Making Sustainable Impact with Existing Buildings

Sustainability in built environment is an important agenda. It is now no longer a healthy trend but an obligation to future generation. For new buildings, sustainable ideas can easily be addressed as early as in the design stage. Simulating the performance of buildings before construction has been proven contributing further to attaining best sustainable solution. However, for existing buildings, sustainability has to be carefully treaded as any upgrading made may have adverse impact to existing structures and envelopes of the buildings. The existing buildings present greater challenge to sustainability as their ratios are much higher than new buildings. This paper shares innovative and novel ideas on finding new materials within reach locally that can easily be applied without major changes to the existing buildings. All attempts are with specific interest on providing good thermal performance and human comfort of existing buildings thus reducing need for mechanical cooling with conscious effort towards energy saving, low carbon emission and mitigating UHI. Three different studies are discussed. Each tries to reduce indoor air temperature with its own novel solution but yet interestingly straightforward, friendly application and economical. It is hoped that they can show that caring for existing buildings is also matter to us as we seek comprehensive solution in achieving sustainable natural environment and built form