Research on Sustainable Architecture

Sustainability in Architecture
The World Commission on Environment and Development has put forth a definition of
sustainability as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs. From Our Common Future (London: Oxford University Press,
1987).
This definition of sustainability does not specify the ethical roles of humans for their
everlasting existence on the planet. It also fails to embrace the value of all other constituents
participating in the global ecosystem. The need for finding long-terms solutions that warrant
continuing human existence and well-being is far more compelling than that of finding a proper
terminology to describe the human need. In this respect, the debate on the terms green,
sustainable, or ecological architecture is not terribly important.
Reference: http://www.umich.edu/~nppcpub/resources/compendia/ARCHpdfs/ARCHdesIntro.pdf

A general term that describes environmentally-conscious design techniques in the field of

architecture, Sustainable architecture is framed by the larger discussion of sustainability and the
pressing economic and political issues of our world. In the broad context, sustainable architecture
seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact of buildings by enhancing efficiency and
moderation in the use of materials, energy, and development space. Most simply, the idea of
sustainability, or ecological design, is to ensure that our actions and decisions today do not inhibit
the opportunities of future generations.
Reference: http://www.ecowho.com/defn/s/sustainable+architecture/4d532

Methods of Sustainable Architecture

In the last decades, sustainable architecture has emerged as a movement in architectural
design towards the sustainability of the built environment. Associated with its development are also
many disputes on the meaning and implications of this new concept.
There has been no agreement amongst scientists and architects in defining the term and on
how it should be implemented in practice. Some other terms such as green building and ecological
design have also been used in parallel with sustainable architecture in order to clarify or more
specifically express its implications.
Several scientists define sustainable architecture as the social and cultural shift in the world
order, patterns and styles of living (Kremers 1995) and others consider it as environmentally
friendly modes of design, construction and operation geared towards producinghealthy enduring
communities (Zachariah, Kennedy, and Pressnail 2002). Some of them have also attempted to relate
the termto the Second Law of Thermodynamics in order to argue that sustainable architecture is an
impossible goal. Steven Strong stated: the term is intellectually dishonest... and moreover, Dick
Levine argued that sustainable architecture is an oxymoron (Kremers 1995).
However, Sustainable architecture should be understood in a broader meaning rather than in
the meaning of words. It can be interpreted as an approach to architectural design that minimizes
resource consumption, utilizes natural energy, mitigates environmental damages, and improves
human health. More importantly, it should also be considered as a tool for raising peoples awareness
of environmental protection or in other words a response to mother nature, who always coexists and
supports mankind.

Research on Sustainable Architecture

Despite the controversial discussions regarding the term definition, the agreement that has
been reach among the scientists is the identification of eight areas that sustainable architecture
needs to deal with, namely:

site selection and building orientation,

energy consumption,
material selection,
indoor environmental quality,
water consumption,
waste disposal,
construction methodology,
lifecycle costs

These areas cover most of the issues that contribute towards sustainable architecture. This
paper is going to make a review on methods and technologies employed to create the sustainability
in the built environment. The paper is structured following the above areas and in each area, popular
methods and technologies will be discussed.
Reference: http://unaus.eu/pdf/A006.pdf

Acknowledgment to:
http://www.umich.edu/~nppcpub
/resources /ompendia/ARCHpdfs/
ARCHdesIntro.pdf

Principles of Sustainable Architecture

I.

Economy of Resources is concerned with the reduction, reuse, and recycling of the natural
resources that are input to a building.

Research on Sustainable Architecture

By economizing resources, the architect reduces the use of nonrenewable resources in the
construction and operation of buildings. There is a continuous flow of resources, natural and
manufactured, in and out of a building. This flow begins with the production of building materials and
continues throughout the buildings life span to create an environment for sustaining human wellbeing and activities. After a buildings useful life, it should turn into components for other buildings.
When examining a building, consider two streams of resource flow.

Upstream, resources flow into the building as input to the building ecosystem.
Downstream, resources flow out of the building as output from the building
ecosystem.

In a long run, any resources entered into a building ecosystem will eventually come out from it.
This is the law of resource flow conservation. For a given resource, its forms before entry to a building
and
after exit will be different. This transformation from input to output is caused by the many mechanical
processes or human interventions rendered to the resources during their use in buildings. The input
elements for the building ecosystem are diverse, with various forms, volumes, and environmental
implications.
The three strategies for the economy of resources principle are:
o energy conservation
o water conservation
o Material conservation.
Each focuses on a particular resource necessary for building construction and operation.
Energy Conservation
After construction, a building requires a constant flow of energy input during its operation. The
environmental impacts of energy consumption by buildings occur primarily away from the building
site, through mining or harvesting energy sources and generating power. The energy consumed by a
building in the process of heating, cooling, lighting, and equipment operation cannot be recovered.
The type, location, and magnitude of environmental impacts of energy consumptions in buildings
differ depending on the type of energy delivered. Coal-fired electric power plants emit polluting gases
such as SO2 , CO2 , CO, and NOx into the atmosphere. Nuclear power plants produce radioactive
wastes, for which there is currently no permanent management solution. Hydropower plants each
require a dam and a reservoir which can hold a large body of water; construction of dams results in
discontinuance of river ecosystems and the loss of habitats for animals and plants.

Water Conservation
A building requires a large quantity of water for the purposes of drinking, cooking, washing and
cleaning, flushing toilets, irrigating plants, etc.. All of this water requires treatments and delivery,
which consume energy. The water that exits the building as sewage must also be treated.
Material Conservation
A range of building materials are brought onto building sites. The influx of building materials occurs
primarily during the construction stage. The waste generated by the construction and installation
process is significant. After construction, a low-level flow of materials continues in for maintenance,
replacement, and renovation activities. Consumer goods flow into the building to support human
activities. All of these materials are eventually output, either to be recycled or dumped in a landfill.

Research on Sustainable Architecture

Life Cycle Design provides a methodology for analyzing the building process and its
impact on the environment.
Humane Design focuses on the interactions between humans and the natural world.
These principles can provide a broad awareness of the environmental impact, both local
and global, of Architectural consumption.

II.

Life Cycle Design

The conventional model of the building life cycle is a linear process consisting of four major
phases: design; construction; operation and maintenance; and demolition. The problem with this
model is that it is too narrowly defined: it does not address environmental issues (related to the
procurement and manufacturing of building materials) or waste management (reuse and recycling of
architectural resources).

The second principle of sustainable architecture is life cycle design (LCD). This cradle-tograve approach recognizes environmental consequences of the entire life cycle of architectural
resources, from procurement to return to nature. LCD is based on the notion that a material
transmigrates from one form of useful life to another, with no end to its usefulness. For the purpose
of conceptual clarity, the life cycle of a building can be categorized into three phases:

pre-building,
building,
post-building,

Research on Sustainable Architecture

These phases are connected, and the boundaries between them are not obvious. The phases
can be developed into LCD strategies that focus on minimizing the environmental impact of a
building. Analyzing the building processes in each of these three phases provides a better
understanding of how a buildings design, construction, operation, and disposal affect the larger
ecosystem.
III.

Humane design is the third, and perhaps the most important, principle of sustainable design.
While economy of resources and life cycle design deal with efficiency and conservation,

Humane design is concerned with the livability of all constituents of the global ecosystem,
including plants and wildlife. This principle arises from the humanitarian and altruistic goal of
respecting the life and dignity of fellow living organisms. Further examination reveals that this
principle is deeply rooted in the need to preserve the chain elements of the ecosystems that allow
human survival. In modern society, more than 70% of a persons lifespan is spent indoors.
An essential role of architecture is to provide built environments that sustain occupants safety,
health, physiological comfort, psychological well-being, and productivity Because environmental
quality is intangible, its importance has often been overlooked in the quest for energy and
environmental conservation, which sometimes seemed to mean shivering in the dark.
Compounding the problem, many building designers have been preoccupied with style and formmaking, not seriously considering environmental quality in and around their built environments.
Remember the performance factor of design. When a product saves energy, does it perform as well
as what it is replacing? And how does it affect the performance of building occupants?
For instance, early fluorescent lighting systems were more efficient than their incandescent
counterparts; however, some fluorescents were known to buzz. The bulb might save $30 in annual
energy costs, but if the noise irritated the employee working nearby, the employees resulting drop in
productivity could cost the employer a lot more, thereby wiping out any financial benefits gained
from lighting energy conservation.
A general rule of thumb in such comparisons is that the annual energy bill of a typical office
building amounts to around five hours of employee labor cost; therefore, any building energy
conservation strategy that annually reduces productivity by more than five hours per employee

Research on Sustainable Architecture

defeats its purpose. This is not to say that energy conservation cant be financially beneficial, just
that it should be kept in holistic perspective, taking other pertinent factors into account.

Materials on Sustainable Architecture

Materials Conservation
The production and consumption of building materials has diverse implications on the local and
global environments, extraction, processing, manufacturing, and transporting building materials all
cause ecological damage to some extent. There are input and output reduction methods for materials
conservation. As with water, some of these methods overlap.

Adapt Existing Buildings to New Uses One of the most straightforward and effective methods
for material conservation are to make use of the resources that already exist in the form of buildings.
Most buildings outlive the purpose for which they were designed. Many, if not all, of these buildings
can be converted to new uses at a lower cost than brand-new construction.
Incorporate Reclaimed or Recycled Materials Buildings that have to be demolished should
become the resources for new buildings. Many building materials, such as wood, steel, and glass, are
easily recycled into new materials. Some, like brick or windows, can be used whole in the new
structure. Furnishing, particularly office partition systems, are also easily moved from one location to
another.
Use Materials That Can Be Recycled during the process of designing the building and selecting
the building materials, look for ways to use materials that can themselves be recycled. This preserves
the energy embodied in their manufacture.

Research on Sustainable Architecture

Size
and
Systems
Properly
A
building that is
oversized for its designed
purpose, or has oversized
systems,
will
excessively
consume materials. When
a building is too
large or small for
the
number
of
people it must contain, its
heating,
cooling,
and
ventilation systems, typically
sized
by
square
footage, will be inadequate
or inefficient. This method
relates directly to the
programming and design phases of the
architectural process. The clients present and
future space needs must be carefully studied to ensure
that the resulting building and systems are sized correctly.
Buildings

Architects are encouraged to design around standardized building material sizes as much as
possible. In the U. S., this standard is based on a 4'x8' sheet of plywood. Excess trimming of
materials to fit non-modular spaces generates more waste.

Applications in Sustainable Architecture

Due to the growing concerns on the environment during the 21 st century, people started to
think of ways that can be environmentally friendly for the sake of the future generation. This explains
the reason why sustainable architecture grew very rapidly during this period. It is however
important to keep in mind that our forefathers have been building sustainably because of the mere
fact that sustainable projects are mostly practical in nature.

As the name may suggest, sustainable architecture is a kind of architecture designed in the
most eco-friendly way possible. Otherwise known as green architecture, its main aim is to design
and construct structures that are attractive without compromising on their functionality i.e. that of
contributing and supporting a sustainable culture and lifestyle.

Research on Sustainable Architecture

Building sustainably includes having a sustainable design i.e. a design that will address the
major concerns of sustainability i.e. water usage, energy usage, environmental quality, and heating
and cooling. Sustainable architects are qualified to deal with different environmental aspects of a
structure in different ways, all of which are meant to enhance the efficiency of the structure without
detracting or being burdensome from the main function of the structure.

A lot of green architecture deals with building intelligently. For instance, you will find a
structure oriented towards the south so that the structure can warm itself using natural sunlight
during the day. Further, the structure will be well insulated to reduce the loss of heat. The plumbing
systems of a building will equally be designed in such a way that it will use less water while still work
normally. Still on point,
a sustainable building, thanks to the good and capable works of a sustainable architect, can
include smart lighting options whereby the building lights turn off automatically when not in use to
save energy.

Using living walls and the installation of green roofs is another great example of sustainable
architecture. Such sustainable projects enhance the heating and cooling efficacy of the building, help
in scrubbing the air, and what is more they appear beautifully interesting hence qualifying them as
beneficial sustainable projects from many different points of view.

Research on Sustainable Architecture

Majority of sustainable architects today build sustainability for the main reason of showing to
the general public that building sustainability doesnt have to be ugly. Actually, different sustainable
measures known to enhance the efficiency of a building can make a building appear more beautiful
and interesting in addition to improving the quality of life of the people inside the buildings. A perfect
example is creating a courtyard full of plants, while this is a good and viable sustainable move, it
equally creates a great outdoor space where people can relax and unwind.

An office building as well as a private residential home can be built sustainably with green
concepts in mind. The principles of sustainable architecture are applicable both in remodeling and
fixing new structures because more often than not, you will discover that conversion is more ecofriendly than rebuilding and demolition. The success and prevalence of sustainable architecture is
due
to
the
incentives
extended
by
most
jurisdictions
today.
Reference: http://carrieanddanielle.com/different-applications-of-sustainable-architecture/#ixzz2CxFAzT69

CASE STUDY

Overview

Location: Eugene, OR
Building type(s): Public order & safety
New construction
267,000 ft2 (24,800 m2)
Project scope: a single building
Urban setting
Completed November 2006
Rating: U.S. Green Building Council
v.2/v.2.1--Level: Gold (39 points)

LEED-NC,

The Wayne Lyman Morse United States Courthouse serves the District of Oregon as part of the
Ninth Judicial Circuit. The courthouse has five stories above grade and one below grade; the first and
second floors hold offices for the courts and their clerks, the U.S. attorney, probation and pretrial
services, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. General Services Administration, two U.S. senators, and
one member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The building's six courtrooms (two district courtrooms, two magistrate courtrooms, and two
bankruptcy courtrooms), all on the third floor, range from 1,800 ft2 to 3,000 ft2. Above the courtroom
level are six judges' chambers, one visiting judge's chamber, and two judicial library spaces.

Research on Sustainable Architecture

This project was chosen as an AIA Committee on the Environment Top Ten Green Project for
2007. It was submitted by DLR Group, in Phoenix, Arizona. Additional project team members are
listed on the "Process" screen.
Environmental Aspects
Because
the
agencies,
facility

courthouse works with high-risk law enforcement and intelligence

courts, judicial offices, and highly sensitive government records, the
has stringent and complex security requirements to protect
against bombings as well as ballistic, biological, and chemical
attacks. Despite these design challenges, the building provides
an architectural expression of judicial presence at a healthy,
human scale.
Set along the edge of central Eugene, Oregon, the
courthouse serves as the nucleus of a small district of
mixed-use warehouse renovations. The site is within a
half-mile of basic services and three high-density
residential neighborhoods. Rail and bus lines connect the
courthouse to the greater community.

Parking is located underground, and the landscaping features native, drought-tolerant plants.
Reduced irrigation combined with waterless urinals and low-flow toilets, faucets, and showerheads
reduce the project's water use by more than 40%, compared with a comparable, conventional facility.
The project's energy use was also reduced by
approximately 40% through the use of extensive
daylighting, shading, high-performance glazing,
electric lighting, displacement ventilation, and
floor heating and cooling. At night, air from the
replaced with ambient air, reducing the cooling
Materials were selected for their recycled content,
availability, minimal maintenance needs, and low
emissions.

efficient
radiantbuilding is
load.
regional
chemical

Owner & Occupancy

o
o

Owned and occupied by U.S. General Services Administration, Federal government.

Typically occupied by 163 people, 40 hours per person per week; and 1,550 visitors per week,
2 hours per visitor per week.

Green Architecture

Research on Sustainable Architecture

Green architecture, or green design, is an

to building that minimizes harmful effects on human
and the environment. The "green" architect or
attempts to safeguard air, water, and earth by
choosing eco-friendly building
materials
and
construction practices.

approach
health
designer

Green architecture may have many of these

characteristics:

Ventilation systems designed for efficient

heating and cooling
Energy-efficient lighting and appliances
Water-saving plumbing fixtures
Landscapes planned to maximize passive
solar energy
Minimal harm to the natural habitat
Alternate power sources such as solar
power or wind power
Non-synthetic, non-toxic materials
Locally-obtained woods and stone
Responsibly-harvested woods

Adaptive reuse of older buildings

Use of recycled architectural salvage
Efficient use of space

While most green buildings do not have all of these features, the highest goal of green
architecture is to be fully sustainable.

Tropical and Sustainable Architecture

The Florida Keys, an archipelago of 1,700 islands in the southeastern United States, are known for
their world class sport fishing, scuba diving and snorkeling. The area is abundant with numerous
varieties of fish, animal and plant life, it also has its fair share of insects with No-See-Ums and

Research on Sustainable Architecture

mosquitoes leading the list. They make their presence known, especially after Floridas post card,
picture perfect, sunsets.
The Keys begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about 15 miles south of Miami,
and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West. The islands lie along the
Florida Straits, dividing the Atlantic Ocean to the east from the Gulf of Mexico to the west, defining
one edge of Florida Bay. The Florida Keys are geographically in the subtropics; however the climate of
the Keys is considered to be tropical with the Gulf Stream just a few miles off shore which has a
significant effect on the regions climate. These unique characteristics embrace a design strategy for
a passively cooled, tropical house.
The prototypical passively cooled, tropical house design works toward one basic overriding
goal: staying comfortable without relying on air conditioning. This is accomplished by the moderation
of three variables: temperature, humidity and air circulation. Victor Olgay in his book, Design with
Climate, developed guide lines for climate responsive architecture in four distinct climate regions;
one is a hot humid tropical environment. Designing a passively cooled house starts with the site and
includes every aspect of the house right down to the color.
Historically characteristics of these distinct tropical house types are seen in the Florida
Seminole Indian chickee huts which are elevated platform, open sided structures with palmetto frond
thatched roofs. The open sides offer free air movement through and around the structure and the
thatched roof offers protection from the sun and rain. Prior to the use of air conditioning in South
Florida, homes responded to the needs of the environment with the wide use of attic venting and
later,
Jalousie windows to promote air movement, excellent examples can also be seen in Florida
Cracker Houses and the modernist work of Paul Rudolph in the Sarasota Florida area. in a hot, humid
environment wind and shade are your friends, they help to lower the air temperature, moderate
humidity and promote air circulation. Passive cooling techniques rely on increased air movement;
therefore prevailing breezes are primary considerations in site selection.
An individual, somewhat elevated, freely elongated house, on an east-west axis is preferred.
With the long south or north faade situated to capture the prevailing breeze. The shorter east and
west walls minimize the suns strong radiation effects from the rising eastern sun and intense setting
sun in the west. Ideally the prevailing breeze will first pass over a water body then under high
branching trees to reduce the temperature before passing through the houses interior spaces.
Appropriately sized roof overhangs allow exterior walls to remain in shade and allow windows to
remain open during wind driven tropical rain storms.

Research on Sustainable Architecture

The Tavernier House site is oriented to the
an expansive wetlands conservation
and vegetation. The prevailing
southeast over the Atlantic
optimal air flow through the long
air is tempered first as it
off the Atlantic Ocean. The air
is further reduced as the
through the trees located
conservation area. Finally
passes through another layer
the roofed screened room, at
southeast portion of the
The
now
enters
the
interior
southeast facing wall of
glass doors opening the
mosquito free, screen
collecting the prevailing
cooled breeze from the southeast.

southeast
overlooking
area with native trees
breeze is out of the
Ocean
allowing
for
south wall of the house. The
comes
temperature
air
passes
in
the
the
air
of
shade,
the
house.
tempered air
through
a
pocketed sliding
full length of the
room
passively

Increasing
air
flow
across the skin stimulates vaporization and with it a cooling effect. Open wall solutions are
preferable, walls being less important here than in other regions. Customary distinctions between
walls and openings disappear as ventilation is needed the great majority of the year. With the
exterior walls as open as possible allowing for maximum air flow, screen protection is required from
insects and small animals. Creating the covered screen entry space at the front of the house provides
sun, rain, insect and animal protection while allowing the wall to be open to collect as much breeze
as possible.
To induce air flow, especially on those dead air days, above the stairwell leading to the roof
deck, is an operable windowed copula, which creates a stack effect to thermally induce air flow,
with additional help from a whole house fan when required. Any form of heat storage should be
avoided with interior walls opened to induce cross ventilation. In response, louvered interior doors
and transoms are used to promote air movement through the house. To additionally promote free air
movement and to visually lighten the form, the house is elevated off the ground.
The roof takes on the strongest thermal impacts; here the design emphasis changes from walls
to roof. It must be water tight, insulated and reflective. The roof of the Keys Houses is vaulted on the
interior, with an insulted roof above, radiant barrier and a reflective 5V crimp galvalume roof to the
exterior.
Intangibles such as state of mind and clothing play an important part of staying comfortable. Not
letting the heat of the day, enter into your psyche, wearing breathable cotton clothing and a broad
brimmed, ventilated hat is helpful.

Research on Sustainable Architecture

Other
sustainable
practices are
incorporated in
Tavernier House

the
including:
Rain water

harvesting
Basement
cistern

water storage
Photo
volta
ic
and
hot water

solar panels on the

Drip irrigation
Planting native drought tolerant vegetation
High efficiency plumbing fixtures
FSC certified and reclaimed lumber
Environmentally preferable products

BioTecture

roof

Research on Sustainable Architecture

The art of combining architecture and biology with the goal of liveable sustainability in the
design and structure of buildings and environments.
Any of several types of architecture that use forms influenced by biological structures

Example:
Earthship Biotecture
". . . The Earthship is the epitome of sustainable design
No part of sustainable living has been ignored in this ingenious building."

and

construction.

Design Principles:
Electricity: from sun and wind.
Water: from rain and snow.
Sewage: sanitary treatment.
Heating & Cooling: from sun and earth.
Food: grow inside and outside.
Building with Natural and recycled Materials
Design & Construction:
Sustainable, Green Architectural services
offered worldwide.
o Single family residence
o Residential developments
o Commercial Structures
o Disaster Relief Projects
The Ultimate in Green Buildings.