Discovering the Axial Lines of Bunus River as a Social Network in Kampong Bharu using Space Syntax Analysis

The global trend in modern development often fails to appreciate and damages the natural beauty of old rivers in central city districts. This issue is observed in the case of the Bunus River, which once served as the main transportation route for early settlements in Kampong Bharu – a traditional village located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur city center. Despite its 9.2-kilometer length, the Bunus River is currently underutilized, unexploited, and lacks a sense of place. It has been covered with a pathway and used as a cycling track for city residents due to heavy pollution and significant floods in 2007 and 2011. However, the inefficient design of the pathway has left the river buried and unnoticed by most residents in the area. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the Axial Lines of the Bunus River as a social network in Kampong Bharu, utilizing Space Syntax analysis. The research method for this study employed mixed methods, focusing on the Bunus River in Kampong Bharu as the case study. Observational research was carried out along the Bunus Pathway. The data was analyzed through Space Syntax Axial Line analysis to test the axis of the river. The findings of this study revealed that optimizing the axis of the river could direct much more active movement into the area. Consequently, it is concluded that the Bunus River should be integrated into the design of the cycling tracks and pedestrian paths that span over it, thus improving the connectivity of the pedestrian and social network in Kampong Bharu as a whole

Acoustical investigation of open-plan offices in green building: Simulation experiment

The authors have previously reported on the measurement results from the investigation and evaluation done on the acoustical performance of open-plan offices in green buildings in Malaysia. This research uses the results from field measurements for verification on the optimum modeling process for two existing open-plan office in term of calculation time and accuracy of the simulation. Two models of open-plan office layout were constructed in four different level of model detailing utilizing 3D modeling tool. Using ODEON Room Acoustic Simulation Software, the authors examined the effects of the geometrical properties to identify the appropriate model setting for further simulation process. The simulated results of two acoustical parameters; reverberation time (RT) and speech transmission index (STI) for each model setup are then compared between each other, and further compared with field measurement results. The study concludes that the modeling process in term of number of surfaces is affecting the acoustical parameters. The discrepancy of simulated RT and STI data between model setup will be discussed

Measurement of the acoustical performance of traditional vernacular mosques in Malaysia

Mosques are worship places used for activities performed by Muslim e.g. prayer, speech and Quran recitations. All activities in the mosques are important acoustical interests for satisfactory speech intelligibility i.e. verbal communication. Unfortunately, recent architectural styles or restoration works were given very little attention about acoustical considerations. In this research, the acoustical performance of five selected traditional vernacular mosques in Malaysia, built between 1728 - 1830, have been investigated as a preliminary study. The acoustic parameters such as reverberation time (RT), clarity (C50) and speech transmission index (ST!) were measured. Measurement of the influence of the operating facilities in the mosques on their acoustic quality was also carried out. The PC-based measuring system (dBBati32) with sound level meter (OldB Solo Metravib) as analyzer was utilized. Data collected reveals initial findings that the operating facilities in the mosques resulting higher rating of noise criteria which is reducing the performance of speech intelligibility

Acoustical design strategies for open-plan workstations in green office buildings / Nurul Amira Abd Jalil

Although it was well established that acoustic is a significant environmental stressor, it was often overlooked as an environmental element in office design. Being a quarter part of indoor environmental quality (IEQ), the introduction of green building movement was anticipated to bring improvement to all aspects of the IEQ including acoustics. Unfortunately, it did not seem to be the case. At present, office is the most prominent type of workplaces, and open-plan office is the most favourable type of offices. Acoustic quality in offices is essential as people spend most of their waking hours in the office. Good acoustic quality is achievable through design measures which consciously complement the acoustical environment. With regards to green office buildings in Malaysia, there is a gap in knowledge where this area of study has yet to be explored. Hence, before any proposal of acoustical design measures can be made, understanding of the underlying acoustic conditions in open-plan offices in green office buildings in Malaysia is essential. Therefore, the first two objectives of this study are to evaluate the level of acoustic quality in selected open-plan offices and identify the green design elements that influence the acoustic quality in those same open-plan offices. Understanding the basic acoustic and design conditions would assist in the investigation of suitable alternatives of design strategies and variables, and the formulation of design measures that need to be taken to achieve acoustically comfortable open-plan offices. This study was done using the combination of case study through site visits, observations, and field measurement; as well as computer modelling and acoustic simulation on experimental open-plan office layouts. Data findings revealed that internal design elements such as partitions between workstations and the layout arrangements play a significant role in achieving speech privacy in open-plan offices. However, design measures should not be limited to internal design strategies alone as attention towards other design factors such the room geometry and consideration of all relevant acoustic parameters could help in attaining acoustically comfortable open-plan offices

Measurement of the acoustical performance of traditional vernacular mosques in Malaysia

Mosques are worship places used for activities performed by Muslim e.g. prayer, speech and Quran recitations. All activities in the mosques are important acoustical interests for satisfactory speech intelligibility i.e. verbal communication. Unfortunately, recent architectural styles or restoration works were given very little attention about acoustical considerations. In this research, the acoustical performance of five selected traditional vernacular mosques in Malaysia, built between 1728 – 1830, have been investigated as a preliminary study. The acoustic parameters such as reverberation time (RT), clarity (C50) and speech transmission index (STI) were measured. Measurement of the influence of the operating facilities in the mosques on their acoustic quality was also carried out. The PC-based measuring system (dBBati32) with sound level meter (01dB Solo Metravib) as analyzer was utilized. Data collected reveals initial findings that the operating facilities in the mosques resulting higher rating of noise criteria which is reducing the performance of speech intelligibility

Effect of model simplification through manual reduction in number of surfaces on room acoustics simulation

Model simplification is an important step in room modelling for acoustics simulation. Various simplification algorithms were previously suggested. However, they are highly demanding methods, which are more suitable for large complicated spaces. As this paper focused on small size open-plan office (OPO) spaces, basic modelling and manual simplification processes were used. The aim is to find the optimum level of model simplification through a manual reduction in number of surfaces. Parallel to this aim, the objective is to examine the effects of the change in model detail level on selected acoustical parameters in six OPOs. Construction of models started with the most detailed model. Simplified models were developed by gradually reducing the number of surfaces. Simulation on RT, STI and decay in SPL were done and compared to the measured data. The study found that models with up to 80% reduction in number of surfaces can still produce plausible simulation results. © 2019, University of Malaya. All rights reserved

Investigation of the Effectiveness of the Chancel Availability and Geometry of Four Traditional Churches in Malaysia: Simulation Experiment

Two significant spaces define the soundscape of worship in a church: chancel and nave. The chancel is a space with the primary function of a sound source, where the preachers and choir are often seated during church services. Church design and layout have changed throughout history based on the functional needs of its target congregation. Some modern churches have omitted the chancel to fit contemporary design aesthetics. The main aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the chancel and the acoustics performance of a church. Four churches with varying geometries of circular, polygonal, and rectangular chancels were selected for this study. Two simulations of varying chancel characteristics of chancel availability and chancel geometry were conducted. The recorded speech intelligibility index (STI) and reverberation time (RT) results indicate that chancel availability and geometry significantly affect churches’ acoustic performance. The simulation of the chancel availability mainly affected speech intelligibility, where the models with chancels recorded a higher STI than the models without chancels. In terms of chancel geometry, the results of the STI of the circular chancels were more encouraging than the polygonal and rectangular chancels

Thermal and acoustic environmental requirements for green buildings in Malaysia

Passive design concepts as a strategy for achieving energy efficiency as well as optimum indoor thermal comfort in workspaces are being increasingly applied with the increased awareness of Green Buildings. The challenging task for the building designers in the hot-humid tropics is the provision of indoor thermal comfort for the occupants of the building while reducing energy consumption in the office spaces. Acoustic quality is also an important element in ensuring a healthy working environment. One of the aims of a green building is to minimise its impact on health and performance of the occupants of the building. This has been emphasized in most green building rating systems under requirements for Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), highlighting the four main points for achieving an improved indoor environment, viz., indoor air quality, acoustics, visual comfort (lighting) and thermal comfort. Although acoustics was mentioned in the IEQ criteria, according to previous surveys and studies acoustic quality in green buildings are not improving. Acoustics performance is bound to be relegated unless it is considered early in design stage. This paper makes an attempt at how green building design strategies contribute to the degradation of acoustical environment in green office buildings. The design strategies implemented to cater for green building requirements such as provision of natural ventilation, daylight, reduction of finishes and office layout leads to an unintended decrease in the acoustical quality. This needs to be addressed and corrected by the building professionals

Thermal and acoustic environmental requirements for green buildings in Malaysia

Passive design concepts as a strategy for achieving energy efficiency as well as optimum indoor thermal comfort in workspaces are being increasingly applied with the increased awareness of Green Buildings. The challenging task for the building designers in the hot-humid tropics is the provision of indoor thermal comfort for the occupants of the building while reducing energy consumption in the office spaces. Acoustic quality is also an important element in ensuring a healthy working environment. One of the aims of a green building is to minimise its impact on health and performance of the occupants of the building. This has been emphasized in most green building rating systems under requirements for Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), highlighting the four main points for achieving an improved indoor environment, viz., indoor air quality, acoustics, visual comfort (lighting) and thermal comfort. Although acoustics was mentioned in the IEQ criteria, according to previous surveys and studies acoustic quality in green buildings are not improving. Acoustics performance is bound to be relegated unless it is considered early in design stage. This paper makes an attempt at how green building design strategies contribute to the degradation of acoustical environment in green office buildings. The design strategies implemented to cater for green building requirements such as provision of natural ventilation, daylight, reduction of finishes and office layout leads to an unintended decrease in the acoustical quality. This needs to be addressed and corrected by the building professionals