Sustainable Design Flashcards
“The machine for living”
- Le corbusier,
- late 1800 the machine age offered the lure of buildings that were self sufficient and idependant of their natural surroundings
materials that arent easily integrated back into the earth
fire clay, smelted ore for jewelry, tools
Theodore Roosevelt and his cheif forester Grifford Pinchot
- Introduced the concept of conservation as a pilosophy of natural management
The Natural Step
- A credo of environmental responsibility
- Organized by scientist, designers, and environmentalists in 1996
- Concerned with the preservation of the ecosphere and biosphere
Principles:
- Elements from the earth (e.g.: fossil fuels, timber, ores) must not be extracted at a greater rate than they can be replenished
- Manufactured materials can’t be made faster than they can be integrated back into nature
- People must protect and preserve other living organisms
- Resources must be used fair and efficiently
- Buildings consume about 40% of the world’s energy, account for 1/3 of the world’s emissions, and 2% of acid rain causing CO2
The Ahwanee Principals
- Developed at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite, several architects presented their collective vision of how urban and suburban planning show follow certain fundamental principles
- Plan for sustainable development of cities and communities developed in 1991
Principles:
- Communities should contain housing, shops, workplaces, schools, parks, and civic places…all of which people need in their daily lives
- Size of a community should be such that everything one needs daily is within walking distance.
- Locate as many activities as possible near transit stops
- Diverse housing types should be provided for people of varying ages and incomes
- Businesses should be of a wide variety
- Location should be consistent with a larger transit network
- A center focus should combine live/work/play uses
- Have lots of open spaces that are easy to get to (e.g.: parks, squares)
- Public spaces should be safe and active around the clock
- Communities should have a well defined edge permanently protected from development
- Paths of travel should be well connected
- Natural terrain should be preserved wherever possible
- Waste should be minimized
- Water should be used efficiently through site and system design
- Street/building orientation should make use of passive solar design
regional planning
- regional land use splanning structure should be integrated in a larger transportation network
- continuous sysstem of green belt
- regional services (gvt, museums and stadiums) should be located in the urban core
- materials and methods of construction should be spefici to the region, continuous history and culture, community identity
- local gvt should take charge of the planning process
LEED
and Categories
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
- A rating system for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings, homes, and neighborhoods.
- Credits are given based on the potential environmental impacts on human beginners of each credit.
Categories Include:
- Sustainable Sites
- Water Efficiency
- Energy and Atmosphere
- Materials and Resources
- Indoor Environmental Quality
Silent Spring
- Rachel Carson
- revealed the reality of an emerging ecological disaster of the pesticide, DDT
Site Selection Factors
- adjancency to public transportation
- flood plains, raise bldgs or remove them from 100 yr flood plain
- Erosion, fire, landslides - avoid high sloped areas to build
- Solar Orientation, wind patterns - orienting the bldg with the long axis generally e and w and fenesration primarily facing south may have a strong impact on solar harvesting potential.
- landscape site conditions -coniferous trees on the elevation against the prevailing winds (usually west or nw) may decrease heat loss due to infilteration and wind chill factor - decidious tres can reduce summer solar gain if positions properly on the south and west elevations of the buildings
Biophilia
the connections that humans subconsciously seek with the rest of life
What are some methods for storm water management?
- minimize impervious surfaces promotes a balance of site hydrology
- consider water permeable paving or gravel in light traffic areas. Also, vegetated roof tops of open pavers with planting to allow infilteration
- work with existing natural drainage systerms - swales, buffers, biofilteration, strips or bioretention zones with native vegetation.
- reuse strormwater for irrigation of landscaped areas, also using drought resistant vegetation will help with less water usage
Name some methods used to control erosion due to runoff or wind, during construction.
Methods to reduce the negative impact of construction on water and air quality, and minimize the loss of topsoil and native vegetation.
1. silt fence - filter fabric usually fixed to wood stakes filters fine sediments from runoff before it reaches receivign streems or stroms sewers.
2. straw bale dams/earth dikes - strageic placement prior to grading will minimize the loss of topsoil by runoff.
3. hydroseeding or mulch - temporary seeding with quick sprouting annual grass or a layer of mulch will hep stabalize the stopsoil.
4. retaining wall - a more permanent solution incorporate into the design.
Lead
toxic material found in paint and other household products
kids under 6 are at the greatest risk
What are 3 most common types of asbestos?
- chrysotile (white)
- amosite (brown)
- crocolite (blue)
- found in spray fireproofing, sound proofing, pipe insulation, ceiling/floor tiles, mastic
- in 1973 EPA banned spray application
- removal is less of a concern if no children living in the building
- owner’s responsibility to pay for removal or test for asbestos
NESHAP
- Natural Emission Standards For Hazardous Air Pollutants
- regulates requirements to remove asbestos before demo
AHERA
- Asbestos Hazards Emergency Response Act
- Handles asbestos in K-`12 schools
Whats an alternative to full air conditioning with chillers?
what can also generate electricity?
- aquifer thermal energy storage. Makes uses with differential thermal energy in water from an underground well to cool a building during summer and heat during the winter.
- also geothermal energy (energy trapped underground)
- wind turbines and fuel cells ( electrochemical devices that generaate direct current electricity similar to batteries, they combine hydorgen and oxygen to produce energy, heat and water
Goals for sustainablility in context
- Use infill/brownfield sites: reduce development on pristine habitat orfarmland
- Retain/restore waterways on or near the site
- Use native or adapted plants that don’t require maintenance and restorebio diversity
- Plant trees to reduce heat island effect/offset carbon dioxide from building emissions
- Use vegetated roofs to reduce amount of stormwater runoff, impervious surface area,and heat island effect. Also has a longer lifespan than a conventional membrane roofing system and lower overall maintenance cost
- Use swales/storage basins to reduce storm water runoff
- Avoid petroleum based fertilizers
- Respect natural habitat/local species (be wary of noise, light pollution)
Designing for Hot & Dry
- minimize sun exposure and effects of wind. Use small windows.
- Optimize thermal mass for large temperature swing during the day, and closely cluster buildings for the shade the offer each other.
