This presentation, which takes a typical city block in San Francisco and proposes a possible path to make it a place for local and sustainable living. The city block is transformed from typical inefficiency to Zero Impact through incremental solutions and strategies focusing on three levels of implementation across three different areas: Energy, Transportation and Water. This presentation won the 2008 Re:Volt Competition sponsored by Urban ReVision.

1. Design Contest Submission
May 1, 2007
Presented by Members of the
Presidio School of Management
Green Building Club:
Adam Cornelius
Steve Puma
Kate Randolph
Joy Rios
Robin Connell
Sheila Samuelson

2. "We are on a spaceship; a beautiful one. It took billions of years to develop. We're not
going to get another. Now, how do we make this spaceship work?"
‐ R. Buckminster Fuller

4. City Block as a Cell

5. Our Approach
We see a city block as equivalent to a cell, a necessary building block for life.
Each cell builds upon another for the sustenance of life for an organism. Our
goal is to have our city block lead by example so as to permeate
and replicate throughout the city.
Our city block is transformed from typical inefficiency to Zero Impact
through incremental solutions and strategies focusing on
Energy, Transportation and Water.
These are vital components that enable a community to thrive.
Zero Impact doesn’t happen overnight, so we developed stages for each
category: Energy, Transportation, and Water
Stage 1 would allow for simple solutions readily available
Stage 2 requires significant investment and community coordination
Stage 3 represents an ideal synergy between the three vital components
All stages deliver a positive impact to the local community

6. Roadmap to Zero Impact
Energy Transportation Water
Stage 1: Solutions that can be implemented immediately
with minor investment
Stage 2: Solutions that involve neighborhood coordination
and significant investment
Stage 3: Reinventing the city block to be zero waste

7. Energy: Stage 1 Replace existing items
• Replace incandescent bulbs with compact
fluorescent light bulbs
• Replace older appliances with Energy Star
models
• Target: 15% ‐ 50%
energy savings

8. Energy: Stage 1 Replace existing items
• Install drapes and/or window glazing to
minimize heating & cooling needs
• Target: 15% ‐ 50%
energy savings

9. Energy: Stage 1 Replace existing items
• Paint roofs with light or reflective paint to
reduce cooling needs and reduce heat island
effect
• Target: 15% ‐ 50%
energy savings

10. Energy: Stage 1 Replace existing items
• Modify HVAC – replace older appliances
which may contain CFC in insulation foam
such as:
• A/C units
• Older refrigerators/freezers
• Dehumidifiers
• Target: 15% ‐ 50%
energy savings

11. Energy: Stage 2
Add new technologies already on the market
• Aerotecture wind
turbines on top of
buildings
• Target: 100% energy
production

12. Energy: Stage 2
Add new technologies already on the market
• Solar panels on roofs and in parking lots to shade cars/
blacktop:
http://www.futureenergy.org/infohouse.html
• Target: 100% energy
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/01/_patagonia_comp.php
production

13. Energy: Stage 2
Add new technologies already on the market
Light shelves with fiber optic cables:
• Combined with dimmers
provide up o 46% energy
savings
• Light bounces off tops of
shelves onto ceiling of room
• Provides shading & reduces
window glare
• Target: 100% energy
http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/publications/html/FSEC‐PF‐340‐98/index.htm
production

14. Energy: Stage 2
Add new technologies already on the market
North‐facing skylights with superwindows:
• Superwindows outperform walls
• Argon (an inert gas), doesn’t
conduct heat & prevents condensation
• Metallic oxide layer deposited on
window or skylight glazing surface
reduces solar heat gain & UV
transmission
http://windows.lbl.gov/facilities/Mowitt/superwindows_can_outperform_wall.htm
• Target: 100% energy
production

15. Energy: Stage 3 Close loops and give power back
Hydro power:
• Waterwheels currently in development
have the potential to produce 1‐2 kW of
power, and generate at least 24 kWh of
sustainable energy per day (the average
household consumes about 28 kWh daily)
• Can generate electricity from water falling
from as little as 20 cm
Target: 100% +
energy production

16. Energy: Stage 3 Close loops and give power back
Expanding the concept:
Hydro power using filtered grey water
Day: Pump to storage tank
on roof using day‐use PV,
Solar‐powered water pumps
or use solar thermal system
(grey water filtered at
source)
to "percolate" grey water
Hydroelectric generator to roof
Lithium‐ion battery
http://www.rpc.com.au/products/hydropower Target: 100% +
http://www.newenergynews.blogspot.com
energy production
http://www.stewartcomponents.net

17. Energy: Stage 3 Close loops and give power back
Expanding the concept:
Hydropower using filtered grey water
Night: Pipe water
through turbines from roof
to ground ‐‐ turbines charge
Solar‐powered water pumps Lithium‐Ion battery
(grey water filtered at
source)
Hydroelectric generator
Lithium‐ion battery
http://www.rpc.com.au/products/hydropower http://www.stewartcomponents.net Target: 100% +
http://www.newenergynews.blogspot.com
energy production

18. Transportation: Stage 1 promote alternatives
• Purchase 5 ‐ 10 bikes to be shared by
community
• Provide bike storage at community
center
• Set up carpool program for commuters
to and from the neighborhood, and
place a carpool bulletin board for ride‐
sharing at the community center
• Offer Chicago Climate Exchange carbon
offsets to neighborhood car owners

19. Transportation: Stage 2 promote car‐sharing
• Implement neighborhood car share
program with established car share
company. Several cars to be dedicated
for use exclusively by this block
• Partner with car share company to
sponsor Clean Air Days – advertising
the model block where members visit
as a learning experience
• Allow neighbors in local vicinity to
rent these cars when they are not in
use

20. Reduce/Eliminate
Transportation: Stage 3
use of fossil fuels
• Manage community biodiesel
production for car use and for
sale for other local car owners.
• Biodiesel converter is just over
4' square so it could fit in almost
anyone's garage and produces
80 gallons of bio‐diesel per
batch.
• One batch per day could
produce 29,200 gallons per year!

21. Reduce/Eliminate
Transportation: Stage 3 use of fossil fuels
• Part 1: Divert waste vegetable oil from
local restaurants for biodiesel
production at local biodiesel co‐op
• Part 2: Use the fuel in TDI‐type engines
for community cars
• Part 3: Set up small home‐biodiesel
production system for community use

22. Water: Stage 1 Water Conservation
• Rain barrels installed to catch rainwater
from each home and commercial site. San
Francisco receives 23" of rain fall on per
year.

23. Water: Stage 1 Water Conservation
• Install low‐flow toilets in homes, residential,
and the community center, to reduce gallons
per flush from 5 to 1.6

24. Water: Stage 1 Water Conservation
• Install waterless urinals in the community
center to save 45,000 gallons per year, each

25. Water: Stage 2 Utilize Rainwater
• Add extensive vegetative roof tiles for
rainwater retention, to reduce heat island
effect, prolong roof life and provide insulation

26. Water: Stage 2 Utilize Rainwater
• Underground rainwater collection basins
collect water from community center roof for
watering community gardens or soccer field

27. Water: Stage 2 Utilize Rainwater
 Install drip irrigation in gardens to reduce
evaporation while delivering water exactly
where and when it's needed

28. Water: Stage 2 Utilize Rainwater
• Replace 2‐3 feet of currently 6' wide sidewalks
with permeable vegetative strips to reduce
runoff and aid groundwater recharge. Use
indigenous, drought‐resistant plants.

29. Water: Stage 3 Utilize Grey‐water
• Replace all sidewalks, driveways and
parking lots with permeable pavement to
recharge ground water and reduce sewer
load

30. Water: Stage 3 Utilize Grey‐water
• Reconfigure plumbing to utilize grey water
for toilet flushing

31. Water: Stage 3 Utilize Grey‐water
• Install intensive rooftop community
gardens for rainwater retention and grey‐
water utilization, to reduce heat island
effect, prolong roof life and provide
insulation

32. Community Impact: Stage 1
Neighborhood collaboration creates community
• Replace grass with indigenous
plants
• Encourage community
gardening

33. Community Impact: Stage 1
Neighborhood collaboration creates community
 Priority parking for hybrids
and carpools promotes the
use of vehicles utilizing
alternative energy

34. Community Impact: Stage 1
Neighborhood collaboration creates community
• Community bikes
and bike lockers
grant safe spaces for
cyclists

35. Community Impact: Stage 1
Neighborhood collaboration creates community
 Community recycling and
composting areas provide a
convenient place to dispose of
goods as well as contribute to the
vitality of the block

36. Community Impact: Stage 2
Neighborhood collaboration creates community
 Covering part of the resurfaced
parking lot with trellises to
grow vegetation creates a more
aesthetically pleasing
environment

37. Community Impact: Stage 2
Neighborhood collaboration creates community
Sharing electric and biodiesel
cars within the community:
• Encourages friendships
• Builds skills in new
technologies

38. Community Impact: Stage 2
Neighborhood collaboration creates community
 Remove fences in backyards to
provide more common space where
neighbors can come together to
share meals and support communal
child‐care programs

39. Community Impact: Stage 3
Neighborhood collaboration creates community
 Create green corridors
throughout the block to
contribute to a park‐like
atmosphere

40. Community Impact: Stage 3
Neighborhood collaboration creates community
 Electric and biodiesel refueling
stations provide convenient
and environmentally friendly
space for members of the
community to refuel

41. Community Impact: Stage 3
Neighborhood collaboration creates community
• Communal spaces break up the
monotony of buildings by offering
beauty in the most unexpected places
• When neighbors work together to
improve the block, they build
community and increase pride

42. Thank You