nan Baharuddin

Sustainable resorts: learning from the 2004 tsunami

Purpose – Given the extensive destruction resulting from the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that destroyed and damaged resort complexes in southern Thailand, the purpose of this research paper is to focus on the planning of architecture of resorts in two layers: the relationship of structures and land use to the natural environment, and the identification of specific design flaws that resulted in the loss of life.Design/methodology/approach – An international collaborative effort led to site visits by our research team to the hardest‐hit resort areas of Khao Lak, Takua Pa, and Ko Phi Phi on December 29, 2004‐January 6, 2005, and in February 2005. The research team had direct contact with the adverse effects of the tsunami and gained insightful understanding on how structures and faulty architectural designs worsened the disaster and obstructed the process of saving lives. Analysis of these effects were then compiled and used to underpin subsequent proposals for resort reconstruction to minimize fut...

Reconsidering Daylighting Design Parameters for Tall Buildings in a Densely Built City

Abstract Hong Kong presents a unique case of high-density living, featuring a compact urban form utilizing an extremely small percentage (21%) of total land area. Physically, the city is a mixing pot of commercial, office and residential buildings built along narrow streets, governed by a laissez-faire property market mechanism that reflects a mixed and intensive land-use pattern. The resultant urban form creates an unprecedented challenge for environmental amenities and in particular for daylight for skyscrapers. The paper discusses problems and underlying causes of daylight performance for kitchens under high-rise building scenarios. The kitchen is the subject of concern because it is claimed to be the worst lit space in prevailing high-rise building design. Besides focusing on socio-cultural expectations, the physical design of kitchens was examined critically, including the positioning, size and area of windows, reflectance and internal obstructions such as shelves and utility items, room area and room configuration. The concluding remarks make specific reference to socio-cultural factors concerning the usage of kitchens. It is the intention of this paper to use the kitchen as a proxy to illustrate the inherent problems and difficulties in directing daylight for different habitable spaces (bedrooms, living and dining rooms, as well as kitchens) in densely built, high-rise urban environments.

Daylight availability in Hong Kong: classification into three sky conditions

A preliminary analysis of daylight data in Hong Kong was carried out. This analysis classified daylight data into three sky conditions—clear, intermediate and overcast—using two methods, that is, sunshine duration and cloud ratio methods. It was carried out based on data measured at the daylight station located in the University of Hong Kong main campus, which was collected during October 2006 to September 2007. The probabilities of the occurrence of the three sky conditions were 3.78% (clear), 67.10% (intermediate), 29.11% (overcast) and 4.78% (clear), 65.17% (intermediate), 30.34% (overcast) using sunshine duration and cloud ratio methods, respectively. The statistical analysis t-test showed that the two sets of probabilities were the same. It was also found that a global and diffuse horizontal illuminance of more than 10klux was available 85% of the time, which indicated that daylight illuminance was sufficiently available in the unobstructed sky of Hong Kong.

Compromising building regulations and user expectations in the design of high‐rise domestic kitchens

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the significance and relevance of social and habitual behaviours of home occupants to the building design process. It argues that introducing quantitative measures such as daylight level alone may not result in a “healthy and functional” kitchen without appreciating or factoring‐in the impacts of the social roles and user expectations of kitchens in high‐rise and compact urban situations.Design/methodology/approach – The study investigated three common types of apartment buildings in Hong Kong. Case studies suggested that it is crucial to include in a design process proper considerations of human behaviours by way of preferred approaches and modes of living, space usage, and weightings of end‐user responses that would influence architectural design in a direct and crucial way.Findings – The study noted that daylight quality of a kitchen is perceived by most families to be not as important as building control officials and designers thought it would. Instea...