If you live above the equator, likely, you’ve never had to experience the kind of ultra-high heat that occurs in tropical countries. For a lot of people who go to just visit, it can cause hospitalizations if not prepared. The high heat and humidity are something that countries and people have evolved to deal with to make life normal and comfortable for everyone. While it can be easier to keep things cool in small, residential areas like apartments, it gets trickier when you start looking at big, open public spaces. So, let’s take a look at how they deal with the high heat in public:
Greenery
One of the best ways mother nature has provided us to deal with high heat is by filling the space with plants. Tall trees offer shade that you can hide under and – more importantly – the trees will absorb the heat and lower the overall temperature in the space. This is especially important outside in the streets because if the sun reaches the asphalt, it will soak it in and radiate heat from the ground. This is why you’ll often see long rows of trees along roads and surrounding squares. When done correctly, this greenery can make all the difference in providing comfort for citizens – not to mention the benefits to the environment!
Air Conditioning
As amazing as trees are – they aren’t always enough and it’s especially tricky when you need to cool down an indoor space., which is the common case in various Southeast Asian nations. This is where air conditioning comes in. Most of us have an AC unit in our home, but to cool down huge areas like malls and halls, you need to bring out the big guns. Experts like this Singapore airconditioning contractor install and maintain the system regularly, especially if it’s a sandy area where a lot of the particles can get caught in the filters. Air conditioning systems help keep temperatures at bearable levels, but they often also regulate humidity. One thing you need to be aware of is that they will never cool down the temperature to what you might be comfortable with or prefer because it would cause too much of a shock to your body when you go outside again and you could go into cardiac arrest.
The colors
You’ve probably heard somewhere that dark colors soak in the heat, while light colors reflect it. This is true, and it’s commonly used in architecture in tropical countries. It’s not an aesthetic choice that they are painted white from the outside – it’s to minimize the heating and make sure that the whole building doesn’t turn into a big pot. This doesn’t apply to clothing, since white clothing will also be reflecting the heat your body radiates back to you, but it works wonders on buildings. This is because of the wavelengths of the heat waves and how they interact with different color surfaces. After white, the most heat-reflective colors are red, orange, and yellow – ironically the colors of fire!
Building structure
Besides just painting the buildings in a certain way, the shape and structure of the building also matter. Firstly, you need to look at the orientation, for both sun and wind patterns. The buildings are constructed so that they have natural ventilation running through them, and the windows are placed strategically not to get too much direct sunlight. It’s not uncommon to have a huge building like a theatre or mall without any windows at all since it will help reduce the amount of heat coming into the building. The walls are often much thicker than we’re used to seeing in cooler climates and they are packed with insulation layers that will keep the chilled air inside. Depending on the location, they might have very high ceilings, but not a second floor, because heat travels up, so it allows people to stay comfortable. If there are multiple floors, there’s always open space left in the middle of the building to allow the air to circulate. And while these buildings might seem very energy-intensive to keep cool, most modern designs will make use of that sun and put solar panels to collect energy that cools the inside of the building down.
Next time you’re visiting a tropical country, make sure to keep an eye out for these features since it will help you stay cool and comfortable during your stay and perhaps give you ideas for your own home since the world is getting hotter. And even though feeling the hot sun on your skin might sound like a good idea, do as the locals and cover up your skin to make sure you don’t get burned.