mfk.design

Adventures @ the BAC and Beyond

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Sustainable Systems: Project #3

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Sustainable Systems - Week 12

1.  How would you describe the meaning of sustainable design in the year 2050?

If sustainable design is still separate from standard design in 2050, we’re all in real trouble.  As effects of climate change become more and more apparent and realities grow out of scientific projections of the last several years, the adoption of smart building and sustainable technologies will finally become the norm rather than the exception.  Technologies that have been tested and prototyped including more recent trends towards biomimicry will finally be heralded as solutions to the problem, but I think ultimately will be implemented too late to provide the full effects of positive change that their promotors promise.  Personally, I think the trend needs to shift in focus towards adapting existing buildings rather than focusing on new construction.  By 2050, I think climate change and drained resources will force this trend out of necessity rather than innovation.

 2.  What are going to be the main drivers for sustainability at that point in time, particularly for the city of Boston?

Boston will be dealing with the effects of climate change and rising sea-levels.  The harbor is shallow and much of Boston itself is built on landfill.  Not only will the water’s edge shrink the size of the city, but it will be important to consider what happens to the rest of Boston’s built landmass as coastal flooding pushes water further and further inland.

Janine Benyus’s primer on biomimicry illustrates the importance of learning from nature rather than about it and the humility that requires.  In addition to that humility is reversing the learned modus operandi that conquering or taming nature is the only way a modern society can cohabitate with it.  As Boston will experience over the next several decades, nature cannot be so easily held back.

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Sustainable Systems - Week 11

1.       How do mixed-use developments contribute to more sustainable communities?

 Mixed use developments contribute to sustainable communities both in the way the affect the livability of a community, but also in the way they can reduce carbon footprint and change daily habits.  By creating, denser neighborhoods interconnected by public transit, sustainable communities allow residents to meet their daily needs without a car.  In some instances where mixed-use developments implement district energy systems, shared utilities save both on costs and create more efficient distribution of services.

 2.       How is quality of life improved by sustainable urbanism?

The reading specifies that “neighborhoods exist to meet both one’s daily needs and one’s needs over a lifetime.”  Neighborhoods ideally provide amenities within walking distance and create a social framework allowing community members to interact with more frequency creating a tight woven social network where one belongs and is recognized in a larger community.  This social infrastructure translates not only into personal relationships but also relationships with local businesses.

Living in close proximity to green spaces and having a connection with nature near an urban environment also creates the opportunity for exercise and recreation, both of which increase quality of life.  Likewise, the walkability of a neighborhood also leads to incidental exercise and the overall health of a community.

Sustainable urbanism creates changes in lifestyle that lead to better physical health, emotional interconnectedness, and community engagement which contribute to resident happiness and improved quality of life.

 3.       What is an example of sustainable urbanism in Boston?

There are many examples of sustainable urbanism within Boston or the greater Boston area that meet the criteria of high density neighborhoods with mixed housing, walkable amenities and access to green space.  The two neighborhoods that come to mind include Davis Square and Jamaica Plain.  Both neighborhoods foster deep senses of community, are close to public transportation and green spaces.  These are neighborhoods that fit the description of sustainable urbanism.  Recently developed neighborhoods might include places like Assembly Row who’s proximity to both the Mystic River and the Orange Line satisfy need for natural ecosystems and public transportation.  This part of town brings together condos, grocery stores, retail, restaurants and office high rises within a 15 minute walking radius. While this development lacks the organic nature of the other older, more established Boston neighborhoods, it also fits the criteria for sustainable urbanism.

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Sustainable Systems - Week 7

1.  Why are benchmarks/targets critical for analyzing actual building performance data?

Benchmarks are important to establish current trends and also to set new standards for more efficient building energy design.  Energy targets are often set by taking a smaller percentage of existing energy codes or LEED standards pushing design and innovation of buildings to be more efficient.  The article mentions that the use of benchmarks can be a useful tool in data collection for more accurate energy modeling which will also help push the design of more efficient buildings.

 2.  What are some limitations of traditional energy models when it comes to predicting actual building performance?

Building performance varies from predicted energy models based on building schedule, occupants, plug loads and weather.  The article makes mention that data analysts “are simply not expecting their models to be tested against actual building performance.” The sentence seems baffling one: surely as analysts they would have expected their numbers to be compared to building performance – if not out of a test of building efficiency but at least out of curiosity.  As more data becomes available, energy models can become better indicators of actual performance and therefore be a more accurate tool in design and construction. Specifically, the operating hours seem to be one of the biggest variables in generating more accurate models. Having more existing data as input into calculations can reduce assumptions being made in these current modeling tools.

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Sustainable Systems Week 6

How can design for improved IAQ lead to energy savings? Some design solutions for improved IAQ include reducing moisture content from building assemblies and HVAC systems, making use of good quality fresh air and reducing intake of poor quality exterior air. Reducing moisture content and leaks in building envelope to adress air quality would also create a less permeable envelope, better containing conditioned air and reducing load on HVAC systems netting energy savings. Buildings that are positioned on sites to make use of clean exterior air can also make use of natural ventilation systems reducing mechanical systems costs. Additionally, systems that focus on smaller heating zones are better able to conserve energy and avoid heating spaces when they are not in use. What are some issues that lead to poor IAQ and what are some solutions? One cause of poor IAQ is caused by trapped moisture within HVAC systems. Trapped moisture breeds bacteria and mold which can ultimately effect the health of occupants. Some solutions include better air filtration and management of the system to reduce the causes of initial condensation. Lack of ventilation also causes poor IAQ. If spaces cannot be more properly ventilated, air filtrarion systems can help corculate air while cleanining it of trapped contaminates.

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Sustainable Systems - Week 5

1.   According to the reading, why is the industry moving from “cherry-picking style” labeling to material ingredient disclosure?  What are the effects of requiring ingredient disclosure on other products, not just building products?

Buzzword labels are often marketing schemes preying on people’s good intentions.  When it comes to specifying and purchasing sustainable or environmentally responsible products, labels touting items as “BPA-Free” or “50% Recycled” do not tell the full story.  In the way that a flourless chocolate cake is not healthy because it is gluten free, products that label themselves with buzzwords may contain other fillers, chemicals and processes that cancel out their sustainability claims.  It is only possible to understand the global, environmental impacts of a product by examining the components and processes that come together to create it.  Likewise, as products such as furniture become assemblages of other materials, it’s impossible to evaluate the product without understanding the processes and pieces that create the parts of a whole.

2.  Why should designers be concerned about the embodied energy of products?

Architects are in a position to specify materials and finishes with products with lower embodied energy and, over time, shift marketplace trends.  If designers make a conscious effort to create beautiful and innovative designs with products with less embodied energy, they can influence design trends and public opinion about what sustainability can look like.

3.  If you wanted the BAC to follow Google’s example for healthy materials, how would you go about it?

Given the nature of working with existing buildings rather than new projects, it would be more challenging for the BAC to fully adopt and embrace Google’s policies about healthy building materials.  Since there is so much embodied energy within the building and existing furniture, you would not expect an immediate overhaul to gut or replace all materials and furniture with new approved materials.  Instead, new furniture that meets the healthy building criteria might be phased into the building when old furniture is decommissioned.  Replacing duct liners with healthier alternatives could happen over time with regularly scheduled maintenance.  The benefits to slowly replacing materials with healthier alternatives is the time schedule would allow for thorough research and documentation of replacement materials.

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Sustainable Systems - Week 3

Why is building energy and water use monitoring important?

Energy and water use monitoring is important because developed countries treat these resources as unlimited and replenishable.  With the projected growth of cities to double in population by 2050 (Vision 2020 article), it is more important than ever for building designs to regulate and reuse energy and water consumption on a systems level and through occupant habits, but also to be able to show the progress in the reduced use of resources.  These metrics provide data for systems that can be implemented in other buildings or regions and provide new benchmarks for sustainable building practices.

The AIA Guide to Integrating Energy Modeling in the Design Process states that energy is a design problem.  Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?

I agree with the intention of this statement, that energy efficiency isn’t an issue to be foisted off upon engineers and consultants but rather integrated into the architecture and design of a building.  I would suggest that the phrase “energy as a design possibility” would potentially prompt more creative thinking and collaboration within design development.

Is water a design problem? Why?

Yes, but in the same way as mentioned above, subtle semantics can change problems (of reduced resource availability) into possibilities for creative solutions.  In addition to design solutions, public education on possible reuse of gray water can also be a major asset.  

Growing up, my dad was a project manager for the construction of several large waste water treatment plants.  Family day at the office was always a smelly affair.  I remember an opening day celebration for a project in San Diego where a tour was run through the facility.  I remember very little of the mechanics that were shared, but what stayed with me all these years later was a small faucet in the lobby that produced a perfectly filtered glass of water from sewage that had been treated at the facility. Admittedly at the time I was pretty grossed out when the tour member drank it in a display of showmanship and trust in engineering, but looking back on it now, understanding the systems and useful byproducts of wastewater treatment can inspire interdisciplinary uses and cycles in industries such as agriculture in addition to smaller scale use and reuse of gray water within building systems as toilet water or irrigation systems.

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Tiny House on the Tundra: Riverfront Living in the Wild Arctic North

(Studio 03 Project work at the BAC by Megan F. Kinneen)