Danai Petrou_Architect and Sustainability Specialist_CV_Portfolio

Danai Petrou

Architect and Sustainability Specialist CV - PORTFOLIO

work experience

WSP

(London, UK and Copenhagen, Denmark)

Sustainability Specialist

Petrou Architect | Sustainability Specialist

www.linkedin.com/danai-petrou

- Net Zero Carbon assessments (embodied carbon, operational energy, transport carbon, renewable energy and carbon sequestration through on-site afforestation) for new developments, existing assets or research for municipalities

- Energy modelling (IES VE,Grasshopper), developping energy strategy to reduce baseline energy consumption through passive design measures, efficient systems and renewable energy. ESG carbon chapters.

- Whole life cycle carbon (LCA) and lifecycle costing (LCC) assessments for new buildings, masterplans and retrofits, work with low carbon and healthy materials

- SBTi GHG emissions accounting and target setting

- Product level LCAs for EPD documentation (OneClickLCA)

- Daylight, indoor thermal comfort and outdoor microclimate modelling (Grasshopper, Climate Studio or IES VE), working towards compliance with LEED and WELL targets.

- Sustainability strategy to support architecture and masterplan competitions (climate analysis, passive design measures, resilience, wellbeing)

- Experience with DGNB, BREEAM and Fitwel certifications and knowledge of LEED and WELL.

Lendager Group

(Copenhagen, Denmark)

Architecture Intern

During my internship at Lendager Group in 2016-2017, I gained valuable experience in circular economy projects while being part of the Urban Metabolism team. I worked with:

- Mapping existing materials for reuse

- Developing a sustainable and circular strategy, creating simple yet strong diagrams, drawings, booklets

- Developing exhibition material (Wasteland exhibition).

I had the chance to participate in inspiring projects, such as Varvsstaden-Join the Loop in Malmö and Grønttorvet Spisehus in Copenhagen, exploring opportunities to reuse existing on-site materials and structures for these regeneration developments.

education

MSc Built Environment: Environmental Design and Engineering

University College London (UCL), The Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources, London, UK

- Graduation Grade: Pass with Distinction

- Main skills acquired: Development of sustainable design concept, Development of circular economy strategy, Energydaylight- indoor climate- thermal comfort simulations, Low energy building design, Energy retrofit to Passivhaus standard, Life cycle carbon analysis (LCA), Industrial Symbiosis, Low carbon and natural materials, Natural and mechanical ventilation design

- Dissertation: ‘LCA-based study on carbon neutral and negative floor constructions - Case study: UCL Marshgate’. Supervisor: Ben Croxford. Grade: 80/100 (A). Presented in MC2019 Masters Conference People and Buildings, London (September 2019)

Architecture Engineering Integrated Masters

National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), School of Architecture, Athens, Greecee

- Graduation Grade: 9.18 / 10 , Excellent

- Courses: Architectural Design studios, Visual Expression and Representation, Urban and Regional Planning, Architectural Technology, Technical drawings, Sustainable Design, Structural Mechanics, Building Material Technology, Architectural Morphology, History of Architecture and Art, Architectural Space and Communication.

- Diploma Project: ‘State Open School v2.0 - Sustainable retrofit of elementary school and kindergarden at Pireaus’. Grade: 9.7/10

- Thesis: ‘Sustainable Schools - Sustainable Retrofit of greek school buildings’ - Grade: 10/10

Danai

Digital Languages

AutoCAD Revit

IES VE InDesign Illustrator

participations awards

- Scholarship ‘Panagiotis Triantafyllidis’ for postgraduate studies (2018-2019) by Ministry of Culture, Education and Religious Affairs: Monthly scholarship, during one academic year.

Foodsharing Copenhagen Volunteer. November 2020-2021. Recovering and redistributing food that would otherwise go to waste

SketchUp Rhino Grasshopper C# Excel English Danish French Greek (mother tongue)

Personal

Team player Time management Solution oriented Proactive

Responsible and dependable

Photoshop One Click LCA LCAbyg LCCbyg

- Award ‘Nikolas I. Kritikos’ (Jun 2021), by National Technical University of Athens: For achieving the highest grade in Mathematics (10/10)

- Award ‘Chr. Papakyriakopoulos’ (Sep 2016), by National Technical University of Athens: For achieving the highest grade in Mathematics (10/10)

- Award ‘Lysimachos Kaftantzoglou’ (Mar 2016), by National Technical University of Athens: For achieving the 3rd highest grade at the academic year 2014-2015 (9.23/10)

Westminster Connects - Community Volunteering. May-June 2020. Covid-19 shopping/delivery service and community gardening volunteering.

MC2019 Masters Conference People and Buildings. London, September 2019. Presentation: ‘LCA-based study on carbon neutral and negative floor constructions - Case study: UCL Marshgate’

Attention to detail Willingness to learn Self driven Calm under stress Easy to adapt

- Award by Scholarship Program ‘Great Moment for Education’ (Sep 2012), by Banking Company Eurobank EFG Group: For achieving the high-school’s highest grade at the Pan-Hellenic University Admission Examinations (19.5/20)

- Award ‘Diomidis Komninos’ (Sep 2012), by National Technical University of Athens: For achieving the highest insertion grade in N.T.U.A. School of Architecture (1st place in input ranking)

Architect Engineer, TCG Member

TCG-Technical Chambers of Greece (TEE-Τεχνικό Επιμελητήριο Ελλάδας)

Registration number: 144795, License issued: 28-08-2018

Architect, ARB Member

UK Architects Registration Board (ARB)

Registration number: 096486G

WELL Accredited Professional

International WELL Building Institute

Credential issued: 29-01-2020

Credential ID: WELL-AP-0000057306

LEED Green Associate

U.S. Green Building Council

Credential Issued: 04-11-2019

- Honorary Scholarship and Award by State Scholarships Foundation for highest insertion rate in university (Sep 2012) by State Scholarships Foundation: For achieving the highest insertion rate in the N.T.U.A. School of Architecture (1st place in input ranking)

Practical Exercise: Systematic Analysis of Vernacular Buildings and Settlements. N.T.U.A. School of Architecture, Village Trikeri, Greece. 1 academic semester. Thorough study of built environment in a traditional settlement, which included local architecture, structural details and techniques, public space elements and mapping.

‘ECOWEEK Thessaloniki: Sustainability in public space’. International Conference & Sustainable Design Workshops. ‘Wooden Construction’

‘Night of the researcher’. Poster: ‘Environmental Study on a small laboratory’ organised by N.T.U.A

‘Urban Sign’. organised by the Hellenic Institute of Architecture. Pan-Hellenic student architectural competition for designing a wooden structure

(AP)

- Scholarship ‘Panagiotis Triantafyllidis’ for undergraduate studies (2012-2018) by Ministry of Culture, Education and Religious Affairs: Monthly scholarship, after written examination, during five academic years

Open House Athens 2015. Volunteer, Tour guide

SUSTAINABILITY PORTFOLIO

WORK / RESEARCH / EDUCATION

WORK PROJECTS

net zero carbon

West England Combined Authority. 2020-present North Keynsham

Net Zero Carbon Study (operational, embodied, transport)

(Bath and North East Sommerset, UK)

North Keynsham is a major residential-led mix-use development located north of Keynsham in Bath and North East Sommerset in England, UK. It will consist of 1,400 homes, along offices, commercial premises and a school and it is led by Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) Council and the West of England Combined Authority (WECA). North Keynsham is envisaged as an exemplar development in delivering net zero. Danai was responsible for the net zero carbon assessment implementing a rounded approach which includes embodied carbon, operational carbon, transport carbon, renewable energy generation and carbon sequestration through on-site afforestation. The assessment showed that the combination of efficient building design, rooftop photovoltaic panels, a solar farm and a afforestated woodland can significantly reduce the operational and whole life embodied carbon emissions of the development.

Basingstoke and Dean Borough Council. January 2021-March 2021

Evidence base document to support the Local Plan’s approach to Climate Change (Basingstoke and Deane Borough, UK)

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council aims to include policies for net zero carbon developments, as part of their expected 2024 Local Plan Update. Danai was responsible for analysing how residential and non-residential developments can reach to net zero carbon operational carbon emissions. The analysis explored different fabric and system efficiency standards and on-site renewable energy generation, aiming to reduce energy requirements to RIBA 2030 targets. The cost implications of each scenario were additionally analysed. Off-site renewable energy and a council-managed carbon fund were developed as complementary solutions to facilitate net zero operational carbon. Danai also worked on developing the requirements of a new sustainability accreditation scheme for new local developments, which would encourage developers to go beyond building regulations starting today and until the Local Plan Update comes in force.

Brunswick. June 2022

Portfolio with offices and logistic warehouses

Net Zero Operational Carbon Study and ESG

energy/carbon chapters

(Brøndby, Denmark)

The asseessment focused on how could the assets have a net zero carbon operation by 2040. Fabric, system and renewable energy solutions were explored in terms of their energy and carbon reduction potential, through a series of energy simulations with Grasshopper and Climate Studio. The cost and embodied carbon of the recommended solutions was also calculated to facilitate decision making. The energy and carbon chapters of the Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) report were additionally prepared based on the outcomes of the study.

Nuveen. 2022

Project Height / Kelleris residential development

Net Zero Operational Carbon Study (Sjælland, Denmark)

Project Height / Kelleris is a residential development in north Sjælland in Denmark consisting 193 new dwellings and a community building. Danai worked as part of the team assessing how could the proposed development achieve a net zero carbon operation. The carbon reducing potential of fabric improvements (U-values, airtightness), space heating system alternatives (microgrid with ground/water loop heat pumps) and renewable energy generation (rooftop PVs) was explored. The remaining emissions after the implementation of the measures above were proposed to be balanced with a limited carbon offset payment (less than 5 DKK/m2/year).

&

Wokingham Borough Council. 2020

Barkham Farms

Net Zero Operational Carbon Study

(Wokingham, UK)

Barkham Farms is a development aiming to hold a significant role towards the Climate Emergency Action Plan of Wokingham Council. Its programme includes the design of a solar farm, an extension of the existing local SANG (local forest area), the allocation of areas for tree planting to increase carbon sequestration and enhance biodiversity, a 200-home residential development and a crematorium with aspiration to achieve operational carbon neutrality. Danai’s role was to advise on energy and carbon, while being part of a multi-disciplinary team aiming to inform the early masterplanning stages. She undertook energy and carbon calculations to assess the potential of the site regarding energy generation of the solar farm, carbon sequestration of the afforested and landscaped areas and to explore ways for the residential development and crematorium to reach operational net zero carbon.

Wokingham Borough Council. 2020

Toutley Fields

Net Zero Operational Carbon Study

(Wokingham, UK)

Toutley Fields is a 130-home residential masterplan development including a dementia care home, developed by the Wokingham Borough Council with an aspiration to achieve net zero operational carbon emissions, along its wider sustainability vision. Danai led the net zero operational carbon work and analysed a series of fabric and system efficiencies scenarios for the residential and non-residential parts of the development, aiming to identify the most cost-effective path towards net zero operational carbon. Additionally, the scope of work included renewable energy generation calculations to assess the required rooftop PV and ground-mounted PV areas required to reach the ambitious target.

Illustrations from the North Keynsham Net Zero Carbon Study

lifecycle carbon

Peabody. May 2021-November 2021

Dagenham GreenWhole Life Carbon, Circular Economy and Net Zero assessment

(London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, UK)

Renaker. August 2021-November 2021

Trinity Islands residential towersLCA-GHG assessment (Manchester, UK)

Cornwall Council. December 2019-August 2021

Penzance Creative ClusterLCA

(Penzance, Cornwall, UK)

Description: This new sustainable neighbourhood on the former and currently disused Dagenham Stamping Plant at East London will consist of 1,500 affordable homes, a new public park, greenways, and opportunities for learning, leisure, play and work locally.

Role: Danai worked during early project stages to explore design strategies and materials which can reduce the whole life carbon emissions of the development, while aligning with the circular economy principles of GLA. Danai also worked on assessing the embodied, operational and transport GHG emissions from the development and identify early measures on the pathway to net zero. A technical Whole life carbon assessment, a Circular Economy assessment and a Climate Change GHG ES chapter of the current concept masterplan followed the initial engagement period.

Description: Trinity Islands Sites C and D, located on the banks of River Irwell in Manchester, will be developed with four residential towers between 34 and 57 residential storeys each, providing together circa 1,900 residential units.

Role: Danai was responsible the Lifecycle Carbon Assessment (LCA) for one of these four towers based on the architectural and structural Revit models. All building components as per RICS scope were accounted for, so that benchmark comparison can be undertaken against RIBA and LETI embodied carbon targets. Furthermore, an assessment of the timeline of all GHG emissions from the proposed develpoment from materials, energy and transport was undertaken and benchmarked against appropriate metrics. Future trends such as grid decarbonisation and trends in electric vehicles (EV) usage were also taken into consideration for this assessment. Mitigation measures were expored and discussed with the design team.

Description: Penzance Creative Cluster consists of 1,470 m2 of workspace, cafe and meeting / event space and aims to provide a creative hub and support the creative sector in Cornwall and the town centre regeneration.

Role: Danai undertook the LCA as part of the Concept and Detailed Design stages as per BREEAM requirements. After a baseline carbon footprint and hotspots were established, an options appraisal was undertaken to identify opportunities for reducing environmental impacts for the superstructure, substructure and hard landscaping, helping the design team make informed choices on reducing whole life embodied carbon. Danai also prepared a Sustainable Procurement Plan (SPP) in collaboration with the Cornwall Council. Aim of the SPP was to ensure that the procurement process would encourage an organisational governance towards social sustainability, secure human rights, establish responsible labour practices as well as ensure environmental responsibility, fair operating processes, and community involvement and development.

Roskilde Kommune. December 2021

Viby Bibliotek og kulturhus (Cosmos)LCA - LCC (Viby, Sjælland, Denmark)

Schmidt Hammer Lassen architects. March-May 2022

PaleehavenCarbon optimisation (Oslo, Norway)

Description: Viby Sjælland has got a new library and cultural center, which will serve as a kind of living room and meeting point for the city. Walls and the lower decks are in concrete, while the facade and roof structure are in wood. This combination of materials was chosen for its benefits of reducing resource consumption, carbon emissions and using lighter materials. The building is extremely well insulated in terms of heat and sound, so that concerts can be held without disturbing the neighbours. This project won the Engineerings News Records Global Best Project Award in the category of Cultural Buildings.

Role: Danai was responsible the LCA and LCC assessments and to support thorughout the DGNB certification process in matters related with the carbon emissions of the project.

Description: Paléehaven is an exciting competition entry for a new office and mix use building in central Oslo, Norway, in collaboration with Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects. The site, which currently comprises a parking building, will be redeveloped to an office building with a large atrium, retail, a greenhouse rooftop, and a small bus stop area on the ground floor.

Role: Danai worked as the LCA and sustainability specialist for the design. Through close collaboration with the architects and the use of computational design, a series of alternative structural systems and grids were tested for their structural quality, architectural value, and carbon footprint. The quantities and state of the existing structural elements were also estimated, so that reuse scenarios can be explored. The final superstructure design proposed the use of the CREE hybrid concretetimber structural system. Moreover, an overheating analysis was performed to test the proposed passive and active measures (ventilated windows with integrated shading in the rooftop, mixed mode ventilation, heat pump-based heating and cooling). Overall, the carbon footprint of the proposed design was reduced to around 210 kgCO2e/m2 and the design achieved compliance with Futurebuilt requirements.

energy retrofit

Holbæk Kommune. September-October 2022

Jernbanevej 6Energy retrofit - Carbon and cost analysis (Holbæk, Denmark)

Description: Holbæk Kommune just completed the works for the energy renovation of their office builidng in Jernbanevej 6 i Holbæk, Denmark. The municipality pursued a carbon and cost analysis with the ambition to dive deeper in the lessons learned from this energy retrofit to enable informed decision making in the future when retrofitting other buildings of their portfolio.

Role: Danai discussed with the municipality and helped them shape the scope of this study, which consists of two parts, carbon and cost payback of the implemented renovation measures. The carbon payback analysis focuses on the energy and operational carbon savings of these measures over time. The associated embodied carbon was also calculated and compared against the operational carbon savings in absolute values and over the time. A similar assessment was undertaken comparing the capital cost investment against the operational cost savings from the reduced energy consumption. Finally the four measures were ranked in their carbon and cost saving efficiency in a graphical way to communicate the lessons learned.

circular economy

Far East International Ltd. January 2021-March 2021

Ensign House –Circular Economy Assessment (Canary Wharf, London, UK)

masterplans

State Government of Penang. April 2020-May 2020

Penang South Islands Masterplan competitionSustainability Strategy (Penang, Malaysia)

Taylor Wimpey. October 2021 - November 2021

Redevelopment of the Land North of RackheathSustainability Strategy (Norwich, UK)

Description: Ensign House will become a mix residential and commercial tower in Canary Wharf, London.

Role: Danai’s work focused on the circular economy strategy and the associated building weight and waste generation calculations. She cohosted an interactive circular economy workshop to discuss, encourage and decide on circular economy principles, specific materials choices and construction site practices which could be implemented. The strategic work was followed by detailed building weight calculations, excavation and construction waste estimates and setting targets (i.e. diverting 95% of excavation and construction waste from landfill, minimum 20% recycled content in the materials).

Description: The Penang South Islands (PSI) project is a key strategic initiative of the State Government of Penang to boost the economy, promote sustainable development and enhance the quality of life for Penangites.

Role: Danai’s role in the competition team was to undertake climate analysis and provide sustainability strategic advice in collaboration with Foster and Partners and GDP Architects. Aim of the proposal was that the new islands are developed targetting a net positive energy / water / food operation, carbon neutrality, zero pollutant runoff, zero sand import and zero temperature increase.

Description: The land north of Rackheath, which used to be a military airfield during World War 2, will be redeveloped with residential areas, schools, green open space, allotment gardens, play areas, a local centre and an employment centre. Taylor Wimpey have a strong sustainability agenda for this fossil fuel-free site.

Role: Danai’s role was to initiate the dialog on the sustainability strategy during the development’s early design stages. She led the preparation of a workshop with the client and the design team which was structured around Taylor Wimpey’s ambitious sustainability agenda (Future Proof Resource Use, Sustainable Transport, Health & Wellbeing, Environmental Net Gain, Resilient & Adaptable, Community & Social value, Economic Benefit). For each section the future trends and challenges were analysed and followed by a series of strategies and solutions. Appropriate metrics and specific targets were also set to facilitate a successful implementation of the proposed strategies.

climate resilience tool development

NEOM. February 2020-August 2020

NEOM Industrial City ClimateClimate Resilience Strategy (Neom, Saudi Arabia)

wellbeing

DGDA. January 2020-March 2020 Diriyah Gate

Smart Wellbeing City Strategy (Diryah Gate, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)

January 2022-today Early Stages Net Zero Masterplan GH tool development

Description: NEOM Industrial City (NIC) is an ambitious proposal for a mixed use city in NEOM which will consist the heart of the manufacturing, food production, logistics, research and innovation of the new region.

Role: Danai worked on the climate resilience study for the proposed development, assessing the potential negative impacts of climate change on the development related with temperature and humidity change, wind and sandstorms, rainfall and drought, and sea level rise and flooding. In collaboration with other WSP specialists, a series of mitigation measures to futureproof the development were proposed.

Description: Diriyah is a town of historical importance nearby Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, considered to be the ‘jewel of the Kingdom’ and known for its mud-brick architecture, which is now aimed to be redeveloped into a global gathering place.

Role: WSP’s role was to provide a Smart City Strategy for an enhanced user experience of the development. Danai’s role was to work on the Wellbeing component, aiming to create a healthy place that encourages a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle for its citizens. She analysed the lifestyle and wellbeing trends and compared with the benchmarks set by WELL standard for neighbourhoods, suggested a series of design measures, and helped with setting the requirements for the digital and physical components of the wellbeing strategy.

Description/Role: The purpose of this under-development tool is to help architects to understand the whole life carbon emissions of masterplan developments during the early design/competition stages, in order to facilitate early discussion and action. The GHG categories aimed to be included in the tool when completed are the operational emissions from energy use, whole life embodied carbon emissions from materials, emissions from transport of residents during operation and on-site carbon sequestration from trees. The development takes place within Rhino-Grasshopper and Visual Studio Code environments, with C# being the main programming language.

PALEEHAVEN

CARBON OPTIMISATION FOR A MIXED USE BUILDING

INTRODUCTION

Paléehaven is an exciting competition entry for a new office and mix use building in central Oslo, Norway, in collaboration with Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects. The site, which currently comprises a parking building, will be redeveloped to an office building with a large atrium, retail, a greenhouse rooftop, and a small bus stop area on the ground floor. The building’s upper structure will be primarily timber, while the existing precast concrete elements will be reused for the new substructure. I contributed to the design with early stage LCA and overheating analysis using computational design tools.

The new office building is aspired to comply with the Futurebuilt requirements of the Norwegian building regulations. These include very low whole life carbon emissions (<250 kgCO2e/m2), incorporating at least 50% reused and reusable components and achieving a significant increase in local biodiversity.

The existing building was found inappropriate for reuse, due to the very low floor-to-ceiling height. Therefore, exploring ways to reuse structural elements became part of the early design explorations in a way to minimise waste from demolition and reduce carbon footprint.

METHOD

Through close collaboration with the architects and the use of

computational design, a series of alternative structural systems and grids were tested for their structural quality, architectural value, and carbon footprint. The quantities and state of the existing structural elements were also estimated, so that reuse scenarios can be explored. Finally, energy and overheating analysis were performed to the greenhouse rooftop to ensure its environmental performance.

DESIGN PROPOSAL

The final superstructure design proposed the use of the CREE structural system, which consists of hybrid-concrete slab panels, few central support girders from steel and glulam columns. The roof is a timber structure. The optimised structural system in combination with the CREE grid (2.5 x 7.2 m) required relatively low material quantities. 87% of all windows will have timber frames.

Passive measures such as ventilated windows with integrated shading in the rooftop combined with a mixed mode ventilation system and a heat pump-based heating and cooling system ensure the environmental performance of the building and the greenhouse rooftop. Overall, the carbon footprint of the proposed design was reduced to around 210 kgCO2e/m2 (reduction of 62% when compared to standard practice) as per the Norwegian methodology, and the design achieved compliance with Futurebuilt requirements.

Architectural competition entry, WSP Danmark

Spring 2022 Architects: SHL

Structural Engineer: Lee Earl

AXONOMETRIC SECTION (SOURCE: SHL)

SOUTHEAST VIEW FROM THE CHRISTIAN FREDERIKS PLAZA (SOURCE: SHL)

Existing -

Concrete floor plate from the existing parking building

Precast concrete slabs, beams and columns

PROPOSED REUSE OF PRECAST CONCRETE ELEMENTS FROM THE EXISTING BUILDING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW BASEMENTS

Concrete structure - B2, B1 and GF Concrete floor panels Timber beams Steel beam Timber column

800

Current practice

PROPOSED CREE HYBRID CONCRETE-TIMBER STRUCTURAL SYSTEM (SOURCE: SHL)

600

Benchmark against Futurebuilt carbon targets Current best practice

400

200 0

600.0

500.0

400.0

300.0

200.0

DisassembleReuse-100.0

Standard practice

100.0

0.0

Proposed design

kg CO 2e / m2 2050

1000 2020 2025 2030 Year 2035 2040 2045

BENCHMARK OF THE PROPOSED DESIGN AGAINST THE FUTUREBUILT CARBON TARGETS (50% CARBON REDUCTION, 10 YEARS IN THE FUTURE)

Energy

565 -62% 210 MEP-Building Services Core & Interiors Facade & Windows Roof Structural frame Slabs Total

Standard practice Strandgata

COMPARISON OF THE PROPOSED DESIGN WITH STANDARD PRACTICE TODAY - CARBON EMISSIONS PER BUILDING COMPONENT AND IN TOTAL

CARBON NEUTRAL FLOORS

LCA-BASED STUDY OF CARBON-NEUTRAL NEW UPPER FLOOR CONSTRUCTIONS FOR BUILDINGS WITH LONG DESIGN LIFE

CASE STUDY: UCL MARSHGATE BUILDING

CONTEXT

Today the world is facing two contradicting challenges:

• An urgent need to reduce carbon emissions globally

• The built environment requires expansions to accommodate the growing population

RESEARCH QUESTION

‘How can carbon neutral or carbon negative floor constructions be designed to assist both environmental targets and economic growth?’

SCOPE

• Comparative LCA-based study of alternative floor constructions

• IES simulations for operational energy consumption and carbon emissions

• Timeline of carbon emissions

• Original features: 1. the long building lifetime (200 years), 2. the examination per building layer and per life stage, 3. the consideration of replacement rates, maintenance and carbon prices

FINDINGS

The results suggest that the floor finishing layer has the highest environmental impact in the long run, while the structure dominates the short term impact.

CLT structure leads to lower carbon emissions than cast in-situ concrete and prefabricated slabs, due to carbon sequestration. Similar benefits are found for timber based floor finishes (wood parquet and high density wood-based panels) over concrete, rubber and carpet floor finishes. These benefits may vary significantly according to timber’s end-of-life treatment, with reuse, recycling and incineration with energy recovery to be the most sustainable options. Maintenance and replacement rate of floor finishes is found to be a significant parameter as well. The findings also suggest pre-fabrication’s potential, as precast concrete slabs lead to lower carbon emissions than cast in-situ concrete slabs.

Dissertation Research, MSc Environmental Design and Engineering, UCL

Academic Year (2018-2019)

Supervision: Croxford Ben

Overall, the study suggests that critical parameters for achieving carbon neutral/negative floor constructions are the carbon sequestration of timber products, pre-fabrication, reduced replacement rate, sustainable maintenance and enhanced end-of-life treatment. FLOOR

CUMULATIVE CARBON EMISSIONS (kgCO2e) OF STRUCTURE ALTERNATIVES DURINGTHE BUILDING’S LIFETIME

LIFECYCLE CARBON EMISSIONS OF SPACE PLAN ALTERNATIVES (kgCO2e) DURINGTHE LIFECYCLE OF EACH COMPONENT (LEFT) AND THE LIFECYCLE OF THE BUILDING (RIGHT)

CUMULATIVE CARBON EMISSIONS (kgCO2e) (LEFT) AND CUMULATIVE SOCIAL CARBON COSTS (£) OF STRUCTURE ALTERNATIVES DURING THE BUILDING’S LIFETIME (RIGHT)

LIFECYCLE CARBON EMISSIONS OF SPACE PLAN ALTERNATIVES (kgCO2e) DURINGTHE LIFECYCLE OFTHE BUILDING (LEFT) AND THE CUMULATIVE SOCIAL CARBON COSTS (£) OF CLT+SPACE PLAN ALTERNATIVES, BASED ONTHE BCIS LIFE OF THE BUILDING (RIGHT)

QUALITATIVE IMPACTS ON THE REPLACEMENT RATE OF BUILDING COMPONENTS

CARBON EMISSIONS (kgCO2e) BASED ON 3 REPLACEMENT RATE SCENARIOS OF BUILDING COMPONENTS (STRUCTURE AND SPACE PLAN ALTERNATIVES)

KUKUSANYA HOUSE

SELF-SUFFICIENT HOUSE AND NURSERY IN TANZANIA

Subject of this project is the design of a self-sufficient house that also functions as a small nursery during day time in Mbeya, Tanzania. Climate responsive design, minimization of embodied carbon and maximizing daylight are included in the key objectives of the project. This project is developed in a multi-disciplinary team with students from different backgrounds. My role included development of sustainability / environmental strategy, undertaking embodied carbon modeling as well as energy and indoor climate simulations and optimizations with IES VE.

SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY

1. Spending time outdoors and gathering around fire sharing stories and knowledge are characteristic elements of Tanzanian life. Therefore, the building is shaped around a central yard, which acts as a core for family and nursery life. ‘Kukusanya’, the project title, is the Swahili word for ‘gather’.

2. In order to provide natural cross ventilation to the living spaces, the building complex ‘opens’ to SE, where winds come from around the year.

3. Shoebox modeling examined among other parameters the floor-to external wall ratio and the findings showed that the more extended the external walls are, the higher thermal comfort levels can be achieved.

5. A multifunctional element is placed centrally in the yard, shaping a seating area for adults protected from SE winds, and a climbing-sliding game for kids.

6. Living area/nursery is extended towards the yard as the more social and public room of the building.

7. The south side of the building is protected from summer south sun through a circular shading element around the yard. This also creates a transition zone between indoors and outdoors.

8. The roofs are extended slightly from the vertical wall level in order to protect external walls made from rammed earth from rainwater.

9.. Through IES simulations, the need of skylights to provide additional daylight and solar gains to the interior was established. These were added in the dining room, living area/nursery, main bedroom (direct gain system) and staircase (indirect gain system).

10.. Rainwater collection is realised through the inclined roofs and the circular shading element and an underground storage.

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

11. PV panels are placed horizontally as this is the optimal orientation for the local sun angles (sun altitude varies between 57º North and 75º South)

4. The round shape maximizes north and minimizes south surfaces to achieve maximum comfort for this climate. The living area/nursery is given the optimal north orientation, while bedrooms are facing northwest to be pre-heated for their night time usage.

12. To minimise mosquito attraction, mosquito repellent plants (citronella plant, lemongrass, mint, basil, lavender etc.) are placed on the leeward side of the building. For the same reason, temperatures and CO₂ concentrations are kept low in bedrooms.

MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTIONS

The walls are made of rammed earth because it provides high thermal mass, it can be locally made on site with very low embodied carbon. Also, it has good hygroscopicity providing passive humidity control when exposed or combined with other vapour permeable materials. The walls are based on a stone footing of 400 mm in order to be protected from ground raising moisture. This footing continues under the ground surface in a depth of 300-400 mm as foundation. Floor slabs are made out of concrete. Concrete has higher embodied carbon but its high thermal capacity provides the most comfortable indoor conditions. Concrete is a local material, as there is a cement factory in Mbeya town. The roofs are made out of CLT slab due to its lower embodied carbon. In order to maintain thermal mass a pre-cast concrete panel is hung from the ceiling.

OPTIMISATION PROCESS - ENERGY AND INDOOR CLIMATE

Through an optimisation process run in IES the % of hours in comfort zone (in terms of temperature, humidity, CO₂) was extended significantly in all rooms. During design process, the main challenge was underheating rather than overheating, so the initial minimising of south surfaces and the circular shading element are proved to be effective solutions. Kitchen achieves the most comfortable conditions due to its higher internal gains which allow higher natural ventilation rates which balances humidity and reduces CO₂ concentration. Kids bedroom is the room with the least external surfaces, so it has the lower temperatures which were accepted in the mosquito context.

Solar panels - 2kWp

ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY SUMMARY DIAGRAM

Yearly PV energy production: 3260 kWh

Maximise north facing surfaces

Afternoon solar gains (bedrooms)

Rammed earth for thermal mass Anti-mosquito plants

Skylights Narrow floor plan for cross ventilation

Overhangs for solar control

Morning solar gains (Kitchen)

Shading element for south facing windows

West East

Rain water collection Underground water tank

North South

Open for cross ventilation

Prevailing winds

Minimise south facing surfaces

NATURALLY VENTILATED THEATRE

NATURALLY VENTILATED THEATRE IN RUSSEL SQUARE

In this project which included work in multi-disciplinary teams, my role included development of sustainability-environmental strategy, energy and indoor climate simulations and optimizations with IES and presentation.The design focuses on a small theatre with reception and cafe that are ventilated naturally. The site is within Russel square in London and is currently occupied by a small cafeteria. Aim of the design is to revive the park and connect it with the city using the new theatre function.

ARCHITECTURAL STRATEGY

1. Two inclined slopes which open the building towards the park and the city respectively, shaping a link between them

2. Strategic decision to preserve and retrofit the existing popular cafe. The theatre with its reception are placed behind the existing cafe and in between of the cafe and the city. A green slope welcomes the city vibe in the park while the theatre and its reception lie under it. The railings which currently separate the park from the city are removed and replaced by this green inviting path. The box office is differentiated as it raises in height above the slope and looks towards the city following extended opening hours. A small plaza in front of the box office creates a transition zone between the busy road and the relaxing green slope. Multiple entrances to the complex provide accessibility and bring vibrance to the functions of the cafe, reception, box office and theatre.

ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY

1. The stable ground temperature at a depth of 5m can be leveraged for thermal stability and passive air conditioning. This strategy is implemented for the theatre (due to its increased internal gains) by placing half of its external walls in direct contact with the ground.

2. In order to provide fresh air to the theatre and reception without adding solar gains, an underground ventilation system is designed. Inlets facing southwest (wind direction during 30-40% of summer time in London) insert air to the earth ducts and lead it indoors after preheating / pre-cooling it through heat exchange with the ground.

Postgraduate project, UCL, MSc Environmental Design and Engineering

AcademicYear (2018-2019)

Location: London, UK

Collaboration: Park M. - Tarand P. - Xiao Z.

Supervision: Parand F.

The green roof also contributes to passive design as it can provide important insulation and thermal mass around the year. Especially in the summer, the plants provide cooling benefits to the roof structure and contribute to the relatively cooler microclimate of the park. The chimney design incorporates the chimney height within the height difference of the inclined roof so that stack effect is created while preserving a low building profile. Placing the inlets of each room to the floor level enhances the stack height. The outlets of the chimneys are facing north were the pressures should be frequently negative during summer. At the same time, their inclined cover is facing south in order to be heated by the sun and the stack effect to be activated.

2 MAIN CONCEPTS

WITH THEATRE/RECEPTION

FROM SITE ANALYSIS TO STRATEGY

PER TEMPERATURE RANGE DURING SUMMER

OPTIMIZATION PROCESS - ENERGY AND INDOOR CLIMATE

Through an optimization process simulated with IES, the % of hours in comfortable temperature ranges and in low CO₂ concentrations were maximized. The areas of design which were optimized are shading, construction materials, glazing properties and size, window profiles and ventilation inlet size and position. Finally, all the iterations were combined in the final model which was tested also for an extreme summer scenario (DSY).

No heating/cooling was applied in the building as indicated from the exercise brief, so at an annual basis the temperatures are considered rather low. The design focused on maximizing summer comfort which is achieved for approximately 80% of occupied time. Overheating is kept at 6%, while CO₂ concentration exceeds the limit of 1000 ppm only for 2,2% of time.

SUMMER

SOUTHEAST (TOP) AND NORTHWEST (BOTTOM) FACADES SOUTHWEST (TOP) AND NORTHEAST (BOTTOM) FACADES

ENVIRONMENTAL SECTION - THEATRE

ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO

This diploma project aims to re-negotiate the greek state school today.

An existing primary school and kindergarden is studied and redesigned so that it can be open to the society and sustainable. So that it will become the new version of greek state school, the version v2.0.

This school stays open during evenings and weekends offering free educational, leisure and sport activities for every age group. The school yard is located in the center of the lot and the school’s life. The kindergarden is moved to an independent building with its own protected yard.

OVERARCHING CONCEPT

The design process was based on 4 choices:

- Connection with city: The public entrance to the open school is realized through a green ramp which connects it with the square and the seafront.

- Expansion of the school yard: The inclined kindergarden’s roof expands the school yard and creates an outdoor amphitheatrical area.

- Preservation of the existing building: It is transformed to the core of the open school.

- Addition of classrooms: The classrooms are placed in a new building which can be isolated during evening/weekend activities. The classroom design encourages variety and flexibility of teaching methods.

CIRCULARITY BY THE RIVER

URBAN REGENERATION OF ELAIONAS INDUSTRIAL AREA

MASTERPLAN CONCEPT

A former industrial area of Athens, Elaionas, is redesigned to a vibrant neighbourhood consisting of residential,mix -use, leisure and education. The neighbourhood development is based on circular economy principles and its transformation concept is based on the local river regeneration. Underground canals collect the rainwater, purify it through plant-based procedures and lead it to the currently polluted and dried river in order to enhance its current limited flow.

Selected buildings of the area are reused to accommodate the common uses commercial, services, life-long education and others). The positions of these existing buildings define and create a central pedestrian street. The decision to preserve some buildings and use them to shape a key axis of the new development aims to shape a new identity for the development rooted in its past.

A large inviting public area-meeting point is then created at the crossing of the pedestrian street and the river. The residence (general and student because of nearby university) is located north of the pedestrian street. A local recycling station and park and sport facilities are also included.

DWELLINGS

Housing: Detached houses, semi-detached houses and apartment blocks are included, with a great variety of apartment types which aim to respond to current household needs. Green spaces of several sizes are shaped between the buildings. Small commercial functions are also placed within the residential area to create a vibrant atmosphere.

Student Accommodation: To connect the nearby Agriculture University needs with the new neighbourhood, the local student residences have been located by the river. They are organised in two blocks, each consisting of 4 interconnected building units and a yard. Private and shared types of accommodation are combined with a series of common spaces.

Roof types: Three roof design consists of three roof types, each of these is associated with different benefits for the community. The flat roof provides quality space for social interactions. The green roof promotes biodiversity and aesthetic value. Finally the inclined roof provides space for the installation of photovoltaic panels, which can help with reducing the operationcal carbon emissions of the development.

ROOF TYPES

ROOF TYPES - COMBINATIONS

HOUSING TYPOLOGIES

TIMBER PAVILLION

TEMPORARY ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS PAVILLION

PURPOSE

Educational aim of this project is the fundamental understanding and detailed design of timber structures.

This wooden construction is designed to accommodate the Environmental club of Ilioupoli Municipality in Athens.

The layout includes an exhibition room, a small kitchen and bathroom. These spaces are connected to the same vertical plane. Due to the steep site inclination, the structure is founded on a raised metal platform. The access to the platform is realised through 2 metal corridors. The structure has a temporary character, it doesn’t alter the physical state of the site and can easily be deconstructed and assembled in a different location if required in the future.

PLATFORM

The wooden columns of the building are based in a metal hollow column in order to connect with the metal ground floor beams and to the foundations. Τhe wooden beams are connected to the metal beams οf the platform and to the wooden upper part of the columns. The floor consists a hardboard layer, a waterproofing membrane, an insulating layer and a external finish layer of wooden planks, which are nailed to wooden smaller beams.

WALLS

The wooden frames are rigidified either by triangling or by septation. The wall core consists an assembly of a wooden studs and a layer of hardboards nailed on each side. An insulation layer is placed between the hardboards. A waterproof membrane and a wooden cladding layer finish the wall construction.

EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC DIAGRAM - RAISED PLATFORM

AXONOMETRIC PLATFORM DETAIL - ORIGINAL SCALE 1:10

AXONOMETRIC WALL DETAIL - ORIGINAL SCALE 1:10

AXONOMETRIC DETAIL - JOINT 1 (PLATFORM)

ORIGINAL SCALE 1:5

AXONOMETRIC DETAIL - JOINT 2 (ROOF)

ORIGINAL SCALE 1:5

SECTION A-A - ORIGINAL SCALE 1:20

MATERIAL REUSE COLLAGES

Internship, Lendager Group 2016-2017

Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

This is a series of collages aiming to explore the promising potential of material re-use in construction. The photographic material comes from the Grønnetorvet (Copenhagen, Denmark) and Varvsstaden (Malmö, Sweden) regeneration projects.

POSTER, ‘WASTELAND’ EXHIBITION, 2017

COLLAGE, MATERIAL FROM GRØNNETORVET PROJECT, 2016

COLLAGE, MATERIAL FROM GRØNNETORVET PROJECT, 2016