Page 59 - Public Facilities 2016

PUBLIC FACILITIES

n 2014, the Government published "The Sustainable Active design
Building Design Considerations Guidelines" to Active design is an approach using the electrical
Iprovide a comprehensive guide for our designers to and mechanical systems, such as heating,
practise green and sustainable building design to improve ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and
our built environment. The Guidelines outline most of lighting systems, to create and maintain comfortable
the important design considerations of passive design in conditions. These installations will influence the
architecture and active design as well as provide useful energy use, greenhouse gases emissions, water use,
references on sustainable construction materials and thermal comfort and other sustainability outcomes
methods. A standard Particular Specification (PS) has of buildings. Active design is adopted to improve
also been developed for the design of our temporary site the following aspects in buildings:
office to further promote the use of green materials. • Energy efficiency
• Energy conservation
Passive design in architecture • Water conservation
Passive design in architecture is an approach to building • Indoor environmental quality
design that uses the building architecture to minimise
energy consumption and improve thermal comfort. At Construction and materials
the early stages of the development projects, we consider Apart from passive and active design, the use of
and adopt suitable measures in planning, disposition, sustainable construction methods and materials also
orientation, building form and material selection to plays an important role in sustainable buildings.
optimise interaction with the local microclimate. Our Common sustainable construction methods include
passive design in architecture strategies include: prefabrication, pollution control during construction
• Mitigating heat island effect or elevated temperature and adoption of 3R principles (i.e. Reduce, Reuse and
• Air ventilation around buildings Recycle). In addition, we use sustainable materials
• Daylighting such as recycled materials and timber from well-
• Natural ventilation managed sources.
• Passive cooling
• Reducing heat gain through building envelope (Source: ArchSD Sustainability Report 2016)

Building Journal 57