Abstract
This case study on urban heat island effects report will focus on an innovative design concept on how to reduce urban heat island effect using eco friendly concept for building and design. This project encapsulates the concept of earthen clay cones as cooling system. In urban heat islands during summer heat, the climate is sub-tropical-arid with hot summers and warm winters. For example, the hottest months are July and August, when average maximum temperatures reach above 45 degree Celsius on the coastal plain. The case study report of Doha, Qatar is structured on a number of strategic choices aiming to be a functional facility through a sustainable design vision. The site plan is defined by the main attraction of shade using cylindrical clay cones- placed next to each other to capture hot air and convert it to cool air. Attention is given to the layout of the clay cones along with a water pipe which throws water captured from rainwater harvesting or ground water on the surface of the pipes to cool the surrounding air. The water that falls down will be collected at a space in the ground and reused. The space will provide for a cool shaded area with a rich canopy of different varieties of palm trees, hibiscus, plumeria, bougainvillea and other species native to the country of origin, among other vegetation. This will instill an overall sense of community while offering shaded areas and panoramic points of view. Centrally positioned, earthen cones will allow for an ultra- low maintenance, sustainable, and inexpensive alternative as using the porous terracotta as heat exchange medium tapping on to cooling the properties of water, converting the hot air from the summer heat into a pleasant breeze. A handful of benches in the green area is used for meditation and quiet gatherings. Emphasis is put on the building materials like lighter colored materials and surfaces which should be permeable, as while wet, a permeable paving system of interlocking concrete blocks performs cooling better than impermeable surfaces. Equally important is the application of sustainable applications, i.e. , passive cooling through water and cool air passing through the pipes, cross ventilation by solar powered fans. Semicircular waterfalls are located at one end of the site, accessible through the pedestrian area at the entry of the site. Earthen clay cones installation is an exciting opportunity to implement new building standards in Doha, Qatar, a design while reflecting the modernization of the country can be considerate and respectful of its own traditions and heritage.
