EEPA
Major Project Design Book and Thought Piece The design of a new facility in Salt River; Emerging Energy Production Arcade
Design and Theory Studio3 - BAS 2015 - Diana Kuhn - Alternative energy production and storage development research- the Bromwell site
ABSTRACT “One of the greatest challenges today is the rising cost of energy. The applied research we are undertaking will improve the design and efficiency of buildings, leading to improved quality of life and reduced cost of living,” - Paul Cooper (8) The energy systems in the EEPA building celebrate sustainability with technologies that lets the whole building function as a real ‘machine for living in’. This building does not just show off a ‘green’ frenzy. It showcases Emerging Energy Production through working prototypes. It demonstrates how simple these systems are that would make it possible for your house to function like a sustainable machine. Whilst these systems are in place they are being researched, maintained, and improved in the integrated laboratories. The systems are all connected, forming a loop of energy and resource re-use. This building is a sustainable energy research prototype itself. This building adds to the urban scheme that I first proposed for Salt River. Creating a connection from the train station node all the way to the Cape Town city centre. On a smaller scale this is done by connecting Foundary road to Bromwell road. The EEPA building is exactly in the middle of this connection with a goal of activating it. The adjacent heritage Town hall and the Salt River market space is proposed to be opened on either sides to make this connection possible. On an urban scale, these changes will solve many gang violence issues in this precinct. The EEPA building will contribute to this activation by also creating jobs to 38 unemployed Salt River locals as well as creating something purposeful to do in this area instead of loitering. The Building’s form is generated from the main vaulted structure that make the arcade space. This space is the main circulation space of the building and the movement route between Salt River residential are, the train station and the Salt River market space. The language of the arch’s structure is a series of masonry brick ribs. These ribs are extended to also form the main structure of the rest of the building in the form of long solid masonry walls facing North West. The grounds of the site chosen was used by Salt River locals for whatever purpose they chose, including setting up non-permanent shelters. The site was open to everyone. This sense of openness to the public will remain on the site because the building focuses on opening up the circulation and the facilities to the public and involving the locals. Although there are parts of the building like the laboratories that are private, the components that allow it, are integrated in such a way to promote an openness in the rest of the building. This EEPA building will be an inviting place that encourages people to come gain knowledge on energy or to feel inspired or welcome to just pass through. The ‘outdoor’ street space concept emphasises that this space is, in fact, like a street, for everyone, especially for all Salt river pedestrians. This does not only include the ground floor circulation but acts as a vertical street space as well. People can continue to move in this space as freely as they wish and will only be restricted to enter the actual rooms with specific programs on either sides of the arcade. The market spaces within the walls of this arcade will activate it. Here would be a good gathering space or meeting point before going to the train or Salt river market.
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GLOSSARY
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Emerging energy technology
- The technology that improves the utilisation performance of energy sources.
Sustainability
- The ability of something to be maintained or to sustain itself. If an activity is said to be sustainable, it should be able to continue forever.
Prototypes
-A first version of a device from which other forms are developed. A working example of a device that is used as a ‘tester’.
Systems
-A set of devices working together as part of an interconnecting network; a complex whole.
Spine
-A linear form projection that allows flexibility for local and specific conditions.
Node
-A point at which lines or pathways intersect or branch.
Activating
-Making (something) dynamic or effective.
Arcade
-A covered passage with arches.
Ribs
-Curved members supporting a vault or defining its form as well as a long raised piece of supporting material.
Openness
-A philosophy that is characterized by an emphasis on transparency and free, unrestricted access to space or information.
Interaction
-A particular way in which people and the building or the devices in the building affect one another.
Language
-A non-verbal method of expression or communication a set of a certain design style.
Bio-gas
-Methane, produced by the fermentation of organic matter.
Grey water
-The relatively clean waste water from baths, sinks, washing machines, and other kitchen appliances.
INTRODUCTION URBAN STRATEGY – (APPENDIX I)
CONTENT
DESIGN PARAMETERS
01-02
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SUBJECT OBJECTIVES PLAN OF DEVELOPMENT
03-18
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BACKGROUND DEVELOPING THE BRIEF – THE BIGGER PICTURE MAPPING OF SALTRIVER DEVELOPING THE BRIEF – THE SMALLER PICTURE URBAN SCHEME
19-38
** SITE SELECTION ** SITE INFORMATION ** SITE CHANGES WITH URBAN SCHEME ** SITE ANALYSIS DEVELOPING THE BRIEF - PROGRAM RESEARCH ** CHOICE OF PROGRAM ** THE TECHNOLOGIES AND OBJECTIVE ** HYPOTHETICAL ROLE PLAYERS ** CLIMATE AND RELATED DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS ** PSYCHOMETRIC ANALYSIS ** THE DESIGN INTENT ** DEVELOPING THE PROGRAM ** RELATIONSHIPS OF SPACE & SPACE USE ** SCHEDULE OF ACCOMMODATION EXPLORING POSSIBLE RESPONSES MORE PRECEDENT STUDIES RELATIONSHIPS OF SPACES AND SERVICES DESIGN PROCESS INSPIRATION DESIGN PROCESS
DEVELOPING THE CONCEPT
39-52
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DESIGN PROPOSAL – (APPENDIX II)
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** INSPIRATION ** SECTION PROPOSAL ** DEVELOPING THE ELEMENTS ** FIRST SET OF PLANS & MODEL ** SECOND SET OF PLANS ** THIRD SET OF PLANS ** PROCESS SKETCHES AND ARCADE INSPIRATION ** FORTH SET OF PLANS ** ARCADE SECTION DEVELOPMENT ** FIFTH SET OF PLANS ** ADJUSTING RESIDENTIAL COMPONENTS.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT – (APPENDIX III) 67-78
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DESIGN DEVELOPMENT – (APPENDIX III) CONTEXT AWARENESS CONTINUING THE LANGUAGE SEVENTH SET OF PLANS FINALISING SECTIONS STRUCTURAL CONCERNS STRUCTURAL DRAWINGS STRUCTURAL DETAIL MATERIALS
STRUCTURE
79-84
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SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY
85-110
** ENERGY REDUCTION SUMMARY .** THERMAL MASSING AND EFFECTIVE SHADING ** PASSIVE COOLING ** WIND TURBINES ** WATER TURBINES ** SOLAR PAVEMENT AND CONCENTRATION ** BIOGAS SYSTEM / HOME FUEL CELLS ** RESOURCE REDUCTION SUMMARY ** RAINWATER HARVESTING ** GREY WATER RECYCLING ** MATERIALS – BRICKS ** CONCLUSION OF SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY
SERVICES
111-112
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LIFT / ELEVATOR CORE SERVICE DUCTS FOR PLUMBING
ANALYTICAL DESCRIPTIONS
113-116
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URBAN RESPONSE OPENNESS SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY & SYNTHESIS
FINAL PRESENTATION – (APPENDIX IV)
117-124
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FINAL PRESENTATION – (APPENDIX IV)
THOUGHT PIECE
125-128
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THOUGHT PIECE
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INTRODUCTION
SUBJECT This Major Project located in Salt River, Cape Town, is an attempt to display the full range of skills I have acquired in your undergraduate studies. The buildings purpose is researching emerging energy production.
OBJECTIVES I will attempt to consolidate my theoretical and technical knowledge through the design of this medium-scale building in its city context.
PLAN OF DEVELOPMENT This report is set out chronologically showing exactly how this project was developed. This development is presented in 12 sections and multiple subsections. (as seen in contents page)
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URBAN STRATEGY – (APPENDIX I)
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BACKGROUND DEVELOPING THE BRIEF – THE BIGGER PICTURE MAPPING OF SALTRIVER DEVELOPING THE BRIEF – THE SMALLER PICTURE URBAN SCHEME
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BACKGROUND “Rapid urbanisation in a situation of continued poverty has outpaced the financial and administrative capacity of governments to ensure that cities provide efficient locations for economic activity and satisfy the basic needs of all their citizens” (Rakodi, 1997: 19). While Rakodi writes in an African City context, rapid urbanisation and its associated problems are a global phenomenon. The nature of urbanisation and its knockon effects in post-apartheid South African cities, and Cape Town in particular is that migration from rural to urban of the poorest of the poor happens in a number of ways. Patterns of informal settlement on the periphery of the city and seeking opportunities on the street in well - resourced urban areas – ‘street living’ are both manifestations of urbanisation in South African cities. The existing urban poor have ‘settled’ into an informal settlement or state-subsidised housing estate on the periphery of the city, in the metropolitan south east sector of Cape Town. At the same time incidents of street living / vagrancy is on the increase, as is particularly evident in areas such as Woodstock and Salt River. By extreme contrast, Cape Town also boasts residential developments that are among the most expensive real estate in the city and country. Typical of these is their exclusive locality in proximity to high amenity areas including the significant natural assets such as the mountain and sea.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Camps_Bay,_Cape_Town_and _Sea_Point_Electric_Tramways_map_-_ca._1906.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2539/3919104622_0c0e86af9e.jpg
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https://www.capetown.gov.za/en/Planningportal/District%20policies%20Table%20Bay/Woodstock%20Salt%20River%20Revitalisation%20Framework,%202003.pdf
DEVELOPING THE BRIEF – THE BIGGER PICTURE The historic local areas of Woodstock and Salt River are located approximately 3km from the Cape Town Central Business District, between the Devil’s Peak mountains and the sea. The areas were established more than 250 years ago and are well - located to metropolitan Cape Town via the national and main transportation routes namely the N1, N2, and the southern and northern suburb corridors. The context of the rea is one of extreme diversity of living patterns and standards. The areas have a range of stakeholders including high and low-income residents, street people, business operators, land / property owners, tenants, visitors, shoppers, children and professionals. As does Cape Town citywide, Woodstock and Salt River exhibit urbanisation trends typified by degrees of poverty, unemployment, crime, vandalism, vagrancy, and a lack of vision for public investment and management.
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MAPPING OF SALTRIVER Following are some studies done on Salt River in context of Cape Town’s contours and geographical studies. To the right is an investigation to the street section scale of Spencer road and Malta Road in Salt River
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MAPPING OF SALTRIVER future site selection
City massing study of Salt River
Street Sections in Salt River
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DEVELOPING THE BRIEF – THE SMALLER PICTURE Majority of the residents in the Saltriver area said that they felt completely safe in Saltriver, but after demanding on knowing where they feel least safe (it took a while to break through their patriarchal Saltriver enthusiasm) the most unsafe area was mentioned by most as Bromwell Street. Most said they simply stay away from that area and thus stay out of trouble. Others told stories of crime that they saw happening there. And everyone who spoke of the Bromwell area confirmed that it as the base for the drug lords, where the gangs are formed and where the Saltriver crime spans off from. This obviously affects the whole of Saltriver. And such a cancer in a beautiful community needs to be dealt with cleverly. These crime initiating areas are like viruses that spread and causes problems in the rest of Saltriver. I want to deal the dodgiest areas in Saltriver to make it a better place. Without being pessimistic about the area; what makes it some places feel so dangerous? Where does it stem from? I would like to architecturally solve the deeper issues instead of trying to solve the problems that are caused as result.
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URBAN SCHEME Even though Bromwell Street and Strand Street area falls under the Woodstock area I want to include this area. To solve the negative aspects that bleed into Saltriver. There is a spine that runs along the railway and is almost being held by the railway. The train creates a nice boundary that seems to keep Saltriver contained and compacted, the train line is the boundary and should be celebrated. Taking this spine into context with the rest of Cape Town this spine can create a more successful link between the CBD and Saltriver. Creating access to the sea via three streets that cross the railway will serve as three nodes within this spine and thus activating it all along. This spine is the area that I will be focusing on, especially on both sides of the highway for reasons that are explained below.
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To deal with the issues we can begin to look at the factors that initially make these areas so potentially dangerous: Bromwell Street and Strand Street are currently ending in a ‘dead end’ in front of the highway. Leaving the space under the highway useless. This space became like a ‘dead-end’ in itself on the other side of the highway from foundry road. We are already aware that ‘dead-ends’ and ‘cul-de-sacs’ in suburbia are not pleasing spaces. The train is therefore containing Saltriver but the highway is choking Saltriver’s most crucial area.
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Underneath the highway is currently also a loitering space. It’s a dead end and inactivated ground. Interestingly the dangerous spaces are recorded both sides of the highway and not by the train railway because of the activated train stations.
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URBAN SCHEME The best solution would be connecting Strand Street to Foundry road via an activated street underneath the highway. Activation above the bridge is also necessary to slow down traffic and make the area pedestrian friendly. This is done by means of plaza spaces above and below the bridge. The town hall with market spaces are opened up to the new street and not enclosed as is. This plaza space flows onto the highway creating a boulevard instead. Currently Bromwell Street and Strand Street are without intermediate perpendicular streets connecting them. They start to feel like a long dangerous path that you would rather not walk down. The solution lies in the already successful cities in terms of security. These cities have a city street grid with small city blocks. Here you never know when someone can come around the corner (human surveillance) and you are never in an environment where unwanted activities can take place.
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Looking at the unused areas of Bromwell and Strand one could determine where to cut these gird streets. Along with these street intersections are activated plaza spaces that are paved and slightly raised. This will prevent these proposed grid streets to become like alley ways and slow traffic down. Pedestrians must feel comfortable even though cars are kept. Transport (not necessarily cars) will always remain part of us. Instead of trying to remove cars from the streets and pedestrianizing it, (which seemed at first to be the best solution) car drivers need to naturally feel the urge to slow down and give way to pedestrians. This is already successful in most parts of Albert Street but Voortrekker road and Malta road are the high speed areas. Cars drive slower in areas with many side- streets (grid streets) where cars are constantly turning in and out of. Drivers also drive more slowly on paved areas. It seems to give pedestrians dominance. The part of Foundry road that is away from the highway is functioning adequately because of the activated train station. This area should be celebrated even more. Buildings are to be built on the railway side of Foundry road with their back gardens to the railway (north facing). The only dangerous area here would then be the ‘alley’-like walkway over the railway because it has similar characteristics to the current Bromwell Street. These issues can thus be resolved similarly through activation by use of a grid and pedestrian spaces
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DESIGN PARAMETERS
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SITE SELECTION SITE INFORMATION SITE CHANGES WITH URBAN SCHEME SITE ANALYSIS DEVELOPING THE BRIEF - PROGRAM RESEARCH CHOICE OF PROGRAM THE TECHNOLOGIES AND OBJECTIVE HYPOTHETICAL ROLE PLAYERS CLIMATE AND RELATED DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS PSYCHOMETRIC ANALYSIS THE DESIGN INTENT DEVELOPING THE PROGRAM RELATIONSHIPS OF SPACE & SPACE USE SCHEDULE OF ACCOMMODATION
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SITE SELECTION Concerns regarding project sites After developing the new public amenity building in our En Loge Studio exam within my Urban proposal and also already dealing with the existing park and railway station activation in my Urban proposal I know that developments in the proposed major project sites will be very beneficial to Saltriver, but it is not here that my major concern lies. I would like to solve the problems in Saltriver. Amongst the many solutions provided in my Urban Scheme I am most enthusiastic for the building to activate the connection of streets below the highway bridge and the pedestrian life above the bridge. Therefor I have chosen a site that will be directly related to my problem solving scheme and my area of concern, and not one of the suggested sites. Choice an motivation of chosen site. A part of the urban scheme proposed above; is connecting Bromwell street and Foundary road and activating this connection below and above the highway. The site I propose for the major project building will solve this problem. The proposed site is located in a triangle that is formed between two roads once Foundary and Bromwell streets are connected, and the town hall.
Choice an motivation of chosen site. A part of the urban scheme proposed above; is connecting Bromwell street and Foundary road and activating this connection below and above the highway. The site I propose for the major project building will solve this problem. The proposed site is located in a triangle that is formed between two roads once Foundary and Bromwell streets are connected, and the town hall.
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SITE INFORMATION Subdivision of Erf 176308) - ¹ 830sqm with one current street elevation facing Voortrekker Road, and one proposed street elevation. The existing site is subdivided into 1) the new street, 2) open space parallel to the street, and 3) the building site. There is a 4m street setback from Voortrekker road that has already been zoned for future road expansion of the highway (proposed boulevard). The side boundary setback on the west boundary is 3m from the town hall. The rear setback (to the north) is 0m. Shown below are the accurate street boundaries of the site. Provision will need to be made for delivery access from the Bromwell /Foundary Street below. Since i have chosen another site than the given sites one would think that i have taken into account the program of the building and then decide on the site. The reason the site is chosen before taking into account what the program is, is because it will be a research centre, regardless. I kept that in mind while making a decision. Although the site can slightly influence how well the program functions the research centre and building layout will adapt in the content of the site and not the other way around where the site is decided based on the program. The importance of the site’s influence on the urban change is greater than the fact that it is a research centre of some kind. The site is interpreted as an open space to local people in Saltriver. This and other site qualities will be carried over into the program.
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SITE CHANGES WITH URBAN SCHEME
CURRENT SITE
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SITE WHEN COSIDERING URBAN SCHEME
SITE ANALYSIS
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DEVELOPING THE BRIEF - PROGRAM RESEARCH
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DEVELOPING THE BRIEF - PROGRAM RESEARCH
www.pinterest.com
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DEVELOPING THE BRIEF - PROGRAM RESEARCH
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DEVELOPING THE BRIEF - PROGRAM RESEARCH
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CHOICE OF PROGRAM The program chosen for this building is an Alternative Energy Production/Storage Development Research Centre. The importance of research facilities in this rapidly changing era is vitally important. Our needs in the near future might be completely different. If we continue on our current path of resource usage we will face big issues when it runs out, because it will. It has become a worldwide subject of discussion; how will we live in the future? The environmental and organic frenzy has gone viral, but people are sluggish when it comes to actually changing their lifestyles for the greater good. And although the shift to renewables is happening shockingly fast, its not yet fast enough to prevent perilous levels of global warming.(a) Therefor a greater effort needs to go into the research and development of emerging technologies. People will not necessarily willingly change their lifestyles if they are not forced into adapting to new systems implemented by economies. The renewable-energy boom is here. Trillions of dollars worldwide will be invested over the next 25 years, driving some of the most profound changes yet in how humans get their electricity. That's according to a new forecast by Bloomberg New Energy Finance that plots out global power markets to 2040.(a) South Africa has been struggling with an electricity horror that we call Load shedding. Eskom has been struggling to provide the necessary power needed. This is a warning for what is to come in the future if we continue to rely on our current power source. The time for change in energy supply is now. Because of these things being so current in South Africa, it led me to chose Alternative Energy Production as the general program for this building. And where better than in the mother city. The ‘mother’ must provide. Salt river's industrial areas have been growing in popularity amongst Capetonians. The Old Biscuit Mill is a good example in this area of such an improvement, involving the public in the primary industrial activities. In this case it will be creating awareness of alternative energy and possibly integration with prototypes. There are so many emerging technologies of alternative energies but not all of these are relevant to South Africa and specifically Cape Town. Also, not all of these technologies are deemed successful in the future because of the many imminent changes in the environment, It will be necessary to briefly study these main new technologies to further develop the program of this building: Alternative Energy Production:
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Energy Storage Development Research: Because energy storage is not really an interactive display, and the systems will not contribute to the reduction of the building’s carbon footprint level and it is mostly in research stages, they will only be included into the research laboratories of the building, and not for public display. It will not occupy a large part of the building program.
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THE TECHNOLOGIES AND OBJECTIVE
The three chosen energy storage systems chosen for research in the laboratories are 1) Electric double-layer capacitor, 2) Grid energy storage, 3) Molten salt batteries. Because these research lines will not necessarily have an influence on the architecture of the building, unless on the laboratory layouts, it will not necessarily be dealt with again in this study With the uncertainty of what the future holds and which alternative energy system would be most efficient and cost-effective and since most of these emerging technologies are still in research stages, it would be senseless to decide on only one major alternative energy as the main program of this building. The purpose of the building is to further the research of these systems, Therefor a few of these systems should be included. The chosen energy production systems are based on the applicableness of their importance in the future and whether or not it suits the future of Cape Town specifically. They are: 1) Concentrated solar power & Solar roadways 2) Airborne Wind turbine 3) Wave Power 4) Home fuel cell 5) Wireless power
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HYPOTHETICAL ROLE PLAYERS RESIDENTS The residents from the Salt River precinct area will use this building to pass through to walk to the market and the train station There are 5 housing components within this EEPA building with space for 4 people each. So there is a potential of 10 residents within this building. Each house is like a merchant house with a market space in front of it. The residents in this building each get an organic plot to look after on the other side of the arcade. VISITORS The visitors coming to this building can simply use the public bathrooms or the cafeteria/ restaurant on both on base level of the arcade. The visitors coming to view the systems can immediately go to the reception. Then to go to the lecture facility the visitors can use the public staircase/lift in the arcade or the more private internal workshop staircase. Both of these are available to visitors. The ramp leading to and from the train station opens up for pedestrian interaction, making the bypassing traffic respond as visitors. EMPLOYEES The following estimation of people will be employed in the EEPA building: (this is a minimum and the building caters for greater amount of employees) - 1 security guard - 4 admin/ reception staff - 5 workshop/maintenance professionals - 8 researchers/ laboratory assistances - 8 admin/ office employees - 2 lecturers - 4 kitchen staff/ chefs - 4 waiters - 2 domestic cleaners That is a minimum of 38 employed staff in the EEPA building GOVERNMENT DEPENDANT PERSONS These persons are free to move through the buildings exterior circulation as they please, because of the openness in the design intent explained later. This building acts as a public street. The security guard prevent any excessive loitering. The idea is to educate these persons about the systems so that they can possibly build and sell such systems.
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CLIMATE AND RELATED DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS Cape Town enjoys mild winters and pleasant summers. A Mediterranean climate. The annual mean temperature is 16.6 degrees Celsius. Thermal massing would be effective. The average sunlight hours per day is 8h 11minutes. This excludes cloudy weather. Solar energy harvesting is thus possible. The average precipitation is 40mm per month. Rain water harvesting is thus possible. Over the course of the year typical wind speeds vary from 0 m/s to 11 m/s (light air to fresh breeze), rarely exceeding 14 m/s (high wind). Wind turbine energy generation is possible to a certain extent and will be more effective if the wind is channelled.
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PSYCHOMETRIC ANALYSIS
According to the psychometric chart A building in Salt River needs passive and active solar heating for night time and in the winter day times it needs internal heat gain. For 5 months of the year Salt river temperature is a good thermal comfort already, but in the peak summer months high thermal mass will be needed to keep the internal spaces cool. These factors are very specifically considered during the design process that can be seen later
PSYCHOMETRIC CHART FOR SALT RIVER 33
THE DESIGN INTENT
ENERGY
This Building will be an active energy saving and energy production building and will look like one that does. Energy will not necessarily be produced on a large scale within this building, because the building is mainly for the research of the systems and not the production thereof. The research is for the purpose of a possible large-scale energy plant in South Africa. Interactive Prototypes. The objective is for prototypes of the systems, in working conditions, to be on display for public demonstration within the building. The objective of the building is also to involve the public, opening the access to knowledge,
OPENNESS
The grounds of the site chosen is currently used by Saltriver locals for whatever purpose they chose. The site is open to everyone. This sense of openness to the public will remain on the site if the building focuses on opening up the facilities to the public and involving the locals. Although there are parts of the building like the laboratories that will be private, the components that can, will be integrated in such a way to promote an openness in the rest of the building. The goal is to create an inviting place that encourages people to come gain knowledge on energy.
INTERACTION
Because this building will showcase the latest energy it will also have a display area of how energy production has progressed over time. A timeline display of where it started, to where it is today, to the wildest possibilities of the future, and subsequently promote alternative energy. Interaction with the technology prototypes as they progress will be a form of entertainment like a type of convention centre. It will also captivate the by passers. Promote the way forward.
Currently the thought of ‘Alternative Energy’ sounds foreign to most people. Or people tend to think of it as a far out concept that is not relevant to their immediate household. This building will make it clear to the average person how easy it can be, and how accessible it is.
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DEVELOPING THE PROGRAM
The name of this project can now be decided and will henceforth be named: EEPA- Emerging Energy Productions Arcade
ZERO-ENERGY Because of the energy production theme, another objective of the technologies in this building is to make it a Zero-energy building, The total amount of energy used by the building should roughly be equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site. This on-site renewable energy production will serve as the informative examples, making the processes more understandable to everyone. Subsequently the building should not increase the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It should be an example or prototype itself of an effective zero-energy building. An example for future developments in South Africa. This is a challenging program to attempt, but very much achievable.
ELEMENTS 1) Solar: 2) Wind: 3) Water : 4) Mass:
Concentrated solar power & Solar Pavements Airborne Wind turbine Water turbine Power Home fuel cell/ Biogas
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RELATIONSHIPS OF SPACE & SPACE USE
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SCHEDULE OF ACCOMMODATION
This table represent the calculation of floor space needed in the building The nearby Old Biscuit Mill building is now an iconic gathering space in Woodstock/ Saltriver. It is 5 storeys high. If I propose my building to also have 5 levels. it will not overpower the environment and it will be a comfortable 4 storey walk up building from Voortrekker road, and only 5 levels from Foundary road. In this case each level will more or less have a 400m2 footprint.
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DEVELOPING THE CONCEPT
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EXPLORING POSSIBLE RESPONSES MORE PRECEDENT STUDIES RELATIONSHIPS OF SPACES AND SERVICES DESIGN PROCESS INSPIRATION DESIGN PROCESS
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EXPLORING POSSIBLE RESPONSES
The Solar Settlement in Freiburg Three important questions are answered by the Schlierberg Solar Settlement in Freiburg designed by Rolf Disch 1) What is technologically accomplishable with ecology, solar and energy? 2) What urban planning needs shall be met and is aesthetically expected? 3) What is economically realistic? Once these three questions were answered, it immediately caused the reconsideration of the innovation of the unique design. There is an ensemble of multistore town homes and a commercial building, called the Sun Ship. There are six buildings with altogether 90 units for mixed use (80% housing, 20% workspace) (5) The importance of studying these buildings are because of the good example that it is as both sustainable and zero-energy buildings. Specifically It also deals with other relevant factors such as transport and ventilation that can be used as an possible solution to the design of this Salt River building. Energy All of the units produce more energy than they consume and their additional income outweighs the low additional costs. The all have large photovoltaic roofs. Theses active solar systems provide most of this energy. The planting of more summer-green trees will further enhance the vegetation’s capacity to produce fresh air, but at the same time, summer green trees do not disturb the harvest of solar gains in winter. Bio-gas The CHP unit can easily be replaced by one running on bio-fuels, The sewage system is designed to separate liquid and solid waste from the relatively pure waste water. Therefore a system of vacuum toilets with very little flushing water is applied. Natural gas for cooking is provided. The sewage system is optionally able to integrate a biogas-unit, which would process the sewage produced in the building to bio-gas, that can be used for heating (CHP-unit) and for cooking. In the future, the CHP-unit could be run on bio-fuels. Materials All of the houses are wooden and built only with healthy building materials, The most common materials are massive stones or pre-fabricated concrete. The windows have three layers of krypton reducing heat gain or loss (6)The massive building style with brick walls (24 cm) and the good insulation reduces the heating up of the buildings in summer. Balconies will be shading the south facade Future Transport The premises remain auto-free, thanks to the parking garage underneath the Sun Ship and the well organized Car-Sharing system. In order to succeed in supplementing car traffic, a maximum of public transport is provided. No space for car parking will be provided, except in the multi-storey car park next to the site. To mix spaces for living and working in the same houses is a means to reduce home-to-work traffic to a minimum. Natural Ventilation The layout of the district also takes into consideration the local wind system. These streams of cold air fulfil an important role in cooling down the buildings after hot summer days. The layout of the buildings themselves takes into consideration, that streams of air should be enabled to cross the whole building within one flat, with windows to be opened in summer on two opposite facades.
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EXPLORING POSSIBLE RESPONSES
Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC) This Research centre by Cox Architecture is designed to research itself. (7) “Importantly for the region, access to research-based knowledge will enable up-skilling for the regional workforce that will improve the skill sets and economic opportunities for local companies and their employees.” - Paul Cooper This one sentence of Paul Cooper, explains the importance of this building’s relevance to my study. The Salt River environment cannot afford to have a building erected that does not include the locals and Salt River economy. Different to the previous case study this precedent focuses on the region and everyone evolved. And means of including the public, which is a great part of the Program of this new Salt river building. It has good examples of working research laboratories, prototypes working within the building. Not only does it include local people through entertainment and workforce, It also presents a method of making the building fabric local. Research Labs A new building designed to be both a research hub, as well as a research subject, offers buildings a chance to become more sustainable and resilient. It is set to deliver evidence-based research on sustainable retrofits on the Australian nation’s existing building stock. It facilitates lab-based academic inquiries, but also uses the very fabric of the building for research. Prototypes SBRC has been carefully designed to accommodate the prototyping and testing of a range of sustainable building technologies, designs and materials As importantly, a range of integrated research components are included into the fabric of the building so that it can research itself. Including the public The directive is founded on a range of innovative features, including the incorporation of a ‘plug and play’ system – experimental technologies can be plugged into the building’s power, water and waste distribution and treatment systems, allowing researchers to modify the building’s services and research occupants’ responses. Locality All primary materials are sourced locally. Reused bridge timbers, steel railway tracks, abandoned telegraph poles, and four generations of brick and local timbers found their way into the centre’s hand crafted ‘bricolage’, while reflecting and revealing the textural richness of the centre’s coastal setting. Environment Set between the Wollongong mountain escarpment and Pacific Ocean, forming a ‘ribbon’ between the water and landscape, SBRC is split into two linked buildings. This landscape is similar to the location of Salt River between Table Mountain and the Atlantic ocean. It frames and engages both environments, with thin north/south floor plates and optimal orientation ensuring effective natural ventilation and lighting. Sustainability Other sustainable initiatives that have been undertaken include a solar roof that produces more power than the building consumes; rainwater harvesting to ensure the building is net-zero water; and extensive monitoring and building control systems to ensure it operates as efficiently as possible.
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MORE PRECEDENT STUDIES
The ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks / Spillman Farmer Architects Bethlehem, United States. This area will ideally be intervened by creating a pedestrian plaza space next to one of the industrial buildings, keeping the building but inviting the public to use it. This building links to the Parden Island built fabric since such a building will be key in the node to the sea from Saltriver
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Rocinha Urban Strategy / Kyle Beneventi, Rio de Janeiro Rocinha was officially adopted in by Rio as an official city in 2004. This process is happening all over the world, creating a new typology of urban development. The central plazas in the design are linked along main arteries of circulation, with periodic punctures for smaller plazas every 5 walking minutes, or 1/4 mile. Normally, cities accomplish this rhythm using a grid, leaving certain blocks designated green space. Because of its organic and exponential growth, Rocinha does not allow for this method. Therefore, the goal is to utilize as much pre-existing open space as possible, linking each plaza with current main roads. While the construction of the main plazas help to spread out commercial activity and sustain future growth, it does require displacing a number of residents. Instead of building a few larger rehousing complexes, this proposal plans to pair a series of small towers with the periodic mini-plazas along primary corridors, reducing the building foot print and keeping residents rooted in the micro-communities that their social and economic lives depend on. These towers, therefore, play a key role in providing the population opportunities to serve program within each specific void as an extension of the street, and can be repeated across the entire favela.
What Cities Can Do with Vacant Lots by Irina Vinnitskaya, Philadelphia. The bursting of the housing bubble wreaked havoc on cities across the United States causing widespread blight in once-thriving community economies. Foreclosed, abandoned and condemned homes continue to pockmark neighbourhoods and communities, adding to the vacant lots of populous but affected cities like Philadelphia. Urban farming is a practice that promotes health and community well-being across the board. It empowers communities with selfsufficiency and provides fresh food access to all income levels., all while ameliorating the impact that vacant lots have on community growth and development
Brewery Square by Hamiltons Architects ,London. Hamiltons was commissioned to design the largest plot on the site for residential and retail use with associated public realm. The massing and architecture is a direct response to the masterplan with it’s direct connections and juxtaposition of forms. Both massing and movement were handled carefully, ensuring that permeability was active, safe and connected with the urban grain of the historic industrial area. The architecture is robust and simple enclosing a series of space and routes.
Quinta Monroy by ELEMENTAL in Chile The problem with isolated houses, is that they are very inefficient in terms of land use. That is why social housing tends to look for land that costs as little as possible. That land, is normally far away from the opportunities of work, education, transportation and health that cities offer. This way of operating has tended to localize social housing in an impoverished urban sprawl, creating belts of resentment, social conflict and inequity. In this project the architects dealt very cleverly with these issues by combining informal retail with row housing.
RELATIONSHIPS OF SPACES AND SERVICES
Rethinking Sustainability The building will also be quite focussed on sustainability, which links to the effective use of resources such as energy. It will incorporate many sustainable features, such as high R-value insulation; double-glazing; non-electrical water heating and a rainwater capture system. It is important to re-consider what sustainability actually means. The Danish architect, Bjarke Ingels, suggested we that we have the wrong mind-set when it comes to sustainability. We often think of everything that we do as bad. “When we take showers, we think of how much water we’re using. When we drive to the supermarket, we think of how much carbon dioxide we’re emitting. But I’m here to challenge that thinking. We cannot hold on to this Puritan idea that if it feels good, then it must be bad. We have to instead confront the problems we face with optimism, creative thinking, and intelligence. But not guilt. Guilt works very hard to degrade our quality of life. We should develop sustainable practices that increase our quality of life. So instead of taking that 2-minute shower, stay a while and relax. Use the brush as a microphone for a few more minutes, because as designers we can make a shower that collects, cleans, and recycles water to come through that shower head a few more times. Turn up the radio and push that speed limit, too, because one day we will retrofit roads to collect the energy of moving cars to power our street lights. Small scale problem solving can produce multiple intersecting positive feedback loops and increase the effectiveness of the systems working around us. Outputs can be fed back into another system as input, resulting in little or no waste.” (b) Now considering these spaces in terms of served and service, and rearranging them according to a diagram of sustainable services for my specific program.
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DESIGN PROCESS
The initial observations on the site were the first shape-making factors. The decisions that determined the building footprint was based upon the predicted pedestrian movement: Site Movement The chosen site has three specific predicted movement routes. Because this building is on such a public location these routes are very important. They also related to the design intent of ‘Openness’ mentioned earlier. These routes will be part of the city fabric as an outdoor street space that anyone can cross at any time. The routes are: Red: people crossing the new zebra-crossing over the Voortrekker boulevard to move between the residential area and the Salt river market. The red route would be a high traffic route because it is the connection for all people to either sides of the highway, so this route would probably be the widest, (outdoor street space) Blue: once on the red route or in the building, the blue route is the connection to the train station route underneath the highway. This is a very important route since Salt River’s economy is very much reliant on the train station and most of the movement in this are is to and fro the station. This movement route is chosen as the interaction route along which people can stop and interact with the building program. Green: This is the movement route between the market space and the train station. These pedestrians would probably only be bypassing traffic and would not necessarily want to enter the building to do so. The green route is what determined the triangular site footprint. The building’s massing would then be shaped in the negative spaces between these routes as shown in the diagram above. These were the initial factors that determined the building’s form.
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I started exploring how the relationships of the spaces and services could be to merged with the movement routes. The schedule of accommodation room sizes had to slightly adjust to this set-up. I had to consider all 4 facades on all 4 corners of the built fabric between the ‘exterior’ movement routes. The buildings massing had to be considered in relation to the neighbouring town hall of Salt River since it is a heritage building. The level of the ground floor of the salt river market as well as the level of the Voortrekker highway entrance to the building could both be considered as ground level and the level in-between then also become floor levels. So the level heights became challenging
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INSPIRATION
In the image above is Voortrekker road to the left and the site is to the left of this. This image became important to me because it is a precedent of the curved and arched elevations in Salt River. I did not want this ne energy production building to look like a modern piece of gentrification nor as a futuristic research facility, since the purpose of it is to show how mundane its systems can be. Therefore I wanted to look at how I could integrate it into the Salt River vernacular. Below are drawings of Salt River steer elevations. I decided to take the shape of a curve roof or and arch and express this above the main movement root (outdoor street space) in this proposed new building
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INSPIRATION
Kramer Law Building on UCT middle campus
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DESIGN PROCESS
The program is divided into the elements as described in the design intent. My first response was to make each element on another level so that each could be like individual show-rooms and separate research areas,
This drawing shows the first design of the proposed Voortrekker ‘boulevard’ with the raised, paved are and the pedestrian crossing zone, the building would continue the already existing bus/taxi-stop . The building is considered in context and with the specific movement routes. The main movement route (arced street) would also continue the linearity of the street on the other side of the highway approaching the highway and zebra-crossing.
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On the left is an important sketch section that helped to place the proposed new building in connect of the railway, the new BrowmellFoundary street connection, the Voortrekker highway bridge, the town hall plaza, the proposed now boulevard and the other side of the road. These are all very influential on the site. These next two sections were quick studies of this same section and the long south elevation. These are drawn without looking at anything, out of memory and not to scale. After they were drawn I realised that the main movement ‘outdoor street’ space had to be much larger in order for it to not become like a dodgy alley-way space. The initial idea a was also to have two towers that would look like industrial chimneys. The one would be an elements tower and the other the elevator that can stop on each level of the adjacent elements tower. This idea was soon scrapped because of its lack of functionality.
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These sketch sections were also quick studies drawn not to scale. The first was drawn but it didn’t read well as a diagram because it wasn’t clear were the openings were or how the spaces interconnected with each other. This issue continued with me further down the line of this project. The second drawing was an overlay and made the interconnection slightly clearer. The last section through the street space movement and this first quick model of the arch could already predict that there is not enough interaction along this movement space and that it would need more plug-ins. This only realised later in the design process.
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Another set of drawings and model was explored and once again I realised that the arched space had to be much larger in order for it to not become like a dodgy alley-way space. The massing in the negative spaces of the movement routes started forming but were very much unresolved. There was a need to express the arched outdoor space. If this space was going to be such a bold shape then it has to be expressed fully and not seem apologetic, this resulted in pulling the adjacent massing away from this arched space. And connecting them through punctures with penetration light walkways.
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DESIGN PROPOSAL – (APPENDIX II)
o o o o o o o o o o o
INSPIRATION SECTION PROPOSAL DEVELOPING THE ELEMENTS FIRST SET OF PLANS & MODEL SECOND SET OF PLANS THIRD SET OF PLANS PROCESS SKETCHES AND ARCADE INSPIRATION FORTH SET OF PLANS ARCADE SECTION DEVELOPEMENT FIFTH SET OF PLANS ADJUSTING RESIDENTIAL COMPONENTS
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INSPIRATION
Left to right: 1) Church by José Forjaz. 2) Teachers’ Houses by Francis Kere 3) Museum of the Roman Theatre of Cartagena by Rafael Moneo. 4) Minaret Istanbul Grand Bazaar by Hassa Mimari
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SECTION PROPOSAL
DEVELOPING THE ELEMENTS
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FIRST SET OF PLANS & MODEL
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SECOND SET OF PLANS
Structurally the walls of the large vaulted structure needed to be much thicker. The punctures in the wall were specific the programs surrounding it but didn’t seem like enough activation within the space. The building block on the south west side was allocated for the systems; each floor a different element. Accessibility and room usage became problematic. The adjacent building block was the residential block. The mass on the other side of the main movement were allocated to be for office, workshop, laboratories and educational purposes.
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THIRD SET OF PLANS
Structurally the vaulted structure needed even more support and the solution of buttresses resolved it. They were placed with equal centre-spaces (as one usually does) of about 3m. The walkways penetrating this space had to then adjust to these centre-spacing order. I immediately started to like this order. These later formed the key language activators of this building. The biggest problem that I was faced with was truly activating this main movement space. And staying true to the ‘openness’ aim that I demanded in the design intent. Because at this stage of the design process the higher up walkways that penetrated the vault were actually only accessibly to a few residents and employed people in this building and most of this movement actually happened outside of the main vaulted movement space, resulting in it not being activated at all.
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PROCESS SKETCHES AND ARCADE INSPIRATION Looking at the sections and the thickness of the already thickened vault walls plus their buttresses, I realised these thick structural units must be utilised. I looked at precedent of old English arcades that had shop front plugins below and residential units above. I then turned the buttresses and arch into ribs in order to design little market spaces in-between. These little markets are nearly 3x3m because of the buttress spacing. The market spaces went up more stories and were not only on ground floor and the punctures that lead to the residential units followed this same language. In actual fact, the entrance walkways to the residential units were market spaces themselves to the resident could have their own shop fronts with a backdoor that leads to their homes. Because of the level change in the movement space between Voortrekker road and the ground, and the little market spaces that needs to follow this ‘ground floor’ level changes to best activate the space, the level in the vault walls became intricate. There was also a tactical change to move most of the circulation ‘walkways’ within the arched space (as seen in the precedent studies) so that most movement can happen within this space. The need to cross form one sides markets to the other on upper levels resulted in ramps that connect the different levels on either sides all the way up. These walkways will be open for all public pedestrians and only the doors entering the actual residential or programmatic spaces can be shut if need be, functioning as a vertical street. This satisfied the ‘openness aim’ and truly activated this main movement space.
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FORTH SET OF PLANS Here it is clear how the buttresses and arch became ribs with lighter infills between these ribs. The East side of this main circulation vault is divided into two units, because of the ramp, the blue route (see beginning of design process) that moves through these two units. The one side is the long rectilinear workshop that opens up unto the ramp for interaction with the workshop along the route. The northern massing’s form is determined by the wind direction in order to channel wind to the wind turbines that would be on top of the workshop's rooftop. The strongest wind in Salt River is the South-Easter and this site is ideal if this office unit is curved as shown below to allow this wind to cross over the workshop roof. This became a very random shape to functionally fit the needed programs in it.
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ARCADE SECTION DEVELOPEMENT
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This image and model are the first real explorations about the plug-in market spaces inside the arcade walls. The adjacent units are pulled away from the arcade as explained earlier. This watercolour image starts to speak about the systems a such as the water turbines and the organic gardens that can be seen on either sides of the arcade.
FIFTH SET OF PLANS
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ADJUSTING RESIDENTIAL COMPONENTS
The residential units as well as cafeteria and public bathrooms that are integrated into these units were initially very bland structural designs. It did not relate to the arched ribs adjacent to it. I then also included small ribs for these residential units (most left set of plans). But these seem insignificant and did not make a statement such a s the adjacent ribs. Probably because of their small size. I then perpendicularly rotated the direction of these ribs and enlarged them, strategically placing them with regards to room usage and sunlight direction. They then continues the language and were more structurally exciting.
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ADJUSTING OFFICE COMPONENTS
The offices unit’s form is determined by the wind direction in order to channel wind to the wind turbines that would be on top of the workshop's rooftop. But because the large radius curve was so difficult to functionally use, the curve changed to an exact quarter circle in which the office were designed to each be curved as well, each with their own outdoor porch space. Each letting in gradual sunlight bouncing off the curve wall.
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DESIGN DEVELOPMENT – (APPENDIX III)
o o o o o
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT – (APPENDIX III) CONTEXT AWARENESS CONTINUING THE LANGUAGE SEVENTH SET OF PLANS FINALISING SECTIONS
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CONTEXT AWARENESS In the beginning of the design process I was very much context aware, but as the process continued I started taking it for granted and failed to continue contextual reasoning for the form making. As soon as I placed the building back into context again (as seen below) I could see that it had to b resolved in elevation and somehow be stretched linearly with the landscape.
It seems as though the building was very much divided into 4 components (those in the negative spaces of the tree main routes as explained earlier). But this is, in actual fact, one building and had to read as one building, so there was a need to integrate these components with each other. This was resolved by connecting the laboratories on ground floor and dealing with it as if it was underground and thus becoming a platform for interstitial space above. This interstitial space is the connection between the arcade platform and the ramp that connects the arcade with the workshop and leads toward the train station.
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CONTINUING THE LANGUAGE The curved form of the office component was a very specific post-modern form and didn’t really channel the correct wind angle anymore, because it was changed from that initial curve that did. This specific form didn’t have real reason for being what is was anymore and didn’t follow the language of now both the ribbed arcade and ribbed residential units. It seem to have been disconnected to the rest of the building. There was a need for a language continuation. I then re-looked at this component with the attempt to ‘pull’ the rib language out of the ordered ribs and place similar ribs on strategic places that would contribute to the space making of labs below, the workshop, the offices, the lecture facility and the rooftops with energy systems on. This look lots of exploration until the ribs seemed to be placed to functional satisfaction.
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SEVENTH SET OF PLANS
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FINALISING SECTIONS
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FINALISING SECTIONS
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STRUCTURE
o o o o
STRUCTURAL CONCERNS STRUCTURAL DRAWINGS STRUCTURAL DETAIL MATERIALS
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STRUCTURAL CONCERNS The EEPA building’s form is generated from the main structure that make up the vaulted arcade space that is the main circulation space of the building and the movement route between Saltriver and the train station, the Saltriver market space. The language of the arch is a series of 800mm wide masonry brick ribs. These ribs are extended to form the main structure of the rest of the building in the form of long solid masonry walls. Everything between these 800mm masonry ribs are thin members made of lightweight steel elements or of thin concrete. These brick ribs have to read as elements. The connection of the steel and polycarbonate roof sheeting swell as the connection of all the steel walkways had to be resolved because it cannot be bolted into the bricks, the bricks would just crumble. So the steel has to be connected to a central concrete core within these ribs,
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STRUCTURAL DRAWINGS
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STRUCTURAL DETAIL
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MATERIALS
Brick walls
Roof top garden
Solar pavement
White grip tiles
Steel walkways
Concrete slabs Steel windows Timber floors
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SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY
o o o o o o o o o o o o
ENERGY REDUCTION SUMMARY THERMAL MASSING AND EFFECTIVE SHADING PASSIVE COOLING WIND TURBINES WATER TURBINES SOLAR PAVEMENT AND CONCENTRATION BIOGAS SYSTEM / HOME FUEL CELLS RESOURCE REDUCTION SUMMARY RAINWATER HARVESTING GREY WATER RECYCLING MATERIALS - BRICKS CONCLUSION OF SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY
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ENERGY REDUCTION SUMMARY
Fig 1
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THERMAL MASSING AND EFFECTIVE SHADING Shades can keep the heat and glare of direct sun from coming through windows. They can also keep direct sunlight off of walls or roofs, to reduce cooling loads. (1). Thermal mass is a material's resistance to change in temperature. Objects with high thermal mass absorb and retain heat. Thermal mass can store energy absorbed from the sun and release it over time. Conversely, it can resist heating up too fast from solar radiation (2) The EEPA building’s form is generated from the main structure that make up the vaulted arcade space that is the main circulation space of the building and the movement route between Saltriver and the train station, the Saltriver market space. The language of the arch is a series of masonry brick ribs. These ribs are extended to form the main structure of the rest of the building in the form of long solid masonry walls facing North West. This is ideal for the program of a workshop, laboratory and office spaces because it receives morning sunlight and then is shaded for the rest of the day. The walls are slightly extended past the end windows to act as vertical shades. The bricks offer a high thermal mass performance so the walls each are set back to be revealed to northern sunlight and absorb the heat in the day and releasing it at night as comfortable temperature if these spaces are to be used at night.
Fig 2
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THERMAL MASSING AND EFFECTIVE SHADING
Fig 8
1 April (last shading day)
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1 April (last shading day)
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Fig 9
THERMAL MASSING AND EFFECTIVE SHADING
Fig 5
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THERMAL MASSING AND EFFECTIVE SHADING The office spaces, etc., are each strategically set back so that each receives its own morning sunlight and view and has its own thermal massing wall. The brick feature walls are therefore 1) continuing the building language, 2) letting in wanted sunlight, 3) act as effective shading, and 4) offers good thermal massing. The brick wall language of the residential part is rotated 90degrees for structural and aesthetical purposes, but still serves the exact same purposes.
Fig 10
What the norm is, and the reason it is to be challenged/ improved upon The norm of shading devices in buildings are often just add-on’s onto the building afterwards solely for the propose of shading and are often not integrated into the design of the building. The most common form of shade is an exterior fixed horizontal overhang. These are used on the side of the building facing the sun's path, sometimes including east and west faces. However, east and west faces often have more need of vertical shades to avoid low-angled sun. (3). Shading should be improved by including shading into the main design of the building, so that its completely integrated, this was attempted in this EEPA building and its brick ribs. Shading must also be improved by actually calculating the effective shading angles and individually designing them instead of using premanufactured shades.
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Fig 11
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THE TOWNHOUSES The Townhouses in Bangkok, Thailand designed by Baan Puripuri Architects is a good precedent of vertical wall shades. The front facade is series of random brick walls that act as vertical fins shading double volume living areas from late morning heat and glare. Fig 14 Fig 13
PASSIVE COOLING Natural ventilation/passive ventilation, is the use of natural outside air movement and pressure differences to ventilate a building and passively cool it. Natural ventilation is important because it can provide fresh air without fans. It can help meet a building's cooling loads, especially in hot climates, without using mechanical air conditioning systems. This can reduce a large part of a building's total energy use. (4) Under passive cooling, wind ventilation specifically uses the force of the wind to pull air through the building.
Fig 15
Fig 16
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WIND VENTILATION The same ribs that act as shading and thermal massing are the channels for the natural wind ventilation. The windows on furthest sides of each ‘channel’ are glass sliding windows that when both ends are opened the natural ventilation can drag through the whole channel and consequently all channels and the whole building naturally ventilated. The laboratories spaces run all the way below the circulation platforms and underneath the arcade space and opens up on the other side of the arcade where the water turbines are. The flow of the water direction also contributes to the pull/drag of the ventilation out the other side of the labs. The ribs are closed off towards the strong south-eastern cape wind and is opened toward the north-eastern wind, that is associated with a breeze. The movement of the passing trains will also constantly enhance this ventilation direction. The ventilation will therefor not be a disruptive wind in the workshop, labs and office spaces but a comfortable drag.
Image: authors own
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WIND VENTILATION What the norm is, and the reason it is to be challenged/ improved upon The norm of ventilation in many buildings, especially bigger industrial buildings like this EEPA design is placing a basic Round Vane (RV) Roof Ventilators on the roof and through the ceiling. This is not always so successful because it is designed to be opened in hot summer days and closed in cold winter days, but fresh air is needed in winter too and when the adjustable opening is hard to reach it will be neglected to adjust daily according to the temperature and ventilation needed. This especially problematic in Cape Town’s ever-changing weather. It could also be problematic when the seal to the vent gets damaged, because then heat cannot be kept, and it will always be cold. Ventilation should be more humane and practical, you open the windows when ventilation is needed and the breeze is strategically and passively channelled.
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THE FOBE HOUSE The Fobe House in Marrakech designed by Guilhem Eustache. “leaving an air space between these two walls, made drafts possible by increasing the openings to the outside, created a winter living space as well as a summer lounge. We positioned concrete sun breezes in front of most of the openings that work best when the sun is highest in the sky, at the hottest hours of the day and during the warmest season of the year” (Eustache, G. 04/12/2012) (9) High thermal mass need ventilation. The ventilation is necessary because it allows a cool breeze in, which cools down the house. It also flushes out the heat of the day with cool night time air, keeping the house cool the following day. (Heywood, H. 2012)
Fig 21
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WIND TURBINES Wind turbines work on a simple principle. The energy in the wind rotates propeller-like blades around a rotor. This is connected to a main shaft, which spins a generator and creates electricity. This system is very valuable in future of energy production systems. Below are diagrams of the larger scale and smaller scale of this system.
Fig 22
This EEPA building’s program is the research of emerging energy production systems, so the wind turbine energy is one of the research line included in this building. There are small wind turbines on the rooftop op the workshop that is turned into a rooftop garden, the lecture room spills out onto this rooftop garden so that lecture ‘breaks’ can be spent under the small wind turbines, continuing the educational experience. The wind turbines also power the projector in the lecture room with battery storage included so that this level is integrated. The cable connections and batteries are revealed and there is information boards inside explaining the process to visitors. This should promote the simplicity of generating energy from wind to visitors. The opportunity of building your own wind turbine for your home will be possible in the workshop below.
Fig 24
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WATER TURBINES When flowing water is captured and turned into electricity, it is called hydroelectric power or hydropower. This system is very valuable in future of energy production systems. Below are diagrams of the larger scale and smaller scale of this system.
Fig 26
Similarly the water turbines also form part of the boarder program of research into energy production within this building. Between the arcade and the residential units there is a water rundown that channels all the storm water from Voortrekker road down a channel down the side of the highway to flow along a short deep channel that has 3 water turbines that converts the flow of the water into electricity. The west half of the arcade roof’s rainwater also runs down a gutter, that will be diagrammatically explained later and this water also contributes to the water flowing over the turbines. The turbines will thus only be operational during rainy weather but are celebrated even when not operational because the turbines are the feature adjacent to the main open staircase circulation within the arcade, so the turbine presence is expressed/exposed similar to the wind turbine garden. The water system will be further explained later.
Fig 27
Fig 28
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WIND TURBINES Wind turbines are commonly only seen in big wind turbine plants/farms that generate energy to supply the larger grid and hardly seen in smaller scale residential examples. Smaller wind turbines should be more familiarised amongst residents as something they can have on their roof to power at least one appliance in the house. These small turbines also have the potential to power basic infrastructure that needs power such as streetlights and future car charging stations.
THE ACTIVE ENERGY HOUSE
Active energy house in Bad Saarow , Germany has a roof surface that generates 14 kWp sun power and 2 x 3.5 kW wind power. These are connected to a heat pump. A hot water tank ensures that the building is self-sufficient with hot water for 10 days with no sun and wind. This system is very successful because it generates more energy than what is needed for what its was planned for and it’s a great example of how this system can be used in residential scale.
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WATER TURBINES Similarly water turbines are commonly only seen in larger scale hydro plants. but the concept of water turbines could be incorporated into homes as small turbines that attach to taps and generate energy as you the tap. Or small turbines in the rainwater down pipes. This concept was expressed in a medium scale in this EEPA building where the rainwater generates energy. This is a very simple and easy system for residents to use and the availability should be improved.
THE GREAT RIVER TURBINE
The great river turbine designed by Michael Jantzen is a conceptual design for a large (one hundred foot diameter) stainless steel water turbine developed to function as a tourist attraction and as a powerful electricity generator.(10) This has not been built and would probably not be so successfully because its more for the purpose of image and promoting the system than actually making the system work efficiently.
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SOLAR PAVEMENT Solar Roadways are tempered hexagonal glass panels connected to a larger ‘smart’ underground fibre optic network. These are basically solar panels that you can drive, park, and walk on. Panels that have been tested to handle 1130,000 kilograms, melt snow and cut greenhouse gases by 75-percent. (11) They are built using largely recycled materials that would pay for themselves over time and could create thousands of jobs worldwide, and could provide countries with an abundance of clean, green energy.
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SOLAR CONCENTRATION
Concentrating solar power (CSP) is a technology that generates power using mirrors to concentrate the sun's rays. In most of today's CSP systems a fluid is heated that produces steam that drives a turbine and generates power. This system can be very valuable as a basic cooking method in homes, especially in developing countries like South-Africa in areas where cooking is too expensive for people. Large solar concentration farms are being installed and researched. A power plant in California has been converting 354MWp of solar thermal energy to electricity for 5 years. Solar water heaters provide hot water in Mediterranean countries, similar to the Western Cape. Solar heating systems also warm buildings in cool countries. The technology is advancing quickly as more people realise the long-term benefits. Its renewable energy source is unlimited because of the sun and if implemented successfully it could make energy much more available than how we know it to today. (6)
Fig 38 Fig 37
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SOLAR PAVEMENT AND CONCENTRATION
The rooftop of the lecture room is individually accessible via a walkway through an entrance from the arcade’s circulation. This rooftop is specifically for the installation, research and promotion of solar energy. It is the highest most northern platform of the building. The walkway leading to the rooftop and floor of the rooftop is installed with solar paving where there are 4 large solar concentrators installed. People can freely access this rooftop but the access can be controlled by a gate at the entrance in the arcade wall if needed. The solar paving generates the energy for all the lights in the lecture room, office spaces, workshop and lab spaces. The energy runs into the same battery storage of the wind turbines adjacent to it that is revealed in the lecture room and informatively explained as explained earlier. The solar concentrators is a solar heating system that provides warm water to the residential units and public bathroom taps. These systems are prototypes that serve as examples of how easily it can be installed and promote how this unlimited source of energy can be available to all
Fig 39
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Fig 40
Fig 41 Fig 42
SOLAR PAVEMENT AND CONCENTRATION
Both solar roadways and solar concentrations systems have not been explored enough in South Africa. There is especially potential for these systems in the North West South African desert areas where the sunlight is plentiful. The norm of solar power is also not made as accessible as it should be, because it could completely change the way we see energy-use if these systems were easily attainable by all people. These systems are mostly still being researched but as soon as it is spread and starts trending it will result in many positive impacts.
THE SOLAR FURNACE The solar furnace at Odeillo, in France, consists of a field of 10,000 mirrors bounce the sun's rays onto a large concave mirror which focuses the enormous amount of sunlight onto an area roughly the size of a cooking pot which reaches temperatures above 3,000 °C. This projects has been very successful in terms of breaking new boundaries for solar energy studies and research. This is the largest solar furnace ever built and has enabled researchers to gather lots of experience, not only in terms of experiments but also in what It takes to manage such a solar facility. It has been possible to continue operating the solar furnace for years and will hopefully lead to many more such projects. This project is not related to smaller scale residential use but is a good example of a well researched, managed and maintained solar facility that also contribute to public enlightenment.
Fig 43
Fig 44
Fig 45
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BIOGAS SYSTEM / HOME FUEL CELLS A biogas digester, or an Anaerobic Digester, is like a big stomach. It takes ‘food’ in the front, in the form of animal, human and plant waste, which are broken down by special bacteria. This “digesting” of the food results in the production of biogas, and a much less volume of waste coming out the back. This biogas is methane rich, which means it can be burned to produce electricity, cook food or provide light or heating. (7) Passing through a boiler can also heat water for radiators and showers. This system can be very valuable in a building because it reduces the amount of waste produced and reduces the amount of external electricity needed.
Fig 46
Fig 48
Fig 47
The thought of cooking food on human waste gas is yet to be accepted by many people, which is understandable, because it is a strange and new concept. Therefore there is not yet a norm in residential biogas systems, but it can be can be very efficient if done correctly. Each house has the potential to function as a waste recycling system itself. Such systems produces clean energy from waste, giving off zero emissions. It recycles nutrients and water naturally. A South African company, AGAMA Biogas, are manufacturing large ‘BiogasPro’ tanks that have been certified to be installed into homes in the Western Cape.
Fig 49
MR BRUCE KERSWILL’S HOUSE
Such a tank was installed into a home in Newlands, Cape Town. Mr. Bruce Kerswill is convinced that the biogas digester installed at his newly-built residential building will cover most of his family’s cooking needs. It is fed with “black water”, (sewage from toilets) and kitchen off-cuts and biodegradable garden waste. The connection to the sewer system ensures that the digester doesn’t get over-filled. “Mr. Kerswill is the executive chair of the Green Building Council so for him there’s no question that such technology should be introduced in residential housing developments. The benefits are clear: household waste is effectively utilised, a switch from carbon emitting electricity towards biogas for cooking, no transport costs for garden waste, a perfect fertilizer for the garden and a reduced load on the sewage system.” (7)
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BIOGAS SYSTEM / HOME FUEL CELLS
Biogas tanks are a vital part of the larger water system in the design of this EEPA building. The water system is laid out in the following chapter. Water from the rainwater and water turbine systems feed residential water use. After used in the residents the water then run into grey water tanks under the residents. The greywater is recycled to the public toilets directly above it. The public toilets gets flushed into the biogas tanks. The methane gas is sent to the cafeteria for cooking and the leftover waste and water gets treated in the labs and recycled as compos or sent away to a larger waste treatment plant. Because these tanks produce methane that is used in the cafeteria for cooking, it reduces the energy usage in the building because the cooking energy is produced within the building and not used from the external energy grid.
Fig 50
Fig 51
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RESOURCE REDUCTION SUMMARY
WATER
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MATERIALS
RAINWATER HARVESTING Rainwater harvesting is the collection and dispersion of rainwater for reuse on-site, rather than allowing it to run off. The water is usually collected in tanks. It is used for irrigation of gardens, livestock, and domestic use if treated properly. The harvested water can also be used as drinking water. (12) In the design of the EEPA building- The rain water from the residential, lecture and workshop roofs on either sides of the arcade run into downpipes that are embedded in the masonry rib walls and run directly to the water tanks that are in the labs underneath the arcade platform. The rainwater from the arcade roof serve two separate purposes before it also goes to these tanks. The water run down on the North-Eastern side run into gutters that feed small water tanks that are imbedded in the ribs of the arcade structure. These small tanks supply water for the small vegetable gardens on the top floor of this façade that are cared for by the residents living in the EEPA building and supply food to the cafeteria. These gardens and their small tanks have overflows that trickles down the side of the building, feeding the vines growing on it, and into a secondary gutter series that then only enters the main rainwater harvesting tanks in the labs with the rest of the water. The other half of the arcade roof, the South Western side, run along a gutter to the southern side of the building and waterfalls as a feature down the side of the first rib next to the highway. It lands between the arcade and the residential units where there is a water rundown that channels the rainwater together with all the storm water from Voortrekker road to flow along a short deep channel that has 3 water turbines that converts the flow of the water into electricity. At the end of the turbine channel the water runs into a pipe system which then only enters the main rainwater harvesting tanks in the labs with the rest of the water. In the labs underneath the arcade platform where all this water is then collected in the tanks, the water is treated to the level of clean domestic water as part of the research. The amount of tanks are able to store enough water during rainy winter seasons to continue supplying the residents with clean water during the summer. In Cape Town, for every 1m2 of roof area you can collect 477 litres of rain water in a year. This is according to the South Africa “JoJo Tanksâ€? calculations system. The workshop & lecture roofs: 241 m2 114957 litres of rain water in a year The two residential tower roofs: 142.5 m2 67972.5 litres of rain water in a year The North-Eastern half of the arcade roof 89.25 m2 42572.25 litres of rain water in a year feeding the gardens The South-Western half of the arcade roof 89.25 m2 42572.25 litres of rain water in a year turning the water turbines TOTAL rain water a year = 268074 litres that is treated and used as domestic water in the residential units.
Fig 52
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RAINWATER HARVESTING
The norm of rainwater harvesting in domestic level is to just have one tank underground or hidden behind the house somewhere. Firstly one water tank is not sufficient to supply a house with water during dry seasons or when it hasn’t rained for a few days. So the norm can already be improved by having many water tanks so that the house can be completely self-sufficient. A house in Cape Town should have enough tanks to fill up completely in winter months to fully supply the house with water in summer months. This is very possible with even a smallish sized roof because of the large amounts that it rains in Cape Town winters. This could mean having about15 JoJo-tanks in you back yard. It might take up a lot of space and have high initial costs but in the long-term this could reduce livingcosts enormously. In low-income housing in South Africa where less water is used two tanks could be sufficient. It would be great for each house to have its own clean water supply. Another way that the rainwater harvesting system can be improved within architecture is by starting to celebrate the tanks as part of the design of the building. Tanks immediately look ugly when the are apologetically hidden behind the building but have a beautiful presence as soon as the are expressed. In The EEPA building the ground level labs with the tanks in are revealed by open glass facades the express the presence of the tanks.
THE INFANTA HOUSE This holiday home at the mouth of the Breede River, Western Cape, designed by Michele Sandilands Architects is one of the few architectural examples that use water tanks as a design element and it is done very successfully.
UPINGTON ECO DWELLING The elevation images on the right are from a past project of a eco-dwelling designed on the banks of the orange river in Upington. The building responds to the hot arid climate of Upington. And uses the tanks to cool the house. Fig 53
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Fig 54
GREY WATER RECYCLING
Greywater is all wastewater from households or office buildings from streams without faecal contamination. In other words all streams except for the wastewater from toilets. The water is collected in greywater-tanks. It can then be reused onsite for toilet flushing, irrigation, and other non-potable uses. The grey water tanks in the EEPA building are together in the same space with the biogas tanks. Water from the rainwater and water turbine systems (potable tanks) feed to the residential water use. After used in the residents the water (non-potable) then runs into grey water tanks under the residential units. The greywater is recycled to the public toilets directly above it.
Fig 55
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GREY WATER RECYCLING
Grey water is most commonly only used for garden and crop irrigation and hardly ever used for toilet flushing. However toilets use up a very large portion of our potable water. Large amounts of potable water can be saved within a house by simply replacing the toilet flushing system with greywater. This is not commonly done in homes yet and is a far more sustainable way of using water. Each house should have its own simple greywater system for toilet flushing and gardening. Water is such a precious recourse and should be saved wherever possible. A Greywater system in a house is the first step to using water wisely.
THE WHANGAPOUA HUT This elegant holiday beach hut or the shore of New Zealand is designed by Crosson Clarke Carnachan. This is also one of the very few residential scaled buildings that has expressed potable grey water tanks integrated in the building’s design. The hut is totally sustainable. And it has started trending a new way of looking at holiday living.
Fig 56
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Fig 57
MATERIALS - BRICKS
TOKAI RED TRAVENTINE
DE HOOP BROWN SMOOTH
OLD CAPE RED SMOOTH
DE HOOP RED SMOOTH
CONSTANTIA TRAVERTINE
DE HOOP RED TRAVERTINE
As we are increasingly affected by global warming it is becoming more important to consider using materials that offer high thermal mass performance – clay brick is one such material. Thermal mass is the ability to store heat – bricks absorb heat throughout the day slowly releasing it at night, ensuring internal temperatures are consistent throughout the day and night. The result is comfortable and healthy living and working environments in which to enjoy stable temperatures throughout the year Bricks are a versatile and durable building material, with excellent life cycle performance, energy efficiency, high thermal mass and responsible manufacturing. Brick buildings are sustainable because they: 1. Are highly durable 2. Offer long term life performance 3. Are low maintenance- no paint maintenance 4. Are energy efficient 5. Provide healthy and comfortable environments 6. Are recyclable 7. Reducing cement use and cost 8. Locally Sourced and made - Economic benefits – money gets invested into the local community - Social Benefits – local employment and skills training The following selection of Corrobricks are produced locally in the Western Cape. For the reason of supporting locally sourced materials, this was the selection range for the EEPA design:
Fig 58
The EEPA building’s form is generated from the main structure that make up the vaulted arcade space that is the main circulation space of the building and the movement route between Saltriver and the train station, the Saltriver market space. The language of the arch is a series of 800mm wide masonry brick ribs. These ribs are extended to form the main structure of the rest of the building in the form of long solid masonry walls. Everything between these 800mm masonry ribs are thin members made of lightweight steel elements or of thin concrete. These brick ribs read as elements and serve passive design strategies as explained previously. Besides the fact that this brick has good thermal mass performance, it has, as a resource, a reduced embedded energy because its locally produced, require low maintenance and has a long term durability.
Fig 59
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MATERIALS - BRICKS
Fig 60
Only recently have bricks been starting to be made from recycled materials. This is a very sustainable way of resource usage and should be appreciated and supported by designers when specifying what brick to use. This is how this resource could be challenged, by the materials sustainability and by the embedded energy that goes into making it. ‘Cape Brick’ in Saltriver produce such recycled bricks. The currently save enough energy every year to power 57 000 medium sizes homes for one month. In Saltriver alone that could make a huge environmental impact. Architects should be challenged to use these recycled bricks where possible.
THE GREEN BUILDING The Green Building was initiated by Sarah Ward and Mark Borchers of Sustainable Energy Africa. This building wants to demonstrate that the implementation of environmental principles in design and construction can become normal in commercial building. Various construction materials and technologies were considered, including sandbag construction, rammed earth, and unfired clay bricks. The final choice was recycled concrete brick, sourced locally from Cape Brick, to construct a cavity wall structured building. (13)
Fig 61
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Fig 62
CONCLUSION OF SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY CHAPTER
I think when Le Corbusier said a house is a machine for living in he meant it in terms of some functional but mostly aesthetical aspects. Modern architecture is a style and mind-set of a past, but I would suggest that the meaning of the term “the house is a machine for living in” is revived. A building, no matter what typology, has the potential, with the correct systems in place, to sustainably power and circulate itself. The building can be seen as a machine that generates, runs on, recycles and saves energy and recourses. A machine that, with the necessary human interaction, runs by itself. If the term “a house is a machine for living in” is revived, it is important to understand the big shift in its original meaning to what it could mean to us today. Le Corbusier made his manifesto by integrating architecture with the machine age language. It was a language, a style, a way of looking at forms. The industrial revolution made this industrial look popular but the machinery was limited to mechanical factories only where they were actually used. Because of the technology made available to us today, it is possible to have a house function as an actual machine itself. Modern architecture and the industrial look frenzy has been neglected and the systems that make a house more like a machine have been regarded as ugly and people try to hide them or camouflage them on the building. The systems should be celebrated as a style, now more than ever, now that they are actually functioning for machine purposes. This is the motives behind the EEPA building. Showcasing Emerging Energy Production through prototypes. This building demonstrates how simple these systems are that make it possible for your house to function like a sustainable machine. Whilst these systems are in place they are being researched, maintained, and possibly improved in the integrated laboratories. The systems are all connected, forming a loop of energy and resource re-use. This building is in actual fact a sustainable energy research prototype itself. An example to how a building can be a machine for living in.
Fig 63
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Fig 63
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SERVICES
o LIFT / ELEVATOR CORE o SERVICE DUCTS FOR PLUMBING
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SERVICES Note: the drawings bellow are sectional cuts. They are cut where the bold lines are.
LIFT / ELEVATOR CORE
IN BETWEEN THE MIDDLE TWO ARCADE RIBS
SERVICE DUCTS FOR PLUMBING 112
WITHIN WIDE MASONRY RIBS
ANALYTICAL DESCRIPTIONS
o URBAN RESPONSE o OPENNESS o SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY & SYNTHESIS
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URBAN RESPONSE
This building directly deals with the urban scheme proposed for Salt River to activate the connection of the train station (blue) node all the way to the cape town city centre. The orange route in the diagram above is this connection by connecting Foundary road (far left) to Bromwell road (far right) with the EEPA building in the middle (brown) activating this connection. The green represent the Salt River circle. The red is the Salt River Town hall and the market space that is proposed to be opened on either sides to make this connection possible and activate it even more. On a urban scale the changes made for this connection will solve many gang violence issues as described in the urban scheme. The EEPA building will contribute to this activation and create jobs to 38 unemployed Salt River locals as well as create something purposeful to do in this area instead of loitering.
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‘OPENNESS’
The grounds of the site chosen was used by Salt River locals for whatever purpose they chose, including setting up non-permanent shelters. The site was open to everyone. This sense of openness to the public will remain on the site because the building focuses on opening up the circulation and the facilities to the public and involving the locals. Although there are parts of the building like the laboratories that are private, the components that allow it, are integrated in such a way to promote an openness in the rest of the building. This EEPA building will be an inviting place that encourages people to come gain knowledge on energy or to feel inspired and welcome to just pass through. The ‘outdoor’ street space concept emphasises that this space is, in fact, like a normal street, for everyone, especially for all Salt river pedestrians. And that this does not only include ground floor circulation but acts as a open streets space vertically as well. People can move in this space as freely as they wish and will only be restricted to enter the actual rooms with specific programs in on either sides of the arcade. The market spaces within the walls of this arcade will activate it with many people. This will also be a good gathering space or meeting point before going to the train or Salt river market.
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SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY & SYNTHESIS
The systems in this building celebrate the sustainable style that actually functions for machine purposes and not just show off a ‘green’ frenzy. The EEPA building showcases Emerging Energy Production through prototypes. It demonstrates how simple these systems are that make it possible for your house to function like a sustainable machine. Whilst these systems are in place they are being researched, maintained, and improved in the integrated laboratories. The systems are all connected, forming a loop of energy and resource re-use. This building is a sustainable energy research prototype itself. It is an example of how a building can be a machine for living in.
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FINAL PRESENTATION – (APPENDIX IV)
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THOUGHT PIECE In the beginning of this project I set up a few aims for myself, including the aim of ending off this project by presenting my building in an artistic manner that would be beautiful to look at. The reason for this being that I tend to focus very much more on functionality and how a building would effectively work. I have come to understand the power in representation and how this can sell a project. This was a challenging thing to attempt when the design kept changing, resulting in me experimenting in different mediums throughout the design process. Ink, pencil, colour pencil, watercolour paint, photoshop, renders, etc. I know I did not have adequate experience in art mediums and used this time to experiment, which had both its ups and downs. It was difficult to decide on how I should finally present the project, and I ended up using the methods that have always used in the past. I realised that it was a good learning experience in representation methods, but its was very time consuming with regards to the amount of work actually being produced. I was challenged with the program of the building during the research stage because I knew this ‘big decision’ would greatly influence my design. I couldn’t settle on a main program so I decided to incorporate many energy-research systems. I am very glad I did this because I learnt a lot about how a building can become a machine in itself if all of these sustainable technologies are looped with each other. The design intent of this building was for it to show how simple these energy systems can be and that everyone can incorporate them in their homes. This design of the building proved exactly that to myself as a designer and I don’t think I would be able to approach a design in the future without at least considering to include these sustainable systems. I do think I will continue to explore these systems for here on forward. During the process of this design and as a part of our History And Theory of Architecture critical thinking I came to an epiphany about architectural process that makes me even doubt the purpose of this design book. This major project greatly contributed to my thinking and I consider it an important part of my architectural development. Therefore I would like to include extracts from my HATA essay here:
“I would like to propose that there is also a moral law of from or form-making within us. And with ‘us’ I mean mankind, not just designers. There is a certain deeper intelligence that lets man decide whether something is beautiful or not. A level of morality that lets us judge good space from bad space and distinguish good form from bad form. This would help explain why the response of people have made some buildings more successful than others. And why some spaces cannot be understood through descriptions, photographs or film but only thought the experience of being in it.” “Architectural education has conditioned us to think that we need to follow some system of design process or abide to the current styles in order to result in good architecture. It distracted us from the simple truths of trusting our imbedded Moral Law of Architecture.” “We are searching for meaning in all that we do. We are often stupidly trying to justify why we make the forms we do. But the people that will engage with our buildings won’t care about our process. They only care about the end product and what it makes them feel like. I find that in architectural education we are often questioned about our design process and then, desperately trying to make up reasons for a subconscious moral law that we cannot explain, often leaves us looking foolish. Once again if we did not believe that there was such a thing as a right or a ‘better’ form of architecture we would not be anxious to make up these reasons for not achieving it. The underlying standard remains.” “I most definitely still have much to learn and I believe that I will never stop learning, but we have all had the urge to say; “Just because.” Just because it looks right. And just because my gut told me to. When our mentors advise us, for example, to make an arch wider, we rarely ask them why. We don’t ask because we trust their judgement. But what is this judgement that we trust? And when we do ask, we would probably be answered; “Just because it looks better” or “-feels right.” According to who? Yes beauty might in the eye of the beholder but why would we all agree it looks ‘better’. This judgement is not learnt through years of experience, or inherited, or understood culturally because most people, all ages, and from different backgrounds would agree to this ‘better’. This judgement once again points to the measuring of the standard of The Moral Law of Architecture.” “We have been too hard on ourselves and it has restricted the possibilities of appearance and experience. We can break the rules to create experience. In the end, what counts is that you have made a beautiful space and not whether an arch is correct and functional or not. We don’t have to stick so truthful to things. If columns are hollow and fake, but they are beautiful then it is good.”
THOUGHT PIECE
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Architectural languages do not teach us, they only remind us of what we know already, and of what we shall discover time and time again, when we give up our ideas and opinions, and do exactly what emerges from ourselves� – Christopher Alexander.(7)
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LIST OF REFERENCES LIST OF REFERENCES FOR SUSTAINABLE CHAPTER SPECIFICALLY: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.
Shading for Solar Heat Gain, 2011, Available from:< http://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/buildings/shading-solar-heat-gain > [26 October 2015] Thermal Mass, 2011, Available from: < http://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/buildings/thermal-mass > [26 October 2015] Shading for Solar Heat Gain, 2011, Available from:< http://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/buildings/shading-solar-heat-gain > [26 October 2015] Natural Ventilation, 2011, Available from: < http://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/buildings/natural-ventilation > [26 October 2015] Wind Ventilation, 2011, Available from: < http://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/buildings/wind-ventilation > [26 October 2015] Hankins, M. (1995) ‘Solar Electric Systems for Africa: A Guide for Planning and Installing Solar Electric Systems in Rural Africa’, Commonwealth Secretariat, p.12 Steaming hot property, 2010, Available from: < https://90by2030.wordpress.com/2010/08/10/steaming-hot-property/ > [26 October 2015] E B Pohl, Greenwashing Manual, 2011, Available from: < http://www.archdaily.com/104389/greenwashing-manual-valentina-karga > [26 October 2015] G Eustache, Fobe House, 2013, Available from: < http://divisare.com/projects/217503-guilhem-eustache-jean-marie-monthiers-fobe-house > [26October 2015] M Jantzen, Great River Turbine is a Gigantic Hydroelectric Energy Generator, 2012, Available from: < http://inhabitat.com/great-river-turbine-isa-gigantic-hydroelectric-energy-generator/ > [26 October 2015] Ecozine, Solar Roadways, 2015, Available from: < http://www.ecozine.com/article/solar-roadways > [26 October 2015] Rainwater harvesting, 2015, Available from: < https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainwater_harvesting> [26 October 2015] The Green Building - Case Study, 2013, Available from: < http://www.capebrick.co.za/index.php/products/20-carousel-1-aenean-sem-metus > [26 October 2015]
LIST OF REFERENCE FOR DESIGN BOOK a) Tom Randall, Article : Six massive shifts in global power markets, 24 June 2015. found online: <http://www.fin24.com/Economy/Six-massive-shifts-in-global-power-markets-20150624> on [July 2015] b)https://greengroundsatuva.wordpress.com/2014/03/24/hedonism-is-not-heathenism/ c)http://www.africancentreforcities.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/mammon_InnerCityRevitalisation.pdf d)http://www.africancentreforcities.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/mammon_InnerCityRevitalisation.pdf 5) http://www.rolfdisch.de/index.php?p=home&pid=78&L=1 6) http://tzb.fsv.cvut.cz/projects/resset/files/resset-germany.pdf 7) Alexander, Christopher. ‘The Timeless Way of Building’, The kernel of the way, Oxford University Press, 1979, p. 29 8)Paul Cooper- http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/news/sustainable-buildings-research-centre-sbrc-by-cox
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LIST OF ILLUSTATIONS Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig
a b c d e f g
Fig h Fig Fig Fig Fig Fig
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fig o fig p fig q fig s fig t fig u fig v fig w fig x fig y fig z fig aa Fig bb Fig cc Fig dd Fig ee Fig ff
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authors own authors own http://www.rolfdisch.de/index.php?p=home&pid=78&L=1 http://studiopie.blogspot.com/2011_04_01_archive.html http://www.e-architect.co.uk/germany/sun-ship-freiburg http://sbrc.uow.edu.au/galleries/sbrcrenders/index.html http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/news/sustaina ble-buildings-research-centre-sbrc-by-cox http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/news/sustaina ble-buildings-research-centre-sbrc-by-cox Authors own photographs Authors own photographs Authors own photographs Authors own photographs http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/news/2015nsw-architecture-awards-winners-revealed http://www.digikey.com/product-highlights/us/en/unitedchemi-con-dlcap/299 http://www.svicenter.com/business/disruptive-innovationsenergy-storage/ http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2012/ 11/121116-second-life-for-used-electric-car-batteries/ http://news.nationalgeographic.com/energy/2015/07/150 713-cities-thinking-ahead-on-climate-change/ http://inhabitat.com/worlds-first-airborne-wind-turbine-tobring-renewable-energy-and-wifi-to-alaska/ http://worldoceanreview.com/en/comments/feed/wor1/energy/renewable-energies/ http://www.build-a-biogas-plant.com/ http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20121212/2 55993/?SS=imgview_e&FD=46728356 authors own authors own authors own authors own authors own authors own authors own http://www.cape-town.climatemps.com/ http://www.cape-town.climatemps.com/
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE CHAPTER SPECIFICALLY: Figures 1- 12 Figure 13 Figures 14 – 20 Figure 21 Figures 22- 23 Figure 24 Figure 25 Figures 26-29 Figure 30 Figures 31- 32 Figure 33 Figure 34 Figure 35 Figure 36 Figures 37 Figure 38 Figure 39-40 Figure 43 Figure 44 Figures 45 – 46 Figure 47 Figure 48 Figure 49 Figures 50 – 52 Figure 53 Figures 54 – 55 Figure 56 Figure 57 Figure 58 Figures 59 – 60 Figure 61 Figure 62 Figure 63
- Authors own - Online source: < http://www.archdaily.com/627335/townhouses-with-private-courtyards-baan-puripuri > - Authors own - Online source: < http://www.dezeen.com/2012/01/25/fobe-house-by-guilhem-eustache > - Authors own - Online source: < http://scoraigwind.co.uk > - Online source: < https://ruralelectrification.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/img_0089.jpg > - Authors own - Online source: < http://www.ea-energiearchitektur.de/projekte/badsaarow > - Authors own - Online source: < http://inhabitat.com/great-river-turbine-is-a-gigantic-hydroelectric-energy-generator > - Authors own - Online source: < http://www.theneweconomy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Solar-Roadway.jpg > - Online source: < http://socialfinance.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Banner-Image.jpg > - Authors own - Online source: < https://www.ntnu.no/ept/nufusolar > - Authors own - Online source: < http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/worlds-largest-solar-furnace > - Online source: < http://also.kottke.org/misc/images/solar-furnace-02.jpg > - Authors own - Online source: < http://www.ionacapital.co.uk/images/ADigestion_diagram2(1).gif > - Authors own - Online source: < https://90by2030.wordpress.com/2010/08/10/steaming-hot-property > - Authors own - Online source: < http://msarchitects.co.za > - Authors own - Online source: < http://greenupgrader.com/2347/flush-your-toilet-with-recycled-gray-water > - Online source: < http://www.archdaily.com/231805/whangapoua-crosson-clarke-carnachan > - Online source: < http://www.corobrik.co.za/products > - Authors own - Online source: < http://www.capebrick.co.za/index.php/products/20-carousel-1-aenean-sem-metus > - Online source: < http://sustainable.org.za/greenbuilding/images/about/contact1.jpg > - Authors own