Archive for category Sustainable Design
Role of Architects in Modern Concepts in Sustainable Design
Posted by BenzuJK in Sustainable Design on February 14, 2011
Role of Architects in Modern Concepts in Sustainable Design
The concept of Sustainability has been misunderstood today. Acceptance of this new concept by the people has not really been satisfactory. People are reluctant to compromise the kind of lifestyle they live. This compromises the aim of achieving Sustainability.
Green Buildings, improved Sustainability, economy for all and thereby better future is an important issue that needs thought. Reducing energy consumption in a building is not enough. Many dimensions need to be considered to achieve sustainability like-transportation networks, environmental management etc.
Sustainable Development - Solar Towers utilize the natural resource of the Sun
For people who do not agree with the concept of Sustainability:
The concept of sustainability is brought up for the betterment of human species and not for the earth. The Earth can survive without humans. Sustainability is for us to survive on earth.
Architects all over the world have been focussing on the concept of Sustainability. There has been a lot of chaos and confusion in actually understanding the gist of this unusual concept.
In one of the previous articles regarding “Sustainable Development“, we discussed the Sustainability factors, how the world has changed its trend from Sustainable to Unsustainable….
The definition of Sustainable Development is based on two concepts:
- The concept of needs, comprising of the conditions for maintaining an acceptable life standard for all people, and
- The concept of limits of the capacity of the environment to fulfil the needs of the present and the future, determined by the state of technology and social organization.
These are the two major concepts that the Architects have to keep in mind while executing any design concept which speaks of sustainability.
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Design of Exteriors for Water Efficiency | Principles of Green Architecture
Posted by BenzuJK in Sustainable Design on December 4, 2010
Water Efficiency Methods for the Exteriors
Exterior design is an integral part of sustainable Development. Our main objective is to keep the surroundings green and sustainable without putting much pressure on the non-renewable natural resources.
Classification for the study of Design areas for Water efficiency:
- Design of Interiors
- Design of Exteriors
- Stormwater reuse
The major water consuming areas in the exterior environment are the landscaping areas. In this article, we are going discuss how we can use water efficiently and still have a sustainable environment which is green and pleasing to eye.
Sustainable Landscaping
Our area of study for exteriors can be divided into three parts:
- Sustainable Landscaping
- Drip Irrigation System
- Xeriscaping
Water Efficient Landscaping accounts to attaining five main objectives:
- Proper planning and use the land
- Soil analysis to efficiently utilize it for the purpose
- Appropriate Plant Species selection
- Efficient Irrigation System
- Proper use of mulches to attain efficiency
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Water Efficiency in the Interiors | Principles of Green Architecture
Posted by BenzuJK in Sustainable Design on December 3, 2010
Water Efficient Techniques for the interiors
We have already discussed the classification for the study of Water efficiency, it is as follows:
In this article, we will discuss various aspects and ways that will help determine various ways in which we can save and conserve water and use it to its best possible way.
Ways of efficient utilization of water in the interiors
Using water less urinals
Using waterless urinals is quite common in the West but this concept is rejected in the Asian countries. The major advantage of using waterless urinals is that it saves on average 20,000 to 45,000 gallons of water a year.
Working of water less urinal
Urine flows down the bowl of the urinal past a debris-catching strainer.
The urine then passes through a sealing liquid.
The urine sinks through the sealing liquid and the oil floats on top of the layer of urine below.
Any air bubbles rise to the top and escape leaving the urine in a relatively low oxygen environment.
Odour is therefore trapped below the oil layer .
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Water Efficiency | Principles of Green Architecture
Posted by BenzuJK in Sustainable Design on December 2, 2010
Necessity for Water Efficiency
Water Efficiency is one of the seven key principles of Green Architecture. All of us are pretty much aware of the water shortage across the globe. The climatic changes have reduced the extent of rainfall in many parts of the world. The climatic changes are reaching their extremes. There are either droughts or floods but not proper rainfall.
Water efficiency
Study of Global Warming and Climate change also forms the part of the study of Green Architecture. It helps you understand the gravity of the consequences that the world is facing already because of the human activities today. Why creation of sustainable environment is so important?
In our previous articles regarding “Principles of Green Architecture”, we have listed seven important principles of Green Architecture. They are as follows:
- Site and its surroundings
- Energy Efficiency
- Water Efficiency
- Material Efficiency
- Indoor Air Quality
- Waste Reduction
- Low maintenance costs
There are two key objectives to be analysed when studying water efficiency:
- Reduction in Water consumption
- Preserving the quality of water
Achieving these two key objectives is the second ultimate goal of Green Architecture…
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Green Architecture Features in High Rise Buildings
Posted by BenzuJK in Sustainable Design on November 22, 2010
Green Building Architecture in High rise Structures
High rise buildings support green features to a small extent. Hence it is a bad concept to go for the construction of High rise buildings if we are to incorporate green features into the building. Incorporating various green features could make the construction 5 times more expensive than the cost incurred in regular methods of construction.
Aliens Space Station is an excellent example of the High rise Green Buildings.
Aliens Space Station - Green Building
Green Architecture Design Features to be incorporated into the Building Design
- Ceiling height – 12 feet
Ventilators
- between rooms
- outside/ inside
- Inside and inside
- The doors should be designed with louvers at the bottom.
- Cavity walls or thick walls on Southern and western side of the building.
- Use your facades, chajjas, rooftops, active solar photovoltaics.
- Colour of the building (Light colour)
- Orientation of the building
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Wind Power | Energy Efficient Structures| Green Buildings
Posted by BenzuJK in Sustainable Design on November 11, 2010
Energy Efficiency | Green Buildings and Infrastructure
We have already discussed how Energy Efficiency can be achieved in different structures. In the previous article, our main focus was on Bio-climatic architecture. Bio-climatic Architecture forms a part of the Principles of Green Building Architecture.
It is necessary to understand the relationship between Bio-climatic Architectural Design and the way in which the Wind energy is harnessed.
Wind Turbines located at a height
We have already discussed the use of Wind turbines for the generation of electricity. We will be discussing the mechanism of Wind turbines in detail.
Wind Turbines
Wind Turbine is a rotary devices which utilizes mechanical energy and converts it into electrical energy. Windmills that extract the energy from the wind and utilize the mechanical energy for cutting of lumber, pumping water etc have been used since ancient times.
Windmills came into picture in 200BC. They have first been used in Persia and then a better and practical version of the windmills has been observed in Sistan, a region between Afghanistan and Iran in the 7th century.
Later on, after the industrial revolution, the concept of using the wind power with the help of wind turbines to generate electricity was discovered.
If the mechanical energy is instead converted to electricity, the machine is called a wind generator, wind turbine, wind turbine generator (WTG), wind power unit (WPU), wind energy converter (WEC), or aerogenerator.
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Energy Efficient Structures | Principles of Green Building Architecture
Posted by BenzuJK in Sustainable Design on November 9, 2010
Energy Efficiency | Green Building Architecture
Energy Efficiency is one of the key principles of Green Architecture. Energy Efficient Structures can be described as the structures that involve the use of less energy intensive materials required for the construction. The utilization of energy resources by the users of the building also determines the Energy Efficient of the Built Structure.
In our previous articles regarding “Principles of Green Architecture”, we have listed seven important principles of Green Architecture. They are as follows:
- Site and its surroundings
- Energy Efficiency
- Water Efficiency
- Material Efficiency
- Indoor Air Quality
- Waste Reduction
- Low maintenance costs
Flowchart - Energy Efficient Structures
The first step towards designing an energy efficient structure is designing the structure in a way that it justifies the principles of Bio-climatic Architecture.
Bio-climatic Architecture is a simple theory of the design of buildings depending on various factors such as:
- Location of the Site
- Micro-climate of the place
- Macro-climate of the place
- Topography of the site
- Natural elements present on the site
- These factors are analysed and then taken into consideration while designing.
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