An empirical approach to the delineation of growing conditions within a cooled conservatory in Singapore

Abstract

This paper presents an empirical approach to the delineation of growing conditions, as the basis for the design of the cooled Conservatory in the new Gardens by the Bay (GB) in Singapore. The challenges in the hot-humid climate of Singapore are a) managing the temperature and humidity differentials between the indoor and outdoor environments and b) balancing demand for natural light against the need to minimize solar gains. Conditions necessary for plant growth and flowering must therefore be clearly described and based on real-world observations, as these will form the bases for design of energy-reliant systems needed to support the indoor environments. A technical study carried out by the project team adopted a two-pronged approach to determine acceptable bandwidths of temperature, humidity and light. The first step was a statistical analysis of data from weather stations in Mediterranean and Tropical Montane locations, used to delineate bandwidths of temperature and relative humidity. The second was a review of daylight available in Singapore which was compared with daylight levels found in a) natural habitats of plants and b) similar conservatories elsewhere that operate with success. These findings - described as growing conditions - are discussed with potential architectural and engineering responses. These findings and their underlying assumptions will be validated in Prototype Glasshouses, presently under construction in Singapore.