Green Acres Blue Skies by Andrew Foster

GREEN ACRES BLUE SKIES...

NET ZERO LIVING IN OBERLIN

Andrew Foster Prof. Lee Goodman Fourth Year Design Studio Sustainable Design

CONTENTS

1..........INTRODUCTION 2..........SITE RESEARCH 3.................HISTORY 4.................CONTEXT 10.................CLIMATE 16..........THE SITE: RESPONSE TO DAVID ORR 20..........THE MAKING OF A MEANINGFUL PLACE 24..........PRECEDENTS 26..........ADAPTIVE TRANSFORMATION

INTRODUCTION

INTRO

As society continues to irresponibly consume energy in a wasteful manner, the need for a shift in the everyday lifestyles that rely on unsustainable methods of achieving comfort is more important now than it has ever been. This goal is not easily accomplished given the unnatural means of achieving comfort people have become so accustomed to. To expect sustainable approaches to solve the effects of a negative environmental impact caused by humans mean to expects sustainable approaches to everyday life as humans. Individually it seems impossible to give back to the environment what was taken away from it, but by strength in numbers, a chain reaction of a new responsible approach to sharing this fragile environment can be achieved. By beginning this process locally, through individual and community efforts, a managable shift towards sustainable, net-zero living can emerge, spreading outward to neighboring towns and eventually, to the rest of the world. The intent of this project is to study new a innovative ways to live in a community as well as within an individual household to create minimal to no negative effects on the environment we inhabit. To first spread sustainable ideas to the world, we must first take a look in the household, the place which we hold close to our hearts, live our lives and, on many occasions, waste unreasonable amounts of energy and resources. Instead of thinking of a home as a place to escape from the outside world, the thought process should shift to provide integration with nature, living not just on it, but with it. A tranformation needs to take place, helping the human race to naturally adapt to the environment which gives us life.

HISTORY

Oberlin, Ohio The site for this sustainable community neighborhood is located in Oberlin, Ohio, which has all of the characteristics of a progressive, pro-active city that is needed for this project. Historically, Oberlin has pioneered progressive thinking in all aspects of the community, from establishing diversity in the community to genereating a strong demand of sustainable practices to solve the issues of the built environment. This sense of community and the concern of the quality of the city’s development is what is needed to spark new ideas that can be passed on to other communities.

Origins Founded in 1833, Oberlin established itself as a town in which fundamental morals were cherished. The college of Oberlin was established shortly after the city and the goals were almost identical to that of the town’s. The first students were promised to be able to attend the shcool for free, as long as they contribute to the growth and sustainablity of the community. Oberlin’s expression of morality and longevity of the community carried into expanding the diverse population living there. Involvement in civil rights issues were carried out to provide a welcoming town to all colors and creed. Over the years, Oberlin has maintained a strong sense of togetherness and community by approaching the idea of living a bit differently than everywhere else. As the school and city grew to what it is now, efforts to continue this progression are evident through The Oberlin Project.

The Oberlin Project The Oberlin Project is a collaborative eďŹ&#x20AC;ort of the city of Oberlin, the university, and other private partners to improve the prosperity and sustainability of the community through economic growth, the conservation of resources, net-zero built environments, healthy transportation, education, local food and agriculture, and community engagement. The goals of this project are to create a climate positive community by generating more energy than it uses while stimulating the economy by providing local food and products. Plans to integrate education from elementary to university with sustainable ideas will help this shift into a more sustainable future.

Transform and Adapt

A 1946 development transformed into open green space for North Campus Oberlin University

The Site The chosen site for the proposed climate positive neighborhood lies four streets east of Oberlinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historical Tappan Square which designates the heart of the community and the transition from campus to the city. It is an important site being that it lies between the main road that leads vehicles from route 20 to the city center and the Elyria/Lorain bike trail which brings cyclists pedestrian traďŹ&#x192;c from neighboring towns. An existing building previously demolished leaves the site nearly vacant aside from a garage and picnic pavillion.

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CONTEXT

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Downtown Oberlin

The siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surrounding man-made context contains a variety of diďŹ&#x20AC;erent atmospheres in a concentrated area. It sits directly in between an industrial park, small businesses, and residential areas. The Northern Coast Inland trail runs directs to the west of the site and farmland is not too far away to the south. Access to the site is provided by two important streets, E Lorain St., which provides the main vehicular traďŹ&#x192;c into Oberlin, and E College St., which provides an alternative route more appealing to pedestrians that may travel from the college or downtown.

Residential

CONTEXT

Natural

BLACK RIVER WATERSHED Part of the Lake Erie Watershed

Oberlin lies in the Black River watershed, a portion of the Lake Erie Watershed. The system of creeks, rivers, and streams allow for many opportunites to use water as a benefit to the site. Storm water runoff is an important issue in waste management so determining which plants grow natively in this watershed that could help filter these toxins out of the water is important. The diagrams below show the surrounding natural context on a larger scale, pointing out farmland, developed land, bodies of water and various vegetation states.

Plum Creek lies directly South the site and provides a perfect components for water runoff. Certain areas surrounding the creek are covered with overgrown natural vegetation to help naturally filter the water runoff before it enters the water supply. This idea should be followed throughout the site and how water functions on the site. By choosing native plants that will benefit the water filtration, this process can be done naturally without sewage and dug earth for drainage pipes. Using the topography and roof slopes appropriately in collaboration with the functional plant species, the water can successfully run through this proccess and run into Plum Creek from the site.

Plum Creek In Relation to Site and Nearby Plans

Native Tree Types Bald Cypress

Dynasty Elm

Red Ash

Red Maple

Red Oak

Sycamore

Native Water Plants Prarie Cordgrass

Prarie Bluejoint

Prarie Cordgrass Blue Lobelia

Swamp Rose Shrub

Prarie Rose

CLIMATE

Annual Comfort Issues

Temperatures and humidity in Oberlin vary greatly throughout the year due to its continental climate conditions. Summers can be hot and humid while winters can be cold and dry. April-August have average temperatures in the comfort zone leaving the majority of the months in an underheated state. Passive Strategies to deal with the summer heat and the winterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cold conditions are crucial for providing comfortable indoor conditions throughout the year with minimal energy use. For the overheated periods, natural ventilation and sun shading should be used to vent the hot humid air and block unwanted solar gain. During the winter months, sun shades should allow the sunlight in for passive solar heat gain. Determining the sunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s angles i necessary to provide the most eďŹ&#x192;cient overhang that allows light in the winter and blocks it in the summer. Use of trees help accomplish this strategy as well. Thick walls and a highly insulated envelope will contribute to the passive strategies.

Solar Apeture

Climate Study with an Understanding of Context

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The orientation of the site works out quite nicely for the articulation of passive systems. The south facing side of the site faces a row of residential homes, allowing the direct facing of houses to establish community interaction. The west side of the site is covered in existing trees which will provide good protection from the low evening sun. Placing the houses closer to these trees allow space for an open public park element on the eastern side, complimenting the houses across Ashland-Oberlin Rd. The north end of the site is faced with the beginning of an industrial area so views are minimum. This works with the orientation to avoid using too many north facing windows. Winter

The Site: Response to David Orr

ABSTRACT

To approach the design appropriately for its intended use, the site must ﬁrst be analyzed to understand the natural systems that are present. Without this understanding, the design’s integration with nature will fail. The question of how the design will function needs to be asked to ensure the sustainability of the project. If a project is constructed without plans for the future, it will eventually become useless and convert into waste. In this case, the site is now damaged due to irrespronsible planning. How does one know whether or not to build on a undisturbed site? How does one manage to determine how long the design will be in use? How can humans reprocess their minds to think more naturally and heighten their awareness of natural context and its relationship with the unnatural context? With insight from David Orr’s Article, “Human Ecology as a Problem of Ecological Design,” and the previous site analysis, these ideas will help determine the route of the design whether it can be successful and sustain longevity.

Assignment #7

The Oberlin Green acres site is a vast field which holds great potential for natural life. As plans are developed for this site, the natural context must be reviewed and respected. The field it sits on was previously a site for another building, now in the process of regenerating the natural landscape. To build habitats for human living, this area must once again be disturbed to make way for these residences. Instead of shying away from disturbing this natural site, in fear that only more buildings will be constructed to only once again be torn down in the future, a more intelligent design process with the upmost respect to the natural surroundings must be established to create a neighborhood that sets a precedent to the relationship between human living and natural ecology. This site should not be bruised by the impact of humans, instead humans should take the initiative to create a place which embodies the environment and provides it with benefits. This doesn’t mean that it is

always the right decision to build on untouched natural landscapes, in fact it is almost never right, but to allow for the continued life of humans on this earth, designers must create communities that give back to nature and produce energy to lessen the amount of negative human impact on the earth. This community could start a chain of innovative solutions to how we as people live. With smart design, the natural settings can be restored while human habitats still exist. Instead of using the deﬁnition of architectural beauty we are used to, a smaller, less impactful architecture should become the new beauty and the initial way of thinking. The only design that justiﬁes the disturbance of a natural setting is one that lives with it, in an integral fashion that provides new life while maintaining the life that was already present. This is the challenge for architecture in today’s world and the Oberlin project takes the most responsible approach.

In David Orr’s article, titled “Human Ecology as a Problem of Ecological Design,” the statement that humans have evolved through technology rather than natural means, and have been disconnected with the environment that gave us life. We as humans have become independent of nature and our irresponsibility, ignorance, and arrogance has had major negative impacts on the natural ecosystem. Humans have also become disconnected from other humans depending on culture. How each culture gets food, works, solves problems is completely different from other cultures. In a way that is a good thing since every area of the world differs in natural context, but we do not even think most of the time, to design with respect to natural ecology. We use technology to solve all of our problems, but to best provide a solution to the harm inflicted on the natural environment we must try to humble ourselves to a more simple, naturalistic approach. This design process to solve these problems needs to be spread and continued throughout the entire human population in order to restore life to a more sustainable, respectful, healthier and smarter state.

to do with, and prevented ourselves from easily finding a responsible solution. To truly design ecologically, we must reconsider every aspect of modern human living, not just how we design. The food we eat, the way we get from one place to another, the things we create, the way we govern society needs to change in order to truly integrate with natural ecology. This means that we must start with large scale plans and create a strong connection of ideas for every aspect of living before we attempt to tackle this problem from small fragmented actions. The thought process of humans is the starting point of ecological design. If we as humans begin to reverse the progress we have made in the past with technology and senseless design, and begin to look to nature for the answers by fully understanding how different species survive and interact, we can begin to create solutions that will hopefully return us back to a more natural state. This will lead to humans living with nature instead of altering it to adjust to our selfish needs. This will ultimately increase longevity to the health of the human race and other species as well, increasing the longevity of life on this planet as a whole. This is the goal of ecological design.

We tend to design in disregard of the consequences and, in return, we have damaged the environment, created more waste than we know what

The Making of a Meaningful Place

ABSTRACT

The idea of a home is a personal matter to each individual. A home can be a place for refuge or interaction, either way it directly relates to the user and its importance is signiďŹ cant. The personal experiences had in a home can stay in our minds so vividly no matter how long away from home we;ve been. The power of written work can trigger certain memories and past experiences. It can also paint a vivid picture in the head of the reader with enough detail. The small details are what makes the memories of home so powerful. When designing a house, the details have to be paid attention to or it might fail to establish a home feeling with the user. The following response will study how written word helps to deďŹ ne a certain space or experience and how eďŹ&#x20AC;ective it is.

The Making of a Meaningful Place

Written word can unlock many secrets of human experience that are hidden in design. The text can shine a light on experiences, moods, mystery and other instances that make the overall atmosphere of a place. A simple text can generate countless images in the mind of the reader and drive certain ideas or connections to other experiences had. Written work unleashes the thought behind a space and tells what the user finds to be important or noticeable. The intent of a design is somewhat personal, but text can persuade an outside audience to view the vision the same way the designer does. It can also be useful for a designer to receive text from an outside user, giving insight on how the space is successful or unsuccessful and can alter future thought process in design. After reading William Carlos William’s poem, “Dawn,” the imagery discussed became vivid as a slideshow of images from past experiences flooded my mind. The strong sense of personification given to the sun gave the poem life. The “triumphant” rise of the sun at dawn “bursting” into the horizon lets the reader

understand the ominous importance of light and life it gives. This idea is immediately introduced in the first line where he describes the “ecstatic bird songs” upon the sun’s arrival. This use of imagery through written word can be used in design to establish intent to define a space for a specific experience. The design concept should contain these qualities to give the client or the occupants a preview of what the space will be. Graphic images of a concept or details of a space only go so far and understood to a point. After the physical images have done their job, or even before and during, written word is used to elaborate on aspects of the design that otherwise would be lost in translation. Effective text can make or break a design, both for the occupant and the designer. If the designer cannot describe the intent or experience of a space, the ideas and concepts become weak and so does the execution. If the occupant cannot understand fully why certain moves were made, then certain important aspects of the design can be missed if not obvious.

After reading The Home Within Us by Bobby McAlpine, two of the ideas presented in the passage, communion and home, related to ideas of the Oberlin Housing design. The idea of communion, he discussed, was using a house or a neighborhood to provide interaction that could not be had in a more densely populated or an isolated setting. He was writing about lakeside camps, but the Oberlin site ﬁts this example given that it is not too dense and not too desolate. It is a perfect combination to allow the perfect amount of community interaction. The neighborhood plan as well as individual housing plans should reﬂect this idea of communion. Spaces should be designated around site for gathering places or smaller places where neighbors can interact. A residential community should allow space for family and friends to gather, reunite, and make new acquaintances. The residence should not only relate to the community but to the natural context as well. The living natural environment should be just as much part of the community as the human occupants. These connections and relationships

should be well thought out and integrate within the next idea presented which is the idea of home. Home, McAlpine describes, is a place that is your own. The spaces for community should transition nicely into a private realm which is the home. Here it is completely up to the occupant how the space is used and nobody else’s. It is a place where residents can experiment with their own design and try new things that are just for them. Home needs to have a touch that is unique to them, so wherever they go there is no other place like it and it keeps the residents coming back. It does not need to relate to the community directly, it can be an escape from everyday life beyond the doorstep. It is a sanctuary for whoever lives there. The two ideas of community and home can have great differences. These differences need to transition and integrate well to create a successful home that fits in its community and natural context. These ideas will drive the design concept.

Precedent Studies

Passive Homes The passive techniques used by this building included daylighting and natrual ventilation. Folding roof forms allow for sun to enter through clerestory windows on the south facade while allowing air to pass through from the north and vent out the same clerestory windows. The roof form works will with opposing sun and wind, allowing both to function proberly. Insulated concrete materials help absorb heat during cooler periods to warm the space. The well insulated envelope works with passive strategies to maintain comfort level.

Adaptive Transformation at GateWay

Mission Statement This residence, situated in Oberlin, Ohio, adapts to the climate, nature, and surrounding context and aims to transform the idea of a house into a built component that embodies the naturalistic entities on which its foundation lies on. this residence aims to build a sense of community between neighbors by providing an inviting atmosphere, while simutaneously transforming the interior space and exterior facades to adapt to the privacy needs of its occupants. As a ďŹ nal contribuition, this residence strives to create minimal impact on the natural environment as it is designed to approach net-zero energy.

GateWay

Mission Statement

The Gateway community of Oberlin aims to utilize the site as a gateway to sustainable practices, not only on a local, but worldwide scale, while exemplifying the integration of local ecology and human living.

A GateWay for Neighbor Interaction The side entry provides an opportunity for facing porch elements that provide a framed view into the neighborhood as well as creating a shared space where neighbors can interact, strengthening the community aspect of the neighborhood.

South Elevation

West Elevation

The building materials Transform on each facade to Adapt to the privacy needs of the household. The porch marks the most communial part of the house and is backed with siding which covers the walls enclosing the living and kitchen areas. The stairs mark the transition from more to less private and is identiďŹ ed with a stone material that tranforms into the more private areas enclosed in wood siding.

East Elevation

North Elevation

Design Intent The articulation of the given site integrates the natural environment with human living. The design intends to alter the way people interact with their natural context. Natural processes for water ﬁltration, energy harvesting, food and climatic adaption are presented through the site by use of water runoﬀ corridors, native vegetation and wetlands, passive design strategies for households and on site food production. Public areas opening to the surrounding community provide a welcoming invitation into the site, opening the public’s eyes to responsible living. With this introduction to a new responsible lifestyle, these ideas

Section A

will ﬁlter throughout Oberlin and eventually creating a chain of sustainable practices throughout the region and the rest of the world, establishing this community as the gateway for this idea of living not only on the environment, but with it. The established relationships, not only within the site, but the relations the site has to the rest of Oberlin and its natural surrounding, is crucial for the continuation of sustainable living so the site provides open arms to visitors while maintaining the privacy needs of its residents, establishing a smart, desirable neighborhood community

Section B

Approaching Net-Zero Energy Passive strategies, such as daylighting and natural ventilation provide this house with much of the heating and cooling needed year-round. Energy eďŹ&#x192;cient systems, such as solar hot water, a wood burning stove, and PV panels are integrated to push this

house towards net-zero energy. a highly, inulated envelope, open ďŹ&#x201A;oor plans, double height spaces, minimal windows on non-south orientations, window overhangs and other building compontents help to provide comfortable conditions throughout the year with minimal energy usage.

Wood Burning Stove Appropriate Overhangs Daylighting PV Panels Insulated double-stud walls Open Floor Plan Open Riser Stair