Application: Retrofitting a Concrete Box

Applying tropical principles to a common, flawed modern design.

Example

A client has bought a modern, flat-roofed concrete house with large west-facing glass windows. It is uncomfortably hot and heavily reliant on air conditioning. How can an architect use tropical design principles to retrofit the structure?

Step-by-Step Solution

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Key Takeaways
  • Tropical design principles can be actively applied to retrofit existing, poorly designed structures.
  • Focusing on blocking solar heat gain (shading) and flushing out internal heat (ventilation) dramatically reduces the need for mechanical cooling.