Sustainable Hedonism
RE-HYDRATING LAS VEGAS Luke Ivers Arch 510 Design Project Manual
1086.30
INSTALLATION
DILEMMAS & CONTRADICTIONS
conservation
public transportation
materialism
agriculture
food
identity
education suburban development urban restoration
jobs
automobile dependency
tourism sprawl technology
consumption
infrastructure
population growth
electricity
hoover dam h
colorado river
water
“The city, for all its importance, can no longer be thought of only as a physical artifact; instead, we must be aware of the dynamic relationships, both visible and invisible, that exist among the various domains of a larger terrain of urban as well as rural ecologies.� Mohsen Mostafavi
Problem 1: #Water Shortage
WATER SHORTAGE
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/drought/2012/6
Colorado River Water Shortage
1984
2010
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/colorado-river-47021303
Problem 2: #Water Diversion
WATER DISTRIBUTION
7%
2.7%
Lake Mead
l
or
Las Vegas
co
30%
Colorado River Aquaduct
All American Canal
do
a or
l
Co
Los Angeles
San Diego
er ri v o 26% ad r
11%
ve Ri
18% 6%
Phoenix Central Arizona Project
Tucson
As Mark Twain said: “Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting over.”
WATER DIVERSION precipitation 80%
ARTIFICIAL CITIES population growth
20% unused land
transmontain diversion 80% -25%
20% +25%
drought
WATER AND PERCEPTION Natural Phenomena Vs Standing Reserve
Http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/freshwater-rivers/
Http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Project.jsp?proj_Name=Boulder%20Canyon
WATER & ENERGY
For every foot of elevation lost in Lake Mead (about 100,000 acre feet of water, or enough for 200,000 households)the dam produces 5.7 megawatts less power. That’s because at lower water pressure, air bubbles flow through with the water, causing the turbines to lose efficiency. “It was designed as a high-elevation dam,” DiDonato said.
1211 ft - 1086 ft 125 ft = 712 MW
1 MW = 1000 homes x 712= 712,000 homes
ENERGY & REDUNDANCY
Power Outage from due to Nuclear Power Plant failure. Tokyo, Japan 2011
Satellite photo of Las Vegas at night http://fopnews.wordpress.com/2011
Reallocating Water = Population Growth = Water Shortage = Power shortage = Economic Failure
Problem 3: # Agriculture
WATER & AGRICULTURE
Evaportation and Transpiration
1,500,000 gallons per acre
water or alfalfa?
1 lb of beef = 534 gallons of water
Eye level 100 miles
1984
2011
WATER SHORTAGE
Scripps Institution of Oceanography / University of
50 percent chance Lake Mead, a key source of water for millions of people in the southwestern United States, will be dry by 2021 if climate changes as expected and future California, San Diego, There is a
water usage is not curtailed, according to a pair of researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego. Without Lake Mead and neighboring Lake Powell, the Colorado River system has no buffer to sustain the population of the Southwest through an unusually dry year, or worse, a sustained drought. In such an event, water deliveries would become highly unstable and variable, said research marine physicist Tim Barnett and climate scientist David Pierce. “We were stunned at the magnitude of the problem and how fast it was coming at us,” said Barnett. “Make no mistake, this water problem is not a scientific abstraction, but rather one that will impact each and every one of us that live in the Southwest.” The researchers estimated that there is a 10 percent chance that Lake Mead could be dry by 2014. They
50 percent chance that reservoir levels will drop too low to allow hydroelectric power generation by 2017. further predict that there is a
Research marine physicist Tim Barnett (right) and programmer/analyst David Pierce of the Climate, Atmospheric Science and Physical Oceanography (CASPO) division at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego
suburbs downtown strip
hoover dam
LAS VEGAS ARTIFICIAL OASIS
+
=
TOURISM DEPENDENCY
40,000,000 Annual ly
=
?
Proposal
URBAN AGRICULTURE Advantages of Vertical Farming Year-round crop production; 1 indoor acre is equivalent to 4-6 outdoor acres or more, depending upon the crop (e.g., strawberries: 1 indoor acre = 30 outdoor acres) No weather-related crop failures due to droughts, floods, pests All VF food is grown organically: no herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers VF virtually eliminates agricultural runoff by recycling black water VF returns farmland to nature, restoring ecosystem functions and services VF greatly reduces the incidence of many infectious diseases that are acquired at the agricultural interface VF converts black and gray water into potable water by collecting the water of evapotranspiration VF dramatically reduces fossil fuel use (no tractors, plows, shipping.) VF converts abandoned urban properties into food production centers VF creates new employment opportunities
The Problem: Startup Costs and Energy consumption
The main reason for why vertical farming has not become a common practice in cities is due to the high startup costs which lie largely in construction of a highrise building. During the growing season, the sun shines on a vertical surface at an extreme angle such that much less light is available to crops than when they are planted on flat land. Therefore, supplemental light, would be required in order to obtain economically viable yields. Bruce Bugbee, a crop physiolo-
gist at Utah State University, believes that the power demands of vertical farming will be too expensive and uncompetitive with traditional farms using only free natural light. The scientist and climate change activist George Monbiot calculated that the cost of providing enough supplementary light to grow the grain for a single loaf would be almost $10.
Roach, J. (June 30, 2009). High-Rise Farms: The Future of Food?. National Geographic News.
As ‘The Vertical Farm’ proposes a controlled environment, heating and cooling costs will be at least as costly as any other tower. But there also remains the issue of complicated, if not more expensive, plumbing and elevator systems to distribute food and water throughout. Even throughout the northern continental United States, while heating with relatively cheap fossil fuels, the heating cost can be over $200,000/hectare.
Problem 1: Start up costs
Two Story Penthouses
Penthouses
Typical Units
ARIA RESORT & CASINO VDARA CONDO HOTEL CRYSTALS VEER TOWERS MANDARIN ORIENTAL
Conference Center Lobby
Spa Fitness Center Salon Bellagio Connector Restaurant Pedestrian Walkway To CityCenter Resort Casino
Problem 2: Energy Costs
Energy Usage Based on a 500,000 sq ft building
Energy Demand Summary Grow lamps (96,000 CFLs @ 18hr/d) = Dehumidifiers (20 unites @ 38 kW) = *Ventilation System (five 60 hp motor) = *Geothermal Heat Pump (as spec.) = Elevators (10 standard, 2 “drum waiters) = Water pumps (450 pumps) = Growth Chambers (50 @ 0.875 kW) = TOTAL
94,608,000 kWh 6,657,600 kWh 2,351,640 kWh 266,200 kWh 105,000 kWh 735,000 kWh 383250 kWh 105,106,690 kWh
*Lettuce is an average plant in terms of water and energy consumption and spatial use. Calculations will be based on lettuce for the sake of clarity and simplicity.
Existing Hotel
Ag Farm w/ Pods
pod detail pod open
Direct Sunlight Solar Analysis [Ag Pod Bays]
pod closed
Artificial light at night
June 21 @ 12:00
Ag Farm w/ Pods
December 21 @ 12:00
Energy Usage Passive Design Based on a 500,000 sq ft building
31,536,000 kWh 6,657,600 kWh 2,351,640 kWh 266,200 kWh 105,000 kWh 735,000 kWh 383250 kWh 42,034,690 kWh
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PASSIVE m~ëëáîÉ DESIGN pçä~ê
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ACTIVE DESIGN
Energy Demand Summary Grow lamps (96,000 CFLs @ 6 hr/d) = Dehumidifiers (20 unites @ 38 kW) = *Ventilation System (five 60 hp motor) = *Geothermal Heat Pump (as spec.) = Elevators (10 standard, 2 “drum waiters) = Water pumps (450 pumps) = Growth Chambers (50 @ 0.875 kW) = TOTAL
otel}
2013 {Existing Hotel}
2017 {Ag Farm w/ Pods}
Design Process 2017 {Ag Farm w/ Pods}
2022 {Market Plaza}
2022 {Market Plaza}
Capitalizing on Waste
Powering the vertical farm with food waste Inputs
Outputs
Vertical Farming Processes FR LET
500 tons of food waste
345,600 lettuce plants ANAEROBIC DIGESTERS
13.6 tons of waste is generated daily at New York-New York alone
78,760 lb
s water v
27,000 Gallons
117,639,500 kWh
7,600 tons of excess food sent every year from MGM Resorts restaurants
11,000 ther ms of methane
apour
DEHUMIDIFIERS
146,000
lbs deple
ted wate
r
ELECTRIC GENERATORS
90 kg of nutrients
BIOLOGICAL WATER FILTRATION
500 tons of digestate Vertical farm system diagram
Problem 3: Community Connection
Segragation Pedestrian Bike Automobile Tourist Public Workplace Living Entertainment
Integration Work Play Pedestrian Bike Automobile Tourist Public Workplace Living Entertainment
Shop
Live
ampith ampitheate ampitheat ampitheater mpithe mpitheat p tte e M ar ke t
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PROCESS
STRIPPING APART THE STRIP
ITERATION 1
ITERATION 2
ITERATION 3
PHYSICAL STUDY MODEL Materials: Styrofoam, metal mesh, and plexi glass
DIGITAL STUDY MODELS Parametric Design: Rhinoceros and Grasshopper
MARKET CANOPY DESIGN Conceptual Parti Evolution Creating movement, interaction, and diversity
Conceptual Parti Evolution
Pedestrian
Pedestrian Automobile Public Automobile
Tourist
Living
Shop
Public
Workplace Living
Segragation
Segragation
Intentional Obstruction
Intentional Obstruction
M
ar ke t
Play Live
Workplace
Entertainment
Work
Play
Tourist Bike
Entertainment
ampitheater
Work
Creating movement, interaction, and diversity
Bike
Shop
Forced Interaction
Forced Interaction
Live Integration
Integration
M
d ixe
g
vin
Li
ampitheater
M
ar ke t
Mixed Program
Mixed Program
M
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g
vin
Li
PARAMETRIC DESIGN
GrassHopper Defintion for Diagrid Structre
Grasshopper Definition for a Diagrid Structure
Form Evolution
BUILDING EVOLUTION
BUILDING EVOLUTION
BUILDING PROGRAM
BUILDING PROGRAM
Market Floor Plan
Gallery Floor Plan
Urban Park Plan
STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS 57 Floor Plates Ag Pods 800 Total
Apartment Expansion
Vertical Circulation Systems
Urban Park
Reinforced Concrete Structural Columns Diagrid Super Structure w/ tubular steel members
PTFE Panels
Sub Structure steel space truss Connection to Sub Structure
Vdara Hotel Exterior Primary Hollow-Steel Section
Secondary HSS
Art Gallary Vdara Pool Deck
Welded Steel Flange
Public Market Ampitheater Anaerobic Digester
Fire Proofing Finished Composite Encasement
Hallow Structural Section Transition
Vertical Farm Systems
Connection Plates
Final Renderings
EAST ENTRANCE
FARMERS MARKET
MARKET RETAIL
P
PUBLIC GARDEN
ANAEROBIC DIGESTERS
WEST ENTRANCE
MIXED LIVING
MIXED LIVING
ART GALLARY
PUBLIC GARDEN
URBAN PARK RAMP
URBAN PARK AMPITHEATER
AERIAL VIEW
Physical Model Physical Model
PHYSICAL MODEL Model Building Process
Lasercut 1/16” Chipboard
Used 3D Printer for the Market Design
Stacked Floor Plates for easy assembly
Split into four sections due to limited powder bed size
Inserted 800 pieces of 3/16” Plexi glass
Cleaning off the excess powder
Chip Board Site Model 1/40”
Ready for the final coat of glue
Ag Pods {physical model}