THE IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE

CONCEPTIN TODAYSCONSTRUCTION

Arranged by:

DeanivaMartya N (21020114120074)

NadhiahKhamairah (21020114140084)

Sani Puspaning Naima (21020114130103)

ListianiPutri S (21020114130109)

JURUSAN ARSITEKTUR

FAKULTAS TEKNIK

UNIVERSITAS DIPONEGORO

2015
 PREFACE

Thank to Allah SWT who has given His bless to the writers for finishing the English paper
assignment entitled The Importance of Sustainable Architecture Concept in Todays
Construction.

The writers also wish to express deep and sincere gratitude for those who have guided in
completing this paper. This English paper contains some example of sustainable architecture
concept that can be applied in buildings, a kind of instructions on how we could face the
global warming by applying those concepts.

We want to apologize for the shortage of this paper. We know that this paper is still far from
perfect but hopefully, this paper can help the readers to expand their knowledge about green
building.

Authors

October 16th, 2015

 Table of Contents
PREFACE ................................................................................................................................................. 2
CHAPTER I .............................................................................................................................................. 4
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 4
1.1. Background of the paper .................................................................................................................... 4
1.2. Purpose of the paper........................................................................................................................... 5
1.3 Problem formulation .......................................................................................................................... 5
CHAPTER II............................................................................................................................................. 6
DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................................................... 6
2.1 Definition of Sustainable Architecture .......................................................................................... 6
2.2 The Importance of Sustainable Architecture ................................................................................ 7
2.3 The Application of Sustainable Architecture ............................................................................... 7
CHAPTER III ......................................................................................................................................... 10
CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................................................... 10
3.1. Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................... 10
3.2. Suggestion ........................................................................................................................................ 10
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................................... 12
 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background of the paper

The rapid development in Indonesia especially in big cities raises awareness about
sustainable constructions. Words like sustainable and green have long been associated
with modern buildings. Today, these words have become part of our global conversation
about everything from worldwide movement towards energy efficient, environment-
friendly buildings. We live in a time of global climate change challenges, increasing
regulatory pressures for greater energy efficiency and carbon reduction, consumer
interest, and employee pressure on corporations.
Based on theOutlookfor ConstructionOutputbyCountry inEmerging Marketsreported
byGlobalConstructionPerspectivesandOxfordEconomics, Indonesia, along with
ChinaandIndiaexperiencedgrowth inthe construction sectormorethan6percentduring
thedecade2010to 2020(Alexander, 2014). This will lead to a mass reduction of natural
resources around us. According to NaningAdiwoso, the chairman of Green Building
Council Indonesia (GBCI), as in 2013 there are only about 8 buildings that have already
implemented thegreen building concept. Five of them are new buildings, Ministry of
Public Works, Bandung Institue of Technology & Science Deltamas, SubangDahana
Office Branch, PrasetyaMulya University and Kuningan Tower(Gatra News, 2013).
Despite the massive development in our own country, we now could see just how
much environmental improvement we should make. As a society we now demand better
living conditions as standard. However, our increased energy consumption far outweighs
the improvement in conditions. As architecture students, we personally think that it is in
fact our responsibility to contribute more to the environmental improvement. We are
writing this paper as we are aware that we have to learn more about sustainable
architecture in order to understand what we should and shouldnt do as the futures
architects.
1.2. Purpose of the paper

a) Knowing the meaning of sustainable architecture

b) Knowing the importance of sustainable architecture in todays construction

c) Knowing the application of sustainable architecture concept in buildings

1.3 Problem formulation

a) What issustainable architecture?
b) Why is sustainable architecture important in todays construction?
c) Whatare theapplicationof sustainable architecture concept in buildings?
 CHAPTER II
DISCUSSION

2.1 Definition of Sustainable Architecture

While some people like to define sustainable architecture as "buildings that will stay
intact for a prolonged period", what we are actually concerned with is the search for and the
promotion of building methods that people can go on using with the skills and resources
available to them. It is called sustainable development when it can provide the necessity of
today's people and still can provide the necessity of future's people.There is no set aim, but
the continuation of development is the aim of the development.The word development in this
definition implicates two important aspects of the concept.
According to Hui (2002) the development is based on two concepts: the concept of
needs and the concept of limits.The concept of needs, comprising of the conditions for
maintaining an acceptable life standard for all people. The concept of limits of the capacity of
the environment to fulfill the needs of the present and the future, determined by the state of
technology and social organization.Any development should help fulfill needs and should not
increase limitations.
Interest in sustainable architecture grew radically in the early 21st century in response
to growing concerns about the environment, but in fact people have been building sustainably
for thousands of years, because sustainable projects are often practical in nature.For centuries
humans have known how to build houses that utilize the elements to achieve comfortable
living conditions. In the Middle East, adobe houses were the order of the day. They were
built to catch breezes, utilize the cooling effect of water and their design and orientation
limited the ingress of direct sunlight. (Beagley, 2011)
Sustainability is a concept increasingly used as a measure of the worth of an approach
to meeting contemporary shelter needs. Sustainable architecture implies an approach that in a
development context goes beyond the project phase. There is a focus on the process as well
as the end product. Sustainable architecture recognizes that while the product may wear out
over time, the process remains. This process can then be repeated without resort to major
external inputs.(Norton)
2.2 The Importance of Sustainable Architecture

Housing being constructed today will be with us for around 30 years. The damage to
the environment caused as a result of poor design and construction (such as higher
consumption of energy and the associated demand on natural resources) keeps increasing
with time, with very unsuitable new house built (Beagley, 2011). The National Energy Policy
(2006) states that Indonesia's goal is to achieve an energy elasticity of less than 1 in 2025 (the
energy elasticity is the rate of change of total primary energy supply over the rate of change
of GDP).
Buildings are responsible for more than 40 percent of global energy use and one third
of global greenhouse gas emissions, both in developed and developing countries. The main
source of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings is energy consumption, but buildings are
also major emitters of other non-CO2 greenhouse emissions such as halocarbons. While
historically the majority of emissions emanated from developed countries, it is expected that
in the near future the level of emissions from buildings in rapidly industrializing countries
will surpass emission levels from buildings in developed countries (Lemmet, 2009).
Lemmet (2009) also says that in developing countries such, retrofitting existing
buildings at the optimal level is a priority. There is tremendous scope for using this
opportunity to update the heating and cooling technologies used in buildings, as well as
implementing low cost but effective passive solutions to improve energy efficiencies such as
thermal mass and sunshades. It should be noted that global architectural trends, such as the
use of glass envelopes in high-rise office buildings, may not be appropriate for their climatic
conditions (particularly in hot climates). More research on appropriate building materials, in
terms of embodied energy, durability, thermal mass, and cost, for developing countries is
needed.

2.3 The Application of Sustainable Architecture

Indonesia is listed as one of tropical countries in the world. The climate is fairly even
all year around. The seasons in Indonesia are roughly divided into two distinct seasons, 'wet'
and 'dry' which changes every six months. The dry season is usually begins around June and
ends on September while the rainy season is usually experienced from December to March.
As we already know, todays global warming causes the earths temperature hotter
than it used to be. We can even say that we could not survive without the air conditioning, for
the worst situation. But relying only on air condition to cool the house is as logical as running
a refrigerator inside an oven.Just because someone can afford higher power costs or because
we are compensated for the provision of the air conditioning doesn't mean we should be using
it.
So what could we do in order to minimize the effect of global warming? One of the
methods is to apply the sustainable architecture concept in our house. It has to be more
passive designs than that of active designs. Passive design is a design which doesnt include
our contribution for example using the sunlight to lighten up the room instead of using lamps.
While on the other side, active design is basically our own creation to make the building
convenient.
According to Adler (2006) the basic concepts in green building are as the following:
1. Develop design plans for building itself
a) Consider building orientation, sun shading, material that able to hold heat,
then reflectivity of walls and roof surface.
b) Design for flexibility and consider potential future needs
c) Use standard sizes to limit waste of materials.
2. Design building to site needs, climate, and local condition
a) Use suitable landscaping and materials that are tolerant of the soils,
climate, and water availability at the building location.
b) Design drainage system that allow water drain from site without damaging
building
3. Maximize the use of natural daylight
a) Consider light-colored interiors that will reflect light from windows and
skylight throughout the room
b) Use internal shading devices at windows to make the most of daylight and
energy-efficiency features.
4. Use green building materials
a) Green building material is divided into four : ecological (consumes less
energy), healthy (low of pollution), high-performance (overcome
traditional material, quality improved) and recycling (from renewable
sources such as certified wood or bamboo)
b) If possible choose local and natural materials, this helps the local economy
as well as reduces over-all energy use (transportation of materials)
5. Design for healthy indoor air quality
a) Provide air exchange between inside and outside air
b) Plan for correct ventilation and well-maintained air system

We could also minimize the size of the building. Build better, not bigger. We have to
think carefully about what we really need. A bigger house means we will have less garden
space and mpre house to cool, light, clean and furnish. This will adds costs both now and in
the future. Smaller well designed houses can fulfill our needs and result in savings of up to 1
tonne of carbon emissions per year(Beagley, 2011).
Solar panels, as we already know, are one of the energy-efficient options we may
choose. But not all of us could apply this. Instead, we could think of another solutions;
deciding the color of the roof. Generally, the darker the roof the more heat is absorbed or
conversely, the lighter the roof the more heat is reflected. We should avoid a dark roof. They
may look good, stylish or modern but extra ventilation will be required just to get rid of the
extra heat being absorbed into the structure.
This method applies to choosing color for walls, too.Any walls exposed to sunlight
need to be a light color to reduce the heat absorption. Insulating paints can also reduce heat
absorption.The "false wall", according to Beagley (2011) can provide shading to even an
existing wall. It can be made of "corrugated iron" with an air gap to effectively provide a
degree of insulation to the walls as well as reflecting a lot of heat.
Timber battens, 40-50mm thick, need to be installed vertically to aid ventilation of the
space behind the false wall. The use of wooden battens (non-heat conducting material)
ensures a "heat bridge" is not formed between the sheeting and the wall. Installing the
sheeting with the corrugations vertically reduces the likelihood of dust and dirt collecting on
the surface and aids the air circulation process.

Source: Design for The Tropics. Beagley (2011)

 CHAPTER III
CONCLUSION
3.1. Conclusion

Why is it that today, with all the advances in science, technology and materials, we
build houses that require such high amounts of energy to provide acceptable living
conditions?The key to sustainable architecture is in recognizing our position as temporary
maids, or stewards, of our environment.The better we as architecture students (or architects,
in the future) understand and implement our stewardship of the built environment, the greater
the quality life of future generations which we will enjoy.We all have a responsibility to the
environment which we cannot deny.

According to Norton, he concluded that sustainable architecture:

1. Makes substantial use of locally available materials and local means of

transport
2. Uses resources that are available in sufficient quantity and not damage the
environment
3. Does not depend on equipment that is not easily available
4. Produces a durable result
5. Responds to local climate

Many successful examples of sustainable architecture already exist and match these
criteria, however, more needs to be done to bring these examples to the attention of a wider
audience.

3.2. Suggestion

We believe that the current trends in housing/ building design and the increased use of
electrical appliances need to be reserved.We already have the knowledge to build housing or
building which is suited to face the global warming challenge. We can make easy changes at
a personal and community level now to have a positive environmental impact in the future.
As an architecture student, we may now apply the sustainable concept in our design
assignments.
As a living individual, we could easily follow the small steps to reduce the energy
used, for example minimize our use of electrical appliances, carrying our own bottled water
instead of disposable plastic bottles, change our plastic bags to reusable bags for shopping,
and many other simple ways to reduce plastic waste and energy used.Excessive use of plastic
products not only exhausts earths natural resources but also contributes to the severe climatic
effects that are directly affecting our lives today.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Alexander, H. B. (2014, March 1). Properti. Retrieved October 16, 2015, from Kompas:
http://properti.kompas.com/read/2014/03/01/1728203/.Di.Indonesia.Belum.Ada.Gedung.y
ang.Ramah.Lingkungan.

Beagley, S. (2011). Design for The Tropics. Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia: COOLmob.
Retrieved October 16, 2015, from http://coolmob.org/wp-
content/uploads/2014/04/COOLmob_Design_Booklet.pdf

Gatra News. (2013, May 2). Nasional. Retrieved October 16, 2015, from Gatra News:
http://www.gatra.com/nusantara-1/nasional-1/29575-di-indonesia-baru-8-gedung-
berkonsep-green-building,-apa-saja.html.

Hui, S. C. (2002). Sustainable Architecture and Building Design. Building Energy Efficiency Research,
2-9. Retrieved October 20, 2015, from
http://www.areforum.org/up/General%20%282%20or%20more%20exams%29/Sustainable
%20Architecture%20and%20Building%20Design%20%28SABD%29.pdf

Lemmet, S. (2009). Buildings and Climate Change. Retrieved October 20, 2015, from UNEP
Sustainable Buildings & Climate Initiative: http://www.unep.org/sbci/pdfs/SBCI-
BCCSummary.pdf

Norton, J. (n.d.). Sustainable Architecture: A Definition. Housing Finance International Journal, 1-3.
Retrieved October 20, 2015, from
http://www.housingfinance.org/uploads/Publicationsmanager/Misc_LocalEconomies.pdf

Policy, N. E. (2006, January 25). Indonesia Patent No. President Regulation No. 5/2006. Retrieved
October 20, 2015, from http://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/ins64284.pdf