LANDSCAPE FEATURES AND TECHNIQUES FOR - HOT AND DRY CLIMATE - HOT AND HUMID CLIMATE

5/28/12 SILVINUS CLISSON PRAGASH Click to edit Master subtitle style

HOT AND DRY CLIMATE GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

Hot and dry climatic regions are characterised by very high radiation levels, ambient temperatures and relatively low humidity , this region comprises of the arid and semi arid regions of India. A long stretch of land situated to the south ofTropic of Cancerand east of the western ghats and theCardamom Hillsexperiences this climate. It includesKarnataka, interior and westernTamil Nadu, westernAndhra Pradeshand central Maharashtra. This area receives minimal rainfall due to being situated in the rain shadow area. This region is a famine prone zone with very unreliable rainfall which varies between 40 to 75cm annually. The coldest month is December but even in this month the temperature remains between 20C and 24C. The months of March to May are hot and dry with mean monthly temperatures of around 32C. The vegetation mostly comprises grasses with a few scattered trees due to the rainfall. Hence this area is not very well suited for permanent agriculture. Most of western Rajasthan experiences an arid climatic 5/28/12

HOT AND DRY CLIMATE GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

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HOT AND DRY CLIMATE Landscape Design Considerations

Site planning and orientation which is ambient for the prevalent climatic conditions .Regions in this zone are generally flat and heat up uniformly. 5/28/12 In case of an undulating site, constructing on the leeward side of the slope is preferred. This protects the building from direct impact of hot winds which can be quite uncomfortable. An east-west orientation is preferred in hot and dry climatic regions.

Locating the built form in a depression with proper ventilation is advantageous due to the concept of hot air rising up.

HOT AND DRY CLIMATE Landscape Design Considerations

Waterbodies like ponds and lakes act as heat sinks and can also be used for evaporative cooling. They humidify the air and make it comfortable inside. Fountains and water cascades in the vicinity of a building also aid in cooling. 5/28/12

Streets must be narrow so that they cause mutually shade the buildings. Streets need to be oriented in the north-south direction to block solar radiation.

HOT AND DRY CLIMATE Landscape Design Considerations

Courtyards are means of ventilation they also act as heat sinks during the day and radiate the heat back at night. Grass can be used as ground cover to absorb solar radiation and aid evaporative cooling. Earth berming can help lower the temperature and also deflect hot summer winds. 5/28/12

HOT AND DRY CLIMATE Landscape Design Considerations

An earth berm is a landscaping feature that creates a barrier, adds interest to a flat landscape, improves drainage and can separate areas of land. A mounding process that adds earth to a flat or low-lying area until it is built up is all that is needed to create a berm. Earth berm construction requires dry soils of low conductivity. Wet soils should be avoided or with proper mitigation may be acceptable. Earth bermed building should be vented with an appropriate air exchange and slab should be sealed and vented for random gas mitigation. 5/28/12

HOT AND DRY CLIMATE Landscape Design Considerations

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HOT AND DRY CLIMATE Landscape Design Considerations

Aroof gardenis anygardenon theroofof abuilding. Besides the decorative benefit, roof plantings may provide food, temperature control, hydrological benefits, architectural enhancement, habitats or corridorsfor wildlife, and recreational opportunities. 5/28/12

HOT AND DRY CLIMATE Landscape Design Considerations

Arid climates place special demands on landscape ornamentals. Low humidity and rainfall and high summer temperatures dictate the use of tolerant plants as well as management techniques that cope with the high potential for water loss. 5/28/12 Ground-cover plantings in dry-climate region scan be done in two basic ways. The first involves using conventional ornamentals that are tolerant of heat, dry air and periodic moisture stress. The second approach calls for native species and other regionally adapted plants that can survive with less soil improvement and that require relatively little supplemental irrigation. Native and regionally adapted species often provide special challenges. Plants from arid regions rarely grow as continuous, carpet-like ground covers. Further, many of these species have distinct periods of growth, flowering and dormancy that relate to seasonal moisture availability. Few of them tolerate shade, and even fewer withstand poor drainage or excessive irrigation. So choose species must be in line with the context.

HOT AND DRY CLIMATE Landscape Design Considerations

When working with native species, it is best to avoid large, continuous plantings of a single ground-cover species. Instead, develop a more natural-looking design by combining several plant species in natural-looking drifts or groupings This design strategy is useful for large perimeter and foreground areas. It also is a flexible approach; if a specific plant dies, it will not compromise the design or appearance of the ground-cover planting. This type of landscape also lends diversity of character and seasonal variation to its aesthetic value and, by design, will look different throughout the year. Grade the site with topographic relief for added visual character, and then locate plants to take advantage of small microclimates within the contoured landscape. Contouring also can be helpful for capturing rainfall. Entries, courtyards and raised planters often are places where color and refreshing foliage are the most welcome. By studying these areas and identifying other microclimates in the landscape, it is possible to incorporate a wide variety of ground covers into dry-climate landscapes. Roof gardens are also a means of reducing heat gain in such 5/28/12

HOT AND DRY CLIMATE Landscape Design Considerations

Drip irrigation provides a distinct advantage over sprinklers by supplying moisture from below the plants. This avoids wetting foliage and surface organic matter, something that can promote disease in xeric landscapes. Plus, because of lower application rates, drip irrigation can run for longer periods without runoff. Thus, water penetrates the soil more deeply, which encourages deeper rooting and, ultimately, greater drought resistance. Drip systems also enable us to use the same line to apply different amounts of water to various trees, shrubs and ground covers. By using emitters with varying discharge rates and by adding or subtracting emitters as needed, you can tailor irrigation to meet the needs of individual landscape plants.

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HOT AND DRY CLIMATE Landscape Design Considerations

Mulches are a sustainable landscape feature in hot and dry regions Mulches are opaque organic or inert materials applied in layers on top of bare soil and around trees and shrubs. 5/28/12 The purpose of mulches is to reduce water evaporation, prevent weeds by stopping photosynthesis, buffer soil temperatures, protect irrigation systems from harmful solar rays, and give the garden a finished look. Mulch should be porous to air and water. The coarser the material, the thicker the mulch layer needs to be. Organic mulch, such as shredded cedar bark or compost, will also amend the soil as it decomposes. Mulch is reported to reduce watering demand by 40 to 70 percent.

HOT AND DRY CLIMATE Landscape Design Considerations

Xeriscaping areas with dry climates is a landscaping technique that requires various techniques including proper plant selection, soil types, composts, mulch and plant placement. Here are some tips you can keep in mind when trying out a xeriscape project of your own. Because water conservation is your first issue, you might want to choose and grow plants that do not require more water than what your climate can naturally provide. The best way is to use native plants that do not require extra watering and soil amendments and can survive with what your environment can provide. Soil type is another important factor to consider when planning to xeriscape. Use soil that can retain more water so that you dont have to water very often. You might have to put extra work on this because you need to replace the soil you have on your yard because areas with hot climate usually have dry soil that absorb to much water. Composting is a very useful technique when xeriscaping. This can improve the quality of the soil with minimal cost on expensive soil amendments. The natural bacteria and fungi in compost helps soil both conserve water and give nutrients to the plants. Aeration is improved when soil is composted and this allows for better water 5/28/12

HOT AND DRY CLIMATE Landscape Design Considerations

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HOT AND DRY CLIMATE

CII Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre in Hyderabad is good example of landscape done in hot and dry region

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HOT AND HUMID CLIMATE

In hot and humid climatic regions, high temperatures are accompanied by very high humidity levels leading to immense discomfort. Cross ventilation is hence very essential here. Adequate shading measures are also necessary to protect the building from direct solar radiation. The goal of landscaping in this area is to channel the breeze toward the home and maximize shade in the summer while allowing the sun to penetrate during the winter. An important element of this region is plant placement. Since the area is humid, it is very important not to place plants that require watering near the home. If this is done, the humidity immediately around the home will be increased. For flat sites, design considerations for the landform is immaterial. Incase of slopes and depressions, the building should be located on the windward side or crest to take advantage of cool breezes. Buildings should be spread out with large open spaces in between for unrestricted air movement. 5/28/12

HOT AND HUMID CLIMATE

Water bodies are not essential as they would tend to further increase the humidity. Major streets should be oriented parallel to or within 30 deg of the prevailing wind direction during summer months to encourage ventilation in warm and humid regions. A north-south direction is ideal from the point of view of blocking solar radiation. The width of the streets should be such that the intense solar radiation during late morning and early afternoon is avoided during the summers.

Landscape techniques.

When shaded, ground temperatures were found to drop an average of 3 - 6F in only five minutes. Studies have also shown that temperatures on a forest floor can be as much as 25F cooler than those recorded at the tree tops. Home comfort levels and energy costs can be also dramatically affected by shade. Creative landscape planning with trees, shrubs and vines will help alter the climate outside your home and modify indoor temperatures.

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HOT AND HUMID CLIMATE Trees

When planning your design, keep in mind that trees are more effective at shading when planted close to the home. A tree planted ten feet from the west wall will shade an area four times longer than a tree planted twenty feet. . A tree's shape also influences the duration of the shade. Spreading, round, and vase-shaped tree canopies will provide shade for the longest time.

Shrubs

Shrubs are also useful for shading your home. When planted a few feet away from the house, they can provide extra shade and control humidity without obstructing air currents. Trellised vines can be used to shade windows where space is limited, since they can grow in more confined spaces than trees or shrubs. Evergreen vines are a good choice for providing shade along the east and

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Determine the best places to plant shade trees by observing which of the windows receive the most sun. top priority should be providing shade for east and west windows and walls, since these surfaces receive about fifty percent more sunshine during the warmer months than those facing north and south.

HOT AND HUMID CLIMATE Trees

When planning your design, keep in mind that trees are more effective at shading when planted close to the home. A tree planted ten feet from the west wall will shade an area four times longer than a tree planted twenty feet. . A tree's shape also influences the duration of the shade. Spreading, round, and vase-shaped tree canopies will provide shade for the longest time.

Shrubs

Shrubs are also useful for shading . When planted a few feet away from the house, they can provide extra shade and control humidity without obstructing air currents. Trellised vines can be used to shade windows where space is limited, since they can grow in more confined spaces than trees or shrubs. Evergreen vines are a good choice for providing shade along the east and west sides of

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Determine the best places to plant shade trees by observing which of your windows receive the most sun. Your top priority should be providing shade for east and west windows and walls, since these surfaces receive about fifty percent more sunshine during the warmer months than those facing north and south.

HOT AND HUMID CLIMATE

Using landscaping to manage breezes is a very effective means of controlling indoor home temperatures during both winter and summer. By using trees, shrubs, vines, and other vegetation, you can alter the direction of wind. Paved surfaces absorb the sun's heat and radiate it back into the immediate environment. Research has shown that temperatures may be 15F to 25F hotter over asphalt or concrete. Paved areas also store heat, radiating warmth long after sundown. Planting groundcovers around paved areas can help reduce these temperatures. Groundcovers are low-growing plants that can be used to cover an area in the landscape. Evidence indicates that taller groundcovers--with their larger leaf surface--can provide even more cooling than shorter groundcovers such as mowed grass. All plants are capable of modifying their environment through a process called evaporative cooling. Plants release water through pores in their leaves. When warm winds pass over the leaf surface, surface water absorbs the heat. The warmed water then evaporates into the atmosphere, leaving behind a cooler 5/28/12

HOT AND HUMID CLIMATE

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HOT AND HUMID CLIMATE Plant barriers

In the case of warm and humid microclimates, where the greater part of the year requires protection from excessive solar radiation and at the same time the passage of air, vegetation may be used like a parasol; as in the case of palm trees, whose perennial leaves are able to block solar radiation, but whose tall trunks will easily allow unimpeded ventilation.

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The usefulness of vegetation, along with its various aesthetic benefits in the urban landscape, is that trees and other plants represent a natural protective element against solar radiation as well as wind control.