Research paper a.a

Effective incorporation of plantation into building in reducing heat gain at PJ Trade
Centre
ARC 2213/2234 Asian Architecture 1
Asian Architecture [ARC 2213/2234]
PROJECT 1: CASE STUDY
Effective incorporation of plantation into building
in reducing heat gain at PJ Trade Centre
NAME: Ooi Kai Yang
STUDENT ID: 0315663
LECTURER: Pn. Norhayati Binti Ramli
SUBMISSION DATE: 28/6/2016

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Effective incorporation of plantation into
building in reducing heat gain at PJ Trade
Centre
Table of Contents Page
Abstract............................................................................................................................. 3
1.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 5
2.0 Overview of PJ Trade Centre 7
3.0 Incorporate Plantation ...................................................................................... 9
4.0 Plantation Feature ........................................................................................... 12
4.1 Courtyard 12
4.2 Vine 16
4.3 Roof Garden 18
5.0 Contexture Element VS Heat 20
5.1 Open Space............................................................................................... 20
5.2 Material 22
5.3 Location 24
6.0 Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 25
7.0 Reference 26

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Abstract
One of the main issue in Malaysia being a tropical country that inhabitants
facing is that many of the building using a lot of energy try to reach thermal
comfort but on the other hand it cause heat gain. Therefore, the use of plantation
to reduce heat gain and create a nature ventilation or much more on passive
design are becoming a trend in architecture. The objective of this research paper
is to study and analyse the effective of the landscape design to reducing heat
gain at PJ Trade centre and how does the landscape feature function to achieve
thermal comfort. The landscape feature that could be easy found in PJ trade
centre as that is the designer intention to make the building based on Malaysia
climate and culture and create a comfortable and healthy workplaces, with plenty
of natural light, cross-ventilation and eco-friendly design features lead to lower
maintenance costs. In PJ Trade Centre there are few types of vegetation that
used, the main is the landscape plaza with 1600 mature tree to allow the used
feel close to nature, it provide shaded area and act as filter to cool heated wind.
Moreover, the sky terrace is to bring landscaping up vertically and to create cross
and stack ventilation. The hanging vine grow on concrete vent block that filter the
hot air before pass through the building and roof garden to reducing the effects
of temperature. More than that, other feature such as exposed material and
concrete vent block help PJ trade centre blend in well to site context and able to
adapt in Malaysia tropical climate to achieve thermal comfort. Although PJ trade
centre is an office building, but it’s design element are based on Malaysia culture
and climate so the user can have the experience of comfortable work place.

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ResearchFramework
The research is through the observation to the building and some review on
internet that talk about PJ Trade Centre. The observation by looking through the
building and analyse the design and contexture element.

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1.0 Introduction
Heat gain is the most important issue that inhabitants facing, it is about the
temperature transfer to the building. The amount of heat gain will affect by the
direct sunlight at outdoor. In indoor, the building gains heat from the lights, the
refrigerator and air-condition etc. It also relate to other issues create by the urban
area is greenhouse effect and global warming, many of the building using a lot of
energy try to reach thermal comfort but on the other hand it cause heat gain like
using air-condition.
The thermal comfort are the people who satisfied the temperature surround them,
it will influence by the metabolic rate, temperature air speed etc. Thermal
discomfort would affect the productivity of work and health, also been known to
lead to sick building syndrome. Therefore, the incorporation with plantation with
building design to reduce heat gain and create a nature ventilation or much more
on passive design are becoming a trend in architecture.
There are few ways to cooldown the building naturally, but in this paper will focus
more on the landscape which is the highlight of the PJ Trade centre and to able
to understand how the landscape feature function in reducing heat gain.

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This paper will aim to analyse the effective of landscape design reducing heat
gain for comfort living at PJ Trade Centre by responding to the following research
questions about how the landscape design that help to reduce the heat gain and
able to comprehend it, the type of the plantation feature to achieve thermal
comfort as each of the plant have their own function and features like the massing
of the courtyard or the type of plant for green wall. At last but not least, to be able
to identify the contextual architectural element in PJ Trade Centre that effective
in reduce heat gain.
Question1: What are the landscape design that help to reduce heat gain?
Question 2: How does the landscape feature function to achieve thermal comfort
for the users?
Question 3: What are the contexture architecture element in PJ trade Centre that
Effective in reduce heat gain?

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2.0 Overviewof PJ TradeCentre
Design intension play a crucial role in design, a direction to design a building
space and the function which relate to the concept
PJ Trade Centre, an office building develop by Tujuan Gemilang SDN BHD. It is
a Grade A office building with the 5.4 acres land area beside the entrance of
Damansara Perdana. The PJ Trade Centre comprise with the 21 storey (tower A)
and other 3 20 storey (tower B, C, D) and it’s complete in 2009.
The building design begin with understand the normal office building are more to
western climate and context which is not suitable in a hot climate country like
Malaysia. Hence, the Architect Kelvin Mark Low try to incorporate some
traditional Malay house element which is suitable in Malaysia climate to build
PJTC
Based on the concept of PJ Trade Centre, the design intention is to create
comfortable and healthy workspaces, with consideration of natural light and
cross-ventilation which help to lower the maintenance cost. The design itself is
very suitable for Malaysia humidity and weather which bring the building into the
eco-friendly building. By using brick and concrete as its main building materials
and also stilted floor with open space arrangement, the building itself bring back
the Malaysia vernacular architecture into modern area.
Based on PJ Trade Centre Website state that

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‘There is a feeling of being close to nature, with a lushly landscaped Plaza of 2.5
acres and 12 Sky Terraces with hanging vines and wall creepers. Many office
units have balconies of about 325 square feet and open-to-sky washrooms.’
(Source from PJ Trade Centre Website:
http://www.pjtradecentre.com/about.html)
On the other hand, in Tujuan Gemilang Website state that
‘With PJTC, the idea was to offer a new paradigm for office development. It is
based on simple local material and local construction method to create an office
development that is suited to the local culture, climate and context.’
(Source from Tujuan Gemilang (Developer of PJ Trade Centre) website:
http://www.tujuangemilang.com/pj-trade-centre)
They have used these material and element such like use passive design instead
of using air-condition to cool down the building and use the vegetation to create
nature ventilation, to provide shaded device, good ventilation which is their
intension. Improving work quality by reducing the heat gain that influence worker
who have heat stress and close to nature, being a green building in urban area.

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3.0 Incorporate Plantation
Plantation is trend that use plant as a part of building design which can affect both
thermal comfort and appearance. Unlike landscape design is an integrated
master landscape planning of a property or a garden design of landscape
elements. It’s different with landscape architecture as landscape architecture is
more about urban planning or a park, basically is a large scale of project.
Moreover, incorporate plantation into building is not only embellish, it does affect
heat gain and reducing the effect of temperature. Landscape only can use on
ground and design its massing but plantation is more to diversity as it can use as
roof garden, green wall and vine roof.
The early of the plantation and landscape design is just constructed the
earthworks, raised stones and marked the ground as the people are altered the
landscape to try to understand the nature in 6th century. But nowadays, the
incorporate of plantation are combining the nature and culture together. Also it is
the use of space available by shaping the land to reflect the nature qualities of
the site and the selected plant material that can reflect the religion and country.

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Figure 1: The Japanese style garden
(Source from http://ideasdesign.today/landscape-design/japanese-garden)
Different style of arrangement have different function and feelings. In figure 1
show the garden in Japanese style that created for reflections and meditations.
In modern times, the urban area started increase and the nature are become less.
Incorporate of plantation not only create a garden for meditations, it also can help
to reduce heat gain and help to improve nature ventilation. Landscaping and
vegetation can have a tremendous impact on natural comfort inside a building,
affecting both summer cooling and winter heating loads, both of which should be
considered in the physical design of a site.
Plantation also can helps reduce solar heat gain and improve the microclimate
within any interior or exterior space. Plants can mitigate the effect of urban heat
islands, and may also reduce the energy demand of buildings. Moreover,
vegetation can penetrating its envelope by increasing the reflection of solar
radiation and by providing shading.

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Figure 2: The picture above show the exterior view of PJ Trade Centre.

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4.0 Plantation Feature
By the population of world increase rapidly, and year by year the people will live
in urban area. While city is an opportunity of getting better live but we still suffer
from pollution, heat stress, traffic with full of transportation, and remove from
nature. Synthesize with the plantation into building can help us to improve all
these issue of life and plant can always be sustainable design solution.
4.1 Courtyard
Courtyard is often regarded as a microclimate modifier that improves comfort
conditions of the surrounding environment. It is defined as an enclosed area
surrounded by a building or wall and open to the sky. The courtyard is amongst
the oldest architecture footprint that has been used in buildings by human.
In PJ Trade Centre, the main highlight of this grade A office buildings is the
courtyard with the sea of mature tree, it does have more than 1500 mature tree
planted at there for provide shade. Also it does maximize the usage of empty
space to turn it in a functional space.

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Figure 3: View from beside the tower to visitor carpark.
Figure 4: View form plaza to courtyard

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In figure 3 and figure 4 have showed the courtyard function as the shaded device
and provide shading to the visitor and make them feel comfortable. The courtyard
also have some bench to let people sit at the site get some fresh air instead of
stay in air-condition room. Also it provide people to have a feeling of close to
nature.
Figure 5 diagram show the plan of PJ Trade Centre
Figure 6 Courtyard of Cyberjaya Mosque
The courtyard of the PJ Trade Centre are not only for decoration purpose or some
empty space with green field show in figure 5 but to use the sea of mature tree to

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filter the hot air. Figure 6 show the courtyard of Cyberjaya Mosque are just have
a tree at there, it still give people some feel of nature but the sun shading device
are provided by the building surround it.
Figure 7: The Courtyard during 1.p.m noon. At PJ Trade Centre

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4.2 Vine
Vine, a climbing type of plant. It growing faster and can have same function with
the tree. People can use the vine as the shading devices as mostly tree aren’t
grow so fast.
In PJ Trade centre the vine can filter the hot air before wind pass through concrete
vent block as shown in figure 8, the hot air will pass through the concrete vent
block with vine and the plant will filter the hot air and let the cool air pass though.
The vine on concrete wall can insulate cushion air and reduce wind chill to bring
the cooled wind in the building to reach the function of reduce temperature. It also
provide sun shade other than use concrete vent block.
Figure 8: concrete vent block with vine

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Well irrigated vines can result in temperatures up to 10°F cooler than the
surrounding air.
(Source by Paul Mankiewicz, Gaia Institute, Bronx NY, personal communication.)
It has been calculated that a 10°F (5.5°C) reduction in the temperature
immediately outside of a building can reduce the amount of energy needed for
air-conditioning by 50 to70 percent.
(Source by p. 131 ‘Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls’ by Nigel Dunnett, Noël
Kingsbury, referring to research done by Steven Peck et al from the Green Roofs
for Healthy Cities group in Chicago.)
Figure 9: the picture show the vine can provide shading.
It also can grow until become green wall

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4.3 Roof Garden
Roof garden, also known as green roof. It has some vegetation on the layer of
roof or plan some tree and create a roof garden. But both have the same function
as reducing temperature of the roof surface also able to remove heat from the air
through evapotranspiration
Green roof or roof garden also provide shaded area, when the plant and tree
grow it can block the sunlight pass through the roof membrane. Reduced surface
temperatures help buildings stay cooler because less heat flows through the roof
and into the building. In addition, lower green roof temperatures result in less heat
transfer to the air above the roof, which can help keep urban air temperatures
lower as well. Green roof also can reduce energy as it can absorb heat and act
as insulators for buildings
Figure 9 Roof Garden of PJ Trade Centre

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Based on the website talk about NTU in Singapore
‘Curving green roofs distinguish the building from among the other structures on
campus, but the line between landscape and building is blurred. The roofs serve
as informal gathering spaces, challenging linear ideas and stirring perception.
The roofs create open space, insulate the building, cool the surrounding air, and
harvest rainwater for landscaping irrigation. Planted grasses mix with native
greenery to colonize the building and bond it to the setting.’
(Source from http://inhabitat.com/photos-incredible-swirling-green-roof-tops-
nanyang-technical-universitys-school-of-design/)
Figure 10: Green roof of NTU, Singapore
Both green roof have the same function, just the roof of NTU need to consider
the weight of soil that put on roof. On the other hand, PJ Trade did plant some
tree on roof top and create small garden at the top floor of building. PJ Trade
Centre did create a roof garden but it doesn’t reducing the heat gain much, it
more like giving people comfortable area. It should plan more tree or create a
green roof like NTU to reduce the heat gain which suitable to our country.

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5.0 Contexture Element V.S Heat
If only have the landscape are not enough to reducing the heat gain without the
contexture element. In PJ Trade Centre, The green arrow shown in the plan are
the space that makes the air flow and create the cross ventilation as the end of
the building are the concrete vent block.
5.1 Open space
In PJ Trade Centre they not only use the plantation to cooldown the building,
openness of building brings more nature ventilation to minimize the usage of air-
conditioning. The building itself are not stick together, there are some small space
in between of building to increase the velocity as the wind pass through.
Figure 9 Stack Ventilation
daknf l dl kasl kas
Figure 10 the open space of PJ Trade Centre and the arrow show where the
wind pass through

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Figure 11 show the narrow alley to create high velocity of wind
In figure 9 there a space between 2 towers of PJ Trade Centre over with the metal
with diamond pattern holed to create the stack ventilation from ground floor to
roof top. Figure 11 show the narrow alley of the building as the small space will
increase the velocity of the breezed or wind when pass through.

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5.2 Material
The main material that PJ Trade centre use is red mud brick, it can easy spot on
the wall and floors and the building doesn’t use any material to cover the brick
even the paint. Because of that, the building provide better cold feeling as red
brick generally perform better thermal insulation. The brick will absorb the heat
slowly hence it keep building cool during day-time. The old style of the building
usually used red brick that’s why during last few decades air-condition wasn’t use
often.
Figure 12: The red mud brick are use as primary material of the building.
Concrete is a ventilation block that made by concrete, its main function are
provide the ventilation but also can providing sun shaded. Is does reduce wind
chill and allow necessary amount of sunlight pass through the building. The
concrete vent block are use as main façade of the PJ Trade Centre.
Figure 13 show the difference of normal wall and concrete vent block

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Figure 13
Figure 14 show the concrete facing out the east and during day-time there will
have sun shading provide by concrete vent block

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5.3 Location
The PJ Trade Centre is located near the highway and besides mountain. The
wind will come from the mountain and pass through the building as the PJ Trade
Centre is located a slanted land and the building level is lower. At the end of the
building the wind will direct go to highway and drag by the force of moving vehicle.
Figure 15 the diagram show the location of the building
Figure 16 the diagram show how the ventilation work through the building
PJ trade centre is facing west, when morning the sun light are block by concrete
vent block but it does able make wind pass through so it can be cross ventilation.
During noon the sun light are bock by the plant at plaza and filter the hot air before
pass through.

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Conclusion
In conclusion, Kelvin Mark Low who was the architect of the PJ Trade Centre did
successfully achieve the thermal comfort which is his intention to the building by
incorporate of plantation and it feature to the building. He did reduce the heat gain
by incorporate the plantation based on the research and observation he made to
create an office building suite our climate. There are few consideration need to
take when design a building and the most important is to understand the local
context and climate. Also create a building not just focus on the appearance but
the users comfort such as he make the garden at the top of the floor to create a
feel of close to nature.
Last but not least, unlike other normal office building that relies on western
concept, PJ Trade Centre has become an outstanding that consider the user
comfort first, to create a workplace that is comfortable and healthy also decrease
the number of people who have sick building syndrome. (Dr.John Keung, 2010)
‘To create a green building design that can not only minimise the impact on the
environment, but also remain practical, economical and comfortable for use, it is
important to look into integrated green building design, in which the design team
works hand-in-hand throughout the entire process, as well as consider each
aspect of a building in an integrative and holistic manner.’

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Reference
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06/documents/greenroofscompendium.pdf
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Design. (August 2014). Retrieved June 22, from http://inhabitat.com/photos-
incredible-swirling-green-roof-tops-nanyang-technical-universitys-school-of-
design/
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http://www.atsa.com.my/green_buildings_cyberjaya_mosque.html#
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Earthscan
-J.Keung. (2010) .building planning and massing, Singapore: The centre of
sustainable building construction, building and construction authority

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