Transcript Site Investigation - Terri Meyer Boake | School of

What is
Sustainable
Design?
Part One:
Building an
Environmental Ethic
STATUS
• DONE
Presentation Summary
In this presentation, we will discuss:
• The Definition of Sustainable Design
• Why is this important
• Global warming
• The role of buildings in the environment
• The inclusive nature of sustainable design
Presentation Credits
• This presentation was prepared by Terri Meyer
Boake, BES, BArch, MArch, LEED AP
• Associate Director School of Architecture
University of Waterloo
• President of the Society of Building Science
Educators
Building an Environmental Ethic:
Aldo Leopold Legacy Centre, Wisconsin
– Carbon Neutral and LEED Platinum
how architecture can ~ “live lightly on the earth”
What is Environmental Design?
“the modern architect has produced the most flagrantly uneconomic and
uncomfortable buildings…which can be inhabited only with the aid of the
most expensive devices of heating and refrigeration. The irrationality of
this system of construction is visible today in every city from New York to
San Francisco: glass sheathed buildings without any contact with fresh air,
sunlight, or view.” Lewis Mumford.
Environmentally sensitive design looks to design in harmony
with, and in response to the climate. It attempts to use the
natural solar and ventilation characteristics of the local
climate/environment to inform the building design so to
minimize use and dependency on consumptive non
renewable energy sources. Sustainable building design looks
to “live lightly on the earth” so that there will be quality and
resources remaining for generations to come.
Eden Project, United Kingdom
– incorporating nature and
innovative architectural design
The Sustainable Ethic:
Sustainable building is not a new style of building. It is a way to think about
how we design, construct, and operate buildings. Its primary goal is to
lessen the harm poorly designed buildings cause by using the best of
ancient building approaches in logical combination with the best of new
technological advances. Its ultimate goal is to make possible offices,
homes, even entire subdivisions that are net producers of energy, food,
clean water and air, beauty, and healthy human and biological
communities.
Green buildings try to take less from the earth
and give more to people.
Definitions of Sustainable Design
Sustainable development is seeking to meet the needs of the present without
compromising those of future generations.
Sustainability envisions the enduring prosperity of all living things.
Sustainable design seeks to create communities, buildings, and products that
contribute to this vision.
To paraphrase educator and author David Orr: Sustainable design is the
careful meshing of human purposes with the larger patterns and flows of
the natural world.
To paraphrase architect Bill Reed: Sustainable design is a process that
supports and improves the health of the systems that sustain life.
“The world will not evolve past its current state of
crisis by using the same thinking that created
the situation.”
– Albert Einstein
The current environmental problems of the world are
the result of Design …the world of DESIGN needs
some Radical thinking if we are to Design ourselves
out of the problem!
POLLUTION IS AN ACT OF DESIGN
Remember, EVERYTHING that is called 'disposable' was DESIGNED
from day one to be garbage--as its PRIMARY and overriding design
consideration.”
EVEN THIS BUILDING
Was designed to be
thrown out!
Radical PHILOSOPHY!??
WASTE = FOOD
(the human race is the only species to
DESIGN things with the INTENTION that they
become GARBAGE!)
MIMIC NATURAL CYCLES
Design for a closed loop where WASTE
becomes FOOD and FEEDS back into a
healthy cycle….
compostable end product
Radical PROPOSITION!??
DESIGN FOR DISASSEMBLY
So that we can take things (even buildings!)
apart and easily repair or reuse them
REUSE MEANS LESS ENERGY THAN RECYCLE
MIMIC OTHER INDUSTRIES
DESIGN BUILDINGS TO COME APART SO THAT THEY CAN
BE REPAIRED, REUSED AND RECYCLED – EASILY!
Inconvenient TRUTH
BUILDINGS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR
BETWEEN
40% TO 70% OF WORLD CARBON
EMISSIONS
Radical Wake Up Call
The Northeast Blackout of
2003 was a massive
widespread power outage
that occurred throughout
parts of the Northeastern
and Midwestern United
States, and Ontario,
Canada on Thursday,
August 14, 2003, at
approximately 4:15 pm
EDT (20:15 UTC). At the
time, it was the most
widespread electrical
blackout in history. The
blackout affected an
estimated 10 million
people in the Canadian
province of Ontario and 45
million people in eight U.S.
states.
ICE STORM = NO POWER = NO HEAT
Radical PROBLEM!
•
•
•
•
•
No power…
Hot August weather… or
Cold January temperatures…
Hooked on electricity, heat and A/C
What buildings/environment/systems
“worked”?
• What buildings/environment/systems
“didn’t” work?
SEALED BUILDINGS CANNOT BREATHE
ELEVATORS AND LIGHTS NEED POWER
MODERN ARCHITECTURE DOES NOT
WORK!
Radical AWAKENING!
• Grid and energy dependent
buildings/environment/systems DID NOT
WORK!
• OPERABLE WINDOWS WORKED!
• NATURAL VENTILATION WORKED!
• SHADE WORKED!
• SUNLIGHT WORKED!
• DAYLIT SPACES WORKED!
• WALKABLE NEIGHBOURHOODS WORKED!
• BICYCLES WORKED!
Radical THOUGHT!??
MAYBE WE SHOULD BEGIN TO DESIGN
OUR BUILDINGS/ENVIRONMENTS IN
REVERSE!
Start with a basic UNPLUGGED building
Four KeySTEPS!
Steps:
RADICAL
#1 - start by UNPLUGGING the building
Then…
#2 – heat only with the sun
#3 – cool only with the wind and shade
#4 – light only with daylight
USE the ARCHITECTURE first, and mechanical systems only
to supplement what you cannot otherwise provide.
#5 – USE RENEWABLE CLEAN ENERGY BEFORE HOOKING
UP TO NATURAL GAS, OIL OR THE REGULAR ELECTRICAL
GRID (with all of its nastiness – including CO2)
Radical IS Passive…
PASSIVE DESIGN is where the building
uses the SUN, WIND and LIGHT to heat,
cool and light
ARCHITECTURALLY
Radical REALIZATION
#1 - OUR NORTH AMERICAN LIFESTYLE OF
CONSUMPTION IS NOT SUSTAINABLE
#2 – DEVELOPING COUNTRIES (WITH
ZILLIONS MORE PEOPLE THAN WE) ARE
STRIVING TO BE JUST LIKE US….
CO2 Production by Country in 1997
Country
U.S.
China
Russia
Japan
India
Germany
UK
Canada
Italy
Ukraine
CO2 Produced
Total (millions)
1,489.6
913.8
390.6
316.2
279.9
27.4
142.1
133.9
111.3
100.4
(tonnes of carbon)
Per Capita
5.48
0.75
2.65
2.51
0.29
2.77
2.41
4.42
1.94
1.97
Source: Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee
CO2 Production by Country in 2006
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Country
U.S.
China
European Union
Russia
India
Japan
Canada
CO2 Produced
metric tonnes
5,752
6,103
1,314
1,564
1,510
1,293
545
% total world emissions
20.2%
21.5%
13.8%
5.5%
5.3%
4.6%
1.9%
The Global situation in the past 10 years has become many times WORSE. China’s
emissions INCREASED by 668% in 10 years.
Source: Wikipedia, accessed Sept 3, 2009
Canadian GHG Stats:
Canadians create 2% of global GHGs, but are
0.05% of global population.
Canada is 9th largest emitter of GHG emissions,
but Canadians are the 2nd highest per capita
creators of GHGs in the world.
Energy use and GHGs by Sector in Canada:
Industrial
39% energy
33.3% GHGs
Transportation 29% energy
35.7% GHGs
Residential
17% energy
15.5% GHGs
Commercial &
Institutional
12% energy
Agriculture
3% energy
Kyoto Protocol: To stabilize atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse
gases at today's levels will require reducing humangenerated emissions by 80 percent immediately.
There are six greenhouse gases covered under the
protocol to the international convention on climate
change (the Kyoto Protocol) – carbon dioxide (CO2),
methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs),
perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride
(SF6).
The Kyoto protocol was agreed upon through international co-operation
under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC), which was created in 1992.
The Kyoto protocol came out of the UNFCCC’s December 1997 meeting
held in Kyoto, Japan.
Under the agreement, industrialized nations must reduce their emissions
of greenhouse gases by an average of 5.2 per cent (from 1990 levels) by
the period 2008 to 2012.
Consider the percentage of
energy used as a direct
result of “buildings”…
Who designs buildings?
So, who should be
held responsible for
them?
US figures
Sustainable Checklist:
"Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was
loaned to you by your children." --- Kenyan Proverb.
Ideally a sustainable building should:
• make appropriate use of land
• use water, energy, lumber, and other
resources
efficiently
• enhance human health
• strengthen local economies and
communities
Liu Centre
• conserve plants, animals, endangered The
University of British Columbia
Architectonica/Stantec
species, and natural habitats
• protect agricultural, cultural, and
archaeological resources
• be nice to live in
• be economical to build and operate
The End of Oil
Scientists firmly believe that we are running out of oil and the bottom line
is that while consumption is ever increasing, production is felt to have
peaked and is predicted to rapidly decline.
Radical CONFLICT!??
#1 – GLOBAL WARMING – too much
CO2
#2 – RUNNING OUT OF OIL (oil
causes CO2 )
The conundrum…
• Greenhouse gas emissions are ruining life on the
planet as we know it
• Greenhouse gas comes from burning fossil fuels
• We are running out of fossil fuels, so potentially
the faster we run out of fossil fuels the more
quickly we can solve Global warming
• So, why is this a problem?
If fuel production declines, there is not enough fuel to heat and cool
the present building stock in 40 years time -- not to mention heating
and cooling any buildings we might add between now and then….
Also of concern is the growing reliance on OPEC (Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries), or non North American fuel sources,
given the instability in the Middle East.
The Challenge
• Architects need to figure out how to solve this
problem by designing buildings more
sustainably and holistically
• Also to use less and less fossil based fuels as
eventually we simply won’t be able to rely on
them.
Environmental Architecture:
Environmentally responsible architecture CAN make a huge difference.
Design and Construction
Industry as potential single
largest contributor (40%) to
Canada’s solutions for
compliance with the Kyoto
Protocol and for creating
long term ecological
sustainability.
The George and Kathy Dembroski Centre for
Horticulture at the Toronto Botanical Garden
Montomery Sisam Architects
Toronto, Ontario
LEEDTM Silver
‘Environmental Design is
definitely an avenue towards
sustainability.
Great potential for
‘Environmental Leadership’
in architecture
Five principles of an environmental Architecture:
(Thomas A. Fisher, AIA, November, 1992)
* Healthful Interior
Environment.
* Energy Efficiency.
* Ecologically Benign
Materials.
* Environmental Form.
* Good Design.
The Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research
University of Toronto
Benisch and Architect Alliance Architects
Healthful Interior Environment.
* All possible measures are to be
taken to ensure that materials and
building systems do not emit toxic
substances and gasses into the
interior atmosphere. Additional
measures are to be taken to clean
and revitalize interior air with
filtration and plantings.
Cambridge City Hall
Diamond Schmitt Architects
Cambridge, Ontario
LEEDTM Gold
Energy Efficiency.
* All possible measures are to be taken to ensure that the building's use
of energy is minimal. Cooling, heating and lighting systems are to use
methods and products that conserve or eliminate energy use.
CMHC Healthy House
Martin Leifhebber Architect
(Breathe Architects)
Toronto, Ontario
Stratus Winery
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Les Andrew Architect
LEEDTM Silver
Ecologically Benign Materials.
* All possible measures are to be taken to use building materials and products
that minimize destruction of the global environment. Wood is to be selected
based on non destructive forestry practices. Other materials and products
are to be considered based on the toxic waste output of production.
Jackson Triggs Winery
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
KPMB Architects
Mountain Equipment Coop
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Prairie Architects
Environmental Form.
* All possible measures are to be taken to relate the form and plan of the
design to the site, the region and the climate. Measures are to be taken to
"heal" and augment the ecology of the site. Accommodations are to be
made for recycling and energy efficiency. Measures are to be taken to
relate the form of building to a harmonious relationship between the
inhabitants and nature.
YMCA Environmental Learning Centre
Paradise Lake, Ontario
Charles Simon Architect
Good Design.
* All possible measures are to be taken to achieve an efficient, long lasting and
elegant relationship of use areas, circulation, building form, mechanical systems
and construction technology. Symbolic relationships with appropriate history,
the Earth and spiritual principles are to be searched for and expressed. Finished
buildings shall be well built, easy to use and beautiful.
White Rock Operations Centre, White Rock, BC
Busby and Associates
LEEDTM Gold
Glen Eagles Recreation Centre, Vancouver, BC
Patkau Architects
Your ecological footprint…
If we are not going to be part of the PROBLEM.
We are going to learn how to be part of the SOLUTION!
Project #1: Calculate your
ecological footprint. How many
planets are YOU using now….
What is an ecological footprint?
The bottom line is
SMALLER
IS
BETTER!
Calculating your “ecological footprint”
… can naturally extend to an
understanding of your “carbon
footprint”
Source: http://www.cycleoflife.ca/kids/education.htm
It is a measure of our consumption
and/or emissions as a result of our
lifestyle.
The relative consumption patterns across the planet earth.
Personal Footprint Calculators:
These provide an
educational starting point
to understand the impact
of actions and
preferences.
They are region/country
specific.
http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/
www.carbonfootprint.com
www.zerofootprint.net
http://www.myfootprint.org/en/visitor_information/
"Future generation is the most important" --Confucius.
“Sustainable development is seeking to meet
the needs of the present without
compromising those of future generations.”
"It's not easy being green." -Kermit the Frog, 1972.
Presentation Summary
In this presentation, we discussed:
• The Definition of Sustainable Design
• Why is this important
• Global warming
• The role of buildings in the environment
• The inclusive nature of sustainable design