What happen when a typical ambulance branch has reached their lifespan of 50 years? It will be renovated or demolished which produce large amount of waste. This is the linear economy model commonly used in the building industry today. As building operational energy had been reduced by systems has higher performance, the next step is to shift into circular economy to reduce building’s wastage at the end of their life. Part of the solution for that is the idea of Design for Disassembly (DfD). A list of standard building components is created to design all ambulance stations but at the same time provide opportunity to response to site specific condition and customization, giving each station their own unique identity. By incoorporating the idea of DfD and sustainable strategies, the project tries to create solution for net-zero carbon ambulance branches in regional Victoria.
Macro scale: Design for Disassembly
Healthy Ambulance Station Micro scale: Biophilia
Plan Development
1) Site Access
2) Work / Rest
3) Sunlight access
4) Ambulance garage as represent
5) Efficiency
6) Future expansion
7) Connection to nature
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Section A-A
Section B-B
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Building components
Material life cycle
Future development
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Details :
Innowood cladding
Steel framing
Durra Panel
Glulam
: Garage
Details : R
Organic material and texture is used in the main building interior to bring the paramedic closer to the nature. Before the paramedics enter the restrooms, they will be welcomed by the framed view of green landscaping indicating their transition into a relaxing space from their mentally and physically demanding workload. Innowood timber screening is used on the façade to provide a sense of privacy.
Precast concrete flooring
Precast concrete beams & footings
Steel framing Precast concrete panels
Expaned cork panels
Innowood screening
Restroom
Details : Li
In the living room, the north facing floor-to-ceiling window allow daylight into the space and visual access to the outdoor green area. The attached verandah has operable horizontal lourves which double as shading and PV panels. The lourves could be controlled by the paramedics so they could let in desired amount of sunlight into the living area.
iving room
Operable lourves that are integrated with PV cells.
At night when the ambulance garage roof lit up, it serve as a reminder to the outside world that the paramedic is on duty, day and night.
Sustainability Strategy The project focus greatly on material choice that has low embodied energy, durable and recyclable to reduce the waste and carbon produce for the material’s lifecycle. Although precast concrete has high embodied energy during the manufacturing process, by using blast furnace slag to replace part of the Portland cement, it could reduce the amount of carbon produce. Engineered timber such as glulam is used as primary structural posts and beams as it has low embodied energy. Expanded cork panel is used as both insulation and facade because it is renewable, recyclable and biodegradable material. Durra panel which is made of straw is also used a interior wall because of it’s low embodied energy material. Innowood products are used in the project for external wall and ceiling cladding, a sustainable composite timber alternative that is recyclable, the company that manufactured Innowood products also provide Recycling and Replacement Service where the product could achieve a cradle to cradle life cycle. Other building finishes and cladding include using carpet tiles with recycled PET plastic and reclaimed timber flooring. An issue faced when calculating these less conventional material in etool is there is no designated template. To model the embodied energy and develop the template for these low embodied energy material, further research and data are needed. In terms of building envelope, the building should be well insulated and use double glazed window to reduce heat transfer between indoor and outdoor. For passive design strategies, precast concrete panel that is exposed on the interior act as thermal mass that regulate the indoor temperature. Heat will be absorb in daytime and release at night, providing a better thermal comfort for the occupant while saving energy on heating and
Passive Operation
cooling. Operable horizontal lourves shading are placed at the north of the living room to allow occupant to control the amount of sunlight within the space. For optimum performance, sunlight should be allow in the living room during winter for passive heating and full shading during summer for passive cooling. Water sensitive urban deisgn is also considered by incoorporating rain gardens and permeable paving as part of the site landscaping. Native plants are used to create a local ecosystem. For active design strategies, underfloor air distribution system is used as HVAC as it provide a low velocity air flow and reduce air stratification when in use, resulting to good thermal comfort and indoor air quality. Heat recovery ventilation will also be integrated with the HVAC system to reduce heating and cooling energy and cost. Lighting used in the building should be all LED lighting to reduce energy used. Photovoltaic system are used to provide renewable energy for the building hence achieving net zero carbon ambulance station.
Gross Lifecycle Carbon: -2927 kgCO2 Net zero carbon building achieved.
Lifecycle Carbon Emissions
Expan
Hea Ambu Sta
2020
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20 End of build
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070 ding life cycle
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2050 (Clyde North median age increases)
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althy ulance ation