sun-Shading Devices
Fenestration helps to reduce the usage of electrical light by admitting daylight into the building filling up the internal spaces and yet it creates problem which must be corrected to prevent overheating of the indoor air temperature. If sun-shading device is applied in a correct way, the direct sunlight will be filtered thus reducing the solar heat gain by the building. (Stein, Reynolds & McGuinness, 1992)
The main strategy in reducing heat gain caused by solar radiation is to have the window openings shaded from direct sunlight mainly for windows facing the east and west. This does not mean that no shading is required but less is needed for the ones orientated to the north and south. A better solution to this is to have the façade on the north-south sides longer and shorter on the east and west. To shade the fenestration on the east-west sides when windows are unavoidable, horizontal overhang is the most appropriate and effective because of the high altitude of the sun. Nevertheless, a horizontal overhang is not very effective when the sun is at a low altitude angle where direct sunlight can reach the internal spaces of the building.
▲Figure 3.1 Deep angled overhang (Source: Bong, 2014)
Shaded area

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The traditional chalet in Belum Rainforest Resort has deep pitched overhang (Figure 3.1) to prevent too much sunlight from going into the bedroom. The sun in the afternoon is filtered by the overhang to prevent the room from getting heated up whereas the low-altitude morning sun will only be half filtered and the little sunlight coming in through the window would help waking up the occupant staying in the room. This façade is facing south-west where it is exposed to direct solar gain. This might cause a large amount of heat gain and produce thermal and visual discomfort to the occupants staying in the chalet. The application of overhang helps to ease the problem by filtering half of the heat radiation, giving more comfort to the users besides providing the sunset view.
Vertical fin is also an effective design strategy to shade the east and west façade where the windows are. The east and west facing windows are the hardest to shade because the early morning and late afternoon sun is at a lower altitude causing it almost impossible to shade the windows. The Sentosa House in Singapore has vertical louvers wrapping the exterior of the house which provides aesthetic value to it as well as to shade the internal spaces from direct solar heat gain. (Hudson, 2012) By combining both horizontal and vertical sun shading devices, the most effective and optimal shading can be achieved. Both the horizontal and vertical shading devices has a certain ratio called projection factor which can be used to calculate whether a window is shaded well. For overhang, the projection factor is the ratio of horizontal depth of the external shading projection, (h) divided by the sum of the height of the fenestration and the distance from the top of the fenestration to the bottom of the external shading projection, (v). As for the vertical fins, the projection factor is the ratio of the horizontal depth of the external shading projection divided by the distance from the window jamb to the farthest point of the external shading projection. (Saint-Gobain Glass, 2014) The ratio has to be calculated in consistent units.

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To form this eggcrate shading device (Figure 3.3), the front elevation of the deluxe suite is recessed creating a certain depth. Having this design provides a better shading as the shadow of the shading devices mask a larger area of the façade thus filtering the fenestration from the solar heat. The top window on the ground floor (Figure 3.4) is also shaded by the balcony which acts as a horizontal shading device with function whereas the rammed earth wall in front of the suite does not only provide privacy to the place but to filter out some sunlight too.
◄Figure 3.2 Projection Factor of Overhang (Source: Sunbanglass, 2014)
▲Figure 3.3 Eggcrate Shading Device (Source: Bong, 2014)
▲Figure 3.4 Front Elevation of Deluxe Suite (Source: Bong, 2014)

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3.1 Shadow Angle
Shadow angle is formed by sun shading devices or projections on a wall exposed to the sun. Different design of sun shading devices forms different shadow angles.
There are two angles that the shadow will be cast (Figure 3.1.1 & 3.1.2). When designing shading devices for windows, the horizontal and vertical shadow angles need to be formed. The angles depend on the position of the sun and the orientation where the window is facing. The horizontal shadow angle (HSA) is cast by vertical shading device such as vertical fins. The shadow angle is the angle between the window opening and the azimuth of the sun. On the other hand, the vertical shadow angle (VSA) is cast by horizontal shading devices like overhangs. The vertical shadow angle is the angle between the ground line and the altitude of the sun.
◄Figure 3.1.1 Vertical Shading Device (Source: educate- sustainability, 2014)
◄Figure 3.1.2 Horizontal Shading Device (Source: educate- sustainability, 2014)

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4.0 Vegetation
Plants on site plays a role in shading the building from direct heat gain from the sun besides giving off oxygen by converting carbon dioxide. (Stein, Reynolds & McGuinness, 1992) They are very practical to use because of the benefits they bring to the people. By planting trees, privacy will be enhanced and sun glare will be reduced thus preventing heat and light from entering the internal of the building causing the building to overheat. The evaporation process of the green plants helps to cool winds introducing cool breeze to the surrounding. This could help to cool the building down and provide ventilation to the building too. Due to hot air rises, cool air settles near the ground and the temperature under the big trees is lower than the unshaded areas.
The reception area (Figure 4.1) has a design concept that is more open to bring out the idea of welcoming the guests and make them feel invited. For this reason, glass is used a lot at the lobby area (Figure 4.2). Ample of sunlight can come in through the transparent openings lighting up the area. To reduce direct solar heat gain especially during the afternoon, plenty of plants is planted outside the reception causing partial of the sunlight is blocked by the leaves thus reducing the heat radiated to the internal spaces. The creepers, which are planted purposely to have them growing on the walls, have a cooling effect to the building too. They prevent direct heat gain of the exterior wall as well as cooling the air temperature in the surrounding.
▲Figure 4.1 Exterior of Reception Area (Source: Bong, 2014)
▲Figure 4.2 Interior of Reception Area (Source: Bong, 2014)

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5.0 Thermal Comfort
Thermal performance of a building is the transfer of energy between a building and the surroundings. Heat exchange is possible between a building with its environment through several architectural components such as wall, fenestration, roof and others. Heat flows from the window openings to the internal spaces through radiation. The heat is radiated continuously throughout the day causing indoors to be overheated. This causes the indoor air temperature to rise causing discomfort to the occupants in the building. The discomfort is due to the release of the heat energy stored and transferred to the human body. By reducing the heat gain of the building, less heat will be transferred into the interior spaces. Thermal comfort of the occupants in the building can be maintained at a more optimal level lessening the discomfort experienced by them. ASHRAE (204) defines thermal comfort as “that condition of mind which expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment…” Therefore it is important that the guests feel comfortable staying in Belum Rainforest Resort to promote the nature. With the satisfaction from the thermal comfort experienced at Belum, this will create the feel of wanting to visit the place again.
▲Figure 4.3 Creepers Crawling on the Exterior Wall (Source: Bong, 2014)

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6.0 Effects on Environment by Reducing Heat Gain
Applying sun shading devices in Belum Rainforest Resort to reduce heat gain has a good impact to the environment. Since the resort is promoting conservation of the Belum Rainforest, less electricity has to be used to save energy. Energy has been playing a big role in our life and human has been depending on it for almost everything. By applying shading devices, heat gain of the building is reduced which means that the indoor air temperature is maintained. Less energy is needed to operate the mechanical ventilation to provide thermal comfort to the users and the cost for the electrical energy can be cut down. The electricity saved would prevent the emission of carbon dioxide. In a longer term, this would have also prevent more air pollution and the emission of the greenhouse gas. Besides that, sustainable material is encouraged to be used especially the material for sun shading devices. Renewable sources like timber, tree sapling as well as plants are good material to make the shades for blocking the sunlight.
7.0 Conclusion
In a nutshell, the application of shading device in Belum Rainforest Resort has been well designed. The different usage of horizontal and vertical sun shading devices to different buildings becomes one of the characteristics of the place. Besides the aesthetic of the building, the overhang and the vertical fins shade the windows well preventing the interior from overheating. Heat gain is very much reduced compared to direct solar radiation on the transparent fenestration. Using sun shading devices reduce the usage of electrical energy which is very important as energy has to be conserved to reduce the negative impact to our natural environment. Design strategies like shading devices have to be adopted more often in the future to lead to a better design of shading devices

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References
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Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia. Belumrainforestresort.com. Retrieved 9 November 2014, from http://www.belumrainforestresort.com/aboutbelum.html
EMKAY GROUP BERHAD.,. (2014). Banding Island. Banding Island. Retrieved 10
November 2014, from http://www.bandingisland.com/e_BelumRainforestResort.php
Hudson, D. (2012). nicholas burns associates: sentosa house, singapore - designboom |
architecture & design magazine. designboom | architecture & design magazine. Retrieved 10 November 2014, from http://www.designboom.com/architecture/nicholas- burns-associates-sentosa-house-singapore/
Saint-Gobain Glass,. (2014). M factor. Sunbanglass.com. Retrieved 10 November 2014, from
http://www.sunbanglass.com/commercial/m-factor.htm
Stein, B., Reynolds, J., & McGuinness, W. (1992). Mechanical and electrical equipment for
buildings. New York: J. Wiley & Sons.
Usc.edu,. (2014). SHADING DEVICES. Usc.edu. Retrieved 10 November 2014, from
http://www.usc.edu/dept-00/dept/architecture/mbs/tools/thermal/shadedevice.html
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