Jigzoe: integrated cartoon animation studio institution in Ipoh, Perak

Cartoon and animation are universal, effective and entertaining tools used in conveying messages. They are being used worldwide and its industry has been growing rapidly. For many years, cartoon and animation encounter many issues regarding their approaches, methods and impacts. Four main issues have been identified to affect this industry, namely stigma (social), misuse (ethical), lost identity (cultural) and downfall industry (economic)

Effects of roof insulation on the thermal conditions of a medium scaled tropical enclosed giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) hatchery

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of roof thermal insulation on the indoor thermal environment of an existing enclosed giant freshwater prawn hatchery in relation to human thermal comfort and the thermal requirement for optimal larval growth. A typical medium scaled enclosed hatchery in Ipoh, Malaysia was chosen for this study. Thermal performances of five thermal insulation materials installed on the roof of the building were studied using Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES) Virtual Environment software. Results showed no significant differences for indoor air temperatures reduction among the insulation materials. However, the installation of roof insulation gave a cooler indoor thermal environment and provided a suitable water temperature/ improved water thermal condition for the prawn larviculture. The study also suggested the aluminium foil was the best insulation for the partially transparent roof of the building

Renewable energy policy and initiatives in Malaysia

Energy has always been an essential element for the generation of social and economic growth in a country. It is no longer viewed as a luxury as it used to be but it has become a necessity in our everyday life. Malaysia, a country located between 1° and 7° North of the Equator, has an abundance of renewable energy resources such as solar, wind, hydro and biomass but most of these renewable energy resources are not fully exploited. Presently, Malaysia is still very much dependent on fossil fuels as its primary source of energy. Due to the current upward trend of fuel prices, especially crude oil prices in the world market, the Malaysian Government is forced to look into other alternative energy sources with the emphasis on renewable energy. There are numerous efforts taken by the Malaysian Government in pursuit of the exploitation of renewable energy. This paper will discuss the five main initiatives taken by the Malaysian government on renewable energy, namely Renewable Energy as the 5th Fuel under the 8th and 9th Malaysian Plan, MS1525 or Energy Efficiency in Commercial Buildings, the Kyoto Protocol, the Malaysian Building Integrated Photovoltaic Programme, also known as MBIPV, and Biomass

The perception of cooling roofs among professionals in Iran

A large amount of energy in Iran is currently being consumed for heating and cooling purposes in buildings. Since building rooftop surfaces absorb most of the solar radiation, green roofs are among the solutions recommended by scholars. This study utilizes a survey amongst a targeted sample population of 40 built environment professionals to determine their perception on the use of green roof for environmental cooling purposes. They believed that green roofs could improve the ecology and the biodiversity of an urban area. Green rooftops are also believed to have the capability to reduce air pollution and urban heat island, and help reduce solar radiation and energy consumption in Iranian cities. The best choices for implementation include flat asphalt, flat concrete, and flat tile roofs. The study recommends further study on developing a green rooftop policy for Iran that would improve the quality of life for people living in cities of Iran

Application of vernacular architectural ideas in New Saffein Village of Kish Island

The vernacular architecture of Iran is a result of a long time process of both social and cultural developments which have expanded all over the country. The hot and humid region of Iran is situated in a long and thin coastal strip on the northern side of the Persian Gulf. Kish Island, with more than 1000 years of history, is located in this region with the same social and climatic factors. Kish was selected as the first Free Tourist Zone of the country in 1971. Following this, Masheh, the most flourishing village on the Island at that time, was relocated in an area adjacent to Old Saffein village, on the north-west coast. This new village is called New Saffein. It has a mixture of traditional and modern architecture. This study sought to emphasize the architectural concepts and ideas which are applied in the houses of New Saffein. The study also reviewed the background of the island in field of vernacular architecture through documental and observational studies. It also investigated the architecture of New Saffein in Kish as a case study in comparison with the vernacular architecture in Old Saffein. It will review the design and construction processes of the houses in New Saffein in relation to the traditional methods used in Kish Island. The article finally attempts to analyse the application of vernacular knowledge in designing New Saffein village to find strategies for guiding the process of developing contemporary housing appropriate for Kish Island and other similar places

Significance of community in Malaysian Higher Educational Institutions sustainability

Since the beginning of environmental movement, academicians and policy makers have been focusing on the institutions of higher learning. The first document on campus sustainability, the Talloires Declaration, which was ratified by 413 universities, including University Malaya, addressed the concept of community aspect of Higher Educational Institutions (HEI) sustainability. This article is a position paper with the objective to highlight the importance of community in the sustainability of Malaysian Higher Learning Institutions (MHLE). In carrying out this study, the archival and document analysis method was employed, whereby different scholars’ articles, dissertations, and tools were reviewed. Further validation of the findings was accomplished by employing the questionnaire survey method. Various documents were analysed thoroughly to figure out how the issue of community and the effects on campus sustainability were addressed. Besides a literature review, observation and interview were also utilized to figure out the challenges faced by Malaysian Higher Educational Institutions. The results indicated that community and campus sustainability have a linear relationship. In the context of MHEI, ethnical polarization, poor command of English and imbalance distribution of gender are the challenges. Likewise, the community is one of the most important aspects and is given high priority. Thus, the findings of this study could serve as a reference for researchers, institutions, and universities that are working on topics related to sustainability in higher educatio

Thermal comfort investigation in traditional and modern urban canyons in Bandar Abbas, Iran

Urban design plays an important role in a city’s daily life. Therefore, accessibility to thermal comfort spaces for citizens engaged in urban outdoor activities could be one of the main goals of urban designers. Urban forms and canyons have important roles in microclimate and thermal comfort situation in outdoor spaces. The hot humid climate of Bandar Abbas, especially in long summers, causes thermal stress for urban activities. In this study, two different urban fabrics were investigated using thermal comfort and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods. Eight provisional measuring points in the selected prevailing canyons were used to obtain the data. The results correlated with the effects of the urban canyon orientation to variation of the microclimate factors, and consequently, the thermal comfort situation in the hottest period of the year. In addition, the results also indicated that the traditional urban fabric is more thermally comfortable than the new residential urban fabric. According to field measurements, thermal comfort calculation and wind simulations, the canyons with the north-south direction present a better orientation for air circulation benefiting from the sea breezes as compared to the other canyon orientations. Hence, this study provides insights for urban designers and policy makers residing in the hot and humid climate in the Middle East

A study on energy (thermal) efficient aquaculture buildings for recirculating tank system / Sabarinah Sh Ahmad, Mohd Salleh Kamaruddin and Elias Salleh

Malaysia plans to increase in its annual aquaculture production to 662,000 tons by year 2015 from the current 200,000 tons. Almost all of these culture systems release untreated effluents and wastes directly into the natural bodies especially coastal waters. This practice has resulted in many environmental problems. It has also affected the quality of culture water especially among the shrimp and marine fish (cage) farmers as the aquaculture effluents accumulated over the years deteriorate the quality of the surrounding waters which is the source of water input. An FAO study shows that upto 79% dietary N and 85% dietary P inputs in a fish cage culture system are lost into the surrounding waters. To sustain a healthy and environmental friendly aquaculture development in Malaysia, intensive recirculating tank systems have to be used. These systems are expected to become increasingly important especially in freshwater aquaculture where the industry has to compete for limited water resource with other agricultural activities, industrial and domestic users. The Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries (MoA) have started pilot projects in Kedah, Sarawak and Selangor. At present, all recirculating tank systems have to be housed in enclosed buildings. These buildings are designed for temperate and cold climates with its main concern to ward off cold temperature from entering the building while maintaining the inside warm temperature. Buildings designed for temperate and cold climates are not suitable for tropical environments and are thermally uncomfortable (and may become too hot if kept enclosed) for Malaysians. The proposed study is undertaken: a. to measure the environmental conditions of selected buildings that house recirculating tank Systems b. to develop suitable designs for aquaculture buildings for tropical environments. No such study has been done for the hot humid tropical climate and very few studies have been conducted on the designs of the aquaculture buildings for the temperate and cold condition

Observations of sustainability practices in Malaysian research universities: highlighting particular strengths

Although Sustainable Higher Education (SHE) is a very important issue in Malaysia, there have not been any comprehensive studies related to the current public Higher Education initiatives and efforts in sustainability. It is a relevant issue which merits a proper study to evaluate both the strengths and deficiencies of the local universities in terms of sustainability. Thus, to carry out this objective, an exploratory method was conducted by reviewing archival data, observation, interviews, as well as short and long conversations with both the staff and students of the four selected Malaysian research universities. The observation, interviews and conversations have validated the archival research. The results indicated that Malaysian research universities have already recognized the concept of SHE and embarked into the sustainability movement. However, there still remains a big gap towards achieving the idealistic goals. The findings would throw some insights into the existing policies and initiatives of SHE which could serve as a reference and preliminary study to improve the current situation