Reflective essay

Nature and Us: Reflective Essay
By Lim Shu Ting (0320102), Lai Chi Mun (0319463) and Kimberley Ee Sze Ann (0315319).
Ozone Depletion
In The
Built Environment
NATURE AND US
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABLE DESIGN [ARC 1413]/[BLD 60203]
Tutor: Ms Sujatavani
Group members: Lim Shu Ting (0320102),
Lai Chi Mun (0319463),
Kimberley Ee Sze Ann (0315319)

The topic we have chosen for our infographic poster is ‘Ozone Depletion in The Built
Environment’. The reason we chose this as our topic is because we feel that the built
environment plays a major role in ozone depletion. The elements we have chosen to focus on in
our research on include the causes and effects of construction and urban development on
ozone depletion, the effects of ozone depletion on human health and the ways to overcome
ozone depletion.
Firstly, our introduction explains the meaning of ozone depletion. According to a scientific
journal we accessed online, ozone is defined as a simple molecule which consists of three
oxygen molecules bound together (Cowen, 1996). Ozone makes up the ozone layer which lies
in the stratosphere - the second layer of the Earth’s atmosphere. The ozone layer is important to
Earth and its inhabitants because it functions to filter the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
On the other hand, ozone depletion is the absence or thinning of the ozone layer. Scientists
discovered this phenomenon in the 1970s when they realized that a hole had formed in the
ozone layer, above Antarctica.
Image showing the layer that make up Earth’s atmosphere and the position of the stratosphere (Portier et al., 2010).
The significance of our introduction is to give our audience a brief insight into our topic. Firstly,
we want them to be aware about the ozone layer which we are describing in our topic as well as
to understand its importance. Also we want them to realize that ozone depletion is a serious
matter as the ozone layer that protects Earth from the Sun’s harmful UV rays is thinning and
even worse a hole has formed above Antarctica.
Image depicting the ozone hole formed above Antarctica (Schoeberl, Hilsenrath, Douglass & Santee, 2015).

Moving on, we also introduce the second part of our topic, which is the built environment. What
we mean by built environment, is everything related to construction and urban development-
mainly the building of cities. The built environment encompasses every part of the world
inhabited by humans as the demand for comfort and technological advancement causes us to
claim land and build for our population. This is evident in Malaysia where the construction
industry is not only a part of urban development but also plays an important role in the national
economic growth as well as provides job opportunities to a large number of people. However,
the improper management of manufacturing of construction materials in factories has a
substantial impact on the natural environment. Hazardous chemical emissions are part and
parcel of ozone depletion. Thus, when referring to urban development, people have to learn
how to balance designing for human comfort with the implied consumption and degradation of
environmental qualities.
This not only refers to construction but other industries, including transportation and agriculture
as these all relate back to the built environment. Their growth is caused by the building of towns
and cities which brings about more development which in turn causes more food and energy
requirements (This is summarised in the chart below).
The image above shows how the growth of towns and cities (the built environment) brings about more
development which causes the growth of industries, the building of more roads which causes a rise in
transportation and the need for more food which causes agricultural activities to increase.
Built Environment
Industries Transportation Agricultue
Towns and cities
More development More roads More food requirements

Next, we begin to describe the causes of ozone depletion in the built environment. In other
words, we want our audience to understand exactly how the built environment is causing ozone
depletion. Based on our research, we discovered that there are very specific substances that
cause ozone depletion. These substances are known as ozone depleting substances or ODS.
ODS are man-made chemicals that can often be found in the built environment. Some examples
are chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), methyl chloroform, carbon
tetrachloride, halons, methyl bromide and nitrous oxide (𝑁2O). The graph below shows the
destructive potential of ODS and their principal uses.
Chart showing the destructive potential of ODS, different types of ODS and their principal uses (Theozonehole.com, 2015).
Firstly, we can observe the use of ODS in industries. Many industries use ODS in the
manufacturing of their products. For example, CFC and HCFCs are mostly used in refrigeration,
air conditioning and heat pump systems. Also, halons are used as fire suppression agents and
carbon tetrachloride is used as a solvent in laboratories and chemical and pharmaceutical
industries (Epa.ie, 2015). In the construction industry, CFCs are also used in manufacturing
insulation foam and paints. Furthermore, timber products used in construction also use Methyl
Bromide as pesticides.

Secondly, we can also observe how the use of transportation in the built environment
contributes to ozone depletion. All but the newest designs of vehicle air conditioners use CFC-
12 as a cooling agent (Epa.gov, 2015). Thus, when the number of vehicles on the road
increases the amount CFC produced is also increased and this in turn brings about ozone
depletion.
The graph above shows the increase in the number of vehicles in Malaysia from 1980 to 2009 (Themalaysianinsider.com, 2015).
Thirdly, is the use of ODS in agriculture. Nitrous oxide is a very harmful ODS which is mainly
produced in agricultural activities. For example manure produced by livestock and fertilisers
used to increase crop yield are major contributors of nitrous oxide. This can be observed in the
graph below.
The graph above shows how manure and fertilisers are major contributors of nitrous oxide (Theozonehole.com, 2015).

The graph shows Malaysia’ involvement in agriculture (Mpob.gov.my, 2015).
Moving on, we continue to elaborate on the effects brought about by ozone depletion. For this
part of our poster we decided to focus only on the effects of ozone depletion on humans. The
reason we chose to do this is because we felt that the information would be more relevant to our
audience and thus have a stronger impact on them. Some of the effects we identified were
effects on human health such as skin cancer, cataracts and blindness. Furthermore, we also
discovered that ozone depletion can also reduce food sources as UV rays are harmful to plants
and animals and thus can cause an imbalance in the ecosystem that will directly affect human
food sources.
Subsequently, we describe the ways to overcome ozone depletion. As this is the last part
before the conclusion, our audience should already understand the weight of the issue under
discussion. Thus, now is the right time to introduce to them the efforts being taken to overcome
ozone depletion such as they can realize their role in overcoming this matter. For this part of our
poster we gave a brief description of ways to overcome ozone depletion and had a separate
section where we focused solely on ways to overcome ozone depletion through architecture.
The reason we chose to do this is because it is more meaningful to us as architecture students
and the research is also beneficial to our future. The ways we listed to overcome ozone
depletion were divided into categories such as transportation, homes, agriculture and
construction.
Firstly, in transportation we explain that it is important to limit private vehicle driving. One way of
doing so is to provide facilities such as pedestrian roads, bus stops in housing areas and cycling
routes. Developers and urban planners should make public transportation more convenient and
also aim to design such as to encourage people to walk and cycle more. This way the amount of
vehicles on the road and their harmful emissions can be reduced. Also the public should be
encouraged to practice carpooling to reduce the number of vehicles on the road.
Also, people should reduce the use of air conditioners in their homes. The reason for this is
because using air conditioners will make the entire surroundings warmer because of the heat
produced by the compressor. Thus, by creating a cooler space within their homes, people are in
turn heating the entire neighborhood and will subsequently increase the general use of air
conditioning.

Moving on, in homes we explain the importance of using eco-friendly household cleaning
products as many of these cleaning agents contain toxic chemicals that interfere with the ozone
layer. Instead, people should use cleaning products that are toxic-free and made out of natural
ingredients. Also, old refrigerators and air conditioners should be replaced every few years. This
is because the latest refrigerators and air conditioners have replaced CFCs with HCFCs, which
are much less harmful to the ozone layer. As, Malaysia has a hot tropical climate air
conditioning is very popular and thus the government should raise the awareness of the
citizens in this matter and should even consider lending financial aid in rural areas and slums
such that old refrigerators and air conditioners can be replaced with environmentally friendly
ones. Consequently, by observing these minor details the condition of the ozone layer will be
able to improve.
Farmers should also avoid using pesticides that are harmful to the ozone layer. They should
instead practice natural farming methods such as manual weeding.
Next, in construction paints and finishes with Volatile Organic Compounds should be avoided as
they are harmful to the ozone layer. Also, the use of timber and furniture that are applied with
harmful Methyl Bromide as a pesticide should be prevented.
The last section for ways to overcoming ozone depletion was green architecture. For this
section we discussed specific architectural techniques that should be applied by architects and
designers in order to reduce the depletion of the ozone layer. Some of the points we covered
were site and external spaces, orientation and planning, building shape and form and material
selection.
Concerning site and external spaces, it is important that building designers and owners pay
more attention to the sitting of settlements on a macro level. They should reduce paved areas
and increase grassed areas and trees to assist in the cooling of streetscapes and buildings.
This way the building will be naturally cooling and thus reduces the need for air conditioning.
As for orientation and planning, it is important to note that in a warm tropical climate country
such as Malaysia the orientation and planning should emphasize openness and shading as the
dominant characteristics of the building. The orientation and planning should reduce solar entry
into the building and thus allow the building to be cooler and reducing the need for air
conditioning
When discussing building shape and form, we must understand that compact building shape
reduces the area of building’s envelope through which solar heat is gained. By considering the
relationship of the external surface area, volume and floor area design it is possible to increase
energy efficiency in air conditioned buildings. This will reduce the number of air conditioners
required to cool a building
When considering material selection it is necessary to avoid materials which are harmful to the
environment such as materials containing CFCs in the production. Instead, materials with zero
ozone depletion potential (ZODP) should be selected.

Thus, after completing the ways to overcome ozone depletion we further explored specific
examples of green architecture. One of these examples is the application of passive cooling in
buildings. Passive Cooling is a building design technique invented by Dr. Helmut Köster that
helps to decrease the temperature of a building by using natural processes to control heat gain
and heat dissipation. It does not only help to improve the air quality of indoor spaces, providing
cooler indoor environment, but also uses very little energy as it is a technique that does not
require mechanical systems. Passive cooling has two major categories, which are the
preventative techniques and modulation/heat dissipating technique. Passive Cooling works
either by preventing heat from entering the interior of the house or by dissipating heat from the
house. It does not only utilize the design of the house, but also uses the local site to absorb and
dissipate heat. Passive cooling allows the penetration of natural sunlight into the building while
at the same time, effectively reducing and preventing ultraviolet rays and heat from entering.
Thus, the temperature of the house will not increase rapidly especially in the afternoon, which
reduced the needs of a cooling agent in the house. This is important as it reduces the need of
air conditioners, one of the main contributors of harmful CFCs.
The image above show s the application of passive cooling in a home (Inhabitat.com, 2015).
Another example is the application of H pot-stacks in the Contact Theatre at Manchester City.
This amazing theater was designed by Short Ford Associates (architects Alan Short, Brian Ford
and Max Fordham) and showcases the outstanding feature of a cluster of H-pot stacks that lifts
from above neighboring buildings to exclude downdraughts from the prevailing South-West
winds. Their volume is calculated to draw out sufficient hot air whilst excluding rain. Thus, the
Contact Theatre is entirely natural ventilated and achieves comfortable conditions without help
from air conditioning.

The Contact Theatre in Manchester City Longitudinal and transverse sections of the Contact Theatre
The image above shows how hot air is displaced in the H pot-stacks to keep the building cool and draw in natural ventilation
(The Contact Theatre Manchester, 2015).
H pot-stack

Therefore, after completing our research on the efforts being made by today’s architects we are
able to understand the future role that we will play in designing sustainable green buildings that
benefit the environment. We understand now the importance of being aware of global
environmental issues as it makes aware of the steps we must take to overcoming these issues
when designing buildings.
Finally, the last part of our poster was the conclusion. In this part of our poster we discuss how
the ozone layer has been recovering due to various efforts made by men. In fact, the ozone
hole in Antarctica is gradually reducing in size. The reason for this is mainly due to the Montreal
Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer which is an international treaty
implemented to protect the ozone layer by reducing the production and consumption of ozone
depleting substances. It was introduced in the year 1989 and by the year 2000 the use of all
ozone depleting substances had been completely banned all over the world. The special
negotiation process involving global parties allows the protocol to respond quickly to new
scientific information and make united decisions to One such country to follow the Montreal
Protocol is Malaysia. Malaysia’s involvemt with the montreal protocol began in 1987 and As can
be seen in the graph below, Malaysia was able to reduce the use of CFC-a very harmful ozone
depleting substance from the year 1995 to the year 2010.
Graph showing the reduced CFC consumption in Malaysia
Graph showing success of Montreal Protocol (Young, 2001).

The image above shows the recovery of the ozone layer (Wmo.int, 2015).
Thus, after having successfully completed our poster we have increased our understanding
about the ozone layer and ozone depletion. However, that is not all that we have learnt through
this project as we also learnt how to efficiently manage our time and cooperate with one another
in a group. With so many ongoing projects and assignments to occupy our time it was of the
utmost importance to maintain communication with our group mates so that we could plan when
to conduct our meetings and discussions. Moreover, on occasions when we could not meet in
person we would conduct meetings online on Facebook or through the use of smart phone
applications such as WhatsApp. Furthermore, in order to utilize our time and keep motivated we
would set goals for ourselves each week such that the poster would have to reach a certain
stage of completion by the end of each week.
Also, through the completion of this assignment we feel that we were able to achieve all the
Taylor’s Graduate Capabilities set out in our assignment brief. Firstly, discipline specific
knowledge where we were able to apply our classroom knowledge in the design of our poster as
well as relate our information to our audience. Furthermore, we were also able to implement
lifelong learning where we learnt through our own research and discussions. Next, our
communication skills were also further developed through this project as we learnt how to
communicate effectively with our group mates in order to complete our assignment. Moreover
we also succeeded in gaining both interpersonal and intrapersonal skills where we were able to
understand and utilize each of our group mates’ respective skills and talents as well as
understand the importance of the individual roles we each had to play in the successful
completion of this assignment. Subsequently, we also learnt citizenship and global perspectives
where we were able to form conclusions based on research from various different perspectives
as well as understand our responsibility in spreading environmental awareness. Lastly, we were
able to apply digital literacy through our social media communications as wells as through the
use of software such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator in the design of our poster.

References
1) Cowen, R. (1996). The Ozone Depletion Phenomenon. Beyond Discovery: The Path
From Research To Human Benefit.
2) Education.nationalgeographic.com,. (2015). ozone layer. Retrieved 15 April 2015, from
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/ozone-layer/?ar_a=1
3) Enger, E., & Smith, B. (2015). Environmental Science: A Study of Interrelationships
(14th ed., p. 383). New York: McGraw Hill.
4) Epa.ie,. (2015). Ozone Depleting Substances:: Environmental Protection Agency,
Ireland. Retrieved 31 May 2015, from http://www.epa.ie/air/airenforcement/ozone/
5) Epa.gov, (2015). Brief Questions and Answers on Ozone Depletion | Ozone Layer
Protection | US EPA. Retrieved 7 April 2015, from
http://www.epa.gov/ozone/science/q_a.html
6) Epa.gov,. (2015). Auto Air Conditioners and the Ozone Layer: Background | Ozone
Layer Protection - Regulatory Programs | US EPA. Retrieved 31 May 2015, from
http://www.epa.gov/ozone/title6/609/consumers/cons2.html
7) Inhabitat.com,. (2015). GREEN BUILDING 101: Energy & Atmosphere – Keeping Cool
and Staying Warm. Retrieved 4 June 2015, from http://inhabitat.com/green-building-101-
energy-atmosphere-part-1/
8) Mpob.gov.my,. (2015). The Official Portal of Malaysian Palm Oil Board. Retrieved 4 June
2015, from http://www.mpob.gov.my/
9) Pollutionissues.com, (2015). CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons) - water, effects, chemicals,
industrial, world, sources, use, life. Retrieved 15 April 2015, from
http://www.pollutionissues.com/Br-Co/CFCs-Chlorofluorocarbons.html
10) Portier, C., Thigpen Tart, K., Carter, S., Dilworth, C., Grambsch, A., & Gohlke, J. et al.
(2010). A Human Health Perspective on Climate Change: A Report Outlining Research
Needs on the Human Health Effects of Climate Change. Environ. Health Perspect..
doi:10.1289/ehp.1002272
11) Schoeberl, M., Hilsenrath, E., Douglass, A., & Santee, M. (2015). svs.gsfc.nasa.gov.
Retrieved 4 June 2015, from https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/details.cgi?aid=3067
12) Smith, P. (2005). Architecture In a Climate of Change: a guide to sustainable
design (2nd ed., pp. 143,144). Oxford: Elsevier.

13) The Contact Theatre Manchester,. (2015). Project Assessment. Retrieved 4 June 2015,
from http://thecontacttheatre.weebly.com/project-assessment.html
14) Themalaysianinsider.com,. (2015). The Malaysian Insider. Retrieved 4 June 2015, from
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/
15) Theozonehole.com,. (2015). The Ozone Hole-ODCs-Ozone Depletion Chemicals.
Retrieved 4 June 2015, from http://www.theozonehole.com/odcs.htm
16) University of Guyana,. (2011). Design as a Response to Ozone Depletion and Climate
Change.
17) Wmo.int,. (2015). Antarctic Ozone | WMO Press release. Retrieved 4 June 2015, from
https://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/pr_957_en.html
18) Young, O. (2001). Can New Institutions Solve Atmospheric Problems? Confronting Acid
Rain, Ozone Depletion and Climate Change. Amsterdam: Springer.

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