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VITRUVIAN PRINCIPLES TOWARDS ENERGY CONSERVATION.

12/01/2013

VITRUVIAN PRINCIPLES TOWARDS ENERGY CONSERVATION.

 

 

ENERGY CONSERVATION.


Energy conservation refers to reducing energy through using less of an energy service it includes  the act of using energy in a more efficient and effective manner, any  form of energy may be conserved, electricity is the type most commonly referred to in connection with conservation. Even though energy conservation reduces energy services, it can result in increased financial capital, environmental quality, national security, and personal financial security. Sustainable design creates solutions that solve the economic, social, and environmental challenges of the project simultaneously, and these solutions are powered by sustainable energies. The combined beauty and function of the design make it something that endures and is cherished; endurance and beauty are central to sustainable thinking. The underlying quest is that if the “get-to” place is sustainability, it is way past a discussion on energy conservation.
In order to know how to conserve energy in buildings it is necessary to understand how energy is lost in buildings.
·         walls- the majority of heat loss from a building occurs through the walls, as the largest surface area. This dependent on building materials, wall construction and level of insulation.
·         Roof- approximately 25 percent of heat loss from a building is through the roof. This is dependent on type, material etc
·         Doors & windows- energy is loss through the openings. 

 

A building with a green roof.


 VITRUVIAN PRINCIPLES TOWARDS ARCHITECTURE.

Firmatis (Durability) - It should stand up robustly and remain in good condition.
Utilitas (Utility) - It should be useful and function well for the people using it.
     Venustatis (Beauty) - It should delight people and raise their spirits.
    Firmitas (Firmness): This denotes something that is well-made and has a structure. This is about the building's durability. As an example Vitruvius describes the importance of having the foundations carried down to solid ground, and the selection of good materials that are suited for the purpose are also pointed out as important. In the current use of Vitruvius' concept, this has been expanded to address all the issues that are of importance to the physical durability of the architecture. Are the building materials and the building constructions solid? Are they assembled wisely and safely? Can the materials withstand the climatic conditions on the locality? Are the building materials and the building constructions are resistant to the wear and tear they suffer in the daily use.

     Utilities (Commodity): This means a design should have a function, a usage. A building’s function can be categorized into its primary space and its secondary space. The primary space will be the main function of the building (i.e. its rooms). The secondary space is what makes the building usable (i.e. corridor, toilets etc.). Utilitas addresses the issues that are of importance to the functionality of architecture. In the current understanding of the concept it address the buildings' ability to respond to the needs from the actual users and from the surrounding community. Are users' needs met in the building? Are the building organized and arranged to form an efficient framework for its intended purpose? Thus, it also becomes crucial whether the building responds to current ideals of 'the good life'.

     Venustas (Delight): Signifies that a design must have beauty. This involves order, arrangement, eurhythmy and symmetry. For example, in a design, each component is considered separately as well as proportionally to the whole. It requires an arrangement and an adjustment dependent on its character. Venustas is about architectural beauty, which in Vitruvius' classical universe meant the building's ability to mime (from the Greek: 'mimesis') natural cosmic order. Vitruvius believed that nature is an expression of cosmic order based on universal laws, and he believed, that architectural quality is achieved when the architectural design based on these laws - and when architecture thereby 'mimic' natural cosmic order. In a more contemporary understanding of the concept, it is about architecture's spatial and aesthetic conditions - proportions, the play between light and shadow.



VITRUVIAN PRINCIPLES TOWARDS ENERGY CONSERVATION.

         Roman architect Vitruvius said that, architecture should satisfy the three principles of firmitas, utilitas and venustas or translated: durability, utility and beauty.
       However since the 1st century much has changed. Added to the strength, function and aesthetic of a building, architecture now has to satisfy the need for conservation.
       Sustainability without compromise of the centuries-old principles as outlined by Vitruvius and that meets ‘Green building’ standards of energy-efficiency, space conservation, use of eco-friendly building material, reduced waste and limited impact on the environment.
       Architecture is arguably the most challenging of the arts. Designing the spaces in which we work, play and relax in a way that appreciates the unique needs of the individual brief and the holistic needs of our ever-developing world. Architects through the centuries have worked within this challenge, architecture has come a long way since the times of Vitruvius and even the pioneering green designs of 1920s architect Rudolph Schindler. Many countries have introduced regulations to stipulate the energy-conservation to buildings.
        When it comes to Vitruvian principles towards energy conservation, the principles which step in are utilitas and firmitas.
       How projects are designed and, more importantly, how the design program is defined, is central to ssustainable design and planning. If a project does not include energy conservation as a program requirement, there is little chance that the project will fulfill that requirement. More importantly, if sustainable design is the foundation of the program requirement, then energy, form, construction processes, materials, native place, and long life are integral to the design solution. Since design is a process, changing the process will change the product significantly. All design can be sustainable, but the change in the design process must include a change in the designers’ education. Designers’ expanded ability to solve problems must be grounded in ecological principles, earth sciences, and physics—all of which are sustainable models.
                                           

Solar panels to conserve heat energy



         Typically, sustainability is illustrated as three intersecting circles connecting community, economy, and the environment. But the overwhelming majority of problems, issues, and corresponding solutions are, like ecology, three-dimensional. As three dimensional problem solvers, architects are well suited to lead the change toward sustainability. That architects are three-dimensional problem solvers is central to the resolution of nonlinear, spatial problems. Most professions do not work this way, and most people do not think spatially. The three spheres of sustainability, much like the three elements in Vitruvius’ Principles—firmness, commodity, and delight—must be solved simultaneously, and spatial thinkers are best at doing that. Since these spatial relationships are essential and connected parts of sustainable design.

         Sustainable designs function on sustainable resident energies. Sustainable designs last; they are flexible; they are loved and cherished; they endure; they function when they are tethered to nonrenewables and also when the nonrenewable are unavailable. They can function in a blackout or a drought or natural disaster or on a beautiful day without any input from nonrenewable. All these were said by Vitruvius in past.

        Energy conservation is achieved through a building form that maximizes daylighting, natural ventilation, and passive solar heating. Materials were chosen for recycled content and environmental impact, including timbers, hardwood, and recycled and rapidly renewable materials. The whole building becomes an exhibit as signage is placed throughout to describe sustainable initiatives used in the project. We are deeply interested in the potential for using innovative approaches to energy conservation and sustainable practices to generate fresh, expressive architectural forms. We pursued these interests in our work long before the terms sustainable and green were popularized.

        Example Colorado Court’s energy-conservation systems have been designed to pay for themselves in less than ten years. Annual savings in electricity and natural gas exceed $6,000. The building also collects rainwater runoff from the entire city block behind the property and funnels it into a series of underground chambers. The water slowly percolates back into the soil, which filters the pollutants from the water while preventing contaminated water from spilling into Santa Monica Bay. Prevailing breezes cool the building, which has no air conditioning.

       Energy conservation and substitution of renewable energy resources is imperative not only because of the finite availability of oil and coal, but also because of the atmospheric pollution, primarilyCO2 emissions due to their use. The magnitude of greenhouse gas emissions is not directly proportional to energy use, but certainly energy use is responsible for most greenhouse gas emissions.

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