More Related Content
Featured
Featured (20)
What is sustainable design?
- 1. What does sustainable design mean? Creating Places… Martin Sullivan & James Brown
- 2. Creating Places… Bron Afon Green Futures 17.05.10
- 3. Creating Places… Bron Afon Green Futures 17.05.10
- 7. Creating Places… Project Main Title
- 8. Creating Places… Bron Afon Green Futures 17.05.10
- 12. Creating Places… Bron Afon Green Futures 17.05.10
- 18. Creating Places… Bron Afon Green Futures 17.05.10
- 24. Creating Places… Bron Afon Green Futures 17.05.10
Editor's Notes
- To tell you what sustainable design means we need to consider several things: Sustainable design is much more than sticking windmills and solar panels to buildings – it works at a number of levels. Sustainable design, as we will see, is very much dependent on where you are – it is about buildings which respond to their prevailing climate
- The most energy efficient building must be part of a well designed neighbourhood or town for energy use to be kept small – no point in living in a zero-carbon home if you have to drive 30miles to get a pint of milk! So we will spend a few minutes considering sustainable design at this level.
- How a town, or a neighbourhood is planned will have a huge impact on how people use energy. This is the opposite of a walkable neighbourhood – where day to day activity involves the use of a car Typical american suburbia – health & psychological impact of this type of settlement pattern as well as a carbon energy impact Development density of around 20 homes to the hectare. If you live in a place like this...
- ... More likley to spend more time in one of these... Relevant as 10% of global carbon emissions are from road based transport
- Almost impossible in this extreme form of suburbanism to conduct your daily life without the use of a car
- A more traditional european layout of development (from medieval times) If this was all homes it would be - 80 dwellings per hectare But its not – a fine blend of shops, homes and offices Very walkable – efficient use of land Lots of people around Dont need a car!
- Street is an important layer – doesnt have an impact on carbon emissions or energy in that sense ... But it does provide a setting for the glue that binds a community together ... The best known street in the UK is probably also a pretty good example of good design.
- A place for people to meet (and often argue!) A social space and a place for vehicles – multi-functional
- ... Efforts to replace ‘the street’ have been attempted and have often failed. Communities who live on corridors or deck access ramps have to work that much harder to maintain those relationships that make a community tick
- Masterplanners have come back to the idea of the street – having learned from the Dutch how to successfully combine the need to move (and park) vehicles with the importance of providing a place to meet your neighbours.
- Siting and orientation is the most important factor in sustainable design. A building which has properly taken into account the direction of the sun and wind will use much less energy than one which has not. Not a new phenomenon and has been the basis of our decisions to provide shelter for millennia The other important component of finding a good site has traditional been about the availability of raw materials.
- Different challenges.... Homes on the north side of slopes will use more energy to stay warm unless properly insulated. Homes on south side of slopes will use more energy to stay cool – unless adequately shaded from midday summer sun Most sustainable location – probably south facing with adequate shading Prevailing wind and cold spots (ie. Valley floors are also an imp consideration)
- The igloo fullfils the criteria Keep heat in – cold out Shelter from the prevailing cold winds Body heat to create comfort No windows – admiring the view is not top of priorites if its minus 30 Of course – abundant materials!!
- Sustainable design takes on a new dimension in warm climates. The typical Aussie queenslander style house: Big roof like a sombrero hat to create protection from midday sun and prevent external walls from overheating (but allows morning and evening sunlight to penetrate) Large internal space to allow air to circulate and cool naturally Off the ground – to allow air to circulate and cool naturally
- In the UK a traditional low energy house might look like this... Thick walls and roof – warm in winter – cool in summer Small rooms and low ceilings to contain heat Small windows – to avoid drafts (windows are still the source of significant heat loss – even with double glazing) Stone floors to release heat from fires slowly Available materials – stone and timber
- Technology has now liberated architects from this basic form – now have extremely effective forms of insulation, triple glazed windows, sophisticated computer controlled ventilation...
- Sun space South facing – directs sunlight onto thick floors which release heat slowly at night. Living quarters – however – are shaded from this direct glare
- Importance of insultation in reducing energy demand on the building – critical importance – far more so than renewable energy. Energy conservation first – energy generation second
- On the right scale – renewables have a role – especially where they can be linked so that the whole community can benefit rather than one off dwellings Siting important – within 30 degrees of south
- Siting important consideration – prevailing wind.
- To tell you what sustainable design means we need to consider several things: Sustainable design is much more than sticking windmills and solar panels to buildings – it works at a number of levels. Embedded in domestic architecture all over the world
- Challenge is to identify which of the factors that you have heard about can you make the most impact upon?