1. The Eco Block
China Sustainable Neighborhood Project
Connected Urban Development Global Conference
Amsterdam
September 24, 2008
University of
California
Berkeley
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

2. At current growth rates, the built area of China will double within 25 years.
China is building 11 million new ‘Superblock’ housing units each year to
meet this rate of growth.
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

3. Gated Communities in China
Current development patterns
(both urban and suburban) are dominated
by gated “Superblocks” with arterial roads,
at .5 - 1 km intervals.
This development model is highly efficient
at providing urban housing, but creates
many negative unintended consequences.
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

4. Mass-replicated SuperBlocks place significant demands on
China’s infrastructure.
sewage
potable water
landfill
power plant
SuperBlock traffic
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

5. To reduce demand on China’s infrastructure and natural
resources, Superblocks must become self-sufficient with respect
to energy, water, and waste.
energy
water
waste
EcoBlock
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

6. Goals:
• Mass replicable
• Economically
viable
• Resource self-
sufficient (water,
waste, energy)
• 100% wastewater
recycled on site
• 85% reduced
potable water
demand
• 100% on site
renewable energy
generation
• Encourage
journeys by foot,
bicycle and transit
• 40-60% site area
to be green space
The EcoBlock: Project Visualization
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

7. Desired City Characteristics
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

8. BRT Station
BRT Station 5 min. walk 10 min. walk
Dedicated
off-street
paths
Primary
Sidewalks
Secondary
Sidewalks
Transit -
Oriented
High-level of pedestrian
Development
accessibility and connectivity
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

9. EcoBlock Prototype: Program Details
EcoBlock
• 600 units per EcoBlock
• Eco-block = 3.5 hectares
• 1,800 residents per
0
EcoBlock
120
0
• 171 units per hectare
30
600
600
Prototype Site
600
• EcoBlock replicated 8
times
• 5,100 units at the Qingdao 600
600
site
600
• Increased density near
transit
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

10. Energy Demand Reduction Strategies
High performance
Efficient lighting Energy efficient Shaded walkways
glazing
equipment
Passive
solar heating
Reflective pavement
Natural Ventilation
Daylighting
Shared
Building shading
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

11. Creating a Sustainable Supply of Energy
Roof mounted
photovoltaics
Anaerobic Digester
Building integrated
wind turbines
Canopy integrated
photovoltaics
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

12. Reducing Reliance on Grid Based Energy
Conservation and Efficiency On-Site Generation
per EcoBlock (Buildings Only)
Net Annual Energy from Grid
100%
1,600,000
1,400,000
kWh/year
Optimized 80%
1,200,000 facade
1,000,000 Natural Photovoltaics 60%
ventilation
800,000 Passive heating
40%
600,000
Daylighting Wind turbines
400,000
20%
Efficient equipment
200,000 & lighting
Digester
0 0%
100% residual energy demand met by on-site renewables
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

13. Reducing Demand for Potable Water
Recycled water for Low flow equipment
Xeriscaping Low flow equipment
irrigation
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

14. Wastewater Treatment
Alternative Sources of Water Supply
Reverse Osmosis Gray water treatment 15% of potable water
Chlorination and UV
Constructed wetlands
treatment supply from off-site
Rain gardens Swales Rainwater storage
Porous paving
Rainwater Harvesting
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

15. Reducing Reliance on the Grid
Conservation and
Efficiency On-Site Treatment
Baseline
160 Developme
100%
140
80%
120
Water Demand from
Water
Efficien
100
Rainwate 60%
Grid
80
60 Tertiary 40%
Treatmen
40 Advanced
Treatmen 20%
Advanced
20 Treatment to
Potable Standard
0 0%
85% savings on potable water demand overall
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

16. Whole Systems Design:
Integrated systems that are mutually beneficial
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

17. How to Make Whole Systems Design Successful?
A Smart EcoBlock
Opportunities for ICT Collaboration with the EcoBlock:
• Integrate designs for “the fourth utility” from the outset
• Provide a digital ‘nervous system’
• Provide technologies to help influence residents’ behavior
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

18. Digital Nervous System for the EcoBlock
A smart grid needs to collect:
• The right information
• At the right time
• Deliver it to the right people
• In the right way
In other words, utility systems and appliances need to be able to:
• Communicate with each other
• Communicate with operators
• Communicate with external information providers
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

19. Digital Nervous System: Communicate with Each Other
photovoltaics
appliances / load
shifting
grid
wastewater
treatment wind turbines
digester
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

20. Digital Nervous System: Communication with Operators
maintenance
trend analysis /
planning
quality control and
billing
alarms
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

21. Digital Nervous System: Communicate with Information Providers
Voice, data,
TV
Weather
data
Real time
transit info
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

22. Technologies to influence sustainable behavior
Smart panels encourage:
• Load shifting
• Energy and water consumption reduction
• Increased
transit use
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

23. The Bottom Line
Delta between business-as-usual and EcoBlock:
• Sustainability initiatives are estimated to increase cost of development by
5%-10%.
• 10 year IRRs range from 2% for Base Case Scenario to 6% for a Double
Utility Rate Scenario (an increase of 7.5% annually for 10 years) to 10% for
Private Operator and Energy Import and Export Scenarios.
• Payback periods range from 10 years for Base Case Scenario to 9 years for
a Double Utility Rate scenario (an increase 7.5% annually for 10 years) to 7
years for Private Operator and Energy Import and Export Scenarios.
• While an added cost, ICT systems are cost effective and not prohibitively
expensive.
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

24. Eco Block Cost / Benefit Redistribution Model
Who owns, operates and maintains the neighborhood infrastructure?
Primary Land Developer and Secondary Builders
• Incremental investment on ‘eco’ infrastructure for district
• Incremental management / operation cost
• Incremental investment on ‘eco’ infrastructure for buildings
Government
• Reduced need on infrastructure investment
• Financial subsidy
Users
• Reduced fees payable on utilities and services to Government
• Finance operation and pay back investment
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

25. ECOBLOCK ECO-SITE
Reduced number of people drinking polluted water
1,422 people 12,087 people
Reduced CO2 emissions to the atmosphere
1,404 tons 11,934 tons
Reduced volumes of waste to landfill or urban dumps
415 tons 3,500 tons
Reduced volume of untreated sewage discharged to rivers
90 million liters 765 million liters
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

26. 12 SuperBlocks are built every day in China
If 25% of Superblocks built in the next year were replaced with
EcoBlocks, China could save:
13 Drinking-water plants
11 Wastewater treatment plants
9 Coal fired power stations
8 Ledu County landfill
$9 Billion
$
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

27. Why China?
The World’s Worst and Best Hope
China now leads the world in CO2 emission (<30%) and is
among the worst environmental polluters.
BUT…….
• With its top-down and bottom-up political system, China can
change its development practices almost overnight.
• With a few successful models of whole-systems sustainable
development, China could leap-frog away from a reliance on
centralized infrastructure, reducing environmental degradation,
leading the world to a more sustainable future.
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

28. The EcoBlock
A model for sustainable development throughout the world
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley