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Sustainable Architecture

12/28/2013


    Eco-design, green development, sustainable design -- environmentally sound housing,  has as many names as it has definitions, but it is all about "taking less from the Earth and giving more to people." In practice, "green" architecture varies widely. It can range from being energy efficient and using nontoxic interior finishes to being constructed of recycled materials and completely powered by the sun.

     Green architecture practices offer an opportunity to create environmentally sound and resource-efficient buildings by using an integrated approach to design. Green buildings promote resource conservation, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation features; consider environmental impacts and waste minimization; create a healthy and comfortable environment; reduce operation and maintenance costs; and address issues such as historical preservation, access to public transportation and other community infrastructure systems. The entire life cycle of the building and its components is considered, as well as the economic and environmental impact and performance.

Basically, its an environmentally friendly!


Examples of sustainable architecture

Solar Plaza Fargo



   The Solar Plaza Fargo, a mega project in North Dakota in USA, is a great example of sustainable architectural development. This project, built on a sprawling site area of 90,000 sq. ft., has a large solar panel surface in it that’s covered by a glass layer. The project houses both residential and commercial use structures. A lot of use of glass has been made in the construction of the structure so as to let natural sunlight enter the interiors of the buildings. The design of the project encourages and allows space for plantations, sun dial and a central fountain.The parametric design helps to harness solar power through the frameless PV solar panels. This makes Solar Plaza Fargo capable of producing 70,000kWh units per month which totals to 850,000kWh units per year which is around half of the total requirement of the project.


Charleston

The designer of Charleston, Mathew David Wagner, is a professor at Virginia Tech’s School of Architecture & Design who believes in the creation of eco-friendly structures. The design of Charleston includes a group of independent structures that are meant to be used as gathering spaces for different outdoor activities which actually are done indoors. Charleston also includes a range of sustainable elements that boost green practices such as provision for storing storm water, exploitation of natural light, cross ventilation, appropriate shading and high albedo surfaces.


Georgian CCHR


    The CCHR or Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta in Georgia, designed by Antoine Predock Architect in collaboration with Moody – Nolan and Perdock Frane, boasts of sustainable architecture that includes green roof and photovoltaic cells. The roof garden works as the cooling system of the building while the photovoltaic panels are fitted at the most beneficial solar orientation. The architecture of this building also includes various other Eco-friendly features like holding and filtering rain water. The design of the building aims at fossil fuel consumption reduction, utilization of the mass of the earth for heat exchange and introduction of fresh air.



Bullitt Center


   Cascadia Center for Sustainable Design and Construction, Bullitt foundation’s new headquarters, is supposedly the most sustainable design for a commercial building in the world. To be set up in North America, the design includes a photovoltaic power plant which is to generate all the needed power for the building. Not only that, the architecture will also include a 50,000 gallon reservoir that will collect rainwater which then will be treated so that it is suitable for consumption.


Lycee Jean Moulin


    Lycee Jean Moulin is a school in Revin in France that has been built following green practices. The design developed by OFF Architecture along with Jeans Giacinto and Duncan Lewis Scape Architecture is so off-beat that from a distance it is difficult to locate the structure of the building as it blends so well with green landscape of the hilly location. The terraces of the school are layered by grass and therefore do not break the beautiful, natural, green look of the hills.



Project Eco Link

   
   Named as the Eco Link project and designed by architects like Junkai Jian and Jinqi Huang, this is a huge passenger terminal building that is located on a river side. The structure designed in an asymmetrical form with a sloping demeanor allows a lot of natural light inside the building. The building’s design allows rainwater harvesting that can be used to meet the water requirement of the irrigation and other plantations and vegetation which are located inside the compound of the structure. The project has solar panels in its roofs that would generate solar power to meet the power requirement of the project.


Egyptian Fine Arts Center


   This design created for a new Fine arts center to be set up in Helwan in Egypt is a great example of sustainable architecture. The designer, Moatesem Esmat of Mataria Engineering School, has included various green features in this brilliant, futuristic design. While wind and solar energy would be used to power the premises of this fine arts center, provision for rain harvesting has also been looked into. A lot of the place of this design is covered by greenery and the places that are to be used as courtyards include mechanism so as to allow natural light and ventilation.


Wuhan Energy Flower


Apart from being an astonishingly beautiful creation, this flower-shaped building designed by Grontmij and Soeters Van Eldonk Architects hosts a lot of efficiently used green features like rainwater harvesting, solar panels attached to the roofs, solar chimney etc. While rainwater harvesting and solar power generated through solar panels help to meet the water and power requirement of the building, solar chimney in the middle of the structure helps to maximize natural ventilation. The rim around the bowl functions as a sunroof and helps to heat and cool the structure. The pistil made in vertical axis wind turbines collect renewable energy for the building. This design is the first one in the entire world to be accredited by the BREEM outstanding award.



Sustainable Circular Taiwan Tower
 

 
   The Taiwan Tower, designed by STL Architects, is the tallest structure in the city of Taichung. This circular tower has been designed to resist the force of wind along with making the most of renewable sources of energy. The architecture of this structure eliminates the need of mechanical cooling or heating of the building thus saving a large quantity of energy. The central part of the tower is lighter and holds lesser material while saving more of energy.


Sustainable educational complex in Denmark


   Named UCN IMAGO, this educational complex designed for University College Nordjylland is a sustainable architectural design created by GPP architects. To be set up in Aalborg in Denmark, the design consists of four buildings around a common space. The design has been planned considering the impact on the environment and therefore the entire concept surrounds around energy efficiency. The architects plan to use solar power to meet the energy requirement of the buildings while making the balconies and overhangs of the common central space act as green sunshades.

1 comments:

Austin said...

Great post! I love how you highlighted the importance of integrating sustainability into architectural design. If you're ever looking for innovative design, feel free to reach out at Leading Sustainable Architecture Firms in Mumbai

August 9, 2024 at 11:31 AM

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