THE EFFECT OF FAÇADE PLANT-SHADING ON REDUCING INDOOR AIR TEMPERATURE IN MEDIUM-RISE WORKING AREA (A Case Study Of Architecture Student’s Studio In Surabaya, Indonesia)

Indonesia as a hot-humid region has in average high temperature and humidity. The temperature is usually
higher than 30°C and the humidity is over 60 % in the afternoon. This condition can reduce the comfort of the
indoor occupants. The building designer in this region should produce a good and creative design in
accordance with this situation, especially in designing a medium-rise building.
The façade of a medium-rise building, especially when it is exposed to the sun rays, is more influencing than
the roof in controlling the solar penetration into the building because the façade area is wider than the roof
area. In order to reduce the indoor temperature, some ways to shade the façade should be done.
This research, which has been conducted in two periods of time (in dry and rainy season), attempts to do so
by using the façade plant shading. The result is that the façade with plant shading makes the indoor
temperature lower than the indoor temperature without façade plant-shading.