The effect of landscaping on the thermal performance of housing

Abstract

The heat island effect influences most of the major cities around the world. This urban phenomenon occurs because air temperatures in densely built urban areas are higher than the temperatures of the surrounding rural countryside. In tropical cities, the exterior environment is already extremely warm due to high air temperatures, especially during dry seasons. However careful planning and development of exterior spaces can reduce the adverse impact of these temperatures. This paper investigates the effect of landscaping on the thermal performance of housing in a hot-humid tropical climate. The climatic parameters, physical characteristics of building construction, and landscape design of three private houses in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia were measured and surveyed. The study focuses on the potential impact of shade trees and different types of foliage on the thermal performance of houses of different ages. Sets of instrument were placed in several outdoor and indoor locations around the houses. Result show that the outdoor air temperatures of the well-landscaped houses were usually lower compared to the minimally-landscaped house. The main findings show that well-designed landscaping around single-family houses could potentially reduce heat build-up by shading, evapotranspiration, and wind channelling by as much as 3°C.