sustainable interventions on existing buildings by viva larte

Summary of the 365-Page Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Diploma of Architect Engineer The original Greek version can be found at: http://issuu.com/vivalarte/docs/sioeb

SUSTAINABLE INTERVENTIONS ON EXISTING BUILDINGS Konidari Afroditi Maria Sifaki Sandra National Technical University of Athens School of Architecture Department of Architectural Technology February 2010

Abstract The focus of this dissertation is on the sustainable interventions that can take place on the existing building stock as a method of reducing its energy consumption and renegotiating its relation to the natural environment. The aim of this dissertation is to debate on the use of passive design as one of the primary parameters in planning of the refurbishment, reconstruction and adaptive reuse of existing buildings. Keywords: sustainable intervention, bioclimatic architecture, passive design, sustainable adaptive reuse, sustainable renovation, sustainable reconstruction

1. Introduction A great number of buildings, located in the majority of the cities in which we live today, were created by previous generations. Inevitably, during their lifetime, these constructions have undergone various interventions from preservation to reuse and from embellishment to partial demolition. Until recently the decision for intervention on an existing building was usually a result of many factors that have relevance to the reinforcement of the load bearing structure, the upgrading of the building’s shell and HVAC and the replacement of hazardous materials. Gradually, the impact of events such as the 70s oil crisis, the Kyoto protocol and the aggravation of climate change, brought energy saving into a particularly important design parameter in the planning of interventions on existing buildings and created the new approach of sustainable intervention. We observed that since existing buildings form the majority of urban and suburban building stocks, it’s evident that the inclusion of issues related to sustainability and energy saving during interventions on them, will lead to a potentially significant benefit in protecting the natural environment, on the user’s energy bill and on the quality of the interior spaces. This new trend has led us to the study and research on sustainable interventions on existing buildings.

2. Research sample The dissertation contains 38 case studies of sustainable interventions mainly in Europe and North America. The areas in which the case studies are located are all in the temperate zone. The selection criteria were the following: 

Intervention on a building with the primary aim of improving its energy performance.

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Achievement of the above with mainly the use of passive and hybrid systems.

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Effect of the sustainable intervention on the building’s form and aesthetics.

The case studies cover buildings ranging from small to medium through to large scale, which have been used for various purposes including housing, offices, education, culture, health, industry and warehouses. Their date of construction varies from the late 19 th century until the 1980s. 3. Conclusion The 38 case studies led us to a series of conclusions which we organized into five thematic points examining the topic from different perspectives.

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thermal insulation on the building’s shell is always the first step during the intervention procedure Passive heating through the utilization of solar gains constituted a fundamental axis of sustainable intervention and functioned as a primary method of energy saving. Depending on the type of the passive heating system, the frequency and the ease of installation varied. During the interventions, the openings were usually modified to achieve optimum natural ventilation as far as it was possible and desirable.

ITHQ by Lapointe Magne & Associes Architectes + Ædifica

A. Local climate and new passive systems In general, we observed a diversification in the different passive systems chosen among the three groups of case studies which is rooted in the fact that the architects of each intervention selected the implemented passive systems in consideration of the effect they would have on the resulting architecture. Consequently, the most appropriate passive systems according to climatic data can also be secondary to aesthetic and morphological issues during the intervention’s planning. This very fact demonstrates the continuous effort in balancing sustainable design and architectural synthesis.

Città dell'Altra Economia by Luciano Cupelloni

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CIT Blaton by A2M

B. Implementation of passive design Each case study was assessed in relation to six different established passive design principles and the efficiency in which those principles were used in order to improve the buildings’ energy performance. After assessing the implementation of those principles in our sample, we came to the following conclusions. 

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In the case of sustainable interventions on existing buildings it’s difficult to use the microclimate as a design parameter. The microclimate’s management is used mainly to improve the passive cooling of the building. Regardless of the climate and type of construction, the proper installment of

The installation of correctly oriented systems for shading constituted the most popular form of intervention as they can be easily adapted to an existing building and significantly influence its bioclimatic performance. The utilitarian needs of the interior, such as privacy, were also taken into account during the design of the shading systems. For maximum use of natural lighting we observed the redesign of the facades and roofing, as well as the construction of atriums which allow direct or indirect light in the interior.

The difficulties and weakness related to the realization of sustainable interventions were sometimes revealed during our assessment of the case studies. This shows the difficulty of effectively implementing passive systems into existing buildings. C. Use and financing In our sample the interventions in educational buildings and communal housing were implemented based on public funding as they constituted state-owned building stock whose energy performance burdens the state budget. There are cases, mainly of office buildings and private owned houses, where the interventions began with the direct intention of modernizing the building and adapting it to new utilitarian needs. The initiative and the financing of those projects were private.

the building in terms of its manufacturing, its form and architectural identity, are: a) renovation b) expansion and renovation c) reconstruction and d) adaptive reuse.

Sample’s distribution according to the type of intervention Lovejoy building by Opsis architecture

D. Date of construction intervention

and

date

The need for production of building stock after the end of WWII in order to meet the social and economical growth of the postwar world, explains why buildings erected in the 1950s and 1960s form the majority of the case studies. The sample also includes buildings dating back to the last decades of the 19th century most of which were declared historical which put strict restrictions on the scope of the sustainable intervention allowed. Only a few buildings constructed after the 80s are included due to the fact that intervention was carried out under the primary incentive of harmonizing the aesthetics with contemporary standards or adapting the building to new utilitarian needs leading indirectly to the improvement of their energy performance.

Sample’s distribution according to the date of construction

Sample’s distribution as per building’s years in operation

355 11th Street by Aidlin Darling Design

E. Type of intervention Thorough study of the sample led us to the classification of the case studies into four categories based on the type of intervention applied to the building. The categories which were created using as criteria the handling of

In conclusion, we can summarize that sustainable interventions begin for many different reasons, are carried out in various ways and aim at multiple objectives. Most of the time, financial incentives relating either to a building’s sustainable construction or its reduced operation costs after the intervention outweigh any architect’s or owner’s possible environmental sensitivity. At the same time, the implementation of sustainability related issues into the design led in each case study to the modification of a building’s form and aesthetics in a more or less comprehensive way. Few were the case studies that remained intact in terms of form and function and for those that did, it was mainly due to their historical value and the

legislated preservation framework restricting them. The sustainable construction and operation of the resulting buildings was in some cases achieved successfully and in others cases it was achieved either partially or at a smaller scale from what the architects had initially claimed. Finally, the sustainable identity of the buildings produced was either recognizable only by the experienced eye of a skilled architect or it was simplified so that it could be readily understood by the lament. 4. Epilogue Nowadays, few can deny the existence of climate change and the need to address the major challenges it sets for human kind. As buildings and the implications that derive from them have a major impact on the enviroment, it is certain that architects can make a difference. We live in a tremendously interesting period for the building construction industry if we realize that the design of new passive buildings and the sustainable intervention on the existing ones will benefit humanity greatly.

 Creative re-use of buildings / Derek Latham, Shaftesbury :Donhead , c2000, ISBN 1873394373  Build-on: Converted Architecture and Transformed Buildings, R. Klanten Die Gestalten, Verlag, c2009, ISBN 978-3899552591  The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture, A.Stang Princeton Architectural Press; 1 edition, c 2005, , ISBN 978-1568984810  Green Remodeling : Changing the World One Room at a Time, David R. Johnston, New Society Publishers, c2004, ISBN 978-0865714984  The Green Studio Handbook: Environmental Strategies for Schematic Design, Alison Kwok, Architectural Press; 1 edition, 2006, ISBN 9780750680226          

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