 Your new post is loading...
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
Beijing-based Decode Urbanism Office has designed a tower with a façade composed of multiple wind-driven generators.
Thousands of wind turbines will produce enough energy to power the entire building. At night, the diamond-shaped generators are lit with thousands of LED lights incorporated into the building envelope. The 350-meter (1,150-foot) structure, in Taichung City, China, will house the city’s Department of Urban Development, as well as commercial activities. The tower’s façade, inspired by the plum blossom — China and Taiwan's national flower – reacts to changes in direction and intensity of the wind, creating a truly dynamic visual effect. Similarly, mechanical wind power generators have LEDs, illuminating the façade and producing a pulsating flow of light, whose intensity and color adjust to correspond to changes in temperature and season.
The wind harnessing capability, along with the lighting that responds to local atmospheric conditions, makes this conceptual tower a true “decoder of nature.”
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
The world's first algae-powered building is being piloted in Hamburg. Designed by multinational firm Arup, features panel glass bioreactors on a facade containing microalgae that generate biomass and heat, serving as a renewable energy source.
The systems provide insulation for the building- 129 bioreactors have been fitted to the southwest and southeast faces of the building. They are controlled by an energy management center in which solar thermal heat and algae are harvested and stored to be used to create hot water.
Jan Wurm, Arup’s Europe Research Leader, said: 'Using bio-chemical processes in the facade of a building to create shade and energy is a really innovative concept.
'It might well become a sustainable solution for energy production in urban areas, so it is great to see it being tested in a real-life scenario.'
The news comes after Arup announced their vision for the future of skyscrapers which suggested that buildings would be 'living' buildings powered by algae that respond automatically to the weather and the changing needs of inhabitants...
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
The itHouse is a design system developed by Taalman Koch that utilizes a series of components prefabricated off-site to better control the construction waste, labor, and quality of the finished product.
Conceived as a small house with glass walls and open floor plan, the itHouse maximizes the relationship of the occupant to the surrounding landscape while minimizing the building’s impact on delicate site conditions. Energy efficiency is achieved in the itHouse through passive heating and cooling, utilizing site orientation and cross ventilation, radiant floor heating, hi-efficacy appliances & equipment and the use of solar photovoltaic & thermal panels...
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
The intermittent use of this structure near the Seine estuary, built as a holiday home, strongly influenced the environmental choices of the project. The challenge was to give priority to passive devices and architecture, offering a gain in terms of energy performance, but also for the comfort of the occupants.
The exposure has been a main priority : East-West orientation, oversized opening to the South, natural shades and solar control strategy, North side blind. Great attention has been given to thermal insulation. Choosing wood slab, and a wood panelling structure insulated from the outside, has allowed us to obtain good levels of insulation and air tightness. Furthermore, the low-thermal-mass building, offered by the wooden structure is interesting in the context of a weekend home, that needs to heat up quickly, for short periods. A wood stove thus is sufficient to heat the home.Finally, the building is based on the dry process framework, with the benefits of prefabrication : quality building, swift assembly, and site protection...
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
BREEAM is the world’s foremost environmental assessment method and rating system for buildings, with 200,000 buildings certified and around a million registered for assessment since it was first launched in 1990.
The largest commercial office in Manchester has now become the highest scoring BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ building in the UK with a score of 95.32%. Designed by 3DReid, The Co-operative Group’s new £115 million low-energy, highly sustainable headquarters brings their 3,500 staff under one roof in a spectacular 500,000 square foot building. The building, known as 1 Angel Square, has been designed to deliver a 50 per cent reduction in energy consumption compared to The Co-operative’s current Manchester complex and an 80 per cent reduction in carbon. This will lead to operating costs being lowered by up to 30 per cent...
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
The new office building of Energinet.dk in Ballerup has achieved the lowest energy class possible by means of optimizing the design and geometry. The building has an annual energy consumption of only 47,7 kWh/m2. Incorporating solar panels, ground water cooling and heat pumps in the project would further reduce the annual energy consumption. A flexible and easily comprehensible layout consists of three elements: meeting facilities on the ground floor, a uniting atrium and workstations on the top floor, which floats above the sloping landscape. The atrium is identity-creating, open and active. A significant part of the environmental objective has been to ensure a high degree of flexibility. The open design as well as the light walls and simple, reusable elements will make it easy to change the interior layout in the future.
Visit the link to view more images of this low-energy design in Denmark...
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
The first net zero energy school in New York State broke ground today; the school, located on a 3.5-acre site in Richmond, Staten Island, will be a 444-seat primary school.
Roger Duffy, FAIA, SOM Design Partner and head of the firm’s Education Lab called this project, “an extraordinary opportunity to help define the next generation of energy efficient school buildings for New York City and beyond.”
Bruce Barrett, Vice President of Architecture & Engineering described the intentions for this project: Using this unique project as a vehicle, the SCA (New York City School Construction Authority) will explore new and higher levels of sustainability by embarking on the construction of a Net Zero Energy School Building. Recognizing Mayor Bloomberg’s and New York City’s commitment to sustainability in general, and to energy conservation specifically, we have challenged ourselves to go beyond building code and design standards to realize innovative energy and carbon reductions exceeding our current achievements. We want to push the envelope on this advanced green project, which will be our ‘sustainability lab.’
View more renderings and find more details at the article link.
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
The new research building in Stuttgart is designed on a grid for a highly flexible workplace that serves as a dynamic framework for ongoing research activities. The Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research comprises offices, laboratories, meeting and conference facilities. “The grid structure of the research centre ensures a high degree of mobility and freedom to change and expand the building”, explains Design Director Louis Becker, Henning Larsen Architects. “The building has a rational design and is organised in modules. Carefully integrated into the surrounding context, the building features various heights that relate to the city and adjacent buildings. The building will create a new, distinctive entrance to Stuttgarter Engineering Park and provide an insight into the ongoing research.
Read the complete article for details on the sustainable strategies and technologies utilzied in the design of this flexible, adaptable and green research building...
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
In the South Tyrol province of Italy, Monovolume Architecture has completed a hydro-electric power plant that is elegantly buried into the hills. Functional, contextual, and designed with the environment in mind, it 'converts natural forces into useful energy while maintaining an artfully low profile in the alpine environment. A rather simple solution was found for a space full of loud, bulky machinery while visually making an inconsequential impact of the site. A free-flowing concrete structure peels out of the hills, opening a fissure in the hillside supporting a green roof that camouflages the otherwise industrial building. Thin wood planks of varying sizes are revealed in this split in the ground plane to form a lamellar wall, where the warm light from the interior glows in the pitch-dark surroundings.'
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
This artist studio in the town of Orient, Long Island is the first structure in the New York metropolitan region, and one of about a dozen in the United States, to be meet the stringent environmental standards of the Passivhaus Institute, based in Darmstadt, Germany. With its rough-hewn dark brown wood cladding, it uses 90 percent less heating energy than a typical house. Compare that with the average house built to the LEED rating system: Studies show that LEED-certified homes generally save less than 25 percent in heating energy over typical U.S. construction. Lower energy bills are only one of the selling points of Passivhaus, or Passive House, construction, which is becoming widespread in German speaking countries and Scandinavia. “The principal reason that people get these houses in Europe is that they are so incredibly comfortable,” says William Ryall, of Ryall Porter Sheridan Architects. “You have fresh air and humidity control all of the time and because of all the insulation, they are extraordinarily quiet in urban settings,” says Ryall...
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
Wrapped in zinc cladding and rising up three levels, the modern Rosalie Residence takes advantage of a hillside location in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The environmentally-friendly five-bedroom home was envisioned by Richard Kirk Architects. The exterior is given an original touch with the help of operable timber screens and venetian blinds, which ensure both sun-shading and privacy. The inner structure and use of materials is briefly characterized by the architects as follows: “The planning of the house is organized to address the views towards the city on the North-East and Mt Coot-tha on the South-West. The resulting building footprint provides private courtyards and landscaped terraces adjacent to the main living spaces. The interior is an ensemble of Red Mahogany timber flooring and Jarrah timber paneling on backdrop of white plaster walls and white-set ceilings”. Sustainable features of the residence include solar hot water, in-ground rainwater storage for landscape irrigation and low energy lighting...
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
314 Architecture Studio designed the H.2 Residence in a suburb of Athens, Greece. The building consists of three residential areas; each residence has two small bedrooms and one master. Outside the building, an atrium provides light to secondary areas of the house while working as a funnel for the exit of hot air to reduce energy consumption during the summer months. The bioclimatic design and the positioning of the building with fixed louvers and the design of their exposures saves natural heating energy, while the connection between the building and water creates a natural cooling. The houses are equipped with underfloor heating systems and the materials used in floors and walls are natural. The colors and materials of this building are used to create a sense of harmony, modernity and at the same time luxury while the sculptures of Gianni Aspra dominated the walls of living rooms creating emotions and abstract mood. Finally the roof gardens with glass stairwells offer unlimited view of Argosaronic...
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
Coyote House: Architect Ken Radtkey and landscape architect Susan Van Atta build a new modern house in Montecito that is loaded with green features but also manages to be livable and beautiful. With Earth Day 2012 almost upon us, nearly 60,000 homes in the United States are in the process of being certified in the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Education and Environmental Design program, according to Nate Kredich, the organization's vice president of residential market development. Need more convincing proof of just how far we've come? Take a peek at the new home of architect Ken Radtkey and landscape architect Susan Van Atta...
|
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
NASA's new Sustainability Base was designed by William McDonough + Partners to embody the spirit of NASA while fostering collaboration, supporting health and well-being, and exceeding the requirements of LEED® Platinum. An exoskeleton approach provides for structural stability during seismic events, facilitates glare-free daylighting and shading, natural ventilation and connection to the outdoors, and flexibility of the workspace with its column-free interior. Atop the two-story 50,000-square-foot building is a solid-oxide fuel cell and rooftop solar arrays, supplying the building with more energy than it requires and sending surplus back to the grid at Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. Currently running on natural gas, the fuel cell is ready to be converted to landfill gas when a source is available...
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
An extraordinary off grid home built with local materials, that fits right into the rural Ontario landscape, the House on Limekiln Line is an extraordinary artifact, addressing a 220 year old heritage, with a modern aesthetic.
From the architects: The House on Limekiln Line, a design-build off-grid house, is sited in a rich agricultural landscape.The house is understood as both a mediator to and a microcosm of its immediate cultural and climatic context. An “observation shed”, the house is composed of a series of scales of spaces, each with distinct vantage points, visual alignments, and framed vistas to the larger context beyond, facilitating stewardship of and respect for the productive landscape in which it sits...
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
SOM’s Diagonal Tower in Yongsan International Business District of Seoul, South Korea, is a case study in efficiency – the 343 meter tall tower successfully minimizes wind loads, reduces construction costs, provides dramatic views and meets strict energy codes by integrating massing, structure and performance.
The design of this landmark skyscraper, with glazed triangular facets, employs passive environmental control strategies within and on the façade – sunshades are positioned at varying angles on each building exposure, mitigating heat gain in the summer and permitting direct sunlight to warm the building’s interiors during the cold winter months. Triple pane glazed exterior curtain wall decreases energy loss, while active chilled beam system surpasses traditional air driven systems, using water as a medium for transferring heating and cooling energy, which results in less energy consumption along with great environmental comfort for building users...
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
Designed by 123DV, the Bridge House in the Netherlands is set in a newly developed estate in the unique, tree-lined landscape of the Dutch Achterhoek, where unexpected scenes of rural beauty are always just around the bend.
Its setting is a wide-open space that frames the park, which blends into the landscape around it, and the property has been carefully restored to its original state. To make the soil less fertile, the top layer was removed and in the interest of sustainability, this soil was reused to form a raised area beneath the house. The result is a traditional Dutch terp dwelling, a house on top of a hill that contains the cellar. Sustainability inspired the design, and the villa is self-sufficient. At any time, the occupants can go off the grid without losing their energy supply. Water is drawn from a private well, and the practical and sustainable built-in features include solar panels, roof and floor heating through thermal energy storage, reuse of rainwater, a septic tank, shielded power cables, and Heat Mirror glass. This unique glass acts as an efficient and environmentally friendly awning, cooling the house and keeping out excess heat...
More photos and information at the article link...
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
Located on a dense site next to ‘Sustainability Street’ at the University of British Columbia, the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability [CIRS] houses 200 researchers from private, public, and NGO sectors, who work together with the common mission of accelerating sustainability.
The 5,675m2 ‘living lab’ is organized around two four-story wings linked by a central atrium. The atrium serves as a building lobby and entry to a daylit auditorium, and as a social and educational space from which all of the project’s sustainable strategies are visible.
The CIRS building has embraced the ambitious sustainability goals of the Living Building Challenge, including those of net zero water consumption; waste water treatment on site; net zero energy consumption, and construction and operational carbon neutrality...
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
Amsterdam-based Hofman Dujardin Architects, in collaboration with Fokkema & Partners, has helped sustainable energy company Eneco practice what it preaches with the design of its headquarters in Rotterdam. The 14-floor office has been operational since April, with employees enjoying one of the Europe's best workspaces.
The heart of the building is a central atrium surrounded by a light-filled meeting centre with a reception space, meeting rooms, working areas, informal meeting areas, lounges, restaurant, service desk and auditorium. Sun collectors on the south façade and on the roof track the sun throughout the day, absorbing the maximum amount of solar energy. The working and meeting areas are designed to be energetic islands floating on a white terrazzo floor. Some islands are open spaces and others enclosed for privacy but they are all executed with vibrant colours and materials. Those on the ground floor are red, purple and orange, while those on the first floor are in different shades of verdant green (meeting rooms) and blue (working spaces). The diversity of color and materials on the work islands are not only lively and inviting but give the different spaces specific identities and atmospheres that enable people to orientate themselves better in the office.
Learn more about the sustainable strategies incorporated into the design of this green office space at the article link...
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
Kilmore House is a striking home composed as a series of pavilions. Designed by Intermode, the prefab arm of Carr Design, the home is a prototype of the firm's modular, modern home concept. The design makes use of efficient prefab construction, solar passive design and rainwater collection while creating a strong connection with the landscape.
Located on a 500-acre cattle ranch in Kilmore to the north of Melbourne, the home features floor-to-ceiling glazing that opens to the views and sunlight, while deep overhangs protect the interior from overheating. The home was prefabricated offsite and then assembled and completed in a relatively short time. Passive solar design is combined with renewable timber resources, extensive water storage, high performance walls, roof and glazing systems to create an efficient home. While definitely on the higher end of the prefab market, Intermode’s goal is to build modular home solutions that offer clients elegant, top end design principles at a predictable cost and within a predictable time frame...
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
There are no boundaries when it comes to developing extensive architectural projects that focus on alternative energy sources and environmentally friendly materials. Scotland’s climate had a lot to do with completing the project, named The Houl. The team of architects stated that their work is so impressive because it’s based on “an energy conscious design”. The house was built by taking into account the benefits of Scotland’s windy weather. The roof is sloping at different angles and the main reason for choosing such an unusual shape for it, is the summer sun. The house makes use of natural materials, such as hardwood for the inside floors and bricks for the side façade. The Houl keeps a cozy appearance, the inside walls are painted in a luminous white, making the place more spacious and relaxing. With a stunning panoramic view, this house is simply delightful. Utterly immersed into an isolated spot, The Houl makes its inhabitants feel the sweet scent of freedom. A breezy, ventilated place for those who prefer the solitary landscapes...
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
Set in the picturesque rural landscape of Langenargen, Germany, this modern farmhouse shelters family life surrounded by a blooming orchard. Designed by k_m architektur, the contemporary structure was built with the surrounding farmstead in mind. Generous overhangs shelter the expansive glazing of this elongated floor plan, covering the east, west and south facade. Interior living spaces are permanently exposed to natural sunlight coming from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Shaded by light curtains, the living room, dining and kitchen share the same space, interacting to create a living area exposed to outdoor panoramas. A photovoltaic system mounted on the flat roof helps reduce the energy costs, while the heating pipeline in the farm building takes on the rest of the energy demands. Slightly raised from the ground, the house appears to be floating, while the extensive use of wood defines both the interiors and the exteriory. There was no need for a second story, as the main spaces were cleverly compacted to shape the necessary living conditions adorned with modern details...
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
'Hous.E+ is designed to combine new and old techniques in order to create a not only a resourceful building regarding energy efficiency and sustainability but also well equipped to actively respond to future demands of smart grid systems where energy surplus is distributed and agriculture within the city is a reality.' Sustainable rammed earth house by Polifactory that generates energy from a rooftop lake. Designed for a rural site in Vancouver, the self-sustaining HOUS.E+ would use turbines embedded in the walls to produce electricity from water being pumped through a system of pipes. Additional electricity would come from photovoltaic panels on the rooftops of five blocks that rise above the water and any excess power could be fed back into the national grid. Rooms would be set 2.5 metres below ground level, where they would be heated in winter and cooled in summer from an underground pump that uses the surrounding earth as a heat source or sink, and inhabitants would also be able to harvest their own food by cultivating an ecosystem of fish, seafood and plants beneath the surface of the water...
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
Facing skyrocketing energy costs and the introduction of one of the world's first carbon taxes, South African real-estate developers are ramping up efforts to develop energy-efficient buildings. For several years, South Africa has been a leader on the continent in the development of so-called "green" buildings that use cutting-edge materials, technology and construction techniques, to minimize energy use. So far, though, most of the major projects have involved showcase office buildings for large corporations. Now, a broader range of developers are going green. Growthpoint Properties, which owns and manages more than 412 office buildings, shopping centers and other commercial properties in South Africa, has made efficient energy use core to its investment strategy, says Justin Mitchell, who has the title of sustainability coordinator at Growthpoint. "To be honest, it all comes down to the energy crisis we are in," he says...
|
|
Scooped by
Lauren Moss
|
Renewable energy and energy efficient technologies are generally lauded for their inclusion in projects but, while we understand they are relevant, we often do not understand exactly what they do and how they make energy savings possible. One technology sneaking under the radar is the trigeneration system. As the name would suggest, a it is the simultaneous producer of three energy forms: electricity, heating and cooling. Waste heat gathered from the generation of electricity – created through solar collectors in high energy efficiency systems – is captured and is then used to heat and cool water. An absorption chiller, powered by the captured heat, operates like a refrigerator, creating low temperatures which can be channeled into air-conditioning systems. The use of wasted energy and the close-range electricity exchange allow some systems to run at 80 to 90 per cent energy efficiency levels. As part of the ‘AIA Top Ten’, architectural firm Perkins + Will’s redevelopment of a midtown Atlanta building at 1315 Peachtree Street, which was originally built in 1986, is a prime example of how the trigeneration system can be implemented into a project...
|
About Investors Europe