GROWTH community gardens & learning center
what is GROWTH? GROWTH is a public-interest initiative led by the Cincinnati Zoo with the mission to provide fresh produce and education about food and nutrition to the Avondale community. The project includes a biodome, activity center and outdoor spaces in which people can learn through interactive experiences that are held in collaboration with the University of Cincinnati, Children’s Hospital and other local schools and businesses.
STAKEHOLDERS
the cincinnati zoo and botanical garden
The Avondale community has a median age of 33 for females and 25 for males. Of the population, 46.7% are families, 9.1% are married with children and 37.5% are single mothers. Within the community itself there are 5 food stores, of which only three are in the boundaries of Avondale. Of which all are small with no fresh produce.
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES MEETING LEED & LBC
In the article “Turning 14 in Cincinnati� by Krista Ramsey and Cara Owsley, 8 of the 14 stories are of teens who live in Avondale. Most interviews mention the crime rate, safety issues, and the daily lives of fourteen-year-olds in the community. The stories are eye opening, to say the least.
BUILDING PERFORMANCE
In addition to educational opportunities, the zoo is dedicated to having a positive impact on the planet. As such, they lead by example. For instance, they are a leader in sustainability through the establishment of several green initiatives. Additionally, the zoo has strived to certify various buildings under LEED, LBC, and Green Restaurant. They also foster a partnership with Green Bean delivery.
avondale
PROGRAM
The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden offers a variety of educational programs for children and adults from summer camps to guided travel abroad experiences. Furthermore, the zoo also offers a variety of internship and volunteer positions.
PROCESS
STAKEHOLDERS
community collaboration
buy-ins and benefits
BUILDING PERFORMANCE ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
Local businesses and schools can purchase produce from the biodome for a fixed price, in order to lower the price for the Avondale community. By purchasing from the zoo, the local businesses and schools, such as Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the University of Cincinnati, will be able to offer fresh produce to the communities that they serve.
PROGRAM
Colleges and businesses surround the zoo have the opportunity to financially support GROWTH and its many programs. Community business collaboration can range from money donations, volunteers, teaching classes at the activity center, or work within the biodome. There is also an opportunity to hold special events in the activity center and biodome to benefit the community/zoo.
MEETING LEED & LBC PROCESS
STAKEHOLDERS PROGRAM
Ultimately, the Avondale community needs access to fresh produce and crucial education about nutrition. As such, children of Avondale do not know the nutritional value of what they are eating, and adults do not know how to prepare real food. Along with having access to a better, nutritious lifestyle, the younger population of the community needs a safe place to play outdoors, and a place to have structured play and learning experiences.
Within the project GROWTH, the biodome focuses on providing a hands-on learning experience on how fresh produce is grown. The activity center aims to teach the community about nutrition, mainly how to prepare food through the structure of cooking classes. The activity center can also be used to teach lifestyle, business, and other classes that can help members of the community grow and develop. Lastly, the outdoor spaces focus on providing the young members of the community with a place to play, learn, relax, and perform.
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
how will GROWTH help?
BUILDING PERFORMANCE
what does the community need?
MEETING LEED & LBC PROCESS
STAKEHOLDERS
project program
The activity center can accommodate basic lecture style classes, cooking classes, computer classes, and large gatherings/ events. There is also an art wall to display local community designs.
activity center interior
BUILDING PERFORMANCE ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
GROWTH is composed of three main elements: a biodome, activity center and outdoor spaces. To emphasize the important connection with nature, the biodome has a green roof that is located at ground level. By doing this, people can meander through the pathways, lounge around the water filtration system, and look into the biodome via the many skylights.
PROGRAM
activity center
MEETING LEED & LBC PROCESS
activity center exterior and vertical water filter
biodome inside the biodome The tropical area will be a double heighted space to accommodate tall trees. The perennial area will be split into two sections, one of which is two stories to account for fruit trees. At least one section can be chilled to a dormant state every season of the year. When one is dormant, the other can be producing food for the community. The annual plants will be in a single heighted space because the plants do not need as much height to grow. The hydroponics area displays stacked-like systems that allow for more plants to grow in smaller areas. Furthermore, the fish are centralized within these stacked systems to facilitate in the constant cycle of water from fish to plants and back.
PROGRAM BUILDING PERFORMANCE
The biodome takes up 1.8 acres of underground space and has 4 different planting areas: tropical, annual, perennial and hydroponics. All these areas display a large variety of fruit producing plants that will can be sold to the community and used in the activity center. Furthermore, there is an area for chickens, bees, a nursery, composting, and logistics. The logistics center is where the produce can be collected and then distributed to different locations.
STAKEHOLDERS
hydroponics and aquapoincs pyramids
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
tropical area
MEETING LEED & LBC PROCESS
STAKEHOLDERS
outdoor experience
PROGRAM
The landscaped botanical garden of a green roof features skylights that allow visitors to view below and access the vertical filtration system. The green roof can be used for educational tours, and leisure walks.
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
There are five areas of activity pods with different programs, these are: event space, outdoor pavilion, food truck/ basketball court, ropes course, and outdoor play area. Each pod allows for a different activity, which helps to keep the site active and inviting to all members of the community.
BUILDING PERFORMANCE
activity pods
MEETING LEED & LBC PROCESS
skylights/ vertical filtration from walkways
STAKEHOLDERS
pathways
outdoor theatre event pavilion activity center ven
a est For ue
vertical water filtration
PROCESS
vehicle access/drop-off
Using the pathways for the landscaping, a second exit to duluth and the activity pods is located down hill of the site on the lines derived from the pathways.
MEETING LEED & LBC
picnic area/bioswales
zoo
leading to duluth
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
The pathways on the biodome’s green roof are derived from various access points. These include street, vehicle and zoo entrances to the site. Connecting these points and encompassing important pieces of program created the pathways for the landscaping.
BUILDING PERFORMANCE
restored mixed-use markets and shops basketball court/food truck parking
PROGRAM
children’s play area
access points
duluth aven ue
ropes course
STAKEHOLDERS
sefaira sefaira settings
PROGRAM BUILDING PERFORMANCE ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
In order to achieve an aesthetic vision with better energy and daylighting performance, lower construction cost, and lower operating costs, a performancebased design approach was employed by using Sefaira software. With real time feedback on our 3D modeling decisions, we were able to tweak our design to deliver the best results for our proposal within the structural, insulation and glazing parameters we set for ourselves as shown here:
MEETING LEED & LBC PROCESS
sefaira variation
radiation range
monthly diurnal averages
sky coverage range
CLIMATE CONSULTANT
STAKEHOLDERS
temperature range
PROGRAM BUILDING PERFORMANCE PROCESS
data source: TMY3 724297 WMO Station Number, Elevation 488 ft
MEETING LEED & LBC
latitude/longitude: 39.1 N, 84.42 W, Timezone from Greenwich -5
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
location: Cincinnati Municipal AP Lunki, OH, USA
psychrometric chart
PROGRAM
BUILDING PERFORMANCE
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
sunshading chart: summer-fall
STAKEHOLDERS
sun shading chart: winter-spring
MEETING LEED & LBC PROCESS
Light Shelves are a passive strategy that can both shade the window on the exterior, but also bring light further into a space. When the light hits a highly reflective shelf, it will bounce off the shelf, hit and bounce off the ceiling, and provide evenly distributed light further into a space than conventional windows would allow. Light shelves provide physical and visual comfort in a space as well as reduce the use of electric lighting. If the light shelf doubles as exterior shading, it also reduces heating and cooling loads from direct solar heat gain.
Effective shading is a passive heating and cooling strategy. The idea behind this strategy is to shade the building from summer sun angles, while allowing winter sun angles in to allow for direct heat gain. This reduces heating loads in the winter by providing direct solar heat gain, and reducing cooling loads in the summer by preventing unwanted solar heat gain.
Using computer modeling through Revit and Sefaira, a light shelf is effective at both providing light deeper into the building and providing shading on the exterior.
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES MEETING LEED & LBC
To effectively shade the building, you need to analyze the altitude angles of the sun during the winter and summer months for Cincinnati’s lattude of 40 degrees. The winter solstice altitude angle is 27 degrees. The summer solstice angle is 74 degrees. After drawing the angles on a southern wall section with glazing, the proper measurement can be allocated by providing shading past the summer solstice angle, but not blocking the winter angle.
BUILDING PERFORMANCE
2. Effective Shading
PROGRAM
1. Light Shelf
STAKEHOLDERS
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
PROCESS
-Concrete: specific heat- 0.19 btu/lbF density-150 lb/sqft heat capacity-28.5 btu/cubic ft
Advantages: passive heating
MEETING LEED & LBC PROCESS
After estimating the solar glazing area to be 20% of the floor area of the building, the glazing along the south facade will need to be 6 feet tall to be most effective. The floor will absorb about a sixth of the heat, while the walls will collect the rest. With an estimated design heat loss of 3.5 Btu/sqft, and 5,000 heating degree days, the net load coefficient equals a littla above the desired level of 4.6 Btu/DDF sqft. This justifies this strategy.
Disadvantages: Overheating and subsequent requirement for cooling strategies
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
-Isolated solar heat gain is a passive system that collects, stores, and redistributes radiated heat energy from the sun in a space that is thermally separated from regularly occupied spaces. This passive design provides thermal and spatial separation between occupancy and heat collection function.
BUILDING PERFORMANCE
-Direct solar heat gain is one of the most simple and cost-effective solar heating strategies. This system involves south facing glazing allowing solar radiation to enter the building by which it is absorbed in interior masses and reheats the interior spaces. The storage mass can provide steady and reliable heating during cold months. During summer months, it is ideal to block solar radiation with shading.
PROGRAM
4. Insolated Solar Heat Gain
STAKEHOLDERS
3. Direct Solar Heat Gain + Thermal Mass
-Earth sheltering is a passive design strategy that uses the earth’s soil in a time lag effect so that the temperature at depth is average year-round. The temperature below the surface (20 ft) is equal to the mean annual temperature of the climate. In Cincinnati, the average below depth temperature is 65 degrees F. Using this strategy will greatly decrease heating and cooling loads throughout the year.
Cross ventilation is a passive cooling strategy that produces an air flow through the space, and heat out of the building. Properly sizing aperatures is essential in order to gain proper air flow and air speed.
PROGRAM
6. Cross Ventilation
STAKEHOLDERS
3. Earth sheltering
BUILDING PERFORMANCE ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES MEETING LEED & LBC PROCESS
7. Stack Ventilation
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% of skylight
= 87,000/22,328 =25.6% floor area
•
Solar gain in July
=771200 KBTU/month =1777 KBTU/hour =1777/ 87,000 = 20.4 BTU/sf/hour (NEEDED STACK COOLING CAPACITY)
What we know:
• •
Based on the skylights, the stack height = 10’ (approx.) Required stack cooling capacity = 20 BTU/sf (approx..)
We would need: (based on chart on Pg 175 on green studio handbook)
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Stack area = 12% (floor area) = 50% (25% floor area) = 50% (skylight area)
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
= 87,000 sf = 22,328 sf
BUILDING PERFORMANCE
So, assuming 50% of skylights have operable ventilation, stack height = 12% of floor area, would produce about 20 BTU/sf/hour
For 1sf For 87,000 sf
= 20 BTU/hour = 1740 KBTU/hour (which compensates for the 1777 KBTU/hour of solar gain in july)
Based on the RH graph for July, this strategy would work for 18 hours during the day (50%-85% RH),
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1740 KBTU/hour = 31,320 KBTU/day
PROCESS
• •
MEETING LEED & LBC
By calculating the stack height of 28 ft, and the size of inlet to be around 400 sqft, I found the stack-to-floor height percentage to be 26.6. Based on the chart on page 175 of The Green Studio Handbook, we can expect to have a stack cooling capacity of 75 Btu/hr sqft, assuming a 3 degree F temperature difference of indoor and outdoor air.
Site area Skylight area
PROGRAM
Stack ventilation is a passive cooling system which uses natural convection to create its own air current in which hot air is released at the top, and cool air is brought in below. This system relies on lower density warm air to rise and be expelled, while cooler air replaces it at a lower area. The Bernoulli effect creates negative pressure at the top and positive pressure below, causing air to move from low to high. This effectivly creates natural convection.
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STAKEHOLDERS
Stack ventilation calculations:
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Amt. of water going out of biodome due to evaporation and transpiration = 4,666 gal/day
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To evaporate 1 gal of water To evaporate 4,666 g of water
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Our comfort zone lies between 72 F– 85 F (for human and plant life) At outside air temperature 90 Degree F <50% RH (human comfort zone at 72F) At outside air temperature 90 Degree F <85% RH (plant comfort zone at 85F)
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Looking at the RH graph for July, we can achieve that RH range for Cincinnati. There fore, ET works for Cincinnati.
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
After we calculated the effectiveness of this strategy, we found that it would only contribute a negligible amount of our cooling loads. We are still encorporating this strategy into our design because it provides ventilation from the surface to the underground areas of the biodomev. This strategy will work in conjunction with stack ventilation and evapotransporation from the plants to reduce heating and cooling loads.
= 1060BTU = 4,945,960 BTU/day = 4,946 KBTU/day (high estimate)
In summer, @ 6’ – Earth Temp @12’/deeper – Eart Temp
= 65F = 55F
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So, delta T = 72-55 =17F =5(3F) =5(delta T needed for stack ventilation)
Relative Humidity
RH for July
PROCESS
Therefore, where stack ventilation will become ineffective as soon as outside air temp is > 75F, with addition of ground tubes system, it will work even with air temperature > 85F. Ground tubes will increase the cooling power by 2X or more.
MEETING LEED & LBC
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BUILDING PERFORMANCE
Earth tubes are an active cooling strategy that brings cool air into the building through underground pipes. The air can be cooled and dehumidified as it is pumped underground. This strategy works well in combination with stack ventilation.
PROGRAM
9. Evapo- transpiration (ET)
STAKEHOLDERS
8. Earth Tubes
10. Photovoltaics
• •
Solar hours in December So, heat consumed
= 8 hours =1172/8 =146.5 KW =146,500 W
Rate of PV = 4W/sf • •
If, for 1sf For 146,500W
=4W = 36,628 sf of PVs
•
Heat consumed
= 162,855 KBTU/month (based on sefaira) = 1539.68 KWH/day
• •
Solar hours in July So, heat consumed
photovoltaics power conditioner
In July,
meter
grid
= 14 hours =1539.68/14 =109.97 KW =10997.12 W
Rate of PV = 4W/sf If, for 1sf For 10997.12 W
= 4W = 24,494.3 sf of PVs
Since the heat consumption is worse in winters, we should design for December when we have the worst cooling load. Therefore, we need 36,628 sf of PVs. Parking lot In order to get 36, 628 sf of PVs
= 169,884 sf = 21.5% parking lot
PROCESS
• •
MEETING LEED & LBC
• •
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
The largest demand was 146,500 w per day. Assuming we are responsible to produce all of the electricity for our building, we will need 36,628 sqft of space to produce the electricity we need. We propose to scale-jump to the bare parking lot along Dury Ave., and install a solar array similar to what the Zoo has on the south parking lot. In order to produce all electricity, we will have to cover 21.5% of the parking lot.
= 119,977 KBTU/month (based on sefaira) = 1172 KWH/day
BUILDING PERFORMANCE
-After analyzing the climate and cloud coverage of Cincinnati, and productivity of solar panels, we assumed the zoo would be able to produce 4w/sqft of energy at any time during the year. When calculating the electricity demand of our building, we found that the building will use the most amount of electricity during the winter.
Heat consumed
PROGRAM
-Photovoltaics or PVs are active systems that produce electricity through direct conversion of solar radiation.
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STAKEHOLDERS
In December,
STAKEHOLDERS PROGRAM BUILDING PERFORMANCE
By calculating the needs for our worst cooling (july) and heating days (december) throughout the year, we were able to calculate the amount of pvs that were needed. furthermore, by factoring in the passive design strategies, were are able to arrive at a net-positive energy solution to our growth program. in fact, by space jumping to a parking lot to the east of the zoo, we will be able to provide more energy than is needed. this addition energy can be used by the zoo, the community, or sold back to the grid for a profit.for instance, we only need 150 kWh, but our pv array is producing 785 kWh.
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES MEETING LEED & LBC PROCESS
STAKEHOLDERS
WATER STRATEGIES
PROGRAM
BUILDING PERFORMANCE
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
MEETING LEED & LBC PROCESS
STAKEHOLDERS BUILDING PERFORMANCE ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
The landscaping was designed to collect the maximum amount of rainfall from the site and direct it to the vertical water filter at the center of the site. Bioswales were placed on the lower edge of the skylights to catch rainfall and direct it to the pathways. From there the rainwater would flow to the center of the site where it is filtered.
PROGRAM
flow of water through the site
MEETING LEED & LBC PROCESS
01: LIMITS TO GROWTH
02: URBAN AGRICULTURE
03: HABITAT EXCHANGE
04: CAR FREE LIVING
LBC CRITERIA
LEED Criteria WATER
ENERGY
06: NET POSITIVE ENERGY
BUILDING PERFORMANCE
HEALTH & HAPPINESS
kbtu/sq ft/year
05: NET POSITIVE WATER
PROGRAM
Designing a LBC certified building, GROWTH was primarily focused on Net Positive Water, Net Positive Energy and the Place, Health and Happiness, Equity and Beauty petals detailed by LBC. Research on materials was conducted, but specific materials and sourcing was not detailed.
08: HEALTHY INTERIOR
09: BIOPHILIC
10: RED LIST
11: EMBODIED CARBON FOOTPRINT
12: RESPONSIBLE INDUSTRY
13: LIVING ECONOMY SOURCING
15: HUMAN SCALE + HUMANE PLACES
16: UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO NATURE & PLACE
17: EQUITABLE INVESTMENT
18: JUST
19: BEAUTY + SPIRIT
20: INSPIRATION + EDUCATION
07: CIVILIZED
ENVIRONMENT
LEED Points
ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
15 56
STAKEHOLDERS
PLACE
POTENTIAL PLATINUM MATERIALS
220 k whitewater
water usage: gallons per year
BEAUTY
ORGANIZATION
56 LEED points potential LEED platinum
PROCESS
4.2 million greywater
EQUITY
MEETING LEED & LBC
276,000 kWh/year
14: NET POSITIVE WASTE
STAKEHOLDERS
landscaping design progression
PROGRAM
BUILDING PERFORMANCE
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
MEETING LEED & LBC PROCESS
STAKEHOLDERS
biodome design progression
PROGRAM
BUILDING PERFORMANCE
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
MEETING LEED & LBC PROCESS
the GROWTH team
juhi goel
evan van winkle
emma pevoar
ARCH 2015 nishtha kandoi
jessica dangelo
caty tran
thank you for your viewing and support
GROWTH community gardens & learning center