The main idea is that cooling can come from the building design and its environment (passive) or from mechanical systems (active). Passive cooling relies on design features that cut heat input and promote natural heat removal: shading devices keep the sun off walls and roofs, and daylighting is used with strategies that minimize heat gain while still providing light; ventilation uses openings, winds, and building layout to create cross-ventilation and stack ventilation so air moves through the spaces. In tropical climates, these passive approaches are emphasized because they reduce heat buildup and energy use, making interiors comfortable without relying on machines. Active cooling relies on equipment like fans to move air, air conditioning to lower temperature, and dehumidification to reduce humidity, used when passive methods aren’t enough. The tropical message is that passive cooling is the primary tool, with mechanical cooling as a supplement when needed.

Termite resistance in tropical climates hinges on using woods with natural durability or applying effective treatments, and on incorporating non-wood options where appropriate. Teak, merbau, and ipe have heartwood that resists termite attack, making them strong choices for timber in humid, termite-prone environments. When timber isn’t naturally durable, pressure-treated or otherwise treated timber provides meaningful protection. Engineered wood can be manufactured with termite-resistant formulations or protective coatings, enhancing durability. Non-wood materials like concrete and steel are inherently termite-proof, offering reliable alternatives in many structural or exterior applications. Bamboo can also be made resistant with appropriate preservative treatment where its use is desirable. The other options fall short in tropical conditions because pine, cedar, and untreated plywood are generally more vulnerable to termites, standard softwood with no treatment has limited protection, and relying solely on metal materials ignores viable, cost-effective timber or composite solutions.

Shading devices should be aligned with the sun’s path to block direct rays effectively. When the sun comes from the east or west, its rays hit the facade almost horizontally. Vertical shading fins extend out from the wall in that direction and intercept those horizontal rays across a wide range of morning and afternoon angles. They cast shadows on the wall that reduce direct solar heat gain and glare while still admitting diffuse daylight between the fins. Horizontal shutters or louvers are more suited to sun from the south, where the sun climbs higher in the sky and horizontal blades block the vertical component of the rays. A grid or eggcrate can shade from multiple directions but tends to cut down daylight more and can complicate design without providing a targeted benefit for side sun. A vertical shading strategy on east and west facades thus offers the most direct, efficient control of side-sun heat and glare.

Evaporation is the vaporization that happens at the surface of a liquid into a gas that is not saturated with the evaporating substance. In evaporation, molecules at the surface gain enough energy to overcome intermolecular forces and escape into the air, even when the liquid’s temperature is below its boiling point. This differs from boiling, which occurs throughout the liquid when its vapor pressure reaches the surrounding pressure and bubbles form inside the liquid. Sublimation is a solid turning directly into gas, and condensation is a gas turning into liquid. Because the surrounding gas is not saturated, it can take on more vapor, allowing evaporation to continue. Factors like higher temperature, larger surface area, and airflow over the surface speed up the process.