Case Study Slide Presentation - The Water House Asian Architecture

1. Solutions to Heat Gain by using Vernacular
Traditional Chinese Design to Achieve
Thermal Comfort in The Water House
1. What is contextual and vernacular architecture? And how was it applied in The Water
House?
2. Based on the contextual climate, what are the design responses of The Water House?
3. What can the shallow pond around The Water House help reduce heat gain to achieve
thermal comfort?
4. What was considered in choosing the building's material to achieve thermal comfort?
5. How does the orientation and spatial layout of The Water House help in achieving thermal
comfort?
6. What is the significance of the roof construction that help to achieve thermal comfort in
The Water House?
7. What kind of method did the architect used to maximize the ventilation of The Water
House?

2. What is contextual and vernacular architecture? And how was it
applied in The Water House?
VERNACULAR
• Local villagers construct
the house, engagement
and practice local context
• Evokes a tradition form:
cluster of simple timber
and glass pavilion with
tile-clad pitched roof
• Simple non-experimental
tectonic skill
• Interlocking system, also
used in traditional time

3. What is contextual and vernacular architecture? And how was it
applied in The Water House?

4. What is contextual and vernacular architecture? And how was it
applied in The Water House?
CONTEXTUAL
• Wide open sloping site,
panaromic view of
Lijiang: historic network
of waterways and
bridges
• House act as the
background, enhances
the nature - could be
appreciated to its
maximum

5. What is contextual and vernacular architecture? And how was it
applied in The Water House?
The house compound is enclosed by the low stone walls and surrounded by the water. Other than
that, the constructed landscape separates the house from the surrounding nature.

6. Based on the contextual climate, what are the design responses
of The Water House?
• Lijiang weather generally
mild
• abundant rainfall, plenty of
sunshine
• Near winter time, high
mountains block out the cold
air from northern China, that
way it is still as warm as
spring for most of the days
• Summer and autumn - most
favorable seasons
• Fairly wide variation in day-
and-night temperature in
spring and winter

7. Based on the contextual climate, what are the design responses
of The Water House?

8. Based on the contextual climate, what are the design responses
of The Water House?

9. What can the shallow pond around the Water House help
reduce heat gain to achieve thermal comfort?

10. What can the shallow pond around the Water House help
reduce heat gain to achieve thermal comfort?
• Water is more efficient at
storing heat

11. What can the shallow pond around the Water House help
reduce heat gain to achieve thermal comfort?
• According to ASHRAE
research, solar energy is
identified as the main
heating mechanism for
ponds and lakes
• Evaporation is the main
cooling mechanism
• Thermal radiation can also
account for a significant
amount of cooling during
night hours

12. What was considered in choosing the building's material to
achieve thermal comfort?
• These are the thermal mass
sustainable materials
commonly used in passsive
solar homes
• They absorb heat from
sunlight during the hot
seasons and absorbs heat
from warm air in the house
during the cool season

13. How does the orientation and spatial layout of the Water House
help in achieving thermal comfort?

14. How does the orientation and spatial layout of the Water House
help in achieving thermal comfort?
• The facade is facing west.
• During winter time, the house
absorbs radiant heat from the
sun through north, east and
west-facing windows and
stores heat from mechanical
heating. The thermal mass will
slowly release the heat which
reduces the need for heating.
• The orientation also allows a
clear panoramic view of Lijiang
River.

15. How does the orientation and spatial layout of the Water House
help in achieving thermal comfort?
• The planted bamboos at the
north-west area act as natural
sun shading devices which
prevents direct solar heat of
the afternoon sun penetrating
into the house. The existing
trees are conserved as well to
act as sun shading device

16. How does the orientation and spatial layout of the Water House
help in achieving thermal comfort?
• The water threads through the
house where it provides
evaporative cooling for the
house during summer

17. What is the significance of the roof construction that helped to
achieve thermal comfort in the Water House?

18. What is the significance of the roof construction that helped to
achieve thermal comfort in the Water House?
• Cooler air enters the building where the breeze is located, passes through the building
and exits on the other side. The warm air inside is then replaced by fresh and cooler air

19. What kind of method did the architect used to maximize the
ventilation of the Water House?
• Natural ventilation and cross ventilation are commonly
used to control indoor temperature where it can reduce
energy bills significantly. Therefore with these reasons,
controlling the air movement is essential.

20. Conclusion
• The architect Lixiaodong has considered the significance detail of the site
before constructing the building at the area
• The design of the building has effective passive design in adaption of the
contextual elements of the site
• Vernacular traditional Chinese architecture has successfully adapted in the
contemporary Water House design with qualified thermal comfort for the user