1. ASSIGNMENT 02
CASE STUDY BUILDING: S11 HOUSE
NAME : MONIQUE JANICE V TAN
STUDENT ID : 0302371
SUBJECT : ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE [BCC 207]
LECTURER : MISS NORMA JEAN

2. CONTENT PAGE
CONTENT
PAGE NO.
OBJECTIVE
3
INTRODUCTION
5
CHARACTERISTICS AND SUSTAINABLE
MEASURES OF S11 HOUSE
RECOGNITIONS
6-8
9
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3. CONCLUSION
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OBJECTIVE
The objective of this report is to explain the benefits of constructing and designing GBI rated
buildings either non-residential or residential that are aimed for causing the least damage to
the environment. This report will explain why Sll house is given the title of a GBI Platinum
residential rated building and its characteristics that comes along with it.
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4. INTRODUCTION
THE S11 HOUSE is the case study building I choose to represent sustainability in the built
environment. S11 House is also Malaysia’s first GBI Platinum (DA) rated residential home.
The S11 house is located in an established older suburb of Petaling Jaya. Owned and designed
by architect Dr Tan Loke Mun of ArchiCentre Sdn Bhd, the award winning home comprises a
wide range of green elements in its design and construction. The existing old house on the site
was built in the early 1960’s and had become dilapidated and run-down over the years. There
were five significant existing trees on the site. Three very old and sculptural frangipanis, a
large star-fruit and a coconut palm tree. All these were retained and the new house was set in
the midst of them. When Architect Tan Loke Mun and his wife Chew May-Ann decided to
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5. buy the residential home, he designed it in a new green tropical house for the site and
conceptualized it along the line of the existing trees.
The three-storey bungalow residential home, which has 5+1 bedrooms and six bathrooms, has
a north-south orientation for all its openings and windows. The double-volume family room is
located on the first floor and the 7-m-high full sliding glass walls facilitate maximum cross
ventilation whilst also opening up the entire internal living space unto the outdoor deck.
The S11 House has a built-up area of 11,840 sq. ft. and features GBI standards, which
qualified it to be awarded with many awards and accolades. The total cost of works is
rounded up to approximately RM2.1 million.
If one would want to compare the electricity consumption that is GBI rated to a non-GBI
rated building it would be discover that there is plenty of savings e.g.: “energy bill RM400 per
month, compared to a RM3000 for a house of a similar size.”
CHARACTERISTICS AND SUSTAINABLE MEASURES OF S11 HOUSE
WHAT IS A GREEN BUILDING? A Green building focuses on increasing the efficiency of
resource use – energy, water, and materials – while reducing building impact on human health
and the environment during the building’s lifecycle, through better sitting, design,
construction, operation, maintenance, and removal. Green Buildings should be designed and
operated to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on its surroundings. GBI
classifications are as the following, Platinum the highest rating, Gold as the second highest,
Silver as the third highest and lastly Certified.
S11 House GBI classification rating is Platinum. Platinum rating is considered a high
achievement with 86+ points. S11 House was given this rating based on a 6 key criteria e.g.:
(EE, EQ, SM, MR, WE, IN)
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6. 1) Energy Efficiency (EE)
criteria is based on improved energy consumption by optimizing building orientation,
minimizing solar heat gain through the building envelope, harvesting natural lighting,
adopting the best practices in building services including use of renewable energy, and
ensuring proper testing, commissioning and regular maintenance.
•
Located in the top floor of the S11 House, daylight sundancers facilitates is made in
the roof of the balcony for maximum natural illumination.
•
Throughout the interior of the S11 house, glazed light pyramids in pipe tubes filter
sunlight through the light boxes on the roof, channeling it to the interior space to
minimize the need for artificial lighting.
•
S11 House features a design akin to a tree in the hot tropics with a large insulated
canopy roof constructed of lightweight recyclable profiled steel metal sheets coated
in a light off-white color to minimize heat absorption.
•
Specially designed wind turbine combined with steel framed glazed pyramid built
onto the roof, provides the house with “stack effect” ventilation and light pipes. These
15 numbers of turbines are driven both by wind as well as convection when the air
within the glass pyramids heat up as a result of the greenhouse effect. A 3-degree
differential is enough to spin the turbines by convection. Therefore minimizing the
usage of air-conditioning.
•
The large canopy roof is pitched at 5 degrees to facilitate self-cleaning of roofing
material and solar panels. A 5 KW peak photovoltaic installation is mounted unto the
large canopy roof and the generated electricity is sold back into the national electric
grid.
2) Indoor Environment Quality (EQ) criteria is based on achieving good quality
performance in indoor air quality, acoustics, visual and thermal comfort. These will involve
the use of low volatile organic compound materials, application of quality air filtration, proper
control of air temperature, movement and humidity.
•
The S11 house has a clear north-south orientation for all its openings and windows.
Most of the internal partition walls were removed to promote cross-ventilation and to
create unobstructed space between the living room and the koi pond, as well as the
dining area, which opens out into a lawn leading to a 6.5 m x 17 m saltwater pool.
•
The swimming pool and koi pond are located at the two extreme north-south ends and
provide evaporative cooling for the house.
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7. •
The walls for both interior and exterior are also coated with heat-reflective paint in
camouflage motif as well as shaded by a wire netting screen wall of fruit and
vegetable climbers, leaving a all natural green eco-living environment.
•
Natural fair-faced Red Clay Bricks baked in a kiln are used as main feature walls in
the home interior. Because it is baked in a furnace it has the characteristic that it does
not retain heat easily thus making the house cooling in a hot temperature.
•
To minimize the heat absorption, the roof was made out of lightweight recyclable
profiled steel metal sheets covered in a light off-white color.
•
The roof insulation comprises 200mm thick 50kg/m3 rockwool and two layers of heat
reflective foil. A 200mm thick ventilated air space is left between the metal ceiling
lining and the rockwool to further improve heat insulation.
3) Sustainable Site Planning & Management (SM)
criteria is based on selecting appropriate sites with planned access to public transportation,
community services, open spaces and landscaping.
•
In the interior, it is clear north-south orientated, so it captures plenty of light through
all its windows and openings thus leaving a cross-ventilation effect.
4) Materials & Resources (MR) criteria is based on promoting the use of environmentfriendly materials sourced from sustainable sources and recycling. Implement proper
construction waste management with storage, collection and re-use of recyclables and
construction formwork and waste.
•
For the constructions of the S11 House, much of the demolished old house materials
from the 1960’s were re-used. Old crushed concrete roof tiles for gravel fill, old clay
bricks were cleaned and re-used for feature walls, roofing timbers were used for
formwork strutting and propping, old steel were all sold off to steel yards, crushed
concrete and cement aprons were re-used for backfilling aggregate.
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8. •
The timber flooring and upper decks are all Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
certified whilst the ground floor decking timbers are old recycled “chengal” collected
over many years.
•
The east and west walls were constructed of insulated aerated lightweight concrete
blocks.
•
Low-E laminated glass is used for all windows and glass door panels.
•
Recycled stonework used for bathrooms, driveway and Ground Floor living areas all
come from project rejects.
•
A composting yard treats the entire household organic and garden wastes and
provides high-grade compost fertilizer for the vegetable and fruit gardens.
5) Water Efficiency (WE)
criteria is based on rainwater harvesting, water recycling and water-saving fittings.
•
In S11 House, blackwater is treated in the onsite sewerage treatment plant and the
recycled water is used for garden irrigation.
•
The canopy roof is to collect rainwater and direct it into rainwater harvesting tanks
located in the basement. Filtered of sediment, the water is then used to flush the
toilets, wash cars and to water plants. The bathrooms are fully equipped with waterefficient fittings, while the urinals are fitted with a waterless system.
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9. •
All the tap fittings and sanitary wares have water saving and reduction valves.
6) Innovation (IN)
criteria is based on innovative design and initiatives that meet the objectives of the GBI.
•
S11 House is designed in a new green tropical house for the site and conceptualized it
along the line of the five significant existing trees on the site. Three very old and
sculptural frangipanis, a large star fruit and a coconut palm tree. Resulting, the old
run-down house from the 1960’s was newly transformed in the year 2012 by
Architect Tan Loke Mun.
•
In trying to achieve a home makeover which is sustainable, a decision was first made
to keep all the existing trees within the home compound to provide natural shade for
the home itself. The trees result in sufficient oxygen supply for air circulation in the
house.
RECOGNITIONS
Awards and Accolades:
•
Shortlisted • World Architecture Festival Awards 2013 • House Category
•
Winner • ASEAN Energy Awards 2013 • Energy Management for Buildings and
Industries Awards • Tropical Building Category
•
Excellence Award • Asia Pacific Interior Design Awards for Elite APDC Awards
2011 • Residential Unit Category
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10. •
Sustainable Design Award • Asia Pacific Interior Design Awards for Elite APDC
Awards 2011 • Residential Unit Category
•
Futurarc Green Leadership Award 2012 • Residential Architecture • Individual
House Category
•
Gold Medalist • The Edge-PAM • My Dream Home Awards
•
Gold Medalist • The Edge-PAM My Dream Home Awards • Green Home Award
•
Winner • PAM Architectural Steel Awards 2011 • Colourbond Award
•
Mention Award • PAM Architectural Steel Awards 2011 • Single Residential Award
•
Silver Medal • PAM Award for Architectural Excellence • Single Residential
Category
CONCLUSION
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11. S11 House is truly a piece of excellent work by Architect Tan Loke Mun. He has really
outdone himself, thus being awarded with the Malaysian’s first GBI Platinum has put him in
Malaysia’s history in Green Building Index category. Sustainability in a built environment
such as the S11 House has captured and opened my perspective in sustainable living in the
future. Not only can we preserve nature but also live along side it with just 6 simple key
criteria to pro-long our environment.
Therefore, it is worthy of building GBI facilities with their characteristics despite the costly
implementation because the long-term benefits will outrun the initial investments.
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