British Green Architecture Course Journal

LONDON

BRITISH GREEN ARCHITECTURE STUDIO SUMMER 2013

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T ABLE OF CO NTE NTS + CULTURAL SITES + GREEEN BUILDINGS + CONFERENCE< LECTURES+DEBATES + OFFICE VISITS + LONDON DISCOVERY EXPERIENCES + SKETCHES, CHARETTES +

PROJECTS

UK V O YAGE S

JULY 2: EDINBURGH-Check in to HERIOr-watt university. Explore Town..

July 3: Edinburgh-Queen spotitng. scottish parliament.. Glasglow-Machintosh/Glasgow school or art July 4: Edinburgh-John Hope Gateway./Royal botanic Garden. Edinburgh castle. Queen Margaret University.

July 5: Edinburgh-Check ouT. Sue Roaf. FalkIrk Wheel. Hike Aruthers Seat. night Train to London.

July 6. London-Check into passfield. Harry potter tour of entire city. Cards in courtyard w/ group.

July 7: London-Oxford street. Watched Wimbledon in SoHo.. Regents park.

July 8: London:-Serpentine pavilion.. Victoria albert museum. st.Pauls cathedral. Walking tour.

July 9: London-Arup visit. Purchased Les Miserable Tickets. Chat w/Bill Bordass July 10: London-Trafalgar square. Westminster..

BedZED + ZED Factory visit. Spamalot.

July 11: London-Laban Dance Center Tour. Canary Wharf. North Greenwich Tour. Midsummer Nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dream.

July 12: London-Chiswick park. British museum.

Recitation with molly. Passfield courtyard July 13: London-Camden market. Hyde park/Rolling Stones concert.

July 14: London-ST.Martins in The Field. National Gallery, Coppelia Ballet. National Portrait Gallery.

July 15: London-Tower Bridge. South Banks. Tate Modern. Natural history museum. Science Museum. trivia July 16: Wales-Train to Machynlleth. Check into CAT/Center for Alternative Technology July 17: Wales-Intro. Coffee. Meet with daylighting group. lunch. daylighting project. tea. project. Dinner. Artificial sky lecture. Explored

town.

July 18: Wales-My birthday! daylighting project/ Model building. disaster shelter lecture. zero carbon britain lecture. celebration bbq.

July 19: Wales-Daylighting project/Model building. swimming in local lake.

July 20: Wales-Daylighting project/test model in Artificial sky. trip to wales beach.

July 21: Wales-Project presentations. train back to london. Chipotle.

July 22: London-Oxford. Eco-house. Keble college. whole house carbon reduction lecture.

July 23: London-Renewable energy systems tour/ beaufort court. oxford street. soho. les miserables.

July 24: London-Gondola ride to the crystal building. Queen Elizabeth olympic park. Paul st.

AHMM office visit. softball.

July 25: london-Eco hub tour. Alexandra Palace Park. st.Pancras station.

July 26: London-University of nottingham visit. creative energy house tour. jubilee campus tour. oldest pub in london.

July 27: London-Covent gardens. south bank of thames. borough market. harrods.

July 28: London-Westminister abbey. russel square.

July 29: London-train to salisbury. stone henge. salisbury cathedral.

July 30: London- Temple church. Bartholomew church. british library. Cullinan visit. london eye. charette prep.

July 31: London-Design Charette at ARUP August 1: London-Charette presentation at Arup.

Celebration dinner at Bacco.

August 2: London-kew gardens. soho. passfield courtyard.

August 3: London-Check out of passfield.

C U LTUR AL SITEs

+THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT BUILDING. Edinburgh, Scotland \

To begin our trip, we started out at the Scottish Parliament building. Located in heart of Edinburgh, the new parliament building, opened in 2004, acts as an open forum between parliament and its citizens. Designed by spanish architect, Enric Miralles, the Scottish Parliament building strove to be a role model for environmental and sustainable performance. Made up of multiple buildings, the overall design concept embodies the form of a seed, aiming to look as if the building grows and blends into ins environment. A repetition of symbolic patterns to parliament and Scotland, for instance the step shape symbolizing the roof shapes across Scotland, are visible throughout the building.

Not only does the overall design make a statement of the parliaments stance and policies on sustainability, a connectivity and transparency to both the public and surrounding nature is very apparent. Staying true to sustainability, Scotland, and the parliamentary purpose, the Scottish Parliament building overall is a great success. http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/ visitandlearn/15065.aspx

+THE Glasgow school of Art. Glasgow.

Scotland.

One of Scotland’s renowned design school, the Glasgow School of Art, is commonly recognized as one of Charles Rennie Mackintoshes acclaimed craftsmanship designs. Mackintosh had a firm belief that ‘construction should be decorated, and not decoration constructed.’ This was seen through the integration of heavy masonry, iron works of art nouveau motifs, and large industrial structures seen throughout the building. The most fascinating aspect of this building was the play on design that Mackintosh liked to release on users. Our tour was lead by a current architecture student, and the most memorable design aspects that were pointed out to us was how he chose to portray a feeling that the building was flipped upside down. As we made our way to the top floor of the building we all experienced a transition of lighter spaces at the bottom to gradually darker spaces. Using the underlying elements, of what could be considered a glorified fun house, Mackintosh loved to keep the user guessing to evoke thought on why many of the design elements were far from traditional. This is how a movement is made and Charles Rennie Mackintosh was the leader. http:// www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Glasgow_School_of_Art.html

+St.Paul’s Cathedral. London, England.

Over fourteen hundred years old, St.Paul’s Cathedral is recognized as the church of England and holds the seat for the bishop of London. Taking over 200 years to built, the cathedral was Christopher Wren’s most noted designs. Along with St.Paul’s, Wren designed over 50 churches in the surrounding area. Visiting the cathedral was one of my favorite tours of our time in London.

The history, faith, and sublimity that encompassed the building were breathtaking. The iconic central dome was the first dome in London. Designed in English Baroque style and Latin cross in plan, various elements like swirls, flowers, angle faces and ornate carvings were found throughout the space. The monumental proportions of the dome, arches, windows, and doors, to mention a few, with a mix of natural light and serenity were to me what made it the most subliminal. Almost all of the windows in the cathedral were of clear color, minus the American memorial at the East end, behind the aspe. The memorial was in dedication of all the Americans who gave their lives during the second world war. A symbol for each state is represented in the stain-glass windows in the memorial. We had the opportunity to climb all the way to the top of the dome, and being able to have a 360 view of London, for me it symbolized the greatness and strength of the city. Being completely surrounded by so much history and continuing prosperity overtook me with a great deal of respect and admiration for the city as a whole. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Paul’s_Cathedral

+Serpentine Gallery Pavilion. London, England.

A design competition began in 2000, pioneered by Zaha Hadid, the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion has turned into a showcase for great architecture. Located in Hyde park, the Serpentine Pavilion acts as a gathering space for locals during the day and summer venue space in the evening. This year award winning Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto’s design was chosen. The delicate, three-dimensional structure, creates a geometric cloud like form, both intriguing and inviting to users passing by the site. Fujimoto was quoted about his overlaying design concept saying “It is a really fundamental question how architecture is different from nature, or how architecture could be part of nature, or how they could be merged...what are the boundaries between nature and artificial things.” A very photogenic structure in my opinion, won my heart even more so after visiting it first hand. Well done Sou Fujimoto. http://www.serpentinegallery.org/2013/02/sou_fujimoto_

to_design_serpentine_gallery_pavilion_2013.html

+The Globe Theater. Bankside, London.

One of the oldest theaters in London, the globe theater is a perfect one of a kind setting to experience a Shakespearean play. The original Globe Theater, built in 1599 by an acting company that William Shakespeare belonged to.

Only lasting 14 years, the theater burnt down during a performance, then to be rebuilt and again destroyed by Puritans in 1644. Not until 1997 was the New Globe theater rebuilt as it stands today. As a group we went and say Midsummer Nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dream. Located on the Bankside of London, the theater is an circular, open air theater, renovated to Elizabethan plans, with the first thatched roof allowed to be built in London since the great fire. The theater holds over 700 audience members, both yard and tier seating. Our seats were located in the yard, directly in front of the stage with standing room only. Shows only run during the summer months. Lucky for us it was a beautiful thursday evening, but I could only imagine the excitement of the performance when it is pouring down rain. http://www.aviewoncities.com/london/globetheatre.htm

+The London Eye, London. England.

There is something so majesty about Ferris Wheels. The London Eye is a prime example. From an architectural standpoint, the structure and colossal presence is a great addition to the London skyline. From a distance it is really hard to embrace the size of the structure. The main supports are located bankside which allows the wheel to be floating over the Thames. Both architecturally innovative and a great solution to diminish any possibilities of obstructed views. I can only imagine the assembly process of the wheel. The Eye is the largest Ferris wheel in the world. Located on the south bank of the Thames, in my opinion the Eye is the cherry on top. The overall ride takes around a half hour and is visited by an estimated 2.2 million a year. Each carriage holds up for 20 people, allowing the users to access a magnificent 360 view of all of London. Inside the carriages are interactive tablets that share more history and information about the various landmarks seen from the eye. Riding the Eye was a great way to end our adventure in the UK. http://www.londoneye.com/LearningAndDiscovery/Education/TeacherResource/OnlineResource/casehist/casetea.pdf

+Kew Gardens. Richmond, UK. The Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, located a short tube ride outside of the city center, is a great spot to spend a day adventuring. Along with seeing the expansive gardens that the Kew has to offer a few other attractions are the Tropical House, Water Lily House, Temperate House, Alpine House, Sackler Crossing, Treetop Walkway, L’Orangerie, Princess Wales House, Marianne North Gallery, Minka House and the Badger Sett, and even an Open-Air cinema in the summer.

We spent around three hours exploring the gardens, and still didn’t see everything. A few of my favorite attractions were the Treetop Walkway, Palm House, Temperate House, Sacklers Crossing, and the Badger Sett. Noticing a common trend among all these places, was that I enjoyed being able to climb tall things and getting into smaller spaces. There is something about both experiences that are exhilarating. The curved bridge at sacklers crossing is by far one of my favorite bridges I’ve seen. Simplistic and elegant, each tread that makes up the rail creates a poised composition. Visiting Kew is definitely worth the entrance few and a day well spent. http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/index.htm

GR EEN B U ILDINGS

+John Hope Gateway.

Edinburgh. Scotland

The Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh came to Cullinan Architects with the hopes of creating a building that was showcase for sustainable design. One that was both environmentally responsible but an inviting place for people to come and learn, experience and celebrate. Our tour was given by one of the engineers Jalan Jati who took us throughout the newly completely project, finished in 2009. Walking in to the building, one of my first observations was how fresh the building felt. This was achieved not only through the use of FCS certified tiber, but also through various clean energy systems integrated in the design. The main design strategies used on this building were rainwater catchment, solar water heating, photovoltaics, biomass, onsite wind power, green roof, along with natural lighting and a passive ventilation system. Similar to the Eden project, the John Hope Gateway building utilized the ETFE roof system in the central atrium, providing sufficient natural lighting throughout a majority of the interior. This system gives off a floating roof effect, and is made up of three teflon like components that are inflated. Giving off the R value of triple glazing, ETFE also is fritted to let in higher levels of light transmission than glass. Overall this design has been both successful but also proven to be educational with a few challenges that we as designers can learn from. Some of these challenges being several technical problems with the wind turbine and biomass boiler, along with insufficient operable space, both interior and exterior, for the biomass boiler, intensive maintenance needed for timber flooring along with seagulls dropping rocks and cracking the PV panels. Receiving the 2011 RICS Annual Sustainability award was well deserved in my opinion.

http://www.architecture.com/SustainabilityHub/Casestudies/5-RoyalBotanicGardenEdinburgh.aspx http:// www.the-green-frugal.com/FamilyParenting/Save_Money_and_Make_Your_Business_Sustainable.html

+QUEEN MARGARET UNIVERSITY. Edinburgh.

Scotland

Opened in 2007, Queen Margaret University was one of the forefrontâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of sustainable design in the UK. The campus focused on developing a sustainable stance through joining social, environmental and economic variables. Our tour was lead by one of the maintenance directors of campus. Taking a holistic approach, the design focused on using resources effectively, creating healthy environments, promoting biodiversity, managing the process, along with creating supportive communities and minimizing pollution. These initiatives were made through the inclusion of a biomass boiler, ETFE ceiling, natural lighting, swaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, retention ponds, and large thermal mass. A few other strategies implemented that are usually pegged as sustainable attributes were raised flooring, inclusion of technology, and reduced size of campus. Reducing the overall campus size was an innovative way of thinking of sustainability in my opinion. Through programming for more social, shared spaces, it not only saves money used on energy, but promotes a sustainable healthy lifestyle. We as a global society are looking for ways to lessen our carbon footprint, and especially in America reverting the urban sprawl and creating a sense of density on a building scale is a step in the right direction. In the opinion of the maintenance director, the architect was a little far flung on the lighting design, and currently many of the fancy lighting features are out of commission due to expensive maintenance costs. Overall the tour at Queen Margaret University opened my eyes to the importance of post occupancy evaluations in order to progress design on a sustainability standpoint. http://www.qmu.ac.uk/sustainability/

+The Falkirk Wheel.

Edinburgh. Scotland\

One of the most remarkable engineering ventures I have experienced. The concept of the wheel to act as a boat lift dates back to 19th century Europe, but wasn’t enacted into a design until 1994 by Dundee Architects. The main purpose of the wheel is to connect the two historic canals through a functional boat lift system. It is thought as the ‘backbone’ connecting east and west Scotland. The unique shape of the wheel is thought to represent various Celtic symbols like a double headed spear, propeller, or ribcage of aquatic animals. The whole ride on the wheel took around a half hour. Two boats will enter both upper and lower gondolas at the same time, allowing water to flow in simultaneously. The wheel works on the Archimedes principle of displacement and then turned with a small amount of energy to shift the perfectly balanced gondolas. A prime example of innovation and fundamental techniques. http://www.thefalkirk-

wheel.co.uk/about-the-wheel-/how-does-it-work

+Bedzed. Beddington, London. \

BedZED has always been a place of sustainable perfection in my mind. Not only is it the cover of one of our textbooks, but regarded as a great example of an innovated, zero-energy design. That being said I was more than excited to be able to experience the site first hand. On paper BedZED could almost be considered a dream. Inhabitat design described BedZED as â&#x20AC;&#x153;the whole kit-and-caboodle of sustainable living, and has been flourishing mixed use green community since its conception in 2002.â&#x20AC;?

In all fairness this article was written in 2008, but from what we experienced it was far from a flourishing green community. Many of the sustainable systems were non functioning and we only experienced a few signs of life, other than that the community was fairly empty. One realization I came to was the importance of maintenance. How can we as designers make sure that in ten years our buildings will be flourishing. Zed Factory, the designers of BedZEDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main offices are located onsite and I wonder their thoughts on the current condition of their design. I commended Zed Factory on their innovation and strong stand point on sustainability, and believe there is a lot that we as designers can learn from the successes and challenges of BedZED. http://inhabitat.com/ bedzed-beddington-zero-energy-development-london/ http://www.oneplanetcommunities.org/communities/bedzed/

+Laban Dance Center. Laban South East, London.

Named after famous choreographer and pioneer of Laban Dance,

Rudolf Laban founder of this modern dance school, one of the largest of its kind in Europe. The center was designed by Herzog & de Meuron. Laban dance main focus is human movement and acts as a language for describing, visualizing, interpreting and documenting all forms of it. The overall design of the dance center encompasses the true meaning and purpose of laban. Laban created a 7 link form that signifies movable change. It is made up of 2 small forms and 5 larger forms. Insinuating motion, the form creates a spiral, playing with light and geometric shapes. A few design intents of the overall project were high accessibility and universal design for all able and non abled bodies, open streetscape feeling, colors for wayfinding, modern, differentiation between public and private spaces, varying sizes of studio spaces, exposed ducts â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nothing is hidden,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; lots of broken angles, On a sustainability and programmatic standpoint there is an abundance of natural lighting, seen through interior light-wells and opaque exterior cladding, acoustically sound theater and studio spaces, brown roofs and main viewpoints in the building highlight the surrounding cityscape. Our tour was lead by a former student at Laban, and she was able to give us a critical standpoint from a users view. She suggested a few things the designer could have considered were social spaces for the dancers and stretching areas, lower impact flooring for dancers to make a transition from the spring board floors to break areas, and better ventilation and cooling. Lastly a few high points of the overall design were how the exterior cladding changes from opaque during the daytime to more transparent in the evenings, allowing the silhouettes of the dancers in their studios to be seen from the exterior. Along with this, she mentioned how her favorite space in the building was the hallway to nowhere. She also talked about how students will use this hallway or the various light wells as showcases for their work. Thus highlighting how users shape and define the spaces that they inhabit. Laban in my opinion, is a great example of user based design, and executed the overall concept of the design very successfully. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laban_Movement_Analysis http://detail-online.com/inspiration/

laban-centre-in-london-103729.html

+Chiswick Park. London. England. \

Chiswick Park a thirty minute tube ride from Euston station, in my mind would be an ideal workplace. Minus being a little far out of the city center, I could picture my self happy working, living and loving the environment that they have created. We listened to a lecture done by a two employees at Chiswick. They talked about what it really means to be sustainable. Bringing up the point that is doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just end at the end of construction and design. Thinking about the long term of the building and the lifestyle designers are setting up for their users through the built environment. Focusing on user specific design, and Chiswicks motto of enjoy-work, they were able to achieve BREEAM Excellent status. The design also revolves around creating a work-life balance, health and well-being, community and sustainability. Some sustainable features of the park are green roofs, recycled heating and cooling, double glazed walls, automatic internal blinds, fixed and movable louvers to stop direct sunlight and reduce heat gain, the roof has an upside down membrane, mineral insulation, and tinted and treated glazing. On the user level the design offers a central pedestrian friendly area, wildlife park plaza, organic cleaning supplies for maintenance, bike storage, travel plans provided for users, volunteer opportunities, and events for users as well. In my opinion Chiswick park embraces what it means to fully live sustainable and I commend them for doing so.

+Roaf Eco-House Oxford. UK. \

Sue Roaf was generous enough to give us a personal tour of her Eco-House. A pioneer in sustainability, the EcoHouse was the first low-energy home in the United Kingdom.

The design included the first photovoltaic panels in Britain, solar water heater, triple glazed windows with detachable single panes, and high thermal mass. Sue spoke about thinking of buildings as an engine, considering load saving and shifting, and taking this thought process to create a sustainable formula for each specific design. One thing that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve noticed to be a main difference between sustainable homes and most everyday home is the execution of microclimates.

Typically in normal homes the migrating of spaces throughout the day is not as common. It is very difficult to create a perfect, comfortable, sustainable home with out the inclusion of microclimates for various uses. A key aspect to consider early in the design.

+Beaufort Court. Hertfordshire, UK.

Beaufort Court is the headquarters for RES, one of the global leaders in wind energy and renewable sources. They focus on onshore/offshore wind forms, biomass, solar, wave, and tidal energy. Their current headquarters sight was originally home to Ovaltine, where the majority of the site was a farm. When converting the building to suit RESâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs they focused on passive heating, cooling, ventilation, keeping the original arts and crafts style, green roof system, along with other passive design strategies. They were able to achieve the Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Award for Enterprise International Trade in 2013 and were the 1st zero carbon building. The building is a unique horse shoe shape and is also listed, so historic preservation was very essential to the renovation. RES is looking to expand their company within the next few years and with that they are hoping to add an addition to their headquarters as well. To continue on the framework for sustainability, the new design will be mindful of biodiversity, land use, transportation, waste and health and wellness. Looking at everything holistically is so important when designing and RES intends to do so. http://www.beaufortcourt.com/about-us/about-res.aspx

+The Crystal. Western Gateway, London.

Funded by Siemens, the Crystal is an educational space that explores the a sustainable cities initiative. The overall building design acts as a showcase for the Crystals purpose of sustainability. The main focuses for the design were environment, economics and quality of life. As you enter the main lobby there is a central hallway, that is referred to as the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;streetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that acts as a division between the two crystal shaped parts of the building delineating public and private spaces. The facade is very angular, accentuating natural lighting, lots of natural ventilation, exposed structure, raised flooring, and acoustically sound. From the exterior, it is a very noisy site with off noise from cars, planes and trains, but from the interior all noise is silent. A good indication of an acoustically sound building. From an educational standpoint, the information available inside the building was very insightful, almost overwhelming, but so is the inconvenient truth. Aesthetically the building and surrounding site is welcoming and intriguing, both architectural diverse and a steward of the community. http://www.thecrystal.org/

+Eco Hub. London, England.

\

Designed by Anne Thorne architects, Eco-Hub is part of the regeneration of the historic Lordship Recreation Grounds.

A community based project, Anne Thorne architects met with local community members to discuss a plan for the overall design. The building will provide a cafe space, the local mother/toddler group and an environmental educational multipurpose spaces. The building design responds effectively to the site, and also includes a green roof, high thermal mass straw bale walls, pv panels, low impact timber framing, natural insulation materials, and non-toxic materials.

Working towards receiving the Passive House Award, they fell just short due to small punctures in the walls when installing the baseboards. Still a great example for sustainability and community based design. http://www.aecb.net/ecohub-in-lordship-park-

anne-thorne-architects/

+Jubilee Campus. Nottingham, England.

Designed by Sir Michael Hopkins, winning the RIBAsponsored competition, gave new life to the Jubilee campus. Previously a brown site, belonging to the Raleigh Bicycle company factory, the 20-acre campus now houses over 1,000 students and growing. A main design feature to the site is the artificial lake that extends the whole length of the site, reviving natural vegetation and bring wildlife back onto campus. The original buildings are all very similar in form and style, but since the increased growth of campus many new modern sustainable buildings have been integrated in. One of the most iconic buildings on site is the library that is similar in form to the top section of an upside down cone. The campus incorporates almost all plausible sustainable design elements and as a whole both functionally and aesthetically work well together. Unfortunately campus was out for summer, but other than that the Jubilee Campus seemed like a very pleasant place to attend uni. http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/

arch504ukgreenarch/CaseStudies/JubileeCampus2.pdf

CON F ER ENCE LE CTUR E S +DE BATE S

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Be brave enough to rethink the old dream and create a new futureâ&#x20AC;?

+SUe Roaf “Trends and Directions in Building Design to meet European GHG Targets’\

An alternative title to Sue Roafs lecture was “The issue of system capacity: re-imagineering the energy challenge.” Currently a professor at the Heriot-Watt University in the School of the Built Environment, Sue began her lecture with an empowering statement that many design students tend to forget. Architecture is about dreams. Currently with climate change quickly approaching, Sue spoke about the subject of power and the role it plays in society and the future. As seen through extensive research, we as a society are at the top of peak oil and by looking at the eb & flow of civilizations, we need to continue to analyze at the gap between supply and demand and come up with innovative solutions to the problem. She spoke about her time in Arizona and then urban sprawl that occurred and the seemingly perfect house developments that were constructed. Ostensibly a great place to live, but at the core of the problem being, where does the water come from? She stressed the importance of creating resilient buildings to prepare for the future. Considering place and time, a series of microclimates throughout the building, energy storage, ambient energy and natural ventilation. In response to recent storms resulted from climate change, the importance of including storm refuges for communities and system capacity planning, are greater than before. As a designer it is so important to always remember that architecture is about dreams. What is the dream and how we can create innovative, feasible solutions to potentially act as a safe haven and refuge for our users. http://www.sbe.hw.ac.uk/staff-directory/ sue-roaf.htm

+Bill Bordass-Building science chat.

London, England.

Bill Bordass, a very intelligent and CEO of Usable Building Trust spoke to a small group of us at a local pub about a wide range of topics around architecture. He studied technical and energy performance of buildings, working closely with human factors specialists.

With a background in science, Bill in the 1970s, teaming up with designers, developed an environmental design and building services consultancy. Mainly focusing on building performance and postoccupancy surveys, they offer services such as strategy, monitoring, troubleshooting, research and technical writing. Bill presented us with an article from the Usable Building Trust, titled ‘New professionalism: Ten principles all buildings could adopt tomorrow.’ With the procuring challenges with sustainable design, more so now than ever, ‘the global situation invites us to be ‘more moral than we could ever have imagined.’ Here are the ‘Elements of a New Professionalism-Ten Points Developed with the Edge’ in 2013. For me these elements listed are some of the most valuable points that have been shared. It’s so easy to get caught up in the commotion of everything, and I believe that these points are great ones to reflect back on and remember with all honesty the reasons why I am a designer. http://eetd.lbl.gov/staff/ william-bordass ‘New Professionalism:Ten Principles all Building Professionals Could Adopt Tomorrow.’ The Usable Building Trust. Feedback & Strategy for Better Buildings. Bill Bordass & Richard Lorch. 14-May-2013.

Be a steward of the community, its resources, and the planet. Take a broad view.

Do the right thing, beyond your obligation to whoever pays your fee.

Develop trusting relationships, with open and honest collaboration.

Bridge between design, project implementation, and use.

Concentrate on the outcomes.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t walk away. Provide follow-through and aftercare.

Evaluate and reflect upon the performance in use of your work. Feed back the findings.

Learn from your actions and admit your mistakes. Share your understanding openly.

Bring together practice, industry, education, research and policy-making.

Challenge assumptions and standards. Be honest about what you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know.

Understand contexts and constraints. Create lasting values. Keep options open for the future.

+Oxford Whole House Carbon Reduction Project Oxford. UK.

We all met on the Oxford Brookes University campus to meet with Rajat Gupta from the Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development. He spoke to us about building performance evaluations, energy modeling, and low carbon community challenge in specific to retrofitting current homes to meet new energy requirements. One change that he mentioned that they added to homes were the inclusion of specific drying spaces to minimize the use of high energy use dryers. Rajat noted that many of the users were very responsive to the inclusion of these spaces and it made it easier for the users to make a lifestyle change in a sustainable direction. One of the main dissatisfaction was with the lack of storage space and ventilation. He brought up the discussion of making homes completely air tight and how lack of ventilation usually is a result of it. He ended his lecture with â&#x20AC;&#x153;engage the community/users to encourage and excite them about making lifestyle changes to get good results for keeping design to perform sustainable.â&#x20AC;? I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have said it any better. We as designers can design the most sustainable buildings and homes but without the support and efforts of the users to use them effectively, all momentum towards a sustainable community would be lost. very pleasant place to attend uni. http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/ar-

ch504ukgreenarch/CaseStudies/JubileeCampus2.pdf

+C.A.T Center For Alternative Technology.

Machynlleth, Wales.

CAT the Center for Alternative Technology is near and dear to my heart. Made up of 7 acres, CAT is an educational center for visitors and students to learn and demonstrate practical solutions for sustainability. The environment of CAT is essentially a living laboratory when visitors can come seven days a week to learn about almost every renewable system, and for one week each month architecture students spend an intensive week investigating and exploring the current systems and have opportunities to develop new alternative systems. To mention a few systems located onsite are photovoltaics, solar thermal, a micro-grid, off-grid and grid-connected systems, biomass combined heat and power (CHP), hydro, air source heat pumps, a community heat main, a range of small to medium wind turbines and extensive organic gardens. We were fortunate enough to be able to participate in the weeklong intense course along side the CAT students. Staying in an onsite eco-cabin, with a full vegetarian diet for the week was an experience I would never trade.

Nerd camp was better than I could have imagined. Thanks CAT for a great week and an unforgettable birthday! http://content. cat.org.uk/index.php/about-cat-what-do-we-do

OFFICE V is its

+ARUP. London, England.

We were fortunate enough to be able to spend a whole morning at Arup, listening to four diverse lectures about the work that is being done in their office. Arup is a global firm of consulting engineers, designers, planners and project managers. To begin our morning, Josef Hargrave, spoke to us about some of the forecasting and innovations that he is researching at Arup. Focusing on how change is constant and context is a variable. Using technology and how does it shape us as a society and the buildings that we inhabit.

One of the main projects he has been working on is the Drivers of Change. Next Nick Birmingham introduced the work that he has done on various sports stadiums at his time with Arup Associates.

Currently he is involved with the football stadium in Quatar that is under construction and said to be completed by November under the order of the King. Alice Blair then went on to talk to us about a smaller project that she just completed. Her lecture was titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rock on top of Another Rock.â&#x20AC;? A subject that from a brief point is seemingly mundane, but in honestly more complex than expected. She shared her experience with configuring to large boulders to perfectly balance on top of one another perfectly. Her rock sculpture is located next to the serpentine gallery in hyde park. Lastly award winning lighting designer Florence Lam presented about her experience working on the New Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece.

Bringing up her philosophy of creating a musical piece with daylighting and the theatrics that can be achieved with lighting design. I am very admirable of Arup and the immensity of their company and the work that they do.

+AHMM, London. England.

Designed by Sir Michael Hopkins, winning the RIBAspoAllford Hall Monaghan Morris architecture firm has been located in London for over twenty years. Many of their projects are tenant improvements where they create feasible and satisfying designs. They â&#x20AC;&#x153;believe in making places as well as buildings, that work over time and have lasting qualities intrinsic to their architecture.â&#x20AC;? Our tour was lead by one of the junior architects at the firm and he explained to use that they focus on create effective strategies, that are to the point and understandable, with a great deal of character.

When touring firms, one thing that stands out most to me is the interaction between employees. We had the opportunity to join AHMM in a softball game after work and after experiencing that and how they interact and played together, I would love to be apart of their community. Employee interaction is so key in my mind for a successful firm. Happy employees produce good work. Its all about the lifestyle and loving what you do and the people you work with. I believe this is true at AHMM. http://www.ahmm.co.uk/About-Us/

+Edward Cullinan Studio. London, England.

In practice since 1965, Cullinan Architects, is located canal side in Islington, North London. Working with a large array of projects and sectors, Cullinan always strives to create a positive response to the historical and physical context, understand the importance of good public spaces, user involvement is key to a successful design, flexibility and openness to developing technology, continual development and focus on energy conservation and sustainability, an enjoyment of construction as an integral part of architecture, and a commitment to lean thinking and the Egan agenda in pursuit of better value for the client and the user. From the lecture, I found it insightful of the repeating pattern of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;keeping it simple, but doing simple well.â&#x20AC;? This exact thought could also act as a definition for sustainability. Minimizing the energy used, and using it effectively to still develop equivalent or great results, and lead a well-balanced lifestyle in all you do.

London D iscove r y Ex per ie nce

+Cultural Trafalgar Square. London, England.

During our time in London I had the chance to visit Trafalgar Square multiple days all at different times. Centrally located to the National Gallery, St.Martins in-the-field, Leicester Square, and down the road from Big Ben and Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar square is an important gathering space for the city and one of my favorite spaces in the city. Similar to the Spanish Steps in Rome, Trafalgar square is ever changing depending, but no matter the time it is a space for people to come gather, meet and fully enjoy London in the present. Trafalgar was one of the first and last places I ventured to while in London, and with each time I grew more appreciation for it. On the last day, it was was a beautiful saturday. Trafalgar was filled with hundreds of people. Sitting on the central steps I could feel the moisture from the fountains, surrounded by locals, tourists all on different walks of life. May having be drawn in my the Nelsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s column, posing for pictures, street artists, the framing of adjacent monuments to London, or the large sail boat planted in front of the national gallery today. A light breeze, sun shining, bubbles floating, live music, and pigeons bobbing around the courtyard. I could have sat there on the steps all day long. Architecture like this is what makes people feel alive. Creating spaces for people to join and cherish the wonderful life. Developing similar feelings like this for others is what I strive for in design.

Till next time Trafalgar.

+The Royal PArks. London, England.

“The more successfully a city mingles everyday diversity of uses and users in its everyday streets, the more successfully, casually (and economically) its people thereby enliven and support well-located parks that can thus give back grace and delight to their neighborhoods instead of vacuity. ”- Jane Jacobs. I couldn’t agree more, especially in dense urban cities like London, the Royal Parks play a crucial role in the success of the city. Acting as a public backyard, I’ve never experienced a park with such high use no matter the time of day. America has multiple parks that could be said to create the same experience, but in my experience many parks are neglected. I attribute this comparison due to the fact that Londoners take more personal pride in the parks because for many that is their only green space. The two main parks in London are Regent and Hyde park. Both expansive and filled with a variety of spaces for all kinds of users. The Rolling Stones concert was taking place in Hyde park during our visit. Taking the crowded tube to the St.James Park tube stop, we walked through the crowded St.James and Green parks until we reached the even more crowded Hyde park. We found a small spot in the masses right outside the concert. Though maybe more extreme circumstances due to the concert happening, the park was filled and a great example of how the Royal Parks are utilized. Each park unique and somewhat specific to their surrounding neighborhoods, were all a great addition to the urban setting. http://www. goodreads.com/quotes/tag/parks

+The South Bank of the Thames.

London, England.

Connected by multiple bridges, the South Bank of Thames created an exciting atmosphere for the city of London. Expanding miles around the turning Thames, South Bank is the beach side of London. Home to the Tower bridge, London City Hall, Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, Millennium Bridge, Hungerford bridge, the Eye, and multiple smaller scale outdoor gathering spaces. Very eclectic in spaces, there is something there for everyone and it is constantly changing. One critique I would give the South Bank of Thames would be the width of the public sidewalk space on the pier. With the amount of users everyday, navigating through the crowds can be difficult but although exciting at times. The South Bank, seemingly would be most enjoyable in the summer months, as would any outdoor plaza, but there are many covered outdoor spaces along the bank that allow for a retreat from the rain. One of my favorite spaces on the South Bank is the Hungerford Bridge. Lying between the Waterloo Bridge and the Westminster Bridge, it connects the Embankment pier with the London Eye. There are two sides to the bridge with the railway bridge in the center. The original footbridge bridge was designed in 1845

by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. In the mid-1990s a competition for the new design of the bridge was held and won by Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands architects and WSP Group engineers. Completed in 2002, the bridge was renamed the Golden Jubilee Bridge in honor of the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession. Both compelling in style, the footbridge assists in building the anticipation and excitement in reaching the South Bank of Thames. Overall, though located on the other side of the Thames, London’s multiple means of transportation and accessibility creates a strong connectivity and overall success of the South Bank. http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungerford_Bridge_and_Golden_Jubilee_Bridges

+City Markets. London, England.

For this London Discovery I chose to tour the city markets. The bigger markets in London are the Borough, Covent Gardens and the Camden Markets. All very different and unique off a very diverse environment for the user. The Borough market very similar to the Boqueria in Barcelona or Pikeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Place Market in Seattle, offers a wide variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, dairy and many other fresh products. A very popular place for locals to buy there weekly groceries or for tourists to test taste the local cuisine. Covent Gardens locate south of Oxford street is filled with fancy shops and restaurants. On saturdays there are many local street performances who gather a crowd to watch their performance, whether they have talent or not. Giving off more of a craft fair vibe, many local artists sell there work in the center isle of the market. Camden market, the most eclectic of them all is located in Camden and would be classified as a great place to get a good bargain. Organized garage sale feeling, with a vast variety of souvenirs and food truck style restaurants. Each market portrays an excellent vibe of the surrounding neighborhood, all diverse and rich with culture.

+Musuems.

London, England.

One strong point of London is their preservation of their culture and showcasing the arts, sciences and technologies through their museums. One contrast from many museums worldwide, is that the majority of the museums are free. For me this was great and made the museums more inviting and attractive to visit. Of course at each museum there are strongly suggested donation boxes to keep the museums free to the public. I was very curious to the see what the difference of revenue is when comparing museums that charge large fees compared to the free museums of London. All the museums seemed to continually be full with masses of people and the donation boxes seemed to be full as well. Focusing on the interior layout of each museum and the configuration and the different user interaction features, I felt that the London Museum was the most successful in creating an environment that had strong wayfinding and allowed the users to both interact and learn with each exhibit. Along with this the British Museum, Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert museums were among my favorites.

Ske tches C har ettes +P R O J ECTS

Ske tches

C H A RE TTE + A RU P

P R OJ ECTS D A Y L IGHTING+ C AT

During our time at CAT we split up into five different learning modules. I was apart of the daylighting module and we focused on generating innovative solutions to allow more light into one of the exhibit spaces on campus. After documenting the current light levels and analyzing the site we came up with three potential solutions to maximize and enhance the light penetration and distribution into the space. We tested our theory through models of our proposed solutions and figuring out the new potential daylight factor in the artificial sky at CAT.

PEACE LONDON