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Volume 3, Number 6
James Kraus
www.design-journal.com
DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
http://www.Design-Journal.com
First published in 2009 in Champaign, Illinois, USA by Common Ground Publishing LLC
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ISSN: 1833-1874
Publisher Site: http://www.Design-Journal.com
Abstract: Merging sustainable design and energy usage in developing economies is one of the most
significant architectural design challenges. This paper outlines the process of an architectural design
project at Skidmore Owings and Merrill from 2006-2007. The project is a 250 room hotel in Hyderabad,
India bolstered by a government economic incentive which encourages tourism and informed by envir-
onmental sensitivity and parametric computer models. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate
that thorough understanding of both the external environment and the internal environment combined
with clear understanding of client goals, computer simulation, and knowledge of fabrication techniques
can result in a successful passive designed architecture which can significantly reduce energy demand
and increase indoor quality. This paper focuses on thee primary design concepts to reach the final
solution. First, an examination of the electromagnetic spectrum as it pertains to visual comfort. This
paper explains how basic science can provide a high performance elegant design. Secondly, the paper
validates a process for identifying specific environmental parameters (in this a case, a mild tropical
climate with solar insulation and lux levels) and is supported by empirical analysis. Finally, the process
of optimization of a pattern for views and daylight combines three types of parameters: of design,
fabrication and performance into a building information model to create a final design solution that
lowers the energy use of the hotel and creates a beautiful prototype. The resulting design had a 20%
reduction in energy load in mechanical systems and provided a further optimized design through multi-
disciplinary collaboration, environmental sensitivity and building information modelling.
Introduction
S
USTAINABLE DESIGN IN the next century will involve multidisciplinary collab-
oration that enables building performance to evolve through informed and deliberate
design. Sustainable design processes will change not because of a radically different
approach but rather out of a desire for conserving vital natural resources while
maintaining economic growth. This paper will use a case study of a hotel designed by
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill from 2006-2007, to demonstrate how a collaborative process
and an emphasis on environmental factors have allowed the design to evolve to a more
sophisticated solution. It will begin by describing the context in which this design process
was developed followed by the results of a climate data analysis. Synthesis of the data informs
the mass and orientation of the building which is the foundation for further optimization.
Once the form is optimized the formal aspirations of the client and the design team is ex-
plored and tested relative to set of goals established early in the design process. Three different
types of goals inform the final design of the exterior enclosure: design, performance, and
fabrication. This study shows how important environmental parameters and sophisticated
digital tools are to creating sustainable and evolutionary design.
The case study is a building and exterior envelope design of a 250-room boutique hotel
for the Appejay Surrundra Park Hotel Group in Hyderabad, India. The building will be the
clients first newly constructed project and serves as its flagship Hotel. The Park Hotel Group
wanted the hotel to reflect the highly optimistic and sustainable culture in a growing India
through a forward-thinking architecture. Once completed, it will be the first LEED Gold
Hotel in India. To further encourage development and tourism, the national government has
developed new economic incentives that eliminate any tax duty on products imported for
the hotel and tourism industry. The design team included engineers, computer specialists,
energy simulators, and university researchers, all embracing the opportunity to contribute
to design decisions throughout the process. Many decisions have been informed by environ-
mental research including building program, orientation, massing, and faade optimization.
The energy-and resource-intensiveness of the hotel typology has underscored the importance
of these results. The process sought to redefine the typical role of master architect and de-
signer to address a specific challenge of sustainable design in emerging economies through
an in-depth understanding of climate and culture.
Climate Analysis
Hyderabad lies at 1720N 7830E in the Andrah Pradesh state in central India. It is in the
Tropical Monsoon (Am) region as defined by the Koppen classification for international
climate. Summer months between March and May experience a large diurnal temperature
swing between 25C to 42C. The Monsoon season stretches from mid-June to September
and brings heavy rains and prevailing wind from the northeast. The fall season or post-
monsoon is characterized by high humidity with minimal rainfall.2 The winter months carry
much cooler temperatures and pleasant breezes that create opportunities for passive cooling
and natural ventilation. The temperatures range from 20C to 32C (humans are most com-
fortable in a range between 18 and 25 degrees, depending on wind speed and humidity).
The hourly temperature chart below highlights the maximum and minimum diurnal tem-
perature throughout the year overlayed on the human comfort zone. Of significance in this
climate data is the high solar radiation, particularly in the winter season from December to
April. The direct solar radiation drops significantly in the summer from June to August, as
the monsoon season mitigates the direct solar gain through the building envelope. (Fig 1.)
Wind analysis reveals that the prevailing wind during the monsoon is from the west/south-
west. Building outdoor spaces should be positioned to protect them from the higher winds
and wind-driven rain in the summer months. (Fig 2.)
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JAMES KRAUS
Fig 1: Hourly Climate Data for Hyderabad Fig 2: Seasonal Windrose for Summer
(Source: Meteonorm) Months Showing Frequency and Speed
(Source: Meteonorm)
Environmental Types
The analysis of the local climate and application of this analysis to the design process recalls
the words of James Marsden Finch in his book American Building, The environmental forces
that shape it: Our physical environment must be thought of as being of composite structure,
formed of many distinct, coextensive and coexistent yet interacting elements which may
actually be viewed as complete subenvironments1 He describes seven types of environ-
ments that are only concerned with those factors that which act directly upon the human
body and which can be immediately and directly modified by buildings. For the purpose of
the climate analysis, five of the seven environmental parameters are used: thermal, aqueous,
sonic, atmospheric, and luminous. The thermal environment in Hyderabad consists of low
diurnal swings and consistently high temperatures all year. The aqueous environment is
characterized by the high relative humidity and high levels of rainfall through the year. It
presents an opportunity for water collection during the monsoon months. The sonic environ-
ment relates to acoustics and ambient noise that impact the building user. It manifests itself
in the building through internal-borne sound such as vibration from equipment or from ex-
ternal sound such as train horns and car traffic. The luminous environment pertains to the
spectrum between 380 and 700nm that allows for visual light to be perceived.
Arguably, a balance between the luminous and thermal environments is the most important
aspect of design in this climate. Thus, the design prioritized strategies that struck a balance
between these two parameters. The next step was to focus on leveraging the impact of
passive strategies before designing the mechanical or active systems.
The design team needed to reconcile the clients many preconceptions about the design
of a modern and progressive building. The first bias was the idea that a modern building
should be a completely glass and transparent enclosure. This preconception combined with
a hotel typology presented a challenge for the team in terms of developing a low energy
prototype, but also provided an opportunity to educate the client about the process of collab-
oration and high performance buildings.
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DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
Design Process
The process of sustainable design is not the same for every project, nor is it a strictly linear
process. Differences between projects emerge during the design process to provide richness
and individuality. Each client has different goals and aspirations and each climate is different,
but one thing remains constant: the multidisciplinary input and collaboration needed to design
an environmentally sensitive building. The process diagram for this project involved many
groups at different phases of design and illustrates the sequence of setting goals and analysing
data for the building information model based on parametric input and feedback loops. (Fig
3.)
The process chart is a vital tool, not only for the design team to make decisions but also for
the client to visualize how parameters from the environment influence the design. In this
case, the chart was developed in the middle of the project and completed once it was finished.
By documenting this particular path to sustainable design, the architecture team can learn
more about how to improve the process on future projects when different collaborators, clients
and consultants are involved.
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JAMES KRAUS
from the prevailing wind. The program space was organized around the courtyard, with a
double loaded corridor and guest rooms positioned to provide maximum view of a large
lake.
Heat gain through radiative transfer (direct solar gain) has a direct impact on cooling load
and energy balance. Therefore, it was essential to focus on reducing these loads before they
entered the enclosure. This condition was particularly important for a hotel typology, with
multiple individual rooms on each floor which may or may not be occupied during the day.
The remainder of the heat gains come from equipment, lighting, occupants and roof enclosure.
Intuitive design moves based on climatic understanding were diagrammed to present to the
client in early design presentations (Fig 4.)
The remainder of the program spaces evolved in several iterations. The hotel rooms were
then elevated above a podium of shops, galleries, and banquet halls to provide better access
to view. The swimming pool was positioned at the edge of the courtyard and a night club
was placed between it and the main gallery space. Since the majority of solar insolation falls
on the east and west facades in this latitude, the building mass was dematerialized on the
east facade and the service corridors placed on the west. (Fig 5.)
Once the massing was in place, some basic fluid dynamic simulations were conducted to
determine if the prevailing monsoon wind could be enhanced or redirected by the sculptural
roof. The Venturi effect was found to have a small impact on airflow, and the building mass
blocked significant wind and wind driven rain. A range of triangular roof shapes were tested
to determine how they impacted wind speed in the courtyard. A low angled roof was shown
to reduce air flow in the courtyard to comfortable levels of 1-2 m/s. (Fig 6.)
43
DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
The client also wanted the building to capture impressive views to the east. The east-facing
glazed sections of the building had significant exposure to sun, therefore, the solar stress
on the faade was measured with Ecotect (a solar simulation analysis software). (Fig. 7.)
These solar stress or insolation values were then used to estimate heat gain and resultant
cooling load inside the building. They also provided a baseline for further faade development.
The results were shared and compared with an energy simulation model developed by the
mechanical engineering team to determine the final equipment configuration.
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JAMES KRAUS
case was to minimize and diffuse the harsh tropical sun to prevent radiant heat transfer, and
to supply usable light to offset heat generated from the buildings lighting during the day.
Glass Selection
The client wanted a glass that had minimal sound transmittance and best rendering of visual
light and solar control. A range of industry glass types were simulated in Radiance models.
Glass selection was determined by three main parameters: the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient
or SHGC, visual light transmittance as determined by the solar stress, and visual sensitivity
studies of the external acoustic environment. The visual sensitivity studies were used to
simulate a range of glass types. The glass types were cycled through the simulation to find
a manufacturer with a relatively high SHGC and high visual light transmittance in the range
of 50-70%.
An understanding of the acoustic environment was facilitated by an acoustical consultant
who pinpointed the peak sound load generated from passing trains in a series of field tests.
The tests registered passing express train horns with 90-100 Decibels when they passed the
hotel. The distance from the sound source and the background noise from equipment led to
the selection of laminated glass outboard light, 24mm air space and 5mm inboard light. The
greater mass of the assembly prevented the outdoor noise level from exceeding the threshold
of waking, a ratio between ambient indoor noise such as HVAC units and noise sources
outside such as trains or emergency sirens. The hotels design standard specified that the
Noise Coefficient of the rooms needed to be below this threshold despite the proximity to
the local train station and express train traffic. The final selection consisted of a 35mm insu-
lated glazed unit by China Southern Glass, thicker than the industry standard IGU of 24mm.
The unit make up was a 6mm laminated outer light, at 24mm air gap, and a 5mm inner light
with a double low-e coating on the #4 and #5 surfaces.
45
DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
geometry was a perforated in flat metal and combined into a repeating pattern across the
faade. (Fig 9.)
The three primary environmental factors which informed the design included solar orientation,
access to view, and use of diffuse daylight. The screen provides both privacy and shading
during the day and a rich diurnal shift at night, when the rooms become illuminated and the
privacy curtains are displayed. Before an empirical analysis of solar gain and view could be
determined, a fitness score was developed for each room or program type. The fitness
score indicated the level of response the screen pattern would have to the four parameters
of view, sun shading, daylight and program. (Fig 10, 11) In initial meetings, the client wanted
to develop a design that responded to the environment while maintaining a timeless quality
that reflected local craft traditions. The initial concept had some of these qualities, but the
client thought the scale of the pattern was too large, so the design team embarked on a series
of investigations of the scale and constructability of the micro perforations in the screen
wall. (Fig 12.) After a series of visualisations of the proposed design, the decision was made
to proceed with a smaller scale embossed pattern. This decision eventually led to number
of unanticipated benefits including self shading of the perforations and increased structural
stability of each panel.
Fig 10: Solar Orientation Parameter Diagram Fig 11: Program Parameter Diagram
At this point in the design, a building energy simulation was conducted and the screen was
found to yield a 20% reduction in a baseline energy building model as defined by ASHRAE
90.1-2004.
46
JAMES KRAUS
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DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
Another concern of the design team was oil-canning of the metal panels due to a release of
internal stresses once the panels were deformed for the pattern. Oil-canning is the deformation
of a flat sheet of metal during fabrication caused by stresses induced in the manufacturing
process. The oil-canning was more apparent on the stainless steel panels because of the
stresses generated from deforming the panel.
The shape and depth of the perforation created structural stability. The punched and em-
bossed aluminium assumed a symmetrical shape with a depth of 6mm proud of the surface,
increasing the section modulus of the panel and providing greater stiffness in the whole
system, much as a corrugated roof supports a heavy load with light gauge material. (Fig 15)
The prototypes ultimately used on the project were fabricated out of aluminium. They
were malleable and durable enough for repetitive punching. A multiple powder coat finish
then provided the final layer of protection. The high recycled material content of aluminium
also made it an ideal material selection for the sustainable goals of the project. Once the final
prototypes were completed, they were installed at the testing facility and reviewed with the
client (Fig 15, 16, 21.)
48
JAMES KRAUS
49
DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
depth of the shelf or return was determined by the initial shading and solar stress studies
to be 200mm. (Fig 18)
Design decisions were made by experience and aesthetics. However, prototyping was neces-
sary to determine if the metal would in fact perform as designed. Once the prototyping process
was finished, the results of the physical testing could be compiled as data to further inform
the design. The design generated in this case results from an intuitive but informed approach
by the design team combined with the aesthetic goals of the client. The solution materializes
in the form of rules which the design team can then quantify within the building information
model. The aesthetic design approach called for a gradient to be formed by varying the level
of perforation across the surface. Before applying the rules that generated the optimized
pattern, the screen was audited for the required level of sun shading, daylight, view, and
program. The initial design then served as the starting point for generation of the optimized
surface pattern, which was constrained and guided by an additional series of predefined rules
for fabrication and environmental performance. Optimization rules included: a gradient or
transition of open to closed perforation types, a closed embossed pattern where there is no
view such as the spandrel zones between windows, and maintaining a view zone of 1.5
meters in the prime hotel rooms and 1 meter in the service areas, while providing a curvilinear
transition for each gradient following the window opening edge lines.
The fabrication data was a summary of lessons learned from the prototyping process such
as joint and panel connections and material thresholds. These data sets were used to control
the size and extent of the shape defined in the parametric computer model. The primary
pattern component or trillium perforation was modelled as a series of interlocking nested
hexagonal shapes in Digital Project (parametric design software developed by Gehry Tech-
nologies) (GT) (Fig 19.). GT consultants provided help with developing a full building
geometry model using existing elevations. A custom script was developed to populate the
nested shapes across all building facades based on an optimal opacity. The custom tailored
pattern responds to varying lighting needs and program types around the hotel. This digital
50
JAMES KRAUS
project software output generated 6000 custom panels. The panels were then surveyed to
determine similar shapes or patterns within a performance family that could be calculated
and sent back to the fabricator for pricing and construction. The final count consisted of
approximately 300 custom perforation patterns or performance families.
Fig 19: Trillium Pattern used to Create Overall Screen Pattern and Opacity
Fig 20: Final Pattern Solutions South Faade Fig 21: Visual Mock-up
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DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
Conclusions
The final solution for the Park Hotel evolved from an intuitive response to a detailed envir-
onmental analysis and collaboration with fabricators and consultants. The design performance
and ecological impact of the building developed through a collaborative process in which
all groups had input and impact on the final design. This process resulted in 20% reduction
in energy loads from a baseline design. The optimized design would not have been possible
without the use of building information parametric modelling and environmental analysis
to inform and produce the metal screen. The final design combined sustainable, energy-effi-
cient, and performance-based design results with regional, environmental, and cultural
sensitivity to allow for design and performance evolution through multiple inputs.
Acknowledgements
Key design team members include: SOM New York design team Roger Duffy, Peter Magill,
Mark Igou, Peter Lefkovits, Thomas Behr, Katherine Wong, Paul Cha, Michael Kirchmann,
Kwong Yu, Eric Van Epps, Herb Lynn, Victor Keto, Keith Besserud, Josh Cotton, Neil Katz,
Ajmal Aqtash
References
1. Fitch, James Marston. 2: The Environmental Forces That Shape It 2nd Ed. (New York:
Schocken, 1972), p.6-7
2. Kohli, Varun, Form Follows the Sun: SEZ Office Complex 25th Conference on
Passive and Low Energy Architecture (October 2008)
3. Hausladen, G., Saldanha, M. de, Liedl, P., Sager, C. Climate Design: Solutions for
Buildings that Can Do More with Less Technology (Basel: Birkhauser, 2005), p. 20
52
JAMES KRAUS
ation in London in Environment and Energy. He also holds a Bachelor of Architecture from
Virginia Tech.
53
EDITORS
Bill Cope, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA.
Mary Kalantzis, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA
Creates a space for dialogue on innovative theories Explores the past, present and future of books,
and practices in the arts, and their inter-relationships publishing, libraries, information, literacy and learning
with society. in the information society.
ISSN: 1833-1866 ISSN: 1447-9567
http://www.Arts-Journal.com http://www.Book-Journal.com
Examines the meaning and purpose of design while Provides a forum for discussion and builds a body of
also speaking in grounded ways about the task of knowledge on the forms and dynamics of difference
design and the use of designed artefacts and and diversity.
processes. ISSN: 1447-9583
ISSN: 1833-1874 http://www.Diversity-Journal.com
http://www.Design-Journal.com
Maps and interprets new trends and patterns in Discusses the role of the humanities in contemplating
globalisation. the future and the human, in an era otherwise
ISSN 1835-4432 dominated by scientific, technical and economic
http://www.GlobalStudiesJournal.com rationalisms.
ISSN: 1447-9559
http://www.Humanities-Journal.com
Sets out to foster inquiry, invite dialogue and build a Creates a space for discussion of the nature and
body of knowledge on the nature and future of future of organisations, in all their forms and
learning. manifestations.
ISSN: 1447-9540 ISSN: 1447-9575
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Addresses the key question: How can the institution Discusses disciplinary and interdisciplinary
of the museum become more inclusive? approaches to knowledge creation within and across
ISSN 1835-2014 the various social sciences and between the social,
http://www.Museum-Journal.com natural and applied sciences.
ISSN: 1833-1882
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Draws from the various fields and perspectives Focuses on a range of critically important themes in
through which we can address fundamental the various fields that address the complex and
questions of sustainability. subtle relationships between technology, knowledge
ISSN: 1832-2077 and society.
http://www.Sustainability-Journal.com ISSN: 1832-3669
http://www.Technology-Journal.com
Investigates the affordances for learning in the digital Explores the meaning and purpose of the academy in
media, in school and throughout everyday life. times of striking social transformation.
ISSN 1835-2030 ISSN 1835-2030
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