A Study on the Efficiency in the Selection and the Application of the Materials in the Sustainability of Green School, Bali.
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A Study on the Efficiency in the Selection and the Application of the Materials in the Sustainability of Green School, Bali.
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A Study on the Efficiency in the Selection and the Application of the Materials in the Sustainability of Green School, Bali.
ASIAN ARCHITECTURE (ARC60403) PROJECT: CONTEXTUAL ARCHITECTURE STUDY & CASE STUDY PAPER
A Study on the Efficiency in the Selection and the Application of the Materials in the Sustainability of Green School, Bali.
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A Study on the Efficiency in the Selection and the Application of the Materials in the Sustainability of Green School, Bali.
NAME: EVELYN SINUGROHO STUDENT ID: 0318217 TUTOR: NURUL ALIA AHAMAD SUBMISSION DATE: 24 NOVEMBER 2015
A Study on the Efficiency in the Selection as well as the Application of the Materials in Affecting the Sustainability of Green School, Bali. Table of Content Cover Page Content Abstract 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Plans and Sections 2.0 Sustainable Architecture 2.1 LEED’s Green Building Rating System 2.2 Green Performance Criteria of Sustainable Building Materials 3.0 Sustainable Building Materials - Properties, Construction Capability, Contextual Response, Thermal Comfort and Green Performance Criteria. 3.1 Rammed Earth 3.2 Bamboo
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A Study on the Efficiency in the Selection and the Application of the Materials in the Sustainability of Green School, Bali.
3.3 Brick 3.4 Alang-alang Thatch 4.0 Life- Cycle Assessment (LCA) 4.1 Life Cycle Assessment Framework 5.0 Conclusion 6.0 Reference
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Abstract The main objective of this research paper is to identify how the selection and application of local materials could affect greatly on the sustainability of Green School Building in various aspects. This research paper talks about how the selection of local renewable materials could both minimize the depletion of natural raw materials such as timber and how the materials influence the sustainability of the building based on their construction capabilities, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Embodied Energy and the application of the materials into the design relating to thermal comfort and contextual response. In aiding the validation of the research, literature reviews such document analysis from case studies, online resources and books were carried out to enhance the process. Green School design persuades developers, constructors as well as architects to use abundant local building materials to lessen the consummation of natural materials that could create a negative impact on the rainforest. Furthermore, the design inspires a culture of localized creativity, as opposed to high tech fabrication, and therefore the selection of materials. The three main types of local materials used in Green School are Bamboo, Rammed Earth, Brick and Alang-Alang Thatch. These materials are both abundant and durable; they have low embodied energy, low operational energy and required minimal energy for maintenance. They are used in innovative and experimental ways demonstrating its architectural possibilities. The result is a holistic green community with a strong educational mandate that seeks to inspire students to be more curious, more engaged and more passionate about the environment. Thus, this research paper will help in understanding better the meaning of sustainable building materials and revealing the benefits and impacts of using such materials to the surrounding environment and people. It is fascinating to know how these materials was applied with such creativity to create a building that response to both cultural meaning and the site context.
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1.0 Introduction The world is currently having a major development challenges due to the pressure of rapid urbanization and how it negatively impacts the nature caused by the culture of unsustainable development in the past. This covers the inefficient construction material industrialization, excessive consummation and behavior of consumers. “Buildings have an enormous and continuously increasing impact on the environment, using about 40% of natural resources extracted in industrialized countries, consuming nearly 70% of electricity and 12% of potable water, and producing between 45 and 65% of the waste disposed in landfills” (Castro-Lacouture, 2008) Therefore it is essential to lessen the adverse impact to the environment without having to suppress the need of development. Green School proposed a humble sustainable strategy based on their materials and the integration of Balinese architecture into their design. “The design of the Green School inspires a culture of localized creativity, as opposed to high tech fabrication,” (James, 2010). It is giving off a message says that it is possible to do a lot with connections to the natural and social environment, stepping away from cement, monotony and international styles. Their sustainable approach has been proved affective and since then known for being the greenest school on earth since 2012 by the LEED. The visionary leader, John Hardy has learned that Indonesia is facing a major deforestation which lead to decimation of water catchment, soil erosion as well as the destruction of endangered flora and fauna. He therefore collects a group of crafters, architects and engineers to commence a project called Green Village including Green School where their key to sustainability is through the renewable and ecofriendly materials. The aim is to reach out to the architects, developers and engineers out there and persuade them to lessen the consummation of timber that would greatly affect the nature, by proposing abundant and renewable local materials namely bamboo, brick, alang-alang thatch and rammed wall. Consequently, this approach has not only inspires people to prevent adverse environment impact, but also helps enhancing the quality of life and allowing people to live in a healthy environment. Thus, this paper will focus on the selection and application of sustainable materials as a way to achieve sustainability and to further observe their potential in construction design based on their properties by responding to the following research questions: 1. How and what processes are taken to identify sustainable materials based on the Green Performance Criteria of Sustainable Building Materials? 2. What are the sustainable materials used in Green School to minimize the negative impact to the environment? 3. How effective is the application of the selected sustainable materials in sustaining the natural materials in terms of life cycle assessment? 8 ARC2213/2234 Asian Architecture
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4. How the selected materials are applied to respond with the context, reducing negative environmental impact? 5. How the application of sustainable materials in Green School affects the thermal comfort? 1.1 Plans and Sections
2.0 Sustainable Architecture “Sustainable architecture isn’t a prescription. It’s an approach, an attitude. It shouldn’t really even have a label. It should just be architecture.” (Maxman, 1993). Nevertheless, beyond this professional existence to embrace green design, making a sense of environmental innovation in architecture turns to be a “confusing business” (Guy & Farmer, 2001). Sustainability are often seen from one perspective of solving the issue with significant barrier such as global warming which are considered to be self-evident problems. From this perspective, sustainable buildings are often assumed to merely represent by their technical structures, sometimes with technological innovation viewed objectively. Typical are suggesting that if we are to achieve sustainable buildings then architecture should become more “objective,” and that “until a consensus is attained, the ability of the architectural community to adopt a coherent environmental strategy, across all building types and styles of development, will remain elusive.”(Brennan, 1997). But the definition of sustainability of a building is more than that. To be sustainable, it is required to see with a broader perspective. “The concept of a green building is a social construct.”(Guy & Farmer, 2001) this is a way of saying a many have ignored the essential of vernacular local architecture. John Hardy has taken the practice to vernacular architecture into his designs, including Green School, it is also said to be ‘socially constructed’. Firstly, John Hardy properly thought of the durability and longtime Viability of Green School project. This is by using local building materials, this reduce transportation costs and ensures support for local farmers and laborers. Using local craftsmen to build 9 ARC2213/2234 Asian Architecture
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the Green School buildings ensure that their expertise is valued and supported. Supporting local craftsmen supports the local area economy and ensures that the skills will be available for the long term maintenance of the Green School campus and for future projects. Secondly, he doesn’t ignored the importance of local architectural character which includes prevalent form and materials. The placement of spaces in Green School follows Balinese’s Banjar, it is a compound housing of two to three generation of the same family in a village grouping. Balinese homes are not architect designed, rather villagers build their own homes, or a community will pool their resources for a structure built under the direction of a master. The Green School buildings fully comprehend and appreciate the traditional vernacular architecture of the region and uses design creativity to go beyond to create modern spaces using traditional materials. The practice of applying Vernacular Architecture into the design covers not only the placement of spaces or the usage of local materials, it also covers the overall impact of the built environment on human health by efficiently using the contextual resources such as water, air, energy, etc. to enhance the occupants’ thermal comfort
Figure 2.01 Overview of Green School Building (Source: http://ismaili.net/heritage/node/29887&size=_original)
2.1 LEED’s Green Building Rating System Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design also called as LEED, is a program which aims to raise an awareness as well as creating a standard of sustainability and through creating a framework for building a holistic green building by evaluating and quantifying green building design, constructions and operations. The framework, also called the Green Building Rating System is an environmental rating system which focuses on these 6 values of sustainability: 1. Sustainable Site Planning 2. Safeguarding Water and Water Efficiency 3. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
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4. Conservation of Materials and Resources 5. Indoor Environmental Quality 6. Innovation and Design Process
2.2 Green Performance Criteria of Sustainable Building Materials For a material to be considered sustainable, there are several criteria the products or materials need to fulfill. The LEED has been extensively undergo the selection of materials through many approaches such as multi objective optimization, ranking methods, index-based methods and other quantitative methods like cost benefit analysis. Through all these, LEED has conclude that for a material to be sustainable, it needs to fulfill these 8 criteria of Source Efficiency:
1.
Recycled Content: Products with identifiable recycled content, including postindustrial content with a preference for postconsumer content.
2.
Natural, plentiful or renewable: Materials harvested from sustainably managed sources and preferably have an independent certification (e.g., certified wood) and are certified by an independent third party.
3.
Resource efficient manufacturing process: Products manufactured with resource-efficient processes including reducing energy consumption, minimizing waste (recycled, recyclable and or source reduced product packaging), and reducing greenhouse gases.
4.
Locally available: Building materials, components, and systems found locally or regionally saving energy and resources in transportation to the project site.
5.
Salvaged, refurbished, or remanufactured: Includes saving a material from disposal and renovating, repairing, restoring, or generally improving the appearance, performance, quality, functionality, or value of a product.
6.
Reusable or recyclable: Select materials that can be easily dismantled and reused or recycled at the end of their useful life.
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Recycled or recyclable product packaging: Products enclosed in recycled content or recyclable packaging.
8.
Durable: Materials that are longer lasting or are comparable to conventional products with long life expectancies.
(Source: http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/greenbuilding/materials/#Spiegel) 3.0 Sustainable Building Materials Building materials are commonly selected through functional, technical and financial requirements. However, due to sustainability as a key issue in the last decades, the environmental load of building materials has also become a more important criterion. Sustainable Architecture requires to efficiently use natural materials and resources that are renewable. Materials that are renewable means it could be replaced naturally over a short period of time and can be used again. It is also means that the material that are natural or renewable are being harvested from sustainably managed sources with independent certification. Resource efficiency also can be achieved through employing materials that satisfy the recycled content, this means the products or materials are with identifiable recycled content. These resource efficiency of using sustainable material will be able to reduce energy consumption, minimizing waste and reducing greenhouse gases which helps in promoting healthier environment. Green School building’s materials will be discussed in terms of their properties, construction capability, contextual response, thermal comfort and green performance criteria.
3.1 Rammed Earth Rammed earth is a technique of building walls using a form of unbaked earthen construction. Its high mass contributes to the regulation of internal temperature and humidity which reduces the need for air conditioning system in temperate climate. It is generally suited for passive solar design. Rammed earth, also called as ‘Earth Building’ is considered as a renewable technology because the material used for the construction is simply borrowed from the earth which later can be reused and recycled indefinitely as a building material or returned to the earth. Furthermore, rammed earth has a low embodied energy which can be manipulated into achieving optimal thermal mass and insulation by adjusting its density and thickness.
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In Green School, the thickness required for rammed earth is solely based on its load bearing capability, insulation are not added, rammed earth’s property to controls humidity inside the space is enough to achieve the thermal comfort for the temperate climate in Bali. One of the most essential thing in load bearing strength parameters is the compressive strength. According to a research study carried out by Jaquin, P. A, rammed earth with less than 12% of water content reaches an axial strain of 600 kPa. It is strong enough to carried out both dead load and live load of the building. Other than that, rammed earth can be used to create a healthy living space inside the building, rammed earth material is non-toxic, non-allergenic, exhibit excellent sound insulation and is in fact fire and termite resistance. And by this rammed earth has earned an ‘excellent’ rating for sustainable material from the internationally acclaimed BREEAM ratings.
Figure 3.11 Diagram of Rammed Earth Construction (Source: http://www.zdnet.com/article/rammed-earth-traditional-eco-architecture)
3.2 Bamboo
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Bamboo is known for being the fastest-growing plant on the planet due to a unique rhizome-dependent system and considered to be one of the most sustainable resources used in Green School building. Bamboo is used in structurally innovative ways to create original and inspiring architectural spaces in Green School building. Bamboo is used vertically as a cluster of columns and also a long span arch. The bamboo design applied to Green school gave the sense of openness and therefore achieves thermal comfort for the occupants by allowing cross ventilation into the building. It has a comparable strength to timber but with the addition of flexibility which allows us to design innovative, organic, sculptural type architecture and objects. The structural loading of the trusses are transferred to foundation through a traditional structural column type known as dupit. The primary structure is anchored to the foundations by an innovative method of lacing river rocks and bamboo with reinforced steel connected to the concrete foundations. The bamboo connection to ground plane is tapped and filled with cement creating a solid structural connection for wind loading.
Bamboo has an efficient natural structural design as a supporting structure due to bamboo’s hollowness and the fibers in longitudinal direction, less material mass is needed than in case of materials with a Figure 3.21 the construction of Green School Figure 3.22 the helix bamboo construction of Green massive section. School foundation Source: Source: http://archnet.org/system/publications/contents/87 http://archnet.org/system/publications/contents/87 69/original/DTP101268.pdf?1391611188 69/original/DTP101268.pdf?1391611188
Figure 3.23 Comparison of material efficiency based on strength and stiffness per volume
Figure 3.24 Cross Section of Bamboo
Source: Source: http://bambooteam.com/pablo/200601%20CBM http://bambooteam.com/pablo/200601%20CBM %20-%20bamboo%20article%20in%20press.pdf14 %20-%20bamboo%20article%20in%20press.pdf ARC2213/2234 Asian Architecture
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Figure 3.23 shows the comparison of efficiency of natural design of bamboo and other materials such as concrete, steel and bamboo based on the stiffness and strength divided by their mass per volume. Due to Bamboo’s favorable mechanical properties, high flexibility, fast growing rate, low weight and low purchasing costs, bamboo is a building material with many potential. Though bamboo strength has been proven effective in terms of tension and compressive strength, the ageing and maintenance of the bamboo has always been a problem worldwide. It is susceptible to humidity, insects and mold. All the structural bamboo used at Green School is extensively treated using an organic borax compound. An environmentally friendly waterproof coating is sprayed on the bamboo members to prevent moisture penetration.
Figure 3.25 Cleaning, treating and drying of Bamboo before applied in Green School Bali Source: http://archnet.org/system/publications/contents/8769/original/DTP101268.pdf?1391611188
3.3 Brick Brick has been used by man’s earliest civilization dating 10,000 years ago, it has then been used all over the world because of the durability and sustainability advantages. Like rammed earth and bamboo used in Green School, brick also has a similar sustainable characteristic for being naturally abundant. The primary ingredients of brick are clay and shale, which the Mineral Information Institute notes that they are the “single most abundant mineral group on Earth. Together, the varieties of feldspar account for one-half of the Earth’s crust.” In addition, they have been reported to represents almost the threequarters of the sedimentary rock on the earth’s crust. Clay and shale are easily removed from the ground without damaging the environment because they ‘float’ to the earth’s surface through weatherization. In building efficiency perspective, brick provides an energy-efficient envelope for a building and reduces the amount of energy necessary to cool the interior. Brick provides the thermal mass necessary to insulate a building, allowing for a lower level of air conditioning use in a temperate climate. It has the 15 ARC2213/2234 Asian Architecture
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ability to absorb heat and shield the interior form a rapid rise in temperature. The heat is then later released into the cooler night air. A research study of brick’s insulating qualities has been done by CTL Group, a well-regarded materials technology research firm. Their study has shown that homes with brick veneer use 2 to 7 percent less energy than those with fiber cement siding and 1 to 2 percent less than those with insulated vinyl siding. Other than insulation qualities, brick does not fade, warp, dent or become brittle, it requires little maintenance or repair compared to other products. It has also been widely recognized as being both resistant to fire and to water intrusion, which can considerably shorten the life of a building.
Figure 3.26 Bricks in Green School
3.4 Alang-Alang Thatch Thatch is a roofing method has been locally used for centuries in tropical climate of Bali. The blades of alang alang thatching are constructed from the Grass Imperata Cylindrica which is locally called ambongan. It is also called alang in Indonesian and Malay. It is a tough and resilient grass and grows best in harsh conditions and poor ground. Alang alang or Balinese grass strip tiles are overlapped and individually tied to form the roofing surface adding additional bracing and strength to the structural components. The 3 interlocking trusses form breaks in the roof plane which is covered by canvas forming skylights. The rafters for alang alang roofs have additional short rafters, set at a lower pitch, overlapping the bottom end of the main rafter. This creates a slight upward lift to the roof at the eaves. Both the main rafter and this additional rafter are finished with a bamboo or wood fascia. When sufficient alang alang has been made to complete the roof, if the rafters are bamboo, it is lashed in place, starting at the bottom of the rafter near the outer fascia. It is lashed with fine bamboo at every rafter using a tucked twist as a knot. They cannot nail it as the bamboo rafters would split the alang alang is then progressively placed all the way up until the ridge. The spacing from the fascia to the lintel is tight, approximately 40mm, and then from the lintel to the peak or ridge there is approximately 50mm spacing.
Figure 3.27 the roofing infill structure with alang alang thatch 16 ARC2213/2234 Asian Architecture
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Green roof has a very irregular roof structure, connecting from one roof to another in a helix form; alang-alang thatching works well with covering the irregular roof and therefore create an aesthetically appealing structure. The alang alang roof is good insulation against heat and is very attractive to look at, both inside and out. It is the easiest type of thatch as it is flexible and sturdy. They are renewable and grows in ample quantity which makes it relatively cheap bringing down the cost of construction. An alang alang roof, as it is made from organic materials, is constantly under a process of decomposition. The modern Balinese architecture have documented that alang alang thatch roof can last between seven to fifteen years. The factors that affected the life span of alang alang thatch varies from the quality and quantity, the pitch of the roof, wind damage, and whether there is water from an upper roof falling on it or an overhanging trees preventing the surface from drying during the period of rain. These conditions has been properly considered by green school for the sustainable of the alang alang thatch roof.
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4.0 Life Cycle Assessment To analyze the sustainability of the materials, Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is required. LCA is a technique to systematically examine the materials or products from cradle-to-grave, meaning that the process of the product must be assessed from the production, use till the disposal.
Figure 3.28 Process of Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) Source: http://www.greenspec.co.uk/life-cycle-assessment-lca During every life cycle of the product or material, there will be input and outputs of the material or product such as what figure 3.29 has shown, the inputs used to extract the raw materials are energy and water whist the outputs are waste, emissions and by-product. It is necessary to be able to assess the 18 ARC2213/2234 Asian Architecture
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inputs and outputs as they contribute in affecting the environment. Products and materials that don’t fulfill the LCA criteria are not efficient in the usage of energy and therefore is prohibited to use.
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Susan Maxman,“Shaking the Rafters,” Earthwatch (July/Aug. 1993): 11. John Brennan, “Green Architecture: Style over Content,” Architectural Design 67/1-2 (1997): 23–25 Simon Guy & Graham Farmer (2001) Reinterpreting Sustainable Architecture: The Place of Technology, Journal of Architectural Education, 54:3, 140-148, DOI: 10.1162/10464880152632451 http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0360132308002084/1-s2.0-S0360132308002084-main.pdf?_tid=58559ea4-8764-11e5-a68400000aab0f01&acdnat=1447130255_e8288b91d4fbcb85d64b939a41b7e177 http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/greenbuilding/materials/ http://www.tropicalbuildings.com/other-products/thatched-roofing/ http://thatchbali.com/about-thatch/ http://www.boralna.com/bricks/pdf/News-12-09-White-Paper-Building-with-Sustainable-Brick.pdf http://bambooteam.com/pablo/200601%20CBM%20-%20bamboo%20article%20in%20press.pdf http://www.domusweb.it/en/architecture/2010/12/12/the-green-school.html
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