DESIGN
Planning and Design
Green office minimises its impact on the environment while achieving
the required purposes and comfort levels for which the building is
intended. There are many aspects that need to be considered. Green
design, location, resources conservation and green construction,
planning and design are the key concerns. Adopting a sustainable
design from the start and considering each aspect of a building in
an integrated and holistic manner help to save on costs of building
operation and maintenance, create a healthy and comfortable
working environment and minimise the impact on the environment.
The discussion in this guide includes designing of new office buildings
as well as retrofitting of office interior space.
3.1.1
Sustainable Architectural Design
DESIGN STAGE
3.1 Planning and Design
Benefits of Green Office Building
• Reduce the cost of building service
equipment like air-conditioning and
electrical systems
• Reduce energy consumption by
using daylight to offset the amount
of electric lighting needed
• Lower operational costs
• Reduce solar heat gain and glare
• Enhance indoor environmental
quality of the offices
• Enhance occupant’s work
performance due to improved
indoor air quality
• Reduce heat island effect on the
neighbourhood
• Enhance air ventilation for the
neighbourhood
Green Strategies for Office Building
z
Natural Ventilation (case exam-
z
Floor Layout
z
Window/Door Sizes and Loca-
tions
z
View
Sustainable Architectural Design
Overview for Office Building
Sustainable architectural design helps to provide building strategies to achieve a green office building and premise and
reduce the need for costly building services equipment.
A passive design approach through careful consideration of the building’s location, relationship to the environment, and
climate etc. can help to achieve sustainability from the start. Below are some examples of passive design which are easy
to achieve and have fewer cost implications:
• Orientate the building so that the largest area faces north and south in order to minimise amount of heat via direct
sunshine going into the building
• Provide appropriate solar shading and low-e glass to reduce solar heat gain and glare for west facing windows
• Maximise daylight and views through architectural design to enhance indoor environmental quality for the offices
• Incorporate greenery and landscape areas as part of the design to
enhance the exterior environmental quality for the office building as well
as the neighbourhood and to provide an amenity for the office workers as
well as reduce the heat island effect on the neighbourhood
• Openings that function as ‘urban windows’ can be designed in the office
towers to carve out openings in the building to provide the opportunity for
a sky garden and enhance air ventilation for the neighbourhood
• Consider natural ventilation as a design strategy to assist in reduction of
energy consumption, improve human comfort and indoor air quality
• Choose a light colour for the interior to reduce energy use for lighting
• Use
as a tool to help avoid abortive
work and calculate the right amount of building materials, etc
Renewable
Energy
Life-cycle
Maintenance
Health &
Well-being
Sustainable
Materials
Passive
Strategies
Transport
Ecological
Value
Whole Life
Costs
After-care
Commitment
Key
Consideration
for Green
Building
z
SustainableMaster Layout Plan
z
Building Shape
z
Building Disposition andOrienta-
tion
z
Greenery
z
External Building Projection
z
Building Height (optimum floor
to floor height) and Roof Geom-
etry
DESIGN STAGE
3.1.1 Sustainable Architectural Design
Office
BUILDING
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