SUSD0003 Overall reflection

Where to begin.
This course had so many interesting lectures. The one that imprinted on me the most was the one about facades. That one was so insightful especially that case studies was used. That made the base of my term project format. I have heard and been through a lot of sustainable or "go green" sessions that they become rather boring and repetitive. Yet most of the ones here, because they are relevant to what I do as an architectural student and can be applied, are very informative.

Another very useful feature was the Green Star day course. It was only a bare minimal introduction but it was enough to give me the general picture of rating systems as well as how to apply them to projects. However it is the practical tips such as how to speak to clients to gain their trust are the knowledge that had the most impact. I believe they will be very useful for me in the future. These sessions by experienced professionals are simply the ones that cannot be obtained easily.

It was a shame that the classes are always after a long day at studio. I could never completely concentrate above the fatigue and sleepiness. Another thing is that the classes seem disjointed to each other. Every week or every topic there is always a different person speaking without anyone to connect them. The topics also went without any clear progression or order that I can figure out. On the other hand I could have been more active in the sessions as well. We were all given the opportunity and drive to do just that but hardly any of us did. This feels like an online course because most of the interaction is on Moodle site. It felt awkward especially that hardly anyone commented on other's comments. I actually know quite a few of my classmates decently well yet I am still not comfortable with posting a potentially controversial comment out in the open where everyone can see them at any time. I know that is sort of the point of online interaction, but I did not sign up for an online course.

That was why the group work is the absolute favourite of all the 3 assignments. The exchange of ideas (in-person conversation) was inspiring. It was a wonder how we agree on so many things and have similar ideas. Of course we had differences, yet after a moment of educated discussion we always smooth things over and end up with a stronger idea, one that was moulded from the strength of each person's initial concept.

All-in-all, I learned a lot. I made friends. I've seen different perspectives and ideas that I have never considered before. But I could have been more active and shed all the awkwardness I had in the beginning.

SUSD0003 Term project report reflection

When I had the presentation I only had my research and preparation. I did not actually have any part of the report written down.
In the end I used mostly what I have learned from High Performance Studio and various lectures, for this course and others such as the Utzon series, to make up the majority of the content. That is because those kind of knowledge are much more practical and easy to understand. I do not really need statistics and numbers as this report is not trying to convince anyone to act; instead it is intended to guide them how to.
Using my studio project, which is also a high performance office, as a worked example in parallel with the guide itself helped me to focus and to realise certain angles that I might not have considered before.

The downsides I have includes fields that I have not considered much such as office layout and community participation. If I have more time or another chance those would be interesting to research and might matter a lot in the design and operation of a sustainable building. My guide was also too much from an architectural point of view. I did not go into any detail at all with systems that do not connect much with the actually form of the building such as the water recycling system or co/tri-gen. I learned from my joint Architect-Engineer-Sustainable Developer studio last semester than I am not qualified whatsoever to make any detail about those things... but still I could perhaps dig up some more interesting ways to use them.

All in all, interesting project. I have learned much about sustainability in office design. And this was a chance to apply the lessons I took in from my time in uni.

SUSD0003 Week 13: Term project presentation

Interestingly in this session I learned more about the presentation format itself than the term project. I had fun playing around with the mix format of Pechakucha and 3MT (3 minute thesis). I can only use 3 minutes with very short slides to show off my projects, therefore I relied completely on graphics to show them off. I mostly did it spontaneously without a script too. I realised here that what I'm doing is a fun project. I learn more for myself than to whom I'm actually writing this for.

The feedback is generally good although mostly quiet. That is understandable as on that day most of the class has just finished a major studio submission and has little energy for attention and critique. It was also interesting looking at what others are doing. I have incorporated some of their own methodology and ideas into mine. Most notably incorporating a worked example for application of strategies using my own studio project to make my ideas clearer.

SUSD0003 Week 12: Personal lifestyle reflection

In response the reflection questions posted by our tutor:

Ponder upon following questions and write your reflections:
1. What are the energy/emission related impacts of your actions and lifestyle currently? What do they mean to you?
2. Which areas of your lifestyle are of particular concern to you? Why?
3. What have you already done in response to these energy/emission impacts and your concerns?
4. What are you currently working on or would like to do in the future in response to the remaining issues? What is preventing you? How will you overcome them?
5. What other positive impacts do you see yourself making beyond your immediate personal lifestyle? How?
6. Are you indirectly investing in or financing climate change and fossil fuel industry? Have you checked if your banks and your Super funds are funding climate catastrophe? Do you know you can switch, divest and go fossil free?

I have answered:

1. Everything I do is somewhat related to carbon emission. The only part that’s minimal is transportation as I live on campus and close to shops. I mostly walk and do not own a car nor do I fly often. Other than that, I consume products and energy that contribute to a lot of carbon emission or environmental damage. Especially my waste, usage of paper for printing, owning a lot of electronics that contain hazardous waste when thrown away, high use of electricity for heating, carbon footprint from eating meats.

2. The one that concerns me the most is the fact that I eat meat for a large part of my diet. Specifically, red meat and seafood. I found out lately that red meat especially has very high carbon footprint to vegetarian diet. The reason why I eat a lot of meat is simply because I like them, even though I do not to eat that much.

3. In spirit of Lent I have reduced consumption of red meat especially. In Sydney, its beef that I avoid the most whenever I can. I have switched to more sustainable (and cultivatable) seafood for source of good protein; from salmon and tuna to flathead and prawn. 

4. Another concerning thing is perhaps the fact that I live alone in a studio room. Living alone compared to living together has more impact as I do not share the load of my heating, cooling, lighting, etc. I consume/emit more per person than if I live in shared apartments. The reason I live alone is that I feel more comfortable as an architectural students to live this way. I have a lot of stuff lying everywhere including models. I also do not want to disturb other occupants when I have to do long hours for large projects. However I do try to consume less by not using the conditioning system as much as possible. In addition I intend to move with a friend after I am done with my Masters.

5. By studying architecture with the intention of professional practice and focusing on high performance I do hope I can contribute to efficient design of buildings. I do not have the delusion that I can change the world by myself or anything drastic like that but I am confident that simply buy making smart passive design that makes the building use less energy I can at least help with the effort of sustainability.

6. Unfortunately the bank I store my Australian funds does indeed invest in fossil fuels. Interestingly all other major/famous banks in Australia does it as well though. Although the amount in said bank is not significant ie only stores a few months’ worth of funds at any time that still means I indirectly contribute to fossil fuels. Most of my family asset is back home. Yet sadly they are not nearly as transparent as the banks in Australia so I do not know if they are investing or fossil fuels or not. I did not know that I can actually do fossil free. I shall keep that strongly in mind when going for financial independence.

SUSD0003 Week 12: the problem with Net-Zero Buildings

https://www.buildinggreen.com/feature/problem-net-zero-buildings-and-case-net-zero-neighborhoods



All the usual talk about net-zero buildings almost never talk about the side effects or the big picture of said projects. The article discusses that individual and isolated net-zero energy buildings can be argued as meaningless, inefficient, or counter-productive. It is better to use the money effort to reduce energy in a larger site/community. That would actually save more energy.

Apart from that buildings that usually can reach net-zero energy as usually low storied ones. Thus creating a tendency to sprawl and spread the built environment which can create a problem with land use in addition to the need for fossil-powered transportation between those spread buildings.

Therefore it can be argued that instead of expensive isolated net-zero buildings it is better to concentrate our attention in whole energy-efficient communities. Of course that's not without its own problems; such as the difficulty to coordinate all the stakeholders and land owners in any given designated community. The success of such large projects also depend significantly on the participation of the occupants.

It does make sense that to truly make a difference on this planet we have to focus in building sustainable communities, not just greenwashed or glorified designer buildings. It relies more on the teamwork of the masses to make this happen, but that is the point of true change. It must be done by everyone, not just specialists and rich businessmen.

SUSD0003 Week 11: Josh's House

https://vimeo.com/102548268



In this video on a sustainable housing project we learned that a high-performing building doesn't have to be expensive, complicated, or uncomfortable. It is hard perhaps to plan all the strategies, but once enacted these smart designs can me a significant difference in terms of energy, water, and therefore spending and carbon footprint.

For example by using a combination of passive solar, appropriately high thermal mass, and natural ventilation Josh can manage to not use artificial heaters and coolers while keeping his entire house at a comfortable thermal comfort. The savings from his water collecting and recycling schemes also reduce his bill by about 90%.

And all at at the same cost of a typical house of the same size and type. What we can take away from his is that sustainability is not about expensive gadgets, but about smart planning.

SUSD0003 Week 11: No (full) glass!

https://sourceable.net/all-glass-facades-wont-exist-in-sustainable-cities/



This is an interesting look at the facades of most modern buildings ie all glass. They look sleek and clean (dare I say "cool") but they have several huge problems:

- In most climates require a significant amount of energy to cool/heat to a comfortable level

- Lets in solar radiation that even if the room temperature is at normal levels, occupants would still be bugged bu the radiant heat streaming in from the glass

- If designed to have high reflectivity to combat radiation it will instead create discomfort for the residents around the building

Baggs proposed a simple solution to the radiant heat problem: incorporate external shading to the facade. Sure it might look ugly and ruin the smoothness of the face but really who should care about that if external shading both reduces operational energy and discomfort from radiant heat. Or just not use an all-glass facade at all.

The major challenge is to get rid of the mindset of this all-glass facade that has been prevalent since early 20th-century Modernism/International style. Its time to move on with future... perhaps a future with no or little glass in our towers.

SUSD0003 Week 9: Utzon Lecture: Innovating to Zero in the Building sector

https://www.be.unsw.edu.au/events/utzonlecture/innovatingzero

In this Utzon lecture series Prof Santamouris (which is also a regular lecturer for our ARCH Building Services Course) discusses mostly about the energy crisis in the present and how to plan for the future. Given the lengthy title it was actually a simple concept: reduce usage of energy. Half or so of the lecture was to convince the audience that the energy crisis is real and gripping. There was numerous real data, past, present, and future projections, that shows that the world needs to act and act soon. The later half also had facts and figures some relating to the consequences of not doing anything. He also reminded us that the whole world pledged to reduce energy consumption in the Paris Convention, yet arguably we are not going anywhere towards that goal. Many solutions were suggested, some simple others not so much, but they are potential solutions nevertheless.


Although the numbers and figures were muddled to us and to my mind rather off-focus at times, they do wonders in convincing us the necessity of innovating energy-neutral buildings(or at least environments that use less energy). It is true that a significant amount of capital is needed for both innovation and implementation of energy-reducing measures but the cost of not doing anything will be greater especially in human lives if the energy poverty isn't relieved by the time global warming has taken its toll. I do not think this is a simple call to change our behaviour to solve the problem either; sometimes we do not have a choice. Say if the temperature outside is 50 degree C and room temperature is soaring towards 40 degrees we have to use energy to cool down our living spaces else we might suffer from heatstroke. Such a scenario will be much more common in the future considering the heat-island effect in ever-growing cities and the rising global temperature due to climate change. Surprisingly many of the fixes are relatively easy. For example, our dark-coloured asphalt can be replaced with lighter coloured ones to reduce heat absortion in cities (most likely place to find large areas of asphalt roads/pavements). Lower temperatures means that we do not need as much cooling and therefore less energy is needed. In short, smart passive design can reduce energy consumption.

SUSD0003 Week 9: TED Talk: Designing for microbes

http://www.ted.com/talks/jessica_green_good_germs_make_healthy_buildings

This interesting TED talk discusses a topic that we never really talk about in architecture: microbes. Even if we do talk about these organism its usually the negative aspects that are highlighted.

It seems that in a given building, every room type are akin to a distinct ecosystem for specific microbes. In a same room however some areas or mechanical systems can have significantly different from each other suggesting that design strategies can indeed manipulate microbial composition. When these room are operated differently the microbes are also heavily affected; such as if a classroom remains closed for a whole week the bacteria carried into these rooms by the people who used them earlier cannot be flushed out and remained there. In fact, that colony might have grown well enough in that non-ventilated area that when the classroom were opened they produce an uncomfortable odour.

Now that we know microbes can affect our living spaces and conditions (therefore our quality of life) we should give some thought into them. What's more, we know we can manipulate them in some way. Although more research is needed on exactly how and why (also considering that the experiment was only on one building) it seems like designing to make microbes work for us or at least prevent them from degrading our health is a relevant cause to take for the future.

SUSD0003 Week 8: Group Report submission

Similarly with the presentation earlier this week I reckon we finished the assignment well. For the final report we built up and revised our tool to something that we think can work and is relevant in Australia. Some aspects we still cannot think through well enough such as how to input and/or measure reverberation time into an online questionnaire like the one we intended to have. That said, our entire rating tool being online based and free might cause discrepancies amongst the rental units and might have a high tendency to manipulate data for financial gains. It is difficult to say the least to rely on the tenants to spot any lie or any other wrongdoings done by the proprietors. Yet we were very close to the word limit already and we agreed that those problems were for another day.

For my own contribution it is also similar to the presentation last week: compilation, formatting, spellchecking, etc. I spent quite some time reading through everyone's part and told members if they need major reworking of their respective sections. I did the minor adjustments myself including change of words, removing unnecessary words and sentences, additions to unify all the sections, and inserting some sections about the website. I reckon it was a fair amount of work and also just compared to everyone else in the team.

SUSD0003 Week 8: Reflection on Assignment 1 presentation

All-in-all I think my team did well. We were well prepared in our concept of an accessible sustainability rating for housing (we call it HEART). The audience seemed to agree at least with our major points, but of course we need to revise some details such as how our rating tool works with power/water/waste companies to provide a truthful and accurate data for each household. A large hindsight would be how such data can be adapted or translated in regards to how many persons actually live in a given unit; yet I do not think that is something we need to worry about for this assignment as it is a complicated measurement.

As for my personal involvement/contribution, my role was to synchronise and compile everyone's work as well as creating a mock website to show how our rating tool can work. The template I chose for the PPT presentation was a common one and one of the other teams used the same one so next time I should spend more time looking for a less generic template. The compilation job was done decently well; we even had time to practice our presentation. The website was simple and rather hastily done but it was enough to wow the crowds:

I have forgotten many lesson I had years ago and it took longer than expected because of that. Yet it was well worth the effort.

SUSD0003 Week 7: China's huge greenhouse gas emission

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/business-spectator/how-much-of-chinas-emissions-is-the-rest-of-the-world-responsible-for-/news-story/f6459e6e7ba06bc67c4cfa6317d9c05c?utm_source=exact&utm_medium=email&utm_content=951481&utm_campaign=cs_daily&modapt=

Based on the numbers alone China does indeed have surpassed the US as the largest greenhouse gas producer in the world. This sounds worrying at first, but Hope has argued that this is because manufacturing of goods has moved from the countries originally started mass production in the industrial revolution to China and many other Asian countries. Another point of fact is that the emission per capita in China is still relatively lower than that of most of the developed countries. In fact China exports a significant amount of said manufactured goods to those developed countries.



Therefore one can say that many countries contribute to China's soaring greenhouse gas emission. Even though it is understandable that China has such a high emission considering how large it is and that it arguably manufactures quite a portion of the world's goods it is still worrying that its emission is climbing higher and higher. China's rising GDP per capita aka. prosperity amongst its people might also increase this trend as it always does in other countries.To reduce greenhouse emission globally everyone must work together to perhaps reduce consumption, switch to more environmentally-friendly fuels, and make products last longer or more efficient. We cannot point our fingers just at China. That would also be a bit hypocritical as Australia has the highest greenhouse emission rate per capita.

SUSD0003 Week 7: Interesting ideas: Self-sustaining villages

http://www.archdaily.com/794167/innovative-self-sustaining-village-model-could-be-the-future-of-semi-urban-living



Here is an intersting concept about a fully self-sustaining community. It gives new meaning to the word "sustainability" when a whole group of people can effectively consume zero everything from the environment: zero carbon, zero energy, zero water, and so on not just the standard ones. After construction and as long as they can be managed effectively this village will take nothing from the planet.

SUSD0003 Week 6: Ideas for rating system

As before we have agreed on a kind of tool (cheap and easily accessible) to rate housing units in Australia.
Based on the GreenStar Foundation Course we have revised our scope:

Acoustics
Community
Vibration?
Add a frame like NatHERS for thermal comfort
WELS for toilet and other water fixtures (relates to water efficiency?)
Add a rating for modular funiture?

These are additions/fixes from the discussion we had on week 5:

On another note, the Green Star Foundation course is absolutely useful for not only this course but for my High Performance Studio and maybe the Building Services as well. Knowing the reasons and details about a highly-developed rating tool is such an eye opener. It gave me many ideas to improve my projects as well. Regarding the Green Star registration and being a partner, I might consider being one as at the very least I can make my future clients trust me just a little bit more.

SUSD0003 Week 5: Reflection on readings

Energy Modelling: Early and often

https://www.buildinggreen.com/feature/energy-modeling-early-and-often

This article argues the importance of energy modelling is to support a low-energy project. In many cases a finished building will not perform energy-wise as it was designed to do. There are various reasons for this, but one of the sure fire way to combat this problem is to use modelling programs in the design process. Actually, models should be used before the design phase has even started, then to be continually updated at every given opportunity. The analysis produced by said models form a feedback loop towards the design process, making sure that the planned measures are realistic and up to the agreed target of energy savings. Thus why the title is EARLY and OFTEN.

Yet I have noticed that amongst the given reason of design inaccuracy were:

- Installed equipment different from what was intended

- Different occupancy pattern

-. Variable future conditions

I fail to see how those can be solved with modelling. Perhaps another solution is to make the design rather flexible to accommodate changes to occupancy, use, and perhaps future climate conditions. Even modelling cannot predict strange patterns and unexpected changes. Unexpected changes will most likely happen in a building's lifetime. If it was given certain amount of space to adapt to such changes, it might still perform decently under circumstances.

Baggs, David. Beyond Carbon Neutrality: Strategies for Reductive and Restorative Sustainability, Environment Design Guide, No. 64, Sep 2010

This article focuses on pointing out what we're doing wrong in terms of sustainability practice and how to improve it. In particular, Baggs argues the importance of restorative efforts and not just reductive. This means we as a global nation must not only reduce consumption of energy and materials to make a meaningful impact to the environment, but to help nature recover from the damage done to it. It is assumed that nature might be fully capable of healing itself if we reduce our exploitation, it is still better for all of us to aid in its restoration.

For the reductive effort, Baggs reminded us once again that the field of the Built Environment contributes much to the current environmental crisis. The building industry consumes a significant portion of the world's total material and energy usage. We as practitioners in said field have the capacity to reduce those numbers significantly. In a nutshell, the way to do accomplish that is to design intensely for a closed lifecycle (crade-to-crade) and to make one of such cycle last for as long as possible. On the other hand, the restorative measures focus on giving back what we can to nature, mostly trees (especially native ones) and water.

This article features convincing facts and arguments to adopt Baggs' new strategy of the 5Rs, in particular his use of diagrams. In addition, the suggestions/methods of applying such strategy was also put down neatly. If I have to nitpick a problem with this article, its that designers like me are the vast minority compared to all the stakeholders in this planet. It may not even matter if I design 6 rate green star buildings for everyone if none of them are willing to change how they live. Private consumption also include a large chuck of the total planetary material and energy usage. A building's performance also depends largely on how the occupant's use it. It does not matter if I design a market-leading sustainable apartment if the tenant keeps the air conditioning on 24/7 out of habit. It does not matter if I design a building to last for a century if the owner decides to demolish it and sell the land for a profit opportunity only after a decade. I believe changing ourselves, the way we live, and educating the general public as designers must be included in our strategy for sustainability.

SUSD0003 Week 4: Post session proposal (individual)

Here's my personal proposal:
Since we already have compulsory NABERS rating for offices, I figure we should do something similar but for residences. My reasoning is that while offices are significant spaces that are occupied quite a long time each day, residences should be longer occupied.

So my building scope: Residences (Apartments, houses, boarding houses, etc)

As an example, when I was applying to live in a college in campus I have no idea how green or sustainable that building is. If we can know how sustainable an office is we should be able to know how green our potential home is as well.

As for the rating type I believe that we should focus more on performance rather than design. We should give equal footing for older houses as long as they are willing to improve their performance.

Therefore type: Operations and performance. Possibly with optional design and construction for newer residences.

I know this sounds very similar to NABERS but remember that residences are much more diverse than offices. We have to create a rating that is fair with considerations to the local conditions, age of the house, pattern of living, other specific needs.

SUSD0003 Week 4: Rating Systems

This week the discussion was about how to rate sustainability, which is difficult as there is no universal quantity and that the term "sustainability" itself has many different meanings depending on the context.

The common way of solving this is through the use of Rating Systems. There are many different variations of these systems usually to suit the local needs. There is no single rating system that can measure or encompass everything, that is why we need many more ingenious methods to rate the sustainability of spaces. 

Perhaps we should not limit ourselves to the built environment. Perhaps we should rate cards and other commonly used products as well. Why can't the widespread system used in buildings be used in say, cars. We not only want to know how sustainable our everyday facilities are, but also how comfortable they are to us. If packaged food has labels why can't cars have them as well? And not just say the amount of distance a car can get for every litre of gasoline but other more detailed variables such how much of the car itself can be recycled when it is time for it to be destroyed.

SUSD0003 Week 4: Pre-session reflection “Are we ready for Zero Carbon Buildings?”

https://sourceable.net/zero-carbon-buildings-but-are-we-ready/


This article, as well as many others I have seen, discusses the need and the logic to adapt sustainable measures in new buildings. Specifically, the buildings need to be designed to operate with no net energy or even positive energy.

According to Dr Prasad there are two barriers to adapting this measure: economics and human attitude. Even though in the long run running a zero carbon building means more savings or less money spent compared to a regular one there are still many who do not willing to spend more capital on the initial cost. It seems that significantly lower operating costs is not enough incentive economically. This makes sense, as sometimes one must ask where does the money come from? It is easier to spend more later along the way than one big bill in one go. The other factor, attitude, is perhaps simply our reluctance to adapt or maintain a significantly different environment than the ones we're used to. Most likely living in a sustainable home means we have to go without certain comforts such as 24/7 heating or cooling.

The suggested two ways to overcome this is to give both regulations and incentive. Compulsory vs voluntary. Of course we would prefer to make changes in our own pace. But considering the global climate crisis that we are getting ourselves into it seems good that we have something to nudge us loser to full sustainability.

SUSD0003 Term Project: Proposal

Term project SUSD0003

Editha Supangkat z3413866
Term 2, 2016

For the purpose of this assignment I wish to create a comprehensive guide in the complete life cycle of a mix-use office. The cycle will include procurement/design, construction, operations, maintenance, and the eventual demolition or refurbishment. I believe bringing attention to all of these aspects is important as every single step has the potential or at least the capacity to affect energy consumption, both embodied and operational.

Areas of focus per stage will be as follows:

Procurement/Design

As I am studying Master of Architecture this section will be the one that I dissect the most. The design process will mostly focus on implementing contemporary methods to reduce energy consumption and quite possibly make the building self-reliant. The appropriateness of the measures will be analysed in comparison with the size and specific program of the offices. Other options such as material choice and flexible layout to make the building last longer might also be discussed.

Construction

This part focuses on lowering the embodied energy that is built into the project. While the materials might already be decided in the previous stage the source has yet to be determined. This part of the guide will include choosing both the lower embodied energy materials and also the ones that take the least energy to be delivered to the site. For a social sustainability aspect choosing materials from responsible sources is also crucial. In addition, the construction methods itself may be scrutinised, such as comparing in situ concrete to pre-fab concrete. There is also a possibility of creating a guideline for construction that will be easily dismantled when necessary in the future.

Operations/Maintenance

Creating regulations and incentives for both landlord and tenants to lower energy usage while keeping or raising productivity levels. Includes an analysis of the NABERS system to give said office space a higher rating to attract potential tenants. Of course, the guideline of how to use the sustainable design features as was discussed in the design section will be included here.

Demolition

Only done when there is no other choice. As per the design measures it is quite possible that the available building can simply be refurbished or renovated to suit a new program.

But if it must be destroyed and replaced then this section will focus on how to minimise wasted materials. It is quite possible that only a part of the old building need to be pulled down if parts of it can be incorporated into the new. Or, the possibility of recycling the materials depending on its current conditions and viability of recycling will be explored.

Precedent

As the template or basis of my guide I shall use the UNSW Tyree building as precedent. It is mostly an educational facility yet similar to an office based on the usage period, private spaces for academics and students, and includes other spaces that might be in a mix use building such as exhibition spaces, conference rooms, laboratories, and cafes. Furthermore, the Tyree building as 6 Star Green design certification due to implemented measures such as:

·        Tri-generation systems

·        Photovoltaic system

·        Thermal labyrinths

·        Bore water cooling/heating

·        Lighting controls

·        Night purge

·        Double glazing

·        Treated bore water

·        Metering

These sustainable features affect both energy usage and the behaviour of the inhabitants inside the complex, which quite possibly lower energy usage even more while increasing productivity.

SUSD0003 Term Project: Proposal

Term project SUSD0003

Editha Supangkat z3413866
Term 2, 2016

For the purpose of this assignment I wish to create a comprehensive guide in the complete life cycle of a mix-use office. The cycle will include procurement/design, construction, operations, maintenance, and the eventual demolition or refurbishment. I believe bringing attention to all of these aspects is important as every single step has the potential or at least the capacity to affect energy consumption, both embodied and operational.

Areas of focus per stage will be as follows:

Procurement/Design

As I am studying Master of Architecture this section will be the one that I dissect the most. The design process will mostly focus on implementing contemporary methods to reduce energy consumption and quite possibly make the building self-reliant. The appropriateness of the measures will be analysed in comparison with the size and specific program of the offices. Other options such as material choice and flexible layout to make the building last longer might also be discussed.

Construction

This part focuses on lowering the embodied energy that is built into the project. While the materials might already be decided in the previous stage the source has yet to be determined. This part of the guide will include choosing both the lower embodied energy materials and also the ones that take the least energy to be delivered to the site. For a social sustainability aspect choosing materials from responsible sources is also crucial. In addition, the construction methods itself may be scrutinised, such as comparing in situ concrete to pre-fab concrete. There is also a possibility of creating a guideline for construction that will be easily dismantled when necessary in the future.

Operations/Maintenance

Creating regulations and incentives for both landlord and tenants to lower energy usage while keeping or raising productivity levels. Includes an analysis of the NABERS system to give said office space a higher rating to attract potential tenants. Of course, the guideline of how to use the sustainable design features as was discussed in the design section will be included here.

Demolition

Only done when there is no other choice. As per the design measures it is quite possible that the available building can simply be refurbished or renovated to suit a new program.

But if it must be destroyed and replaced then this section will focus on how to minimise wasted materials. It is quite possible that only a part of the old building need to be pulled down if parts of it can be incorporated into the new. Or, the possibility of recycling the materials depending on its current conditions and viability of recycling will be explored.

Precedent

As the template or basis of my guide I shall use the UNSW Tyree building as precedent. It is mostly an educational facility yet similar to an office based on the usage period, private spaces for academics and students, and includes other spaces that might be in a mix use building such as exhibition spaces, conference rooms, laboratories, and cafes. Furthermore, the Tyree building as 6 Star Green design certification due to implemented measures such as:

·        Tri-generation systems

·        Photovoltaic system

·        Thermal labyrinths

·        Bore water cooling/heating

·        Lighting controls

·        Night purge

·        Double glazing

·        Treated bore water

·        Metering

These sustainable features affect both energy usage and the behaviour of the inhabitants inside the complex, which quite possibly lower energy usage even more while increasing productivity.

SUSD0003 Week 3: "Green" building

This week we learned about the sustainability indicators for a building that claims to be green:

Electricity
Water
Occupant's opinions

And of all the rating systems that were presented to us the one that was most appealing to me is NABERS. Compared to other ratings such as the commonly used Green Star, NABERS is a performance based indicator not one that is based simply on design promises. It must also be renewed every year based on the real bills the building gets.

I feel that this system of rating prevents greenwashing and excessive rebound effect as it pressures the owners and users to keep their promise to say it simply.

SUSD0003 Week 2: Critical Review

Beheading a duck?

In response to that article I posted this review on Moodle:

This article discusses the issue of wasteful use of electricity by Australians and how to subsequently tackle that. The solar adoption of solar panels in many Australian homes successfully reduces electricity load from the grid by a significant amount. Consequently there is now a significant peak in use of grid electricity at night. Pears argued that much of energy used is wasted, unnecessary, or at least preventable. To reduce this peak load, he suggested that homes should use the most efficient appliances and artificial lighting. Another way would to reduce the need of using such appliances, for example by keeping the house cool at daytime so that cooling will not be necessary at night. These measures will save a considerable amount of money from each household and billions of dollars across the country.

Pears supported his views and arguments thoroughly, using and analysing graphs from various reputable sources. That humanises the seemingly complicated statistics regarding energy use into easily understandable facts. In addition, his suggestions regarding how to reduce evening energy consumption at home are also logical and easy to grasp.

However, he did not truly detail how the Australian government or other institutions can should help households in reducing their electricity loads. Even though he did provide precedent from California, it might not work as well in Australia as it most likely is a different environment in terms of living habits, bureaucracy, and even the fuels used in generating the grid electricity. It will be fascinating to read what Pears think what scheme would work in the local Australian context.

Based on the UNSW requirements it seems to be a decent go at writing a critical review. Yet we must self-evaluate our own writing based on the marking rubric inside the course outline and based on that I can see that my attempt was very lacking. It seems that I must also use my own research and assumed knowledge outside of what is written in the article. I do not fully understand what "effective and academic quality written expression" really refer to but I intend to find out. I can apply all this into the coming report assessments so therefore improving my writing skills will be a worthwhile effort

SUSD0003 Week 2: Reflection on TED talk

Amory Lovins: A 40 Year Plan for Energy

From that short lecture I realise that there is actually nothing stopping us from ditching fossil fuels and switch completely into green energy. In fact, it is our best interest in every possible way to do so.

I studied a a few courses of economics back in Undergrad. I understand that every rational decision is made towards the best possible option when compared to all that are available. Therefore if an option is not attractive enough, one way to make that the best one is to add economic incentive, a reward.

Switching to sustainable green energy is already the most logical solution to the growing problem of climate change and pollution. However there seems to be a perceived notion that it is expensive or economically not viable to do so. According to Lovins, this is a huge mistake. I agree that green energy is both the best option in terms of planetary well being and business profits. The hitch seems to be that the business benefits are not widely known or visible.

Therefore part of the solution is to make that economic benefit much clearer or even even more attractive by giving certain benefits to those who switch or at least reduce using fossil-fuel based energy sources. Even when the upfront cost is higher, the wider public must be educated that in the long run it is green energy that will save more money. In addition to that, we also need to integrate efforts towards sustainability more. It is clear that the results are better if different sectors work and consult each other.

SUSD0003 Week 1: My ecological footprint

After taking the WWF footprint calculator and hearing through the first lecture introducing the concept of sustainability I realise that I am part of the problem that contributes to the current climate change crisis.
With my lifestyle, even as a thrifty student, I need approximately 3.4 Earths in order to sustain it. Even after I make the pledge to half the amount of meat products I consume I still need 2.7 Earths as the screenshot shows:

I often get the ideas and motivations that as an architect I have the power to change the world. But what is the point of that if I cannot change myself. The concept that design can fix or at least lessen climate change is not completely delusional, it just needs a lot of work and perhaps a new way of thinking.
But first, I realise that I have to change myself first to even stand a remote chance of changing the world.