Azni Zain Ahmed | Universiti Teknologi Mara (original) (raw)
Papers by Azni Zain Ahmed
A study has been carried out to investigate the potential of using solar irradiation as a source ... more A study has been carried out to investigate the potential of using solar irradiation as a source of natural lighting (daylighting) in buildings. Since no daylight data is measured in Malaysia, this work was confined to using direct, diffuse and global solar irradiation data to model illuminance values. Statistical analyses were carried out on 21 years of hourly cloud cover, dry bulb temperature and wind speed to produce Model Year Climate Data. These were used in the subsequent analyses in the study and to determine the characteristics of the Malaysian sky which was identified as an intermediate sky. An artificial sky was built based on this intermediate sky model which was used to conduct illumination distribution experiments on architectural scale models. Three models were tested under the artificial sky to represent a room of simple geometry. Model A had a horizontal window of window-to-floor ratio (WFR) of 10%, Model B had a 10% WFR vertical opening and Model C had a 40% WFR. Th...
Institute of Research, Development and Commercialisation (IRDC), 2006
This paper examines the temperature profile of a building material and also a built space. The st... more This paper examines the temperature profile of a building material and also a built space. The study directly examines the influence of solar radiation on building material and the heat it generated and diffuses into the built space. Two experiments are presented. The first look at a simple technique for evaluating heat performance of a building material, and the second evaluates the performance of a cross-ventilated built space with respect to solar radiation.
The use of solar control film on windows as one of solar passive strategies for building have bec... more The use of solar control film on windows as one of solar passive strategies for building have becoming important and is gaining recognition. Malaysia located close to equator is having warm humid climate with long sunshine hours and abundant solar radiation throughout the year. Hence, befitting solar control on windows is absolutely necessary to capture the daylight whilst moderating thermal impact and eliminating glare problems. This is one of the energy efficient strategies to achieve thermal and visual comfort in buildings. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the effect of window solar controls on thermal and visual performance of naturally ventilated buildings. This was conducted via field data monitoring using a test building facility. Four types of window glazing systems were used with three types of solar control films. Data were analysed for thermal and visual impact with reference to thermal and optical characteristics of the films. Results show that for ea...
Many modern office buildings are beginning to use atriums as part of the building (architectural)... more Many modern office buildings are beginning to use atriums as part of the building (architectural) design. The a triums serve several functions a nd one 0 f them is to provide natural light into the core areas of the building. Daylighting in buildings can save energy consumption by up to a total of 40% in tropical regions. The efficacy of daylight is much higher than artificial light, which means that daylight produces more lumens per watt. Moreover, daylight produces less heat than artificial light, thus reducing the need for air-conditioning to maintain indoor environments at desired levels. The daylighting study focussed on the atrium design of the new Ministry of Energy, Communications and Multimedia building in Putrajaya. This building has four floors and a gross area of 16000 m2. The measurements and calculations were limited to a depth of 3 m from the atrium perimeter, as beyond that, the internal illuminance depletes to less than visible range if the light source is only from...
Advanced Sciences and Technologies for Security Applications, 2021
The development of atrium buildings in Malaysia is growing in number. This design trend are recog... more The development of atrium buildings in Malaysia is growing in number. This design trend are recognised as one of the most popular and environmentally stimulating spaces of today's architecture, at once shutting out the often harsh natural environment and yet benefiting from its natural light. Incorporated into many forms of buildings, an atrium can be used to stimulate the outdoors and to admit natural light and solar heat into the indoor space. The passive solar features incorporated in atrium is utilising the usage of daylight contribution that can save energy. The daylighting aspects of the atrium need a careful design to accomplish visually attractive as well as energy-efficient building criteria. However, instead of creating the potential for both increased energy savings and an improved indoor environment, if the atrium is only artificially lit or heated it may waste more energy than it saves. An atrium's characteristic is the roof: a careful design of the roof fenestr...
Sustainability, 2021
Modern residential roofs in Malaysia mainly employ red and brown roof tiles due to aesthetic fact... more Modern residential roofs in Malaysia mainly employ red and brown roof tiles due to aesthetic factors and the ability of the roof surface to reflect or retard heat transfer is typically not considered the main priority. The present article reveals the findings of a study on the effect of roof tile colour on heat conduction transfer through roof tiles and ceiling boards, roof-top surface temperature and cooling load. Findings suggest that the selection of white roof tiles significantly reduces the peaks of heat conduction transfer and roof-top surface temperature as well as the values of heat conduction transfer and roof-top surface temperature throughout diurnal profiles, which consequently reduces hours of indoor thermal discomfort and use of air-conditioners in indoor spaces. A decline in peak roof-top surface temperature of up to 16.00 °C that results in annual energy savings of up to 13.14% can be achieved when the roof tile colour is changed from red to white. Further research o...
Asian Journal of Behavioural Studies, 2018
This paper clarifies the perceptive and adaptive mechanisms involved in an outdoor thermal comfor... more This paper clarifies the perceptive and adaptive mechanisms involved in an outdoor thermal comfort in hot, and humid condition. The method of the study was through microclimate measurement coupled with structured interviews of urban park users. The objective of this study is to identify the impacts of weather and personal factors on respondents’ perceptual and sensation estimations. The findings on the significant influences of microclimate parameters and personal factors on the participants’ perceptions of outdoor urban places are discussed. This study shows the respondents' thermal adaptation from physiological and psychological perspectives. The significance of the findings showed the importance of a sustainable urban park for continued use by future communities.Keywords: Outdoor Thermal Comfort; Urban Park; Microclimate; Hot and HumideISSN 2398-4295 © 2018. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access articl...
Infrared studies of PVC-based electrolytes incorporated with lithium triflate and 1-butyl-3methyl... more Infrared studies of PVC-based electrolytes incorporated with lithium triflate and 1-butyl-3methyl imidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate as ionic liquid
2010 International Conference on Science and Social Research (CSSR 2010), 2010
AbstractThis paper discusses atrium building typology by analysing the architectural aspects of ... more AbstractThis paper discusses atrium building typology by analysing the architectural aspects of existing atrium buildings. One hundred sixty commercial office buildings in Klang Valley were identified as the chosen building type for the initial selection process. Thirteen out of 160 ...
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2013
Urban parks offer the ideal location and opportunities for physical activities to improve human p... more Urban parks offer the ideal location and opportunities for physical activities to improve human psychological Garden, Malaysia under hot and humid microclimate conditions. A total of 438 respondents were interviewed on their perception related to the activities they were engaged in and their sensation of microclimatic conditions. The paper studies the psychological and physical mechanisms involved in outdoor activity and weather assessment. The influences of microclimatic conditions and the site settings of urban parks are verified. The findings show significant correlation between adaptive thermal comfort and chosen physical activity in a particular setting.
This paper presents findings from a physical model investigation of an atrium building with four ... more This paper presents findings from a physical model investigation of an atrium building with four type of structured roof are shown. The experimental investigation allowed the author to evaluate daylight penetration in the atrium, while the adoption of varied modern structured roof constructions for the atrium allows one to obtain an insight into their effect upon the variation on daylight distribution patterns in terms of Daylight Ratio on horizontal surface. Intermediate skies revealed a complex pattern on daylight performance in the atrium attached by varied roof structure. From the results, it is clearly shown that, a high contribution of daylight penetration appears at the centre nearest to the atrium opening, while the transmittance of the atrium roof structure decreased the illuminance level at the corner by 50%. The flat roof has the highest daylight illumination for both skies condition The study also found that, under overcast skies, critical attention should be made to the corner location of the atrium especially for north-and west-facing atrium surfaces as the illuminances greatly decreased for all type of roofs. The atrium roof shapes and their structure systems, orientations to the sun and skies conditions are important parameters in the daylighting design of atrium buildings. The types of sky conditions in different climate region begin more significant parameters to be included when determining the daylight performance for the atrium building.
Asian Journal of Behavioural Studies
Trees are an essential part of every community in an urban area. The trees' canopies and crow... more Trees are an essential part of every community in an urban area. The trees' canopies and crowns provide comfortable conditions for outdoor activities and recreation. This paper presents the simulations of tree shades, which is proven to enhance the microclimate of an urban park. The results showed that the tree shades sustained the microclimate of the park; lower the air temperature control the thermal comfort and maintained the wind flow. The implications of the outcomes show significant modifications in the human comfort sensation concerning the restoration of urban setting with tree shades.Keywords: Trees; Canopies; Thermal Comfort; Urban ParkeISSN 2398-4295 © 2018. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (As...
Sustainability, Apr 22, 2021
Modern residential roofs in Malaysia mainly employ red and brown roof tiles due to aesthetic fact... more Modern residential roofs in Malaysia mainly employ red and brown roof tiles due to aesthetic factors and the ability of the roof surface to reflect or retard heat transfer is typically not considered the main priority. The present article reveals the findings of a study on the effect of roof tile colour on heat conduction transfer through roof tiles and ceiling boards, roof-top surface temperature and cooling load. Findings suggest that the selection of white roof tiles significantly reduces the peaks of heat conduction transfer and roof-top surface temperature as well as the values of heat conduction transfer and roof-top surface temperature throughout diurnal profiles, which consequently reduces hours of indoor thermal discomfort and use of air-conditioners in indoor spaces. A decline in peak roof-top surface temperature of up to 16.00 °C that results in annual energy savings of up to 13.14% can be achieved when the roof tile colour is changed from red to white. Further research o...
Scientific Research Journal
This paper examines the temperature profile of a building material and also a built space. The st... more This paper examines the temperature profile of a building material and also a built space. The study directly examines the influence of solar radiation on building material and the heat it generated and diffuses into the built space. Two experiments are presented. The first look at a simple technique for evaluating heat performance of a building material, and the second evaluates the performance of a cross-ventilated built space with respect to solar radiation.
MATEC Web of Conferences
The research endeavours to fill the identified gap in the field’s knowledge on daylighting in atr... more The research endeavours to fill the identified gap in the field’s knowledge on daylighting in atriums, specifically under tropical sky conditions. The atrium’s form, roof configurations, building orientation, roof transmittance, internal surfaces reflectivity, and grazing areas are the key elements in the daylighting design of atrium buildings. Daylight availability in an atrium has been researched extensively using different techniques and models. This paper presents substantial findings from a virtual simulation exploration. Four models were used to perform the daylighting performance analyses involving field experiments and computer simulations (IESRadiance). The models used different roof fenestration designs and structural truss systems (flat, pitched, pyramidal-gridded and saw-tooth roofs) simulated for substantial virtual verification and investigation. The Daylight Factor/Daylight Ratio (DF/DR) on horizontal surfaces under different types of sky conditions at different times...
Advanced Science Letters, 2016
Asian Journal of Behavioral Studies, 2016
Urban parks offer the ideal locations and opportunities for activities to improve human psycholog... more Urban parks offer the ideal locations and opportunities for activities to improve human psychological wellbeing. This study investigates the people’s perception of their physical activities at the Shah Alam Lake Garden, Malaysia. A total of 438 respondents were interviewed about their perception on their activities and their sensation of the hot and humid microclimatic conditions. The paper explores the psychological and physical mechanisms involved in outdoor activity and weather assessment.2398-4295 © 2016. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK.. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MA...
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,... more All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission, in writing, from the publisher.
A study has been carried out to investigate the potential of using solar irradiation as a source ... more A study has been carried out to investigate the potential of using solar irradiation as a source of natural lighting (daylighting) in buildings. Since no daylight data is measured in Malaysia, this work was confined to using direct, diffuse and global solar irradiation data to model illuminance values. Statistical analyses were carried out on 21 years of hourly cloud cover, dry bulb temperature and wind speed to produce Model Year Climate Data. These were used in the subsequent analyses in the study and to determine the characteristics of the Malaysian sky which was identified as an intermediate sky. An artificial sky was built based on this intermediate sky model which was used to conduct illumination distribution experiments on architectural scale models. Three models were tested under the artificial sky to represent a room of simple geometry. Model A had a horizontal window of window-to-floor ratio (WFR) of 10%, Model B had a 10% WFR vertical opening and Model C had a 40% WFR. Th...
Institute of Research, Development and Commercialisation (IRDC), 2006
This paper examines the temperature profile of a building material and also a built space. The st... more This paper examines the temperature profile of a building material and also a built space. The study directly examines the influence of solar radiation on building material and the heat it generated and diffuses into the built space. Two experiments are presented. The first look at a simple technique for evaluating heat performance of a building material, and the second evaluates the performance of a cross-ventilated built space with respect to solar radiation.
The use of solar control film on windows as one of solar passive strategies for building have bec... more The use of solar control film on windows as one of solar passive strategies for building have becoming important and is gaining recognition. Malaysia located close to equator is having warm humid climate with long sunshine hours and abundant solar radiation throughout the year. Hence, befitting solar control on windows is absolutely necessary to capture the daylight whilst moderating thermal impact and eliminating glare problems. This is one of the energy efficient strategies to achieve thermal and visual comfort in buildings. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the effect of window solar controls on thermal and visual performance of naturally ventilated buildings. This was conducted via field data monitoring using a test building facility. Four types of window glazing systems were used with three types of solar control films. Data were analysed for thermal and visual impact with reference to thermal and optical characteristics of the films. Results show that for ea...
Many modern office buildings are beginning to use atriums as part of the building (architectural)... more Many modern office buildings are beginning to use atriums as part of the building (architectural) design. The a triums serve several functions a nd one 0 f them is to provide natural light into the core areas of the building. Daylighting in buildings can save energy consumption by up to a total of 40% in tropical regions. The efficacy of daylight is much higher than artificial light, which means that daylight produces more lumens per watt. Moreover, daylight produces less heat than artificial light, thus reducing the need for air-conditioning to maintain indoor environments at desired levels. The daylighting study focussed on the atrium design of the new Ministry of Energy, Communications and Multimedia building in Putrajaya. This building has four floors and a gross area of 16000 m2. The measurements and calculations were limited to a depth of 3 m from the atrium perimeter, as beyond that, the internal illuminance depletes to less than visible range if the light source is only from...
Advanced Sciences and Technologies for Security Applications, 2021
The development of atrium buildings in Malaysia is growing in number. This design trend are recog... more The development of atrium buildings in Malaysia is growing in number. This design trend are recognised as one of the most popular and environmentally stimulating spaces of today's architecture, at once shutting out the often harsh natural environment and yet benefiting from its natural light. Incorporated into many forms of buildings, an atrium can be used to stimulate the outdoors and to admit natural light and solar heat into the indoor space. The passive solar features incorporated in atrium is utilising the usage of daylight contribution that can save energy. The daylighting aspects of the atrium need a careful design to accomplish visually attractive as well as energy-efficient building criteria. However, instead of creating the potential for both increased energy savings and an improved indoor environment, if the atrium is only artificially lit or heated it may waste more energy than it saves. An atrium's characteristic is the roof: a careful design of the roof fenestr...
Sustainability, 2021
Modern residential roofs in Malaysia mainly employ red and brown roof tiles due to aesthetic fact... more Modern residential roofs in Malaysia mainly employ red and brown roof tiles due to aesthetic factors and the ability of the roof surface to reflect or retard heat transfer is typically not considered the main priority. The present article reveals the findings of a study on the effect of roof tile colour on heat conduction transfer through roof tiles and ceiling boards, roof-top surface temperature and cooling load. Findings suggest that the selection of white roof tiles significantly reduces the peaks of heat conduction transfer and roof-top surface temperature as well as the values of heat conduction transfer and roof-top surface temperature throughout diurnal profiles, which consequently reduces hours of indoor thermal discomfort and use of air-conditioners in indoor spaces. A decline in peak roof-top surface temperature of up to 16.00 °C that results in annual energy savings of up to 13.14% can be achieved when the roof tile colour is changed from red to white. Further research o...
Asian Journal of Behavioural Studies, 2018
This paper clarifies the perceptive and adaptive mechanisms involved in an outdoor thermal comfor... more This paper clarifies the perceptive and adaptive mechanisms involved in an outdoor thermal comfort in hot, and humid condition. The method of the study was through microclimate measurement coupled with structured interviews of urban park users. The objective of this study is to identify the impacts of weather and personal factors on respondents’ perceptual and sensation estimations. The findings on the significant influences of microclimate parameters and personal factors on the participants’ perceptions of outdoor urban places are discussed. This study shows the respondents' thermal adaptation from physiological and psychological perspectives. The significance of the findings showed the importance of a sustainable urban park for continued use by future communities.Keywords: Outdoor Thermal Comfort; Urban Park; Microclimate; Hot and HumideISSN 2398-4295 © 2018. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access articl...
Infrared studies of PVC-based electrolytes incorporated with lithium triflate and 1-butyl-3methyl... more Infrared studies of PVC-based electrolytes incorporated with lithium triflate and 1-butyl-3methyl imidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate as ionic liquid
2010 International Conference on Science and Social Research (CSSR 2010), 2010
AbstractThis paper discusses atrium building typology by analysing the architectural aspects of ... more AbstractThis paper discusses atrium building typology by analysing the architectural aspects of existing atrium buildings. One hundred sixty commercial office buildings in Klang Valley were identified as the chosen building type for the initial selection process. Thirteen out of 160 ...
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2013
Urban parks offer the ideal location and opportunities for physical activities to improve human p... more Urban parks offer the ideal location and opportunities for physical activities to improve human psychological Garden, Malaysia under hot and humid microclimate conditions. A total of 438 respondents were interviewed on their perception related to the activities they were engaged in and their sensation of microclimatic conditions. The paper studies the psychological and physical mechanisms involved in outdoor activity and weather assessment. The influences of microclimatic conditions and the site settings of urban parks are verified. The findings show significant correlation between adaptive thermal comfort and chosen physical activity in a particular setting.
This paper presents findings from a physical model investigation of an atrium building with four ... more This paper presents findings from a physical model investigation of an atrium building with four type of structured roof are shown. The experimental investigation allowed the author to evaluate daylight penetration in the atrium, while the adoption of varied modern structured roof constructions for the atrium allows one to obtain an insight into their effect upon the variation on daylight distribution patterns in terms of Daylight Ratio on horizontal surface. Intermediate skies revealed a complex pattern on daylight performance in the atrium attached by varied roof structure. From the results, it is clearly shown that, a high contribution of daylight penetration appears at the centre nearest to the atrium opening, while the transmittance of the atrium roof structure decreased the illuminance level at the corner by 50%. The flat roof has the highest daylight illumination for both skies condition The study also found that, under overcast skies, critical attention should be made to the corner location of the atrium especially for north-and west-facing atrium surfaces as the illuminances greatly decreased for all type of roofs. The atrium roof shapes and their structure systems, orientations to the sun and skies conditions are important parameters in the daylighting design of atrium buildings. The types of sky conditions in different climate region begin more significant parameters to be included when determining the daylight performance for the atrium building.
Asian Journal of Behavioural Studies
Trees are an essential part of every community in an urban area. The trees' canopies and crow... more Trees are an essential part of every community in an urban area. The trees' canopies and crowns provide comfortable conditions for outdoor activities and recreation. This paper presents the simulations of tree shades, which is proven to enhance the microclimate of an urban park. The results showed that the tree shades sustained the microclimate of the park; lower the air temperature control the thermal comfort and maintained the wind flow. The implications of the outcomes show significant modifications in the human comfort sensation concerning the restoration of urban setting with tree shades.Keywords: Trees; Canopies; Thermal Comfort; Urban ParkeISSN 2398-4295 © 2018. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (As...
Sustainability, Apr 22, 2021
Modern residential roofs in Malaysia mainly employ red and brown roof tiles due to aesthetic fact... more Modern residential roofs in Malaysia mainly employ red and brown roof tiles due to aesthetic factors and the ability of the roof surface to reflect or retard heat transfer is typically not considered the main priority. The present article reveals the findings of a study on the effect of roof tile colour on heat conduction transfer through roof tiles and ceiling boards, roof-top surface temperature and cooling load. Findings suggest that the selection of white roof tiles significantly reduces the peaks of heat conduction transfer and roof-top surface temperature as well as the values of heat conduction transfer and roof-top surface temperature throughout diurnal profiles, which consequently reduces hours of indoor thermal discomfort and use of air-conditioners in indoor spaces. A decline in peak roof-top surface temperature of up to 16.00 °C that results in annual energy savings of up to 13.14% can be achieved when the roof tile colour is changed from red to white. Further research o...
Scientific Research Journal
This paper examines the temperature profile of a building material and also a built space. The st... more This paper examines the temperature profile of a building material and also a built space. The study directly examines the influence of solar radiation on building material and the heat it generated and diffuses into the built space. Two experiments are presented. The first look at a simple technique for evaluating heat performance of a building material, and the second evaluates the performance of a cross-ventilated built space with respect to solar radiation.
MATEC Web of Conferences
The research endeavours to fill the identified gap in the field’s knowledge on daylighting in atr... more The research endeavours to fill the identified gap in the field’s knowledge on daylighting in atriums, specifically under tropical sky conditions. The atrium’s form, roof configurations, building orientation, roof transmittance, internal surfaces reflectivity, and grazing areas are the key elements in the daylighting design of atrium buildings. Daylight availability in an atrium has been researched extensively using different techniques and models. This paper presents substantial findings from a virtual simulation exploration. Four models were used to perform the daylighting performance analyses involving field experiments and computer simulations (IESRadiance). The models used different roof fenestration designs and structural truss systems (flat, pitched, pyramidal-gridded and saw-tooth roofs) simulated for substantial virtual verification and investigation. The Daylight Factor/Daylight Ratio (DF/DR) on horizontal surfaces under different types of sky conditions at different times...
Advanced Science Letters, 2016
Asian Journal of Behavioral Studies, 2016
Urban parks offer the ideal locations and opportunities for activities to improve human psycholog... more Urban parks offer the ideal locations and opportunities for activities to improve human psychological wellbeing. This study investigates the people’s perception of their physical activities at the Shah Alam Lake Garden, Malaysia. A total of 438 respondents were interviewed about their perception on their activities and their sensation of the hot and humid microclimatic conditions. The paper explores the psychological and physical mechanisms involved in outdoor activity and weather assessment.2398-4295 © 2016. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK.. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MA...
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,... more All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission, in writing, from the publisher.