Menara PjH, Lot 2c2 group report.

1. 1
(Author, 2014)
Menara Putrajaya Holdings (Lot 2C2)
Design architect
Cox Architect
Consultant architect
Jafri Merican Architects
Client
Putrajaya Holdings Sdn Bhd
Builder
Putra Perdana Construction Sdn Bhd
Consultants
Kemasepakat Sdn Bhd, Meinhardt Façade Technology (S) Pte Ltd, Norman Disney Young Sdn
Bhd
Building introduction
 Location Lot 2C2, Precinct 2, 62100, W.P. Putrajaya
 Start date: 28 January 2010
Completion date: 30 June 2012
 12 Storey Office Tower
 4 Storey Podium Office + 2 Level Basement Carpark

2. 2
Map of Putrajaya Precincts [Map]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.lcct.com.my/help/faqs/how-to-go-to-putrajaya-from-
lcct
Situated linearly along the waterway, Precinct1 to Precinct 5 serves as the Core Area defining the
identity of Putrajaya, the federal administration centre for Malaysia. According to (Jafri Merican
Architect, 2009), Lot 2C2 originally got its name from the abbreviation Precinct 2, commercial
building, parcel 2. Being 25 kilometers South to Kuala Lumpur, it is an office building with a garden
by the side, locating next to a waterfront sited at Precinct 2 Putrajaya. Built on a slope, Lot 2C2 has
a high foyer space connecting two main building parts while functions as a main circulation path for
the building.

3. 3
Primary views
Secondary views
(Author, 2014)
Putrajaya Seri Wawasan Bridge
(Author, 2014)
Putra Mosque
Primary view
Secondary view
(Author, 2014)
Ministry of Finance building
(Author, 2014)
National Space Agency building

4. 4
Site Map of Lot 2C2
Floor plans
LEVEL 1: Level of the main front entrance
LEVEL 3: Office floor level
A
B B
A

5. 5
LEVEL 4: Roofs of the 4 stories office podium
LEVEL 12: Level containing the rain water tanks
ROOF PLAN: Roof designed for rainwater harvesting

6. 6
Sections
Section A-A
Section B-B
Passive design features
1. Building envelope- Sun shading louvers
2. Building orientation
 Building form
 Solar
 Wind

7. 7
Certifications
1. PAM Awards 2013 Silver (Category 11: Commercial – High rise office)
2. Green Building Index Gold
Green features:-
Solar renewable energy
Grey water recycling system
Light colored interior surfaces
with appropriate office layouts
Multiple shading building
envelope design
Natural ventilation
Rain water harvesting
Optimal building orientation
Site layout to reduce vehicles
carbon emissions

8. 8
 Optimal building orientation
 Multiple shading building envelope design
 Site layout to reduce vehicles carbon emissions
 Natural ventilation
 Rain water harvesting
 Grey water recycling system

9. 9
 Light colored interior surfaces with appropriate office layouts
 Solar renewable energy

10. 10
Putrajaya, Malaysia’s Climate
The graph displaying the temperature varies throughout the year and as an obvious point of
metric system for the building to consider regarding its passive heating and cooling design.
Malaysia being in the tropical rainforest climate, having the average temperature ranges
between 24 degree Celsius and 32 degree Celsius. With an eight degree Celsius differences
between the maximum and minimum temperatures.
The average amount of sunshine hours mostly depends on the monsoon season which
determined the amount of rainfall annually. For Malaysia, the average hour of sunshine is 8
hours.
34 35 35 35 36 35 34 35 35 35 34 35
30 31 32 33 32 32 31 31 31 32 32 31
25 25 25
23
26 26 26 26 26
24 24 25
23 23
21 22 23
21 22 22 23 23 23 22
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40 Temperatures: Average and Extreme
Absolute Max Average Max Average Min Absolute Min
6
8
7
8
8
8
8
8
8
7
6
6
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
SUNSHINE HOURS IN PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA
Hours
Source: http://www.myweather2.com/City-Town/Malaysia/Putrajaya/climate-profile.aspx
Source: http://www.holiday-weather.com/kuala_lumpur/averages/#chart-humidity

11. 11
The rainfall each year ranges from 1500 mm to 3000 mm depending on the location. The
months with the most rainfall in Putrajaya are from November to February, which is during
the Northeast Monsoon season. As from May to September, the amount of rainfall declines
due to the Southwest Monsoon season.
The level of humidity is similar for both Malaysia and Singapore, where in the morning hours,
the humidity percentage are high and then it began to drop as it reaches the afternoon but
continues to hike once the sun begins to set. For Malaysia, the average humidity level is
79.5% which is lower compared to Singapore.
230
200
260
240
190
160
150
160
200
280
290
250
AVERAGE RAINFALL
mm
78
76
77
80
79
78
78
78
79
81
83
81
HUMIDITY
Percentage
Source: http://www.holiday-weather.com/kuala_lumpur/averages/#chart-humidity
Source: http://www.holiday-weather.com/kuala_lumpur/averages/#chart-humidity

12. 12
In Putrajaya, the wind speed is relatively low as to compare with the site in Singapore. The
maximum wind speed in Putrajaya is 74km/h which is comparatively high when measured
with the other months.
The range for the average wind speed in Putrajaya is 2m/s to 3.6m/s which falls on 2 in the
Beaufort Scale, which the strength are desired as it does not cause irritant to the human yet
able to allow ventilation.
11 12 8 5 7 8 9 9 8 7 6 10
39 37
37 43 37
74
43
35 31
50
35
43
WIND SPEED [KM/H]
Average Maximum
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Year
round
Wind
direction
SSW SSW SSW NNE NNW NNW NNW NNW NNW ESE SE SSW NNE
Average
Wind speed
(m/s)
2.6 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.6 3.1 3.1 2.6 2.6 2 2.6 2.6
Average Air
temperature
(°C)
29 30 29 30 30 30 29 29 29 29 29 29 29
Source: http://www.myweather2.com/City-Town/Malaysia/Putrajaya/climate-profile.aspx

13. 13
Thermal comfort
The thermal comfort range for Malaysia is 22 to 32 degree Celcius for temperature and 70%
to 80% for relative humidity.
Source: http://www.windfinder.com/windstatistics/morib_kuala_lumpur?fspot=putrajaya_lake

14. 14
Passive feature 1: Building Orientation and Form
Image source: (http://www.world-architects.com/en/projects/41019_Putrajaya_Lot_2C2)

15. 15
Below shows the effect of building form on environmental control strategies.
Figure 1.1
( Stein, B., Reynolds, J., & McGuinness, W. J. (1992). Mechanical and electrical equipment for buildings. New York: J. Wiley &
Sons.)
a) Solar Analysis
Figure 1.2
Menara PjH Lot 2C2 office building is built up in thin combo building design. As compared to
a thick building which requires more artificial lighting, thinner building allows most of its
interior spaces to be exposed to daylighting especially in the core of the block. This is
because spaces in thin combo building are closer to its outer shell. The usage of the shading
devices as part of the control systems to allow appropriate amount of sunlight and heat gain
to ensure thermal comfort can also be seen in Menara PjH.
THIN COMBO BUILDING
Daylighting Ventilation
Complete daylighting
for most spaces
Natural ventilation is
easily accomplished

16. 16
Figure 1.3
The longer sides of Lot 2C2 building which is the A tower is positioned between east and
west. East and west direction is the most critical position where the sun has maximum
exposure to the tower. Therefore, the solution is to corporate sun shading devices on the
façades. Even so, this taller A tower provides shading for the lower B,C,D office podiums
especially during the afternoon while still allowing certain amount of natural sunlight to
penetrate through the entire building.
Figure 1.4
Besides that, there are three parts of the building which are extended towards east. These 3
office podiums provide shading to each other and the pedestrian areas in the between the
blocks when the sun faces west as shown in the diagram.
A
B
C
D

17. 17
b) Wind Analysis
Figure 1.5
According to the wind rose diagram, the overall wind direction comes from every direction,
there is not one point where wind is not received. In order to obtain maximum wind
exposure, the direction to face is the South-southeast direction, where there is a 9% of wind
distributed annually. Direction where wind is least obtainable would be the North and East-
southeast direction which just 3% from each direction.

18. 18
Figure 1.6
With wind coming from all direction at any possible period, the architect has to coordinate
the building in an orientation that serves the wind while providing proper ventilation to host
the user. Constructing a building form of a ‘W’ allows air to be deflected along its current, a
passive way of forcing the wind in motion, to provide a cooling effect for the occupants,
exterior wise, based on Figure 1.6. This provides thermal comfort in the outdoor for the users
and indirectly encourages the user to walk to surrounding places instead of using a vehicle
which is not an environmental alternative.
Using the wind rose diagram, forming the connection between the winds distributed from the
South-southeast and Northeast direction and the building form, optimum air can be
manipulated to cool down the building. Warm air could be replaced by cooler air. The lake
next to the site also could be used to cool down the warmer breeze during hot days.
Next, the supply of outdoor air that flow through building from the left structure (shown by the
black arrow) allows hot air and cool air to interchange, creating a circulation of air flow within
the structure. According to (Yeang, 1996), when internal wind speed has improved, the rate
of fresh air in structure improved for micro-climate cooling and healthier internal
environment.
Cool air
Warm air
South-southeast wind
Northeast wind

19. 19
Due to form of the building in a shape of “W”, the building form is thinner and ventilation is
achieved easily. On the other hand, if the form of structure is a singular block, it would be
harder to ventilate the building as there would be too many partitions among the interior
space obstructing the air ventilation.
Heat from the building can also be transferred easily outwards with the separated blocks
form. Moreover, due to the building form, more wind could be brought into the spaces
between the blocks allowing more heat to be taken away compared to a single block building
and thus interior heat could be taken away by the wind in a faster rate.
Figure 1.7
When constructing a lower structure in front of a taller building, the wind force’s impact on
the taller building would be much reduced, enhancing stability of the structure from the wind
load. Analysis from the wind speed has shown that the maximum wind speed could range up
to 74km/h and there are not many tall buildings adjacent around Menara PjH to share and
minimize the impact. Hence this step is taken as a precaution of firmness in a passive way.
Impact of the foundation is also minimized, creating lesser stress towards the earth since the
live load has been decreased.

20. 20
According to the temperature chart of Putrajaya, the average minimum temperature is 25
degree Celcius while the average maximum temperature is 35 degree Celcius. With building
being built out of high thermal mass materials such as concrete, the 10 degree Celcius
difference between the day and night might not be able to remove much stored daytime heat
during the night time. Therefore a thermally light building should be considered. With Menara
PjH Lot 2C2 being built using high amounts of glass and metals for the exteriors, combining
the thin combo form with separated blocks, the building has lower thermal mass. This allows
much heat to be removed at night.
Based on the study by (Kwok & Grondzik, 2009, p. 105), high humidity may be avoided only
by sealing and air conditioning buildings. As seen from the humidity graph in page 11, the
average humidity in Putrajaya is 79.5% while the thermal comfort level for humidity in Kuala
Lumpur is averagely 75%. Besides according to MS1525 (2007), the recommended relative
humidity is from 75% to 70%. This explains why Menara PjH is fully sealed in order to avoid
high humidity in interior spaces causing thermally discomfort.
In MS1525 (2007), the long directional axis of buildings facing North-South is the best
orientation for a building in which the structure is orientated to minimize the east-west
orientation. This is useful for a structure built in a climatic zone near the equator. But in the
case of Menara PjH, the taller office tower is orientated 20 degrees towards the Northwest,
with the longitudinal elevations facing east-west while the lower office podiums conform to
the orientation guide in MS1525 (2007) with the longer facades facing North-South. Due to
the orientation of the office tower, thus many shading devices are installed on it.
As a conclusion, with a thin combo building, complete daylighting for most spaces and
natural ventilation could be easily proficient (Brown & DeKay, 2001, p. 45).

21. 21
Passive features 2: Building Envelope- Exterior Shading Systems
g
Image source: Rupajiwa Studio, 2013

22. 22
The facades of Menara PjH (Lot 2C2) consisted mostly of glass making it very prone to high
solar heat gain in a tropical country like Malaysia. Therefore sun shading designs are
needed in order to minimize the heat gain. In this case, high amount of external shading
devices are used in Menara PjH because it is the most thermally efficient as external
shading blocked out the solar energy before it enters the building as shown in Figure 2.1
below.
Figure 2.1 Analysis on interior and exterior shading
Baker, N. (2014). Solar controls and shading [Figure]. Retrieved from
http://www.architecture.com/SustainabilityHub/Designstrategies/Fire/1-4-1-6-
Solarcontrolsandshading.aspx

23. 23
a) Vertical sun shading louvers
The red bold lines in Figure 2.2 are where the vertical sun shading louvres are placed on the
12 storeys office building as can be seen in the picture above.
NorthEast
20˚ West to SouthWest
SouthEast
Figure 2.2 Placement of vertical sun shading louvers

24. 24
The ratio, R2 (width of vertical projection/ Length of window) is 0.5 for Menara PjH.
Shading coefficients for vertical projections
According to the table in the Malaysian Standard: 1525 for non-residential buildings, vertical
louvres facing Northeast/Southeast orientation will have a 0.77 coefficient, which is the
lowest in the 0.5 – 0.7 ratio, R2 category. Meanwhile the Southwest façade has a coefficient
of 0.79.
In hot climate, a lower shading coefficient is more suitable because more sunlight and solar
heat can be prevented from entering the building.
Figure 2.3 Elevation of building with vertical sun shading louvres
Width of louvres
Length of
window
Table 2.1

25. 25
Advantages:
 The vertical louvers can be pre-fixed to the most optimum angle according to the
sun’s position.
 The vertical louvers used by Menara PjH have a gap in between the louvers and the
glass walls. While the louvers act as a barrier between the radiant heat from the sun
and the reflective glass, the air in the gap acts as a medium for heat convection from
the louvers to the glass. Because of this, the air in the space is heated in the present
of the sun.
Surrounding air enters the gap and circulates in the spaces between the vertical
louvers and the glass surface allowing the hot air in the space to be removed.
Besides, heat from the building also transferred outwards and cool down by the
circulating air in the gap. This combination of reflective glass and the vertical louvers
as the envelope design produces a passive cooling system for the building (The
Ambler | Passive Cooling, 2009).
 Allows daylight to penetrate the building and reduce electricity needed for lighting.
Disadvantage:
 Views are obstructed
Surrounding Air Warm Air Removed
Gap
Heat from Building
Figure 2.4 Diagram of air circulation in vertical louvers

26. 26
b) Horizontal overhangs
The green bold lines in Figure 2.5 represent the horizontal overhangs located at the 4
storeys office podiums. There are 4 Northeast/ Southeast facades, 3 Northwest facing
facades, and 2 East facades.
SE
NE
NW
E
E
NW
SE
SE
NW
Figure 2.5 Placement of horizontal overhangs

27. 27
Shading coefficients for horizontal projections
According to Table 2.2 above, the Northeast/ Southeast facing horizontal projections with the
ratio, R1 0.5- 0.7 has a shading coefficient of 0.69. For the overhangs facing East has the
lowest of all, which is 0.68 and for the Northwest facing overhangs is 0.72.
3pm Vernal Equinox [21 March]
Table 2.2

28. 28
3pm Summer solstices [22 June]
3pm Autumn Equinox [23 September]
3pm Winter Solstice [22 December]

29. 29
Due to the Northwest facades having the highest shading coefficient, therefore extra shading
devices are added at the Northwest façade (red circle). It is also the only facade that is
exposed to the sun the most in the afternoon.
Advantages:
 Allows 100% ventilation when windows are opened
 Views are not obstructed by any louvers
 Enables daylighting inside the building
 Reduce sun glare which is suitable for office work
Disadvantages:
 Exterior views being disrupted
Figure 2.6 Horizontal louvers added at the Northwest façade
View
Sunlight
Ventilation

30. 30
References
Baker, N. (2014). Solar controls and shading [Figure]. Retrieved from
http://www.architecture.com/SustainabilityHub/Designstrategies/Fire/1-4-1-6-
Solarcontrolsandshading.aspx
Brown, G. Z., & DeKay, M. (2001). Sun, wind & light: Architectural design
strategies(2nd ed.). NewYork: Wiley.
Building orientation. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.architecture.com/SustainabilityHub/Designstrategies/Earth/1-1-3-2
Buildingorientation.aspx
Jafri Merican Architect (2010, July 26). Jafri Merican Architect: 2C2 Green Office Building,
Putrajaya [Web log post]. Retrieved from
http://jafrimericanarchitect.blogspot.com/2010/07/2c2-green-office-building-
putrajaya.html
Kwok, A. G., & Grondzik, W. (2009). Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings,
Eleventh Edition. John Wiley & Sons.
Maartje :: Sustainable Systems & Designs. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.ics.ele.tue.nl/~akash/maartje/getSystemDetail.php?ID=203
Map of Putrajaya Precincts [Map]. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.lcct.com.my/help/faqs/how-to-go-to-putrajaya-from-lcct
Rupajiwa Studio (2013, February 22). Menara PjH [Photography]. Retrieved from
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151328525872424&set=a.10151328525
332424.463404.139599347423&type=3&theater
Stein, B., Reynolds, J., & McGuinness, W. J. (1992). Mechanical and electrical equipment
for buildings. New York: J. Wiley & Sons.
The Ambler | Passive Cooling, A Resort Trend at Work On Isla Palenque | Amble Resorts.
(2009).Retrieved from http://amble.com/ambler/2009/08/press release-ambles
new-panama-resort-taps-trend-in-passive-cooling/
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (2007). Malaysian Standard MS 1525:2007.
Department of Standards Malaysia.

31. 31
Yeang, K. (1996). The skyscraper bioclimatically considered: A design primer. London:
Academy