tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71781844599291825202024-03-09T16:52:17.756+11:00Steve King about ArchitectureSporadic reflections on values in Architecture, with an emphasis on sustainabilitysteve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.comBlogger222125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-15480685838045351712019-07-31T17:26:00.003+10:002019-07-31T17:26:55.646+10:00Whatever happened to One Building / One City?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Apparently not much.</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWG22HCkV-wEZ56rG4-MfO3KwStcmkYgfiZCn4aCmh1oGIXX0zZgBWqHvMXOzWChdBQsUpe_dedoKwpwnMxDb7ROiymX59rmQlKEM3cn8JosRe6wGcHyAEycw8RWkFHK0z93xqT_h0QNry/s1600/Sky+City+One.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWG22HCkV-wEZ56rG4-MfO3KwStcmkYgfiZCn4aCmh1oGIXX0zZgBWqHvMXOzWChdBQsUpe_dedoKwpwnMxDb7ROiymX59rmQlKEM3cn8JosRe6wGcHyAEycw8RWkFHK0z93xqT_h0QNry/s320/Sky+City+One.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>My previous post:</i><a href="http://stevekingonsustainability.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/one-building-one-city.html">http://stevekingonsustainability.blogspot.com.au</a><br />
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<i>Links:</i><br />
http://www.dezeen.com/2015/07/20/foundations-planned-worlds-tallest-building-changsha-china-repurposed-fish-farm-skyscraper-broad-sustainable-building/<br />
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<i>Small Sky City built prototype:</i><br />
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/06/26/asia/china-skyscraper-prefabricated/<br />
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<a href="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/150519143326-mini-sky-city-bikes-exlarge-169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/150519143326-mini-sky-city-bikes-exlarge-169.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-68585311736505821242019-01-21T22:16:00.001+11:002020-04-16T20:42:08.798+10:00Same but not the same<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">A recent post on designboom featured Luo Design Studio’s <b>Longfu Life Experience Center,</b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
in the Henan province of China, designed “with a view to create a
‘universal space’ that boasts infinite possible uses rather than being limited
to one specific function”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The architect’s
statement claims that the timber structure can be completely dismantled and
reused.</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">It didn’t take long for a comment to appear on the post, suggesting that the project “looks
cool but its <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(sic)</i> a total knock off
of Shigeru Ban’s Nine Bridges project”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
comment betrays a typically superficial scrutiny of the two projects. However,
it does raise interesting questions about originality and imitation, and the
notions of type and typology in architecture.</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Indeed, the headline images show a certain similarity of an overall rectangular
prismatic volume, with a visually dominant timber structural system.</span></b></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img alt="Nine Bridges Country Club,© Hiroyuki Hirai" class="afd-gal-img js-gal-img active-image js-gal-mob-img-onview" height="320" id="53325861c07a80cb6b0000a2-nine-bridges-country-club-shigeru-ban-architects-photo" src="https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5332/5861/c07a/80cb/6b00/00a2/slideshow/_MG_1798.jpg?1395808341" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-height: 857px; max-width: 1087px; transform-origin: 50% 50% 0px;" width="212" /></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Nine Bridges Country Club - Shigeru Ban</span> </span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">The main <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">similarity</i> between the
two projects is that both employ timber structures characterised by ‘clustered
columns’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To my mind this is a well known
structural typology, and Luo Studio can quite properly reference it by that generic, name without
attributing it to Shigeru Ban’s particular example. </span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Otherwise Ban, in turn,
could be taken to task for ‘imitating’ a number of remarkable Gothic churches
with spectacular groined ceilings.</span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPX5s4x67RzJqqlwUWXM8CJWUzMSR8fYubdLhfXQ52X2tsH57p_sXIzIAnnAuxC9oBGxl24DJXGBL-9zdI6dx0c3FT7p1zT3CzeJGmEG0u8VDk5d3epe2gVVVjKQXo1eKZrLCTAzgh3jP/s1600/Kings+College.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPX5s4x67RzJqqlwUWXM8CJWUzMSR8fYubdLhfXQ52X2tsH57p_sXIzIAnnAuxC9oBGxl24DJXGBL-9zdI6dx0c3FT7p1zT3CzeJGmEG0u8VDk5d3epe2gVVVjKQXo1eKZrLCTAzgh3jP/s320/Kings+College.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Equally telling is the <i>difference</i>
between the two projects. </span></b></span></span></span></b></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Ban’s timber ‘trees’ are resolved to stridently high tolerances, and go
to extreme lengths to hide any steel connections – if indeed any are employed.</span></b></span></span></b></span></span></b></span></span></span></b></span></span></span></b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5ifvPUVCyHkpickhrmRSGfyrRzp_yYiYIvMuXpdn1qcPYq5VuVhdzh8XpUYU3hcAHv9e6Iz1dZY2gorHuWzHZatQJ4UzoFsT-z9wC7kFarIlRnvKTtJIhGrX3E_CzuyNSD7GP8dymBTg/s1600/Ban+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="562" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5ifvPUVCyHkpickhrmRSGfyrRzp_yYiYIvMuXpdn1qcPYq5VuVhdzh8XpUYU3hcAHv9e6Iz1dZY2gorHuWzHZatQJ4UzoFsT-z9wC7kFarIlRnvKTtJIhGrX3E_CzuyNSD7GP8dymBTg/s400/Ban+detail.jpg" width="283" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">In contrast, Luo Studio celebrates a ‘steam punk’ aesthetic of hybrid
structure, with prominent, oversized, loose fit steel connectors. </span></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUIVO-6VSnjJ7CVmdNMMY5zLUdmND4dx31LOvjQ9ix0KBthNc2QzxTNg-jwLDQUt0UBekU3TUFT9bxOKn58QhBaERsG6Y1f6wbwcRjqVAC2t0xe3GP9fxK2O8n0lJA_G8TdWpzjbWA8fS/s1600/Luo+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1227" data-original-width="818" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUIVO-6VSnjJ7CVmdNMMY5zLUdmND4dx31LOvjQ9ix0KBthNc2QzxTNg-jwLDQUt0UBekU3TUFT9bxOKn58QhBaERsG6Y1f6wbwcRjqVAC2t0xe3GP9fxK2O8n0lJA_G8TdWpzjbWA8fS/s400/Luo+detail.jpg" width="266" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">It’s that
loose fit that allowed the architects to meet the challenge of completing the entire
design and construction in less than two months, and at the same time control
the cost.</span></b><b> </b></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">"….the building was also required to be reusable so that any
part of the structure can be enlarged, cut, replaced or moved based on
different needs. what’s more, the building can also be completely dismounted
and repurposed, and its materials can be reused for other constructions, hence
achieving the objective to create a space that is both ‘universal’ and conveys
the green credentials of the client."</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Clearly, both projects offer something as precedents, but their messages
are radically different.</span></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></b></span></span></span></b></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.designboom.com/architecture/luo-studios-timber-structure-china-dismantled-reused-11-20-2018/">https://www.designboom.com/architecture/luo-studios-timber-structure-china-dismantled-reused-11-20-2018/</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.archdaily.com/490241/nine-bridges-country-club-shigeru-ban-architects">https://www.archdaily.com/490241/nine-bridges-country-club-shigeru-ban-architects</a></span></span></div>
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steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-73004351523890818042019-01-16T11:22:00.000+11:002019-01-17T09:53:25.910+11:00Not just another brick in the wall<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/getmedia/fb0e4692-d351-4b2d-ba7c-57ec3e7fd227/4b322f7524fad96188a7bc604d4e428e.aspx?width=567&height=425&ext=.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="567" height="239" src="https://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/getmedia/fb0e4692-d351-4b2d-ba7c-57ec3e7fd227/4b322f7524fad96188a7bc604d4e428e.aspx?width=567&height=425&ext=.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Energy generating bricks.</h3>
A brief article in <a href="https://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Architecture&Design</b></a> has announced the development of a <b>thermogalvanic brick</b>, which
generates electricity as long as the two faces of the brick are at
different temperatures.<br />
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The preconditions for generating electricity in this way exist everywhere; there are temperature differences across almost any part of the
building fabric, be they walls in the sun, panels on the roof, even
floor slabs. And the practical applications of the principle are therefore not necessarily confined to a brick format.<br />
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Indeed, the headline image of the architecture&design article may be 'sub optimal', in that it illustrates a brick wall where self shading actually cuts down the available temperature differences between the sunlit exterior surface and the interior face of the wall. But of course, it may be that in this application, the reduction in cooling load far outweighs the reduction in electricity production.<br />
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From that specific proviso, we can generalise; however brilliant the theoretical principle, it's widespread practical application will be subject to much more complex evaluation of the efficiency and effectiveness of the system.<br />
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Does it generate useful amounts of electricity in comparison
to other systems? Can it power a range of useful devices, and at useful
times of the day? At first sight, it would appear that the proposed
applications are limited to the basic needs of developing countries, for a
nominal amount of night-time illumination and importantly, for charging mobile phones. <br />
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What are the cost benefits? Properly, these should be accounted for not just financially, but by 'cradle to cradle' analysis of embodied materials and energy. In this regard, the proposal is elegant:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>"Crucially, they do not require maintenance, recharging or refilling.
Unlike batteries, they store no energy themselves, which also removes
risk of fire and transport restrictions."</b></blockquote>
But there are many other considerations, most especially the potential waste stream. After all, for many years, plastic bags were thought to be extremely effective at what they do.<br />
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But I am sick of being pessimistic. The principle is brilliantly obvious. I wish them the best of luck in scaling up.<br />
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For the A&D article, click<a href="https://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/news/energy-generating-bricks-could-help-build-a-sustai" target="_blank"> <b>here.</b></a><br />
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For more information see the <a href="https://www.idtechex.com/research/reports/distributed-generation-minigrid-microgrid-zero-emission-2018-2038-000562.asp" target="_blank">IDTechEx report on Distributed Generation: Minigrid Microgrid Zero Emission 2018-2038.</a></div>
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steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-50658159288587268822018-03-12T10:49:00.003+11:002018-03-12T10:52:47.745+11:00Green security<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 class="project-article-heading" id="ctl00_plcMain_itemTitle" style="text-align: left;">
Developer buys up nurseries to secure plant supply for future builds </h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0VXJn53fuKflNpdeymF5ekB4S4Z-gDYMdgT3txYGsWn8uuuuYPbZpMReoPVSKCtkp_bN1y2W8MMaKGKqfpR-Y7vWlSpPI_482iPh2b1Vhf8rdXRKrCnJzyybMDpVCp5_LlL_v8kCJ9xW/s1600/Romecity3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="914" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0VXJn53fuKflNpdeymF5ekB4S4Z-gDYMdgT3txYGsWn8uuuuYPbZpMReoPVSKCtkp_bN1y2W8MMaKGKqfpR-Y7vWlSpPI_482iPh2b1Vhf8rdXRKrCnJzyybMDpVCp5_LlL_v8kCJ9xW/s320/Romecity3.png" width="320" /></a><br />
I will resist the temptation to joke about putting planter boxes in front of entrances to slow down car bombs.<br />
<br />
Sometimes you come across a little bit of news that surprises you, and makes perfect sense.<br />
<a href="http://www.romeciti.com.au/" target="_blank">Romeciti, </a>a local Sydney developer have just announced that they have acquired two plant nurseries, so that they could guarantee the supply of mature plant material for their building projects.<br />
<br />
According to a spokesman for the company, since Romeciti was formed it has always been focused on creating 'green cities':<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>"We feel that a healthy community includes having access to green
spaces, as it has been proven to bring a sense of calm and wellness in
this busy modern world. We feel this growing market desire for a green
environment is just a natural shift by educated buyers who recognize the
importance of greenery in a long-term residence."</b></blockquote>
It is really easy to dismiss that kind of talk as current zeitgeist marketing hype. Until you see by their actions, that they mean it and they are prepared to invest in it. They also add significantly to their credibility by emphasizing that their investment is not just in assuring the plant supply, but also in building up their expertise in choice and maintenance of those plants.<br />
<br />
Obviously, not every developer can follow this approach. But the initiative is scalable, especially if we had government brave enough to participate.<br />
<br />
Congratulations to Romecity.<br />
Read the original article in Architecture and Design, <a href="http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/news/sydney-developer-buys-up-nurseries-to-secure-plant" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-72322396398565146412018-02-28T15:26:00.001+11:002018-03-12T10:54:58.619+11:00Concrete does not grow on trees<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Fortunately, a variety of engineered timbers, including CLT do. Why is this important? Because very soon we will have to start thinking very hard about just how much concrete we use in construction</div>
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Not that we can forget about running out of oil. But perhaps we should start worrying more about
running out of sand. That is the message of an alarming article in New Scientist
recently.
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<b>"Modern life depends on sand, yet our supplies are
dangerously low."</b></div>
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The problem, it seems, is that while sand appears to be
plentiful, there are many different kinds of sand. And most of the sand is not
suitable for the purposes where we use a lot of it. After dredging sand for land
reclamation, guess what is the most common end-use? It only takes a moment’s
thought, and we realise that it is concrete.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<b>"Between 60 and 75 per cent of the sand we mine goes to sate our hunger for concrete. It is tough, easy to work with and fairly cheap, which is why we use twice as much of it as all other building materials combined: about 30 billion tons per year. That is enough to build a wall 27m tall by 27m wide around the equator."</b></div>
</blockquote>
Apart from the idea that you might actually run out of suitable sand, there are also increasingly serious environmental and social impacts associated with sand mining.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03l0n2Ryva7li6EKTQc24mv7-4sh7rHvyTDjZanTFp7oO04IFOMJRRWy3S4MOmQgCOu1jIeObNJLZ5q0F3vPI66J2zQrZGUIXQWR3Cy2HwriarQgpDKjiclPNVbh2v1dLiYuterIZhdLM/s1600/CLT.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="543" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03l0n2Ryva7li6EKTQc24mv7-4sh7rHvyTDjZanTFp7oO04IFOMJRRWy3S4MOmQgCOu1jIeObNJLZ5q0F3vPI66J2zQrZGUIXQWR3Cy2HwriarQgpDKjiclPNVbh2v1dLiYuterIZhdLM/s320/CLT.png" width="309" /></a></div>
To cut a long story short, we need to think about building in different ways, to cut down our addiction to concrete.<br />
<br />
This reduction in the use of concrete in buildings is even more urgent when you consider the likelihood that we will probably need to reserve mass concrete for the heavy engineering in climate change mitigation, and for major civil works such as dams and road/rail infrastructure.<br />
<br />
We have already built buildings where cross laminated timber has
substituted for concrete slabs and walls. It has all kinds of
advantages, ranging from extremely high tolerances in prefabrication, to
much more flexibility and resilience for ad hoc modification.What is not to like?</div>
steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-74804589484559565352018-02-16T17:38:00.000+11:002019-07-22T22:42:55.824+10:00The building knows who you are<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
and what you’re about to do.</h3>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.richardvanhooijdonk.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/The-Edge-1024x493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="800" height="154" src="https://www.richardvanhooijdonk.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/The-Edge-1024x493.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This is not necessarily what you expect, when you query Google for 'the greenest building in the world'. But as of January 26, 2017, that is what you get, on the slick website of <a href="https://www.richardvanhooijdonk.com/en/" target="_blank">Richard van Hooijdonk</a>, self-styled professional keynote speaker and futurist.<br />
<br />
He is speaking about 'the Edge', the Amsterdam headquarters of international consulting firm Deloitte, designed by <a class="external" href="http://www.plparchitecture.com/the-edge.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PLP Architecture</a>. And to be fair, he makes a valiant case for the success of the building's combination of environmental responsiveness and embedded IoT (Internet of Things).<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<a href="https://www.richardvanhooijdonk.com/en/smartest-greenest-building-earth-edge-like-computer-roof/" target="_blank">The Edge</a> is a modern office building, located in a vibrant urban environment, with excellent public transport, and famously flat terrain for commuting by bicycle. So it has a good start on achieving a very high score in any conventional sustainability rating system.<br />
<br />
To ensure that that potential is realised, the building is fitted with literally thousands of state-of-the-art sensors and automated controls, for just about every environmental variable. It achieves notable reductions in energy demand. And because the demand is low enough, photovoltaics can supply something in excess of the electricity used – though the building integrated photovoltaics of the building itself have to be supplemented by panels on adjacent rooftops.<br />
<br />
That last point is not a criticism. But it is one more practical reminder that when discussing sustainability, it is really important to define the so-called system boundaries. The consideration of system boundaries applies equally to water management, waste, and even how the building contributes to, or disrupts local landscape ecologies. And of course, whether any evaluation is being carried out with appropriate regard to the environmental cost of procurement and construction of the building. And whether on a 'cradle to grave' basis, or even the much more demanding 'cradle to cradle'.<br />
<br />
The Edge seems to have a go at everything. My favourite part:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>The Edge even
features an ecological corridor on the north-facing terrace of the
building for use by local insect, bird, and bat populations. The path of
vegetation supports beneficial insects by providing insect hotels,
while birds and bats are offered birdhouses and bat boxes that provide
shelter and space for nesting.</b></blockquote>
<a href="https://www.richardvanhooijdonk.com/en/" target="_blank">Richard van Hooijdonk'</a>s article might be based on the official press releases, and doesn't pretend to be rigorous. But it is an enthusiastic catalogue of contemporary initiatives and technologies employed by this building. Fun to read, if a little disturbing.<br />
<br />
Read:<br />
<i><a href="https://www.richardvanhooijdonk.com/en/smartest-greenest-building-earth-edge-like-computer-roof/" target="_blank">The smartest, greenest office building on earth – The Edge – is like a computer with a roof</a></i><br />
<br />
But if you want to do some detective work, read the more official Deloitte version:<br />
<i><a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/gx-the-edge-of-tomorrow.html" target="_blank">The edge of tomorrow</a></i><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Toward the end of the article, the company lists 'Sustainability gains across the network', including reductions in paper use. That is when you realize that while the building may represent a big advance, the corporate environment overall can still only be described as 'less bad' for sustainability</b>. </blockquote>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-23895999688381884272018-02-16T13:13:00.001+11:002019-07-22T22:16:42.704+10:00Dishonest structures?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXf5ZgGDDwT_Nqdkh029LbN3mG8zBRg0rfP1WR9x4coUbvhWxq0zdeQIoW3AcClTypNoPWK3RX0yTtZ5Au6uCwiHr0Mml-rormjdo_AXZwZs15rTHuDKWZcGknqoSexIW1ZeMZ3cerU0j/s1600/Seidler.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="492" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXf5ZgGDDwT_Nqdkh029LbN3mG8zBRg0rfP1WR9x4coUbvhWxq0zdeQIoW3AcClTypNoPWK3RX0yTtZ5Au6uCwiHr0Mml-rormjdo_AXZwZs15rTHuDKWZcGknqoSexIW1ZeMZ3cerU0j/s320/Seidler.png" width="320" /></a></div>
One of the most powerful tenets of modern architecture was 'honesty' in structural expression.<br />
<br />
The merits of this proposition were traced back to antiquity; for Bannister Fletcher, the influential architectural historian, direct expression of the structural system formed the basis of classification for architectural form. In his view, Architecture evolved from 'trabeated' (<span class="_Tgc _s8w">post-and-lintel) classical, through refinements of the arch and vault in the Romanesque and Gothic. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG4sHJM3dcwYEkNtxcoORhWGgH9kFictd692_rWXU7awZ3krzZcoKEB2nUyz6kV4rcog28GBSdGxTifAbGlBGXN9ilJEFS5P93F7YLwq9CYMaS_3QkC1PMhNjvxiQbW3poFTiyZsqvPUQ0/s1600/carhedral.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="409" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG4sHJM3dcwYEkNtxcoORhWGgH9kFictd692_rWXU7awZ3krzZcoKEB2nUyz6kV4rcog28GBSdGxTifAbGlBGXN9ilJEFS5P93F7YLwq9CYMaS_3QkC1PMhNjvxiQbW3poFTiyZsqvPUQ0/s320/carhedral.png" width="285" /></a></div>
<span class="_Tgc _s8w">The mediaeval cathedral, searching for lightness in a heavy material, with its flying buttresses and delicate tracery, became the ultimate moral compass for this dogma. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="_Tgc _s8w">With the introduction of new materials such as steel and steel reinforced concrete, the range of possible building forms dramatically increased.</span><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"> These buildings came</span> generally from the collaboration of adventurous architects and inventive structural engineers: t</span>he thinnest shells, the articulated rotating joints in 3-point portal frames, the most daring cable stayed suspension roofs </span><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w">became photogenic expressions of the spirit of modern times.</span></span><span class="_Tgc _s8w"> </span><br />
<br />
<span class="_Tgc _s8w">Of course, things were never that straightforward. </span><br />
<span class="_Tgc _s8w"><br /></span>
<span class="_Tgc _s8w">A hint of what was to come could already be found in the most iconic of 'structure as building form', the Sydney Opera House. The famous shells are not shells at all, but arches leaning against each other – a small but important point in any discussion of structural honesty.</span><br />
<span class="_Tgc _s8w"><br /></span>
<span class="_Tgc _s8w">I am in no position to trace the origin or evolution of the alternative proposition, which may be simply stated as:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span class="_Tgc _s8w">..... in fact the most important function of structure is merely to hold up the planes and surfaces which enclose space. </span></b></blockquote>
<span class="_Tgc _s8w">Suffice to say that such a less moralistic attitude was a convenient starting point for the true revolution in architectural form and space. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2011/06/dezeen_Riverside-Museum-by-Zaha-Hadid-1-300x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2011/06/dezeen_Riverside-Museum-by-Zaha-Hadid-1-300x300.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/63/03/84/63038495b905cfde9cce706d7bfbf2de.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="800" height="212" src="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/63/03/84/63038495b905cfde9cce706d7bfbf2de.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2011/06/dezeen_Riverside-Museum-by-Zaha-Hadid-1-300x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w">Arguably, the greatest exponent of the new
freedom was the late Zaha Hadid. I might dislike many of her parametrically generated squishy building forms, but her Riverside Museum in Glasgow is a
masterful exercise in making lots of little sticks work together to
produce large spatial effects. Ironically, these folds and twists teasingly suggest higher orders of structural rationale.</span></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5vS3QYIFzXCNjBT6Cbjfr7tM6nbTMMQ9hpkwEjQIfwrKV9CxR9HkUNZNA9d7oXY3okx7A75gyVyiqtJWYiPbmL3_0bhylgw8o-Uwtb1EGyeCTX9cueZo3QS2R7Nf5SNiVOdhL5iXE2c4/s1600/Moe+replacement.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="726" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5vS3QYIFzXCNjBT6Cbjfr7tM6nbTMMQ9hpkwEjQIfwrKV9CxR9HkUNZNA9d7oXY3okx7A75gyVyiqtJWYiPbmL3_0bhylgw8o-Uwtb1EGyeCTX9cueZo3QS2R7Nf5SNiVOdhL5iXE2c4/s320/Moe+replacement.png" width="320" /></a><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w">The pragmatism in structure and construction quickly spread to more humble buildings.</span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w">The lower pair of images in this post are of a small regional <a href="https://www.archdaily.com/872624/frank-bartlett-memorial-library-and-moe-service-centre-fjmt" target="_blank">community library at Moe, Victoria</a>. In the hands of <a href="https://fjmtstudio.com/" target="_blank">FJMT</a> Architects the formal expression is of simple stacked boxes, but masterfully clad in beautiful materials. The image of the building under construction makes it clear just how ordinary is the construction under the extraordinary skin.</span></span><br />
<br />
My personal reaction to this liberation from the moral imperative of honest, legible structure, is ambivalent.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>As an architect, I welcome the freedom in design, which lets you assume that anything is possible. </b></blockquote>
As an observer of what I call journeyman
architecture (such as medium rise apartment buildings), I see mainly a
very particular extrapolation of that freedom – the almost universal use
of flat plate construction. I wrote in my blog post <i><a href="http://stevekingonsustainability.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/the-new-rational-architecture.html">The new rational architecture</a></i> that this can lead to new and exciting typologies, or more often to a cavalier lack of discipline in floor layouts.<br />
<br />
As a teacher of architecture, I became quite uncomfortable. In my dealings
with students, I found that it became much more difficult to have
meaningful, rational discussions about design quality and design
principles.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFah5gr5hVJvcquJKMclopcYGa5dv3NPQCL3ViWg0X9BsCciY8hYUlQoIRKEsjqYBiryS5IvSlEfVpjuAa8te8DFuYGN8T-sP_XKDf-xfqTFCpIe1R3p3AHI3e5caXgMeSmwUxoC_aU7B/s1600/Moe+library+under+construction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFah5gr5hVJvcquJKMclopcYGa5dv3NPQCL3ViWg0X9BsCciY8hYUlQoIRKEsjqYBiryS5IvSlEfVpjuAa8te8DFuYGN8T-sP_XKDf-xfqTFCpIe1R3p3AHI3e5caXgMeSmwUxoC_aU7B/s320/Moe+library+under+construction.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I used to ask my students to "draw me the building, not the cardboard model of the building". But, that favourite aphorism lost all its moral authority, once the actual buildings they saw around them more and more resembled stacked shoe boxes with invisible structure. And some nice materials pasted on as decorative veneers.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-12459769983513732562018-02-15T17:47:00.000+11:002018-02-15T17:49:41.113+11:00Wonderwood<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
The gift material that keeps on giving</h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.thefifthestate.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/wood-compressed.jpg?w=760&ssl=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="760" height="192" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.thefifthestate.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/wood-compressed.jpg?w=760&ssl=1" width="320" /></a></div>
Stronger than steel? Transparent? Carbon sequestering? Positive embodied energy? Remediative waste stream? Sounds like a material from Marvel Comics. But it's very likely all true.<br />
<br />
I have written specifically about modified timber before. In <i><a href="http://stevekingonsustainability.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/designer-materials-helping-nature.html" target="_blank">Designer materials: Helping nature?</a> </i>I summarized the history of treated timber, culminating in <a href="http://www.accoya.com/" target="_blank">acetylated wood modification.</a> That process protects wood from
rot by making it "inedible" to most micro-organisms and fungi, without
making it toxic. It also greatly reduces the wood's tendency to swell
and shrink, making it less prone to cracking and ensuring that it requires dramatically reduced maintenance. But the most surprising sustainability bonus of the product is that one of the waste products of the acetylation process is acetic acid,
which is a valuable feedstock in other industries. You can see where this is going.......<br />
<br />
Engineered timbers are a whole other field of radical advances, including Glue Laminated Timber (glulam), Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) and at least another dozen products which allow designers to consider how they may substitute a renewable resource for other structural systems. But what would you be able to do if the timber itself were stronger than steel? <br />
<br />
That is now a fair question. Judging by the announcement from University of Maryland, where scientists have demonstrated a wood densification technique, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature25476">described</a> in <i>Nature</i>, which has led to the creation of a material that is 12 times stronger than natural wood, as well as 10 times tougher.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>According to Dr Liangbing Hu the timber material could be a competitor to steel or even titanium alloys, and could be used in cars, airplanes, buildings – any application where steel is used. “It’s also comparable to carbon fibre, but much less expensive.”</b></blockquote>
Earlier, Swedish researchers had already demonstrated a related technique for removing lignin from wood, to produce a a transparent material which they say could be used as windows, facade elements and even
in solar panels.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.thefifthestate.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/transpwood.jpg?w=533&ssl=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="533" height="240" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.thefifthestate.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/transpwood.jpg?w=533&ssl=1" width="320" /></a></div>
“When the lignin is removed, the wood becomes beautifully white,”
Professor Berglund said. “But because wood isn’t not naturally
transparent, we achieve that effect with some nanoscale tailoring.”<br />
This is done by impregnating the white porous veneer substrate with a
transparent polymer. The wood sample had a transmittance up to 85 per
cent – comparable to glass. A haze of 71 per cent is claimed to make the material attractive for solar cell applications, as light would be “trapped
in the solar cell for longer”. <br />
<br />
The researchers suggest that the modified wood could also be used for semitransparent facades, where both light and privacy are needed. For these applications, the material "offers excellent mechanical properties, including strength, toughness, low density and low thermal conductivity.” One on the note: given recent bad experiences with flammable facade materials, it is curious that no mention is made of flammability.<br />
<br />
The University of Maryland group has also produced transparent – or more properly, translucent timber sheeting. They report that their transparent wood provides better thermal insulation than
glass and lets in almost as much light at glass, though without any glare
– providing more uniform and consistent indoor lighting. But to me, the most exciting news if it's true is the following claim. Lead author Tian Li reports: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>“We also learned that the channels in the wood transmit light with
wavelengths around the range of the wavelengths of visible light, but
that it blocks the wavelengths that carry mostly heat.”</b></blockquote>
<div>
Think about it. The reason why glass has been such an almost mystical material is that it lets in short infrared (the heat part of the solar spectrum), but is effectively opaque to long infrared (the heat would normally perceive at earthly temperatures). That is the original 'glasshouse effect' so useful for passive solar heating.<br />
<br />
But there has always been a price to pay, where the same effect is the major cause of overheating in summer. Transparent wood seems to have almost the opposite property of keeping the thermal loads down, while providing lots of daylight. This would be a boon any overheated climate.<br />
<br />
The trigger for this post came from three articles in The Fifth Estate:<br />
<i>See</i><br />
<i><b><a href="https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/innovation/engineering/transparent-wood-the-future-of-windows-and-solar-panels/81340">Transparent wood: the future of windows and solar panels?</a> </b></i><br />
<a href="https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjBgMa3p6fZAhWFUbwKHUSfBB8QFggpMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thefifthestate.com.au%2Finnovation%2Fengineering%2Ftransparent-wood-trumps-glass-on-energy-efficiency-and-light-study&usg=AOvVaw1IPlZuYwSlKzN-6CU3BbIM" target="_blank"><i><b>Transparent wood trumps glass on energy efficiency and light.</b></i></a><br />
<i>and</i><br />
<a href="https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/innovation/materials/see-ya-steel-scientists-create-wonder-material-from-wood" target="_blank"><i><b>See ya steel: scientists create wonder material from wood</b></i></a><br />
The research has been published in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aenm.201601122" target="_blank"><i>Advanced Energy Material</i>s</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>
</div>
steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-43707965992282198392018-01-29T19:26:00.000+11:002019-07-22T22:33:10.162+10:00How do green walls actually work?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><a href="https://avatars.mds.yandex.net/get-pdb/27625/53c73221-392d-4c2f-bdfa-809ce9e1af09/s1200" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://avatars.mds.yandex.net/get-pdb/27625/53c73221-392d-4c2f-bdfa-809ce9e1af09/s1200" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Greenery within the city has a whole range of
potential benefits. These benefits include favourable impact on thermal comfort and energy
consumption, improvements in air equality, establishing or reconnecting local ecologies,
providing passive and active recreational space. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">How much of these benefits is realized,
and at what financial and resource cost, depends on how the plant material is
provided – in conventional parks, planted roofs, or green walls.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">This brief note is not intended to be a definitive
discussion of these benefits. But I thought it might be helpful to expand my
previous post</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://stevekingonsustainability.blogspot.com.au/2018/01/questioning-green-walls.html"><span style="color: blue;"> Questioning green walls</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Green walls are definitely the most ‘<i>extensive</i>’ method
of providing plant material in urban settings. The terminology is borrowed from
how green roofs are categorized, where ‘extensive’ means very shallow and
limited growing media, while ‘intensive’ refers to deeper and larger volumes of
soil. That said,the more colloquial meaning of the word ‘extensive’ is also relevant
when we are discussing taller buildings, because the area of wall generally far exceeds
the available areas of roofs, and landscape areas at ground level.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Green walls therefore both resemble other settings,
and have some significant differences in how they work. For instance, because
of their orientation, green walls would contribute less to mitigating the urban heat island effect, than do horizontal areas of planting.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span></span></span></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Heating and cooling energy</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span></span></span></h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The contribution of green walls to the cooling energy balance of a building is complex. But to describe it simply, they:</span></span></span></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>provide external shading</i>, thereby reducing the direct and diffuse
solar load;</span></span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">present a <i>cool radiant surface facing inwards</i>, increasing the potential
for desirable heat loss in summer by outward radiation;</span></span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">trap a cushion of air against the façade. This <i>protected boundary
layer</i> is evaporatively cooled by transpiration from the leaves, in turn significantly
lowering the conductive heat gain on hot days.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">It is important to note that much of the benefit in
summer is intimately related to the water consumption. The facade is
effectively a complex direct and indirect evaporative cooling system.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The protected
boundary layer next to buildings can also reduce conductive heat loss in
winter. But because it’s working in opposition to the evaporative cooling, this
is likely to be a much smaller effect than the summer cooling contribution.</span></span></span></span></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span></span></span></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Air quality</span></span></span></span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Plants can help to reduce air
pollution, by a combination of filtration to take particular to matter out of
the air, and various chemical reactions to reduce the concentration of gaseous pollutants.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> It is well accepted that greenery in interior spaces has measurable benefits for well-being, by improving air quality. Not to mention psychological benefits, which have also been extensively studied..</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">But there has been some credulity with respect to claims that <i>exterior</i> green walls have similarly measurable outcomes for air quality. </span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">So it comes as something of a pleasant surprise that </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">as far back as 2012, the journal <i>Environmental Science and Technology </i>reported<i> </i></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">a study which seems to support those claims. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://news.lancs.ac.uk/Web/News/Pages/Significant-Reduction-in-Pollution-Achieved-by-creating-Green-Walls.aspx" target="_blank">Scientists at the Universities of Birmingham and Lancaster (UK)</a>
</span> not only suggested that by ‘greening up’ our streets a massive 30% reduction in
pollution could be achieved, but also that if we are considering urban canyons specifically, green walls out-perform street trees and other configurations of greenery. </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">In short, real vegetation in cities is good for you. But this optimism comes with an important caution:</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: black;">All of this requires, of course,
that the plants don’t expire in the extreme environment of today’s
cities. Dr Tom Pugh, from Lancaster University, UK, said:<i> 'More care needs to be taken as to how and</i></span><i> where we plant vegetation in our towns and cities, so that it does not suffer from drought, become heat stressed, vandalised,
or interact negatively with other aspects of our urban areas, and can
carry out the very important job of filtering our air.’</i></b></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-53823986488774171732018-01-26T12:25:00.000+11:002019-07-22T22:51:10.135+10:00Questioning green walls<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">It had to happen sooner or later; green walls are being
questioned. Are they really a good thing from a sustainability point of view?</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.thefifthestate.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/CentralPark.jpg?fit=759%2C570&ssl=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="759" height="240" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.thefifthestate.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/CentralPark.jpg?fit=759%2C570&ssl=1" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">For anyone who has harbored any thoughts that external green walls on
high-rise buildings might be one more expedient <b>combination of sustainability
rating 'bling' and marketing hype</b>, a recent post in the <a href="https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/" target="_blank">Fifth Estate</a> is
compulsory reading.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The article quite fairly sets out the issues to be
considered. On the positive side, there
is aesthetic value, heating and cooling load reduction, and contribution to mitigating the urban heat island effect. On the negative side, focus is primarily on
the overall cost, both financial and in resources, especially maintenance.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Put as simplistically as that makes it sound like negative
criticism is short sighted, and another example of the ‘race to the bottom’.
But as usual, the devil is in the
details.</span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">First and foremost, the discussion is about a very
particular type of green wall – exemplified by the world’s tallest at One
Central Park </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">in downtown Sydney, </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">the iconic high-rise residential tower by Jean Nouvell and Patrick
Blanc. This kind of
green wall is effectively a relatively thin ‘veneer’ on the façade –
essentially a curtain wall otherwise dominated by glazing. Notwithstanding the skillful choice of species of plants borrowed from natural cliff-like
ecologies, <b>this typology of green wall is inherently fragile and demands high
maintenance.</b> The Fifth Estate article hints at the idea that this increased
commitment to maintenance might be viewed positively as a contribution to
social sustainability – I assume by creating jobs.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">But there are other ways of greening buildings. Most
obviously, <b>roofs are friendlier surfaces</b>, though the higher the building the
smaller the proportion of roof to overall building surface. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqg1Jqc0XvcOvMaNDCJ8u7S5sENvHMOw9Vw5qwnODqvqKwSNKgITBmP7y8BwuUz74DwIi9iCuLu2taOOWQrmvFdNnb6J34XlYVZdkqY6nxdSsTwY7GnLvwReCcca4kJfyw9U0MEFISIVba/s1600/WOHA+Singapore.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="757" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqg1Jqc0XvcOvMaNDCJ8u7S5sENvHMOw9Vw5qwnODqvqKwSNKgITBmP7y8BwuUz74DwIi9iCuLu2taOOWQrmvFdNnb6J34XlYVZdkqY6nxdSsTwY7GnLvwReCcca4kJfyw9U0MEFISIVba/s320/WOHA+Singapore.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">More usefully,
facade planting can happen in <b>robust configurations such as bigger planting
boxes.</b> We have plenty of precedent for these more traditional artificial landscapes</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b>– probably the best known is <a href="https://www.archdaily.com/800182/interview-with-woha-the-only-way-to-preserve-nature-is-to-integrate-it-into-our-built-environment" target="_blank">WOHA's Park Royal complex in Singapore</a></span></span>. Arguably the only barriers to employing them more often, are short-sighted restrictions
such as indiscriminately applied floor space ratios.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ultimately, I agree with Dr Paul Osmond, director of the
Sustainable Built Environment Program at UNSW, when he says that the value of
green walls over their lifecycle is still an open question:</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">“From a service life perspective – from design,
installation, maintenance, replacement of plants, water systems and even
decommissioning – no one has really explored that.”</span></span></span></b></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">As usual, I do not try to reproduce the original </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/" target="_blank">Fifth Estate</a> </span></span>article. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">You should read it <a href="https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/innovation/engineering/green-walls-come-under-attack/97481?mc_cid=ce386ed200&mc_eid=2717e1aa22" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span><br />
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steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-53739196086118703982017-11-01T15:00:00.002+11:002019-07-20T11:49:10.202+10:00Architects' little helper<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How to specify photovoltaics</span></span></h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Note: The Architizer guide to photovoltaics is accessible again. Apparently, it was accidentally taken down and took a while to restore.</span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/mediadata/projects/102013/b68de282.jpg?q=60&auto=format,compress&cs=strip&w=1080" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://architizer-prod.imgix.net/mediadata/projects/102013/b68de282.jpg?q=60&auto=format,compress&cs=strip&w=1080" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's been getting hard for the architectural aggregator sites to differentiate themselves. And of course, how to make money from similar content. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sooner or later, it had to become obvious that while many forums are now talking about architecture, and usually expanding into other branches of design as lifestyle accessories, few are focusing
on how buildings really get made.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the older such sites, Architizer, has decided to focus on this new direction:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Moving forward you can count on Architizer for the latest
trends in practice, in-depth investigations into building-products and
cutting-edge news on technology in our field.
</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Every week we will dive DEEP into a <a href="https://architizer.com/blog/eantka-metal-cladding/" target="_blank">specific building-product</a>, exploring <a href="https://architizer.com/blog/how-to-specify-asphalt-shingles/" target="_blank">how to specify it</a>, who is <a href="https://architizer.com/blog/material-lab-libeskind-gilbartolome/" target="_blank">pushing technological boundaries</a> with it and how it can be used to create <a href="https://architizer.com/blog/architectural-details-the-silo/" target="_blank">truly incredible architecture</a>.
We will work to answer some of the most frustratingly obvious questions
that architects have, that seem to never get answered — <a href="https://architizer.com/blog/detailing-a-flat-roof/" target="_blank">how to stop a flat roof from leaking</a>, <a href="https://architizer.com/blog/behind-the-design-hidden-doors/" target="_blank">how to make a door disappear</a> or <a href="https://architizer.com/blog/behind-the-design-metal-cladding/" target="_blank">how to attach metal cladding to a building</a>."
</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This week’s topic is photovoltaics. It is a technology that has been moving both slowly and quickly the same time. Photovoltaic panels have been available for at least 30 years. For most of that time, usually seen as the typical bolt on systems, oriented and tilted at an angle determined by solar geometry, they have been perceived as inefficient and poorly integrated with the host architecture. <br /><br />The need for building integrated photovoltaics has been long recognised. Only in the last 10 years or so have there been enough built examples to fill a couple of case study books, and frankly, not many of the examples were particularly inspiring. But that has changed lately, with rapid advances in new materials for the photovoltaic cells themselves, and the ways of combining PV with conventional building materials.<br /><br />The Architizer review article provides a convenient and timely update, with relatively comprehensive, and well-balanced technical detail.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Go to<a href="https://architizer.com/blog/product-guides/product-guide/photovoltaics/" target="_blank"> 'How to specify photovoltaics'</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On that page, you will also find links to other articles in the same series. And how do they make money out of it? Well, if you need to, you can sign up for the <a href="https://architizer.com/go/source/architects">Source</a>, a service to connect specifiers with manufacturers.<br /><b></b></span></div>
steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-61825764164448621752017-10-29T16:40:00.000+11:002019-07-22T23:01:13.729+10:00How big is small?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2017/10/smart-homes-of-the-future-baitasi-house-3.jpg.650x0_q70_crop-smart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="650" height="213" src="https://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2017/10/smart-homes-of-the-future-baitasi-house-3.jpg.650x0_q70_crop-smart.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
There is a movement called 'Tiny House'. Most published examples are gentrified versions of shacks from the past, not surprisingly, prompting debate whether these often virtuoso exercises in seductive, photogenic object design actually show us a way forward in housing affordability.<br />
<br />
But that's probably the wrong way to see them.<br />
<a name='more'></a>Better they be considered as prototyping the elements from which near future urban living may evolve. By looking at, and generalizing useful fragments, we can forgive the imperfections of any particular individual dwellings.<br />
<br />
In that spirit, look at<br />
<b>Baitasi House of the Future is built inside a house of the past</b><br />
in Beijing, by <a href="http://www.dot-a.net/">Dot Architects</a><b> </b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2017/10/moveable_module_03_diagram.jpg.650x0_q70_crop-smart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="650" height="216" src="https://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2017/10/moveable_module_03_diagram.jpg.650x0_q70_crop-smart.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
As in many such fitout exercises, the first interest is in the space planning Movable solid elements incorporate storage and equipment, with ingenious opening, sliding and folding panels.<br />
<br />
It is tempting to trace these modules back to Joe Colombo's Total Furnishing Unit of 1971, but it would be missing the point.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2017/10/office_layout_01.jpg.650x0_q70_crop-smart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="650" height="213" src="https://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2017/10/office_layout_01.jpg.650x0_q70_crop-smart.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
In fact in this Beijing example, the services connections are around the periphery and relatively conventional. The moving 3D components follow a different discipline, made possible by hacking compactus storage technology. That is how a nominal 30m2 space can transform to three discrete bedrooms, or in 'office mode' to accommodate an impressively long table.<br />
<br />
<br />
The real take-home messages transcend the particulars:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Building
inside an existing primary weatherproof shell</b> relieves you of using
structural framing to resist loads like gravity and wind. </li>
<li>It lets you use <b>cabinet technology</b>, in standard dimensions, which exploits already <b>established benefits of large scale production</b>.</li>
<li>You can leave more <b>materials unfinished</b>, not only for their present beauty, but also with a view to<b> future 'deconstructability'</b>.</li>
</ul>
Tiny House meets adaptive reuse, meets hacked technology. What is there not to like?<br />
<br />
For a big gallery of images, see <a href="https://www.archdaily.com/881689/baitasi-house-of-the-future-dot-architects">ArchDaily</a> and<a href="https://www.gessato.com/smart-homes-of-the-future/"> Gessatto</a>.<br />
For the story and a video, see <a href="https://www.treehugger.com/tiny-houses/baitasi-house-future-built-inside-house-past.html">Treehugger</a>.</div>
steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-75298246274912348162017-10-28T20:41:00.001+11:002017-10-29T14:48:13.849+11:00Worth reading<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6MvCW6tMQoO37_j4TtAukKG6krkms2X66GmucmLYkqlmA17SCD4pCU9QJ5zKHfgXcVZ3dOH4xLjzpWDrnr4HWDBLBFOYHaV5aK6FYW5FE16kLv9C0CIokvAqTGuwJkQrHCZMl_RFHuiTd/s1600/the_extended_self_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6MvCW6tMQoO37_j4TtAukKG6krkms2X66GmucmLYkqlmA17SCD4pCU9QJ5zKHfgXcVZ3dOH4xLjzpWDrnr4HWDBLBFOYHaV5aK6FYW5FE16kLv9C0CIokvAqTGuwJkQrHCZMl_RFHuiTd/s1600/the_extended_self_2.jpg" /></a></div>
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</div>
<br /><br />I don't do book reviews......except one, over two years ago. Can I pick a winner? Sometimes yes.<br /><br />I am really pleased to pass on that Chris Abel's book The Extended Self was recently unanimously voted winner of the International Committee of Architectural Critics 2017 Bruno Zevi Book Award.<br /><br />
As I said way back then, Abel interests me specially, because unlike most other architectural theorists, he doesn't set up an implied opposition between an architecture that does least ecological harm, and Architecture explained by some other cultural imperatives.<br /><br />Read my review <a href="http://stevekingonsustainability.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/the-extended-self.html">here</a>.<br />
Better still, read the book.</div>
steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-83374964543925052512017-10-28T19:09:00.001+11:002017-10-28T19:09:33.853+11:00Today's most sustainable building. Not.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2017/10/bloomberg-exterior.jpg.662x0_q70_crop-scale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="662" height="179" src="https://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2017/10/bloomberg-exterior.jpg.662x0_q70_crop-scale.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I occasionally check what Google turns up, if I just enter 'world's most sustainable building' in the search. I am an optimist. I expect the list to update, and the candidates to get ever closer to model sustainability.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But so far I have generally been disappointed. Few buildings seem to rise to the top as contenders, even fewer pretenders drop off the lists. And the terms 'sustainable' and 'green' are ever more debased. A high LEED or BREAM or GreenStar score seems to be enough to qualify a project to be marketed with both labels.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But there is some hope. There is a bit of polite push-back. And it's being read or listened to, because the top ranked link in my google search tonight is actually entitled:</span></span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/please-stop-calling-new-bloomberg-hq-worlds-most-sustainable-office-building-its-not.html">Please stop calling the new Bloomberg HQ the world's most sustainable office building. It's not.</a></span></span></b></span></div>
</blockquote>
<h4>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">It's
an article in <a href="https://www.treehugger.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Treehugger</span></a>,
by Lloyd Alter; not particularly rigorous, certainly not strident, an
almost gentle reminder that there is more to a sustainable building than being
less bad than other buildings of the same type.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Which, let’s face it, is all that a high score on one of the rating frameworks
tells you.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> It's an old complaint. And simply repeating it is getting almost boring. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">So the other attraction Alter's article is that when he identifies shortcomings that would disqualify the Bloomberg headquarters, he actually points out examples where each aspect he criticizes has been done better. So for instance, in relation to the claimed credit for incorporating combined heat and power:</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="line-height: 115%;"> <i>".......CHP plants usually generate heat and power by burning
natural gas. The most sustainable office building in the world wouldn't
burn fossil fuels.</i></span><i> The Bullitt building in Seattle doesn't; it has solar power and gets its heat through ground source heat pumps."</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Or addressing the all too obvious lack of accounting for embodied energy:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The PowerHouse Kjørbo, an office building outside of Oslo designed by
Snøhetta, was designed to produce not only more energy than it needs
from its solar panels, but "generates more energy than what was used for
the production of building materials, its construction, operation and
disposal." It actually pays back its embodied energy. </i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The review does not pretend to be a comprehensive<i> </i>checklist for what does make a truly sustainable building. But it is one of a series by the same author on Treehugger, which may achieve by polite conversational style what dense books and manuals clearly have not. Worth reading.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Links:</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/please-stop-calling-new-bloomberg-hq-worlds-most-sustainable-office-building-its-not.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bloomberg HQ</span></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/powerhouse-kjorbo-worlds-most-environmentally-friendly-office-building.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The PowerHouse Kjørbo</span></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/bullitt-center-worlds-greenest-building.html">Bullitt Center</a> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
</div>
steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-61618742867012549482017-10-27T11:53:00.003+11:002017-10-27T13:01:45.765+11:00What is sustainability?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTucinMDgQj1eJyd3CQfRc2XYCD9HXFzAdT-cjvYVlkpPHKuC670efIpzIS4J8kRkc86dKwZqrdmB0VzS08H09e0ItyGKYrpPEgNZqdBXZidOfrLhuCk7jrerkN_BBeF79dmuqaGPxTbD/s1600/fjmt-the-ey-centre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTucinMDgQj1eJyd3CQfRc2XYCD9HXFzAdT-cjvYVlkpPHKuC670efIpzIS4J8kRkc86dKwZqrdmB0VzS08H09e0ItyGKYrpPEgNZqdBXZidOfrLhuCk7jrerkN_BBeF79dmuqaGPxTbD/s320/fjmt-the-ey-centre.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
As banal as it seems, this question came up for me recently, with just as much uncertainty as it has for the last thirty or more years. <br />
<br />
I was one of the judges of the sustainability awards last night, run for the last eleven years by <a href="http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/news/2017-sustainability-awards-winners-revealed?utm_source=Industry+Newsletter&utm_campaign=c76c7437c3-Industry%2520Newsletter%2520-%252020171027095456&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b6d140c101-c76c7437c3-136121605">Architecture and Design</a>, the Australian buildings and products news magazine. Before the event, it wouldn’t have been fair to the organizers or the enthusiastic participants, for me to be too negative about my experience as a judge. <br />
<br />
But now that the awards are over for this year, the need for a full and frank discussion of what we’ve learnt outweighs those considerations.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<b>The status quo is not good enough</b></h4>
I found the shortlist of finalists to be disappointing. With some of the entries, I actually had to ask myself what they thought they were doing in sustainability awards. On the whole, the short list represented something close to what should by now be fairly common levels of achievement in the mainstream. So much so, that I am sure some very good projects and products out there were not submitted for the competition, specifically because their authors or proponents themselves did not think that they were sufficiently exceptional.<br />
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Worthwhile, yes. Sustainable, no.</b></h4>
Which is not to say that some of the entrants didn’t work very hard to get to where they are, and that deserves some acknowledgement. This is especially true of the larger commercial buildings, with their complex facades and interior systems. For instance, the winner of the commercial category was the EY Centre in Sydney, a high-rise office tower designed by FJMT incorporating a glorious, golden timber venetian blind system in a pressurized closed cavity facade. Demonstrably beyond the state-of-the-art, and the final outcome of serious research by the architects and their consultants. But the problem is that – notwithstanding all that effort and the notable innovations – the best one can say about the building is that it is ‘less bad’ than most of its type. But definitely not sustainable.<br />
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<b>What can we learn?</b></h4>
As a judge in a competition, I was also disturbed by the overall quality of the submission materials. They varied from reasonable and informative, to cringe inducingly inept. I have a private prejudice that entries in such a competition should offer ‘evidence and instructive repeatability’. In other words, others should be able to learn from what is on show. Not many of the projects provided materials that qualified for that criterion. <br />
<br />
Overall, therefore, I am uncomfortable with the hype with which such sustainability awards are typically associated. I do understand the necessity for the hype as part of a bigger commitment to sustainability. But if we are to genuinely move forward, we have to raise the standards considerably.<br />
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Just sustainable is not good enough</b></h4>
To my real disappointment, I could not identify any submitted projects, other than a couple of the landscape entries, as <i>regenerative or restorative</i>. These concepts are gaining considerable traction as the necessary evolution of our sustainability thinking. <br />
<br />
It is not equally easy to introduce those standards across the various categories of typical sustainability awards; but it is necessary and possible. In architecture, for instance, exceeding net zero energy might be enough for the claim. With a product or material, it is more complicated – you might have to do something like demonstrate that a waste product in the manufacturing process is actually a feed stock for another process, producing an overall net sustainability benefit. An excellent example is <a href="http://stevekingonsustainability.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/designer-materials-helping-nature.html">acetylated wood modification</a>. <br />
<br />
We do have to raise the standards for sustainability awards. If sustainability is to become common practice then we have to dramatically increase the expectations for best practice.<br />
<br />
To balance what might sound like a relentlessly negative take on the awards, do see and read the more enthusiastic report at<a href="http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/news/2017-sustainability-awards-winners-revealed?utm_source=Industry+Newsletter&utm_campaign=c76c7437c3-Industry%2520Newsletter%2520-%252020171027095456&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b6d140c101-c76c7437c3-136121605"><i> 2017 Sustainability Awards winners revealed</i>.</a><br />
<br /></div>
steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-90336229393057015552017-05-07T16:50:00.000+10:002017-05-07T23:16:13.677+10:00Lovable cities<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://image.jimcdn.com/app/cms/image/transf/dimension=1190x10000:format=jpg/path/sa6549607c78f5c11/image/iefe8a3e8e699fc89/version/1474032304/dresden-christmas-city-break-copyright-frank-gr%C3%A4tz-european-best-destinations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://image.jimcdn.com/app/cms/image/transf/dimension=1190x10000:format=jpg/path/sa6549607c78f5c11/image/iefe8a3e8e699fc89/version/1474032304/dresden-christmas-city-break-copyright-frank-gr%C3%A4tz-european-best-destinations.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We all know about the ranking tables that claim to tell us which cities in the world are the most livable. Melbourne, Australia, regularly tops such rankings. I suspect we also share misgivings, that what those tables tell us is nonsense.<br />
<br />
Why aren't we talking about it more? I meant to, months ago, when I came across <a href="http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/features/comment/lovability-restoring-liveability-s-human-face?mid=9124d22341&utm_source=Newsletter+Lists&utm_campaign=c393b5a413-Architecture+and+Design+Newsletter+-+201&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3aac924711-c393b5a413-100141293">an article</a> about the work of three academics at Deakin University – which incidentally is located on the margins of Melbourne. The article leads off:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>"Liveability has become one of the most important ideas to influence
international urban governance and planning. On one level, this should
be no surprise – after all, who can disagree that cities ought to be
places where people can live? But from here things get tricky.</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>While debate continues on a precise definition of liveability, the
idea has manufactured industry standards in empirical urban rankings
based on an ever-growing number of data points. It seems timely to ask
whether liveability, in its current state, tells us enough about the
quality of cities as places to live."</b></blockquote>
As the authors explain, the answer to the question isn't simple. To begin with, it pays to understand who
generates those tables and for what purpose? Though it's an
oversimplification, most such rankings are for the guidance of corporate
types, and reflect their needs and preoccupations as expatriates,
rather than engaging with the sentiments of people for whom those cities
are home.<br />
<br />
Probably well aware that they are being cute, the authors set about a discussion of <i><b>lovability</b></i>. To quote again:<br />
<br />
"The power of lovability is in re-engaging with people to understand the
nuances of their interaction with places. Lovability is a powerful
concept that, fused with other data, can cut through numbers to provide
more direct, relevant information that could guide urban planning and
policymaking by identifying a city’s assets through the eyes of its
people. It also forgoes the increasing focus on urban competitiveness
that liveability has encouraged in favour of richer and more meaningful
qualitative data." <br />
<br />
It's worth reading the <a href="https://theconversation.com/lovability-restoring-liveabilitys-human-face-67627">original article</a> published on <a href="http://theconversation.com/">The Conversation</a>. Short, and not too academic. The 2015 Melbourne Lovability Index Industry Report is available upon <a href="http://www.lovability.melbourne/">request</a>.<br />
<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/67627/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" /><br />
<br />
Funny though. All the data in the world is unlikely to capture the qualities Italo Calvino does about Venice in <i>Invisible Cities</i>. Or<span class="st"> Jean-Pierre Jeunet in his love letter to Paris in the film</span> <span class="st"><i>Amélie</i>. </span></div>
steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-35409124222251874552017-05-07T15:47:00.000+10:002019-07-25T18:15:07.338+10:00Seemed like a good idea at the time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcf9kv2xqP0zhlS2NEwCrjDAhdCSKvatAGBugsAV-REWlZG9ESkOOVrkeDppfeSbadJdVd_kfrWUzr6C-35Txolnl_dyLxMcBULLtiGh5tUVEtcuolJw57NkLimxyRytNofe5IIjyZKQT/s1600/green+walls+fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1200" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcf9kv2xqP0zhlS2NEwCrjDAhdCSKvatAGBugsAV-REWlZG9ESkOOVrkeDppfeSbadJdVd_kfrWUzr6C-35Txolnl_dyLxMcBULLtiGh5tUVEtcuolJw57NkLimxyRytNofe5IIjyZKQT/s320/green+walls+fire.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">I have been interested in green walls and green roofs on buildings for quite a while. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">You could almost say that I was spruiking them – with less enthusiasm for the green veneer popularised by Patrick Blanc, and rather more for the larger scale vegetation of the 'Bosco Verticale' by</span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0ahUKEwjKlqS39tzTAhWGFZQKHTFXCfMQFgg5MAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stefanoboeriarchitetti.net%2Fen%2Fportfolios%2Fbosco-verticale%2F&usg=AFQjCNFz-H5LmX3XdZhblXD34O9-ieJ2mA&sig2=fCPaf2hQWtBdtGVFXBSpXA&cad=rjt" target="_blank"> Stefano Boeri</a> in Milan.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>But lately, I have been pulled up short by a very sobering thought. How safe is all this greenery if there is a fire?</b></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: small;">There is no question that there is a potential for unacceptable fire spread on the facade of any building, if the greenery has been allowed to dry out. Therefore it follows naturally that proponents of green walls suggest there should be no problem with properly maintained installations – even claiming that a well irrigated green wall may in fact work positively to limit fire spread.<br /><br />You don't have to have a lot of technical knowledge to work out that by bridging the building's own fire separation detailing, plant material on facades already presents a high risk. This is evident even before we factor in considerable financial pressure on building owners to minimise expenditure, on something that is inherently expensive to maintain.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Perhaps by recognizing the problem we will have the rapid development of systems that work to perform day-to-day irrigation, but are able to function as fire protection and suppression in the event of an actual fire.<br /><br />I am far from the first person to recognise the potential problem. But as soon as I started to research it, I realized that as with all such problems, the people responsible for matching regulations to the risk become distracted by the legal frameworks under which they can act. An excellent example is the very succinct article by </span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.biotope-city.net/author/maarten-de-groot">Maarten de Groot</a> in</span><span style="font-size: small;"> <a href="http://www.biotope-city.net/gallery/fire-safety-and-green-walls"><i><b>Fire Safety and Green Walls</b></i></a>, published in </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Biotope City Journal. de Groote concludes that "green walls are fire safe" as long as built within the criteria he mentions. Those criteria still leave me a little pessimistic, but there are reasons not to be. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am aware that at least one manufacturer of living walls, </span></span>ANS Global, has put its
products to the test and has been awarded first class classification for
BS 476: Part 7: 1997 ‘Method for Classification of the Surface Spread
of Flame of Products’. The products were its living wall modules with a variety of plants within their
containers to a total weight of 7kg, tested in mid-2016 for
lateral spread of flame along the surface whilst in a vertical position.<br />
<br />
Scott Anderson, director of ANS Global, is quoted as saying: "We are very pleased to
have had such a good fire rating on our living wall system, it will not
only give architects yet another reason to specify our living walls,
but also it could slow down or prevent the spread of fire compared to
other building products which ultimately could save lives."<br />
<br />
He is right of course. We just have to compare living walls to the spectacular failures of some noncomplying composite panels.<br />
<br />
<i>Edit:</i><br />
<i>I don't want to change from a supporter of green walls and roofs, to the opposite. But in the last few days whole suburbs in northern California burnt to the ground in wildfires. I can't get out of my mind images of the same thing happening in a city of buildings covered by forests. I blame Hollywood. </i></div>
steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-55932326258368763902016-10-02T15:17:00.000+11:002019-07-25T18:07:35.917+10:00Vertical forest 2.0<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0Y10axn_87xEJaLhAtckd8C6lAYc_zc13dLd7xnVQeVod8a0g9-P9W8noAuddZXltu2f8dY4zu-KJPEs8YP_ORnz_kL228tZlvTJSnTx0yNOI5kFvJt26Y3MJS29quj8sgbEdMytxL84/s1600/vertical+forest+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="813" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0Y10axn_87xEJaLhAtckd8C6lAYc_zc13dLd7xnVQeVod8a0g9-P9W8noAuddZXltu2f8dY4zu-KJPEs8YP_ORnz_kL228tZlvTJSnTx0yNOI5kFvJt26Y3MJS29quj8sgbEdMytxL84/s320/vertical+forest+2.jpg" width="203" /></a>There must be something in the air. Well, there is....lots of air pollution in the many cities around the world eating up their hinterlands of agricultural land and forest remnants. In reaction, we have witnessed an increasing number of projects to reintegrate greenery with buildings at both urban and building scale.<br />
<br />
Urban forests can help establish green corridors. Green roofs can add a bit more vegetation. But by definition, it is difficult to replace the net surface area of plant material found in natural forests, when so much area is dedicated to roads and other impervious infrastructure, and walls, glazing, PV panels or water harvesting roofs on buildings. <br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
The only chance we have of 'multiplying' the green surface of a given piece of land is to put plants on the vertical facades of buildings.</h4>
That thought was given very literal interpretation most famously in <span class="st">Patrick Blanc's green wall at the Museé du quai Branly in Paris, and later at 1 Central Park in Sydney. Such 'green walls' – and others less famous both before and after – represent an approach which is a close simile to the fragile ecologies of cliffs in nature. As a consequence they are vulnerable to disruption both natural and (for lack of a better word) administrative. For instance, the greenery on 1 Central Park is looking decidedly ragged because of the natural forces of wind and sun, but it is even more threatened by the reluctance of the owners of many apartments to contribute to the expensive upkeep. In my view, that kind of green wall will only ever make a small, perhaps negligible contribution to greening the city.</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">There is another way. The pioneering example is</span><span class="st"><a href="http://inhabitat.com/bosco-verticale-the-worlds-first-vertical-forest-nears-completion-in-milan-new-photos/" target="_blank"> Bosco Verticale</a> (</span><span class="st">'vertical forest') in Milan. <a href="http://stevekingonsustainability.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/no-trees-please.html">When I first posted about that project</a>, it was in the context of my cynicism about the fashion of photoshopping lush greenery on every skyscraper competition entry. To support my doubts, I marshaled the reasoned criticism of </span><span class="st"><a href="http://www.de-chant.com/tim/">Tim De Chant</a></span> who concludes that there are a couple of orders of magnitude difference between the effort
required to achieve nominal tree presence on buildings as opposed to
that spent on resuscitating the region’s natural habitat. But without repudiating my previous opinion, I have come to see the point of the vertical forest approach.<br />
<br />
The difference between 'green walls' and the 'vertical forest' is technical, but simple. Where the former relies on a thin veneer of plants supported by a thinner scaffold of growing media in mats or pots, the vertical forest approach sets out to create substantial volumes of soil in which to plant shrubs and trees. The penalty is the extra weight to be carried by the structure, but the benefits are greater. As with thermally massive construction, you have the inertia of both temperature and moisture regimes, that make the system much less vulnerable to exposure. Even the issue of the extra weight is not so problematic, given it's dead weight acting vertically, the most easily resisted load on a structure. The sort of large structural planters used on the lower terraces of <a href="http://stevekingonsustainability.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/trees-in-air-2.html" target="_blank">WOHA's Singapore Park Royal</a> are arguably a sub-set of this vertical forest approach. <br />
<br />
As with most pioneer schemes, the Bosco Verticale projects a single emphatic image, distributing its green terraces relatively uniformly over the building. What prompted this post is a <a href="http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/news/australia-s-first-vertical-forest-apartments-to-co?mid=9124d22341&utm_source=Newsletter+Lists&utm_campaign=228a98337f-Architecture+and+Design+Newsletter+-+201&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3aac924711-228a98337f-100141293">recent project announcement in Brisbane, Australia</a>, where the balance between the conventional window wall surfaces and the part of the facade given over to the 'forest' is actually quite different. In fact, so different, it would be easy to jump to a conclusion that the green parts are tokenism.<br />
<br />
Closer examination of the scheme reveals a subtly different reasoning. The primary motivation is explicitly that apartments should 'feel' like houses in a garden, rather than more ambitious objectives of replacing larger ecological systems. To that end, the architects respond with a simple apartment layout that maximises the apparent interface between the repeated two storey planted 'courtyards, and adjacent interiors. Arguably, the precedent for this is Correa's<a href="http://www.archdaily.com/151844/ad-classics-kanchanjunga-apartments-charles-correa" target="_blank"> Kanchanjunga Apartments</a> in Mumbai, India, but with plants, rather than walls.<br />
<br />
Developers may still begrudge paying for part of their building included more for the plants, than for the measurable occupied spaces. And regulators may be slow to avoid penalizing the extra space within the built volume. It may still be a pale imitation of nature in a real forest, or even in a good urban park. But this latest example may be an effective demonstration for how to integrate elevated greenery that is both more robust and more economical than the green wall prototypes. If so, we can expect more people willing to pay a premium for their houses in the sky, with at least an illusion of arcadia outside their high rise windows. <br />
<br />
<i>See the Architecture & Design article</i> <b><a href="http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/news/australia-s-first-vertical-forest-apartments-to-co?mid=9124d22341&utm_source=Newsletter+Lists&utm_campaign=228a98337f-Architecture+and+Design+Newsletter+-+201&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3aac924711-228a98337f-100141293">here</a></b>.<br />
<br />
My previous posts:<br />
<a href="http://stevekingonsustainability.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/wrong-green.html">Wrong green</a><br />
<a href="http://stevekingonsustainability.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/no-trees-please.html">No trees please.</a><br />
<a href="http://stevekingonsustainability.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/trees-in-air-2.html">Trees in the air 2</a><br />
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steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-46511997148126385422016-09-20T12:25:00.002+10:002016-09-20T12:25:35.821+10:00The root of a housing crisis: we’re building the wrong thing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I am not sure to what degree this problem is relevant to the rest of the world, but it is an urgent discussion in relation to Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. Writing in the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-root-of-sydney-and-melbournes-housing-crisis-were-building-the-wrong-thing-49940" target="_blank">Conversation</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bob-birrell-5134" rel="author"><span class="fn author-name" itemprop="name">Bob Birrell</span></a><span class="fn author-name" itemprop="name"> </span> of the The Australian Population Research Institute leads off:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
As is well known, the shortage of affordable separate housing in Sydney
and Melbourne means that most first home buyers and renters cannot
currently find housing suited to their needs in locations of their
choice.</blockquote>
</blockquote>
Summarily setting aside the building industry's insistence that the market will continue to demand more apartments for small or single person households for a younger demographic, Birrell suggests the contrary conclusion. His research suggests that in the medium term, immigration in particular will drive a greater need for homes for family formation.<br />
<br />
But then Birrell criticizes current industry and academic research for using crude extrapolations of present assumptions about dwelling types, only to do exactly the same himself. Simply put, he assumes that family formation will continue to be identified with single detached dwellings, regardless of their decreasing share of the new build housing stock, and the continuing loss of older detached housing for apartment development sites.<br />
<br />
A more sophisticated analysis would acknowledge that, as the populations of Sydney and Melbourne recognise the advantages as well as compromises of genuinely urban city living, there is likely to be a very significant growth of demand for family accommodation in apartments. If that simple proposition is reasonable, then Birrel's headline still holds true, but for a subtly different reason. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b>The problem is not that we are failing to build single detached dwellings in places families want to live now. The real problem is that all the best sites where families will be happy to live in the future, are being more or less permanently rendered unavailable for larger apartments.</b></i></blockquote>
It has to do with the nature of the land title for ownership of apartments in Australia. Title is overwhelmingly the fragmented 'strata' title, where once a building is subdivided into individual apartment lots for sale, it is extremely difficult to re-consolidate, or even to reconfigure. Profit in the current Sydney and Melbourne markets is maximised by building an overwhelmingly large proportion of single bedroom and studio apartments. And there seems to be no truly effective planning instrument that prevents this outcome, with local government consistently unable to enforce its requirements for more forward looking mix of apartment sizes. <br />
<br />
Read the Conversation article here:<br />
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-root-of-sydney-and-melbournes-housing-crisis-were-building-the-wrong-thing-49940">https://theconversation.com/the-root-of-sydney-and-melbournes-housing-crisis-were-building-the-wrong-thing-49940</a><br />
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steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-2401078386345540682016-09-17T22:05:00.000+10:002016-09-17T22:05:11.874+10:00Complex urbanism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
To give this piece its full title: Complex urbanism wears simple, at times casual clothes.</h3>
<br />
I am no longer actively teaching architecture, but sometimes I still feel like getting a message off my chest. And so it is with some thoughts about Jean Nouvel. Nouvel seems to conjure up some extraordinary pieces of architecture distinguished by uniquely simple diagrams. Which to my mind, are too rarely remarked on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonUykTJfAqqxoRkyQGaohyUvs30iXJInWr8HpLv2mo2ksjTPrGP9LC1JOgivd_CVdb6cBdcfoF3yVeyDSb7Ek3vZqdetul4LosFLephfjKLiwxiz1OYmzW3uOmjBNcZobEyUfg2Wzvzye/s1600/Arabe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonUykTJfAqqxoRkyQGaohyUvs30iXJInWr8HpLv2mo2ksjTPrGP9LC1JOgivd_CVdb6cBdcfoF3yVeyDSb7Ek3vZqdetul4LosFLephfjKLiwxiz1OYmzW3uOmjBNcZobEyUfg2Wzvzye/s320/Arabe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yes, the seminal <a href="http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/L_Institut_du_Monde_Arabe.html"> Institut du Monde Arabe</a> was justly famous not only for its remarkable dynamic abstraction of mashrabiya screens as mechanical irises, but also lauded for its resilute geometric solution to a difficult gap in the Paris built fabric. That clarity of thinking is no longer easy to recognise. For me the overall scheme is disappointingly disfigured by the major additions filling in the plaza, and now stomach bumping with a banal billboard the Notre Dame across the river.</div>
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<div class="r" style="text-align: left;">
But Paris has been good to Nouvel, and he has been good for Paris. He has twice employed the same fundamental strategy for inserting museums as 'pavilions in a garden', while also healing gaps in the city's characteristic block perimeter facades. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZ7Dvvv3T0Z8SrIjlqCw01wau8z5EP_UgGA5iJg3AYCoGWGyasF2yc1-aTeIWeOjQUxIbD7I2K2aYOixhwV3Omrm9KHGIAbbTdkKn0XJ3iViruwHi_9SWTnySHC9LNOdS1iBfwJTULS0W/s1600/cartier1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZ7Dvvv3T0Z8SrIjlqCw01wau8z5EP_UgGA5iJg3AYCoGWGyasF2yc1-aTeIWeOjQUxIbD7I2K2aYOixhwV3Omrm9KHGIAbbTdkKn0XJ3iViruwHi_9SWTnySHC9LNOdS1iBfwJTULS0W/s320/cartier1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As a way of turning the diagram into built form, its almost simplistic: run a gossamer thin glass screen to the height of the adjacent buildings, and enjoy the freedom of laying out your building in the sequestered landscape behind. The <span class="st"><a href="http://presse.fondation.cartier.com/cartier-fundation/the-building/?lang=en">Fondation Cartier</a> in Paris from 1994 established the trope. But while the building behind is a thoroughly enjoyable modernist glass ensemble, it arguably holds no further profound lessons for the architectural pilgrim.</span></div>
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<div class="r" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="st">Its next manifestation, </span><span class="st">in the<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_quai_Branly"> </a></span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_quai_Branly">Musée du quai Branly</a> you find the same diagram for the screen and the garden, but also a richer vein of arguably interesting thinking.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOn33WlKNXB2c5qdHoU-GM2uGNRR9UJroM9eos-kvOWGDWWreEruGHkkf29Is3DxiL7XgUso1wUhdqnhW3xA-JzK_o3RH4w6cGg2vEScF8Pg09P7J8P61XZME9OSkAIcKN-1WlhJN-Yi82/s1600/Branly+green+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOn33WlKNXB2c5qdHoU-GM2uGNRR9UJroM9eos-kvOWGDWWreEruGHkkf29Is3DxiL7XgUso1wUhdqnhW3xA-JzK_o3RH4w6cGg2vEScF8Pg09P7J8P61XZME9OSkAIcKN-1WlhJN-Yi82/s320/Branly+green+2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="st"></span><span class="st"></span>First, there is the misdirection. That famous green wall seems to be the first and often only image associated with the Branly in many articles and web entries. In life, it turns out to be the facade of the minor, administrative wing of the museum. Its real function seems to be to respectfully extend the corner from the Avenue de la Bourdonnais, at just the right height, and just the right weight. The greenery allows Nouvel to compose the facade with a different rhythm and scale to that of the apartment buildings, while minimizing any clash that would otherwise occur. Importantly, that facade is just as long as is needed to anchor the corner, and no more.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The real urban work is being done, as in the Fondacion Cartier, by the inscribed glass screen, forming the perceived edge to the remainder of the block, while revealing the garden behind. </div>
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<div class="r" style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://researchingparis.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://researchingparis.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/map.jpg" width="400" /></a>In this garden, the much larger museum building wallows like a beached whale, stitched together by an internal armature for which the declared analogy is a river. Regardless of what that sounds like, I actually mean it as a compliment. Like Frank Gehry when asked 'why?' about his Barcelona fish restaurant, Nouvel is entitled to say 'why not?' This lesson is simple. Almost any analogy will work, if the architect extracts from it its essential organisational or expressive potential, rather than render its superficial connection to site or context. And if in design development the analogy doesn't work out, a good architect abandons it, gets rid of it, and starts with another, better one.</div>
<div class="r" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="r" style="text-align: left;">
But for me, the biggest lesson is what is hidden. Therefore I learnt it not from experiencing it directly in the museum. I have never come across anything more than a cursory mention of the artists in residence studios, that occupy the apartment buildings on the Avenue de la Bourdonnais. No diagram, no plans, no images. Yet that is where, I infer, Nouvel makes one of his profound departures from the modernist idiom. </div>
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<a href="http://aajpress.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/lena-nyadbi-dayiwul-lirlmim-barrumundi-scales-rooftop-art-adaptation-musc3a9e-du-quai-branly-2013-2nd-floor-aerial-view.jpg?w=750" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://aajpress.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/lena-nyadbi-dayiwul-lirlmim-barrumundi-scales-rooftop-art-adaptation-musc3a9e-du-quai-branly-2013-2nd-floor-aerial-view.jpg?w=750" height="260" width="400" /></a>If I am right, I figured it out staying in a semi-basement apartment in Paris, accessed tortuously, like the famous sequence from Mon Oncle, but more dark passages than irrational stairs. At the end of that transit was the apartment, almost miraculously opening a shuttered window back to the quiet courtyard. It was a great place to come to rest and enjoy. It didn't really critically matter how you got there, as long as the 'there' lifts your spirit. </div>
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The proposition is that for personal and domestic places, the delight
at the destination does benefit
from the romantic, almost secret path. But it needed no clarity of the 'parti'. And so it is, I suspect, with the artists' studios. See that 'mess' where the new museum building collides with the back of the apartment blocks? I am pretty sure it was made that way.</div>
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steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-73132923697556708712016-09-16T16:17:00.001+10:002016-09-16T16:17:34.140+10:00Shallow Manifesto<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX5pPWU7dgGtmiqGRLyhlK2ny3OKOmCfbFFBsNaooSTtgch1RYW_05oE7XEzkS8tgfVv8ZJhIVwmavCVJBScC4ltzhopvoFidGRO5vzW0uawEYBt1LJk2pvylyOI0rSCvLQG-2oV5B2sNi/s1600/manifesto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX5pPWU7dgGtmiqGRLyhlK2ny3OKOmCfbFFBsNaooSTtgch1RYW_05oE7XEzkS8tgfVv8ZJhIVwmavCVJBScC4ltzhopvoFidGRO5vzW0uawEYBt1LJk2pvylyOI0rSCvLQG-2oV5B2sNi/s320/manifesto.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Sometimes you just have to laugh. But not because the piece of architecture is funny ridiculous. Rather, because perhaps it does something relatively simply and very, very well.<br /><br />In this case, <a href="http://www.mfarch.com/index.php">Manifesto Architecture</a> dressed up a former gaggingly bland building in the otherwise chaotic Myeongdong district of Seoul. A showy bit of retrofit, mainly for a global fashion brand, but with an intersting, if simple twist. <br />
<br />To quote<a href="http://www.archdaily.com/556223/m-plaza-manifesto-architecture/"> ArchDaily</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The process of M-Plaza's "volumization" can be described in three
steps, each with increasing intensity. First the glass curtain wall was
etched with a ceramic frit pattern inspired by stacked cubes giving the
smooth facade an initial charge of volume. Then a grid of vertical and
horizontal extruded frames was installed to divide the facade into a set
of puzzle pieces each 500mm deep.<br />
<br />
Finally, a series of “funnels”, new glass openings framed by sloped
stainless steel panels that take full advantage of the 500mm depth
achieved by the extruded frames, are plugged into various puzzle pieces.
These three architectural languages give the facade a greater level of
depth and dynamism, but are applied in a consistent manner over the
large facades allowing the irregularities to exist within a certain
boundary of order. </blockquote>
</blockquote>
At first reading, it sounds pretentious. One way of putting it is that this is hardly a profound piece of architecture. Another way of seeing it is to recognise the way the architects applied their core skills of formal, compositional, programmatic and spatial, within an extremely constrained set of limits. <br /><br />Manifesto Architecture deserves to be taken seriously, with a
significant body of work, both built and rhetorical, that spans the
scale from wooden cutlery to monumental buildings.<br />
<br />
I feel guilty for the cheap shot of my title for this post.<br />
<br />
Read: <a href="http://www.archdaily.com/556223/m-plaza-manifesto-architecture/">http://www.archdaily.com/556223/m-plaza-manifesto-architecture/ </a><br />
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steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-18453506277572079462016-09-16T15:24:00.001+10:002016-09-16T15:24:16.892+10:00The other robot revolution: Prefabrication 2.0<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 class="art_headline">
Australia’s tallest prefab tower tops out at double speed</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmijLQ6B0HdJTzfn9OO4P2TIhheHHduqnb3fdd75D5MrcEfBvjVCreul866QdzhHWovf9uiI3Wf6LqmwycJPf6fNtxlfKySQZW1gu6dfJ8lM1CJAnB9tVPTX4IpVZZfcVIqL4XbqKNrIH/s1600/Night-shift-install-photo-by-Craig-Moodie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmijLQ6B0HdJTzfn9OO4P2TIhheHHduqnb3fdd75D5MrcEfBvjVCreul866QdzhHWovf9uiI3Wf6LqmwycJPf6fNtxlfKySQZW1gu6dfJ8lM1CJAnB9tVPTX4IpVZZfcVIqL4XbqKNrIH/s320/Night-shift-install-photo-by-Craig-Moodie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="art_headline" style="text-align: left;">
This recent headline in <a href="http://www.thefifthestate.com.au/innovation/building-construction/australias-tallest-prefab-tower-tops-out-at-double-speed/84343">The Fifth Estate</a> suddenly brought into the spotlight a quiet development in the Australian construction scene. I first posted about the <a href="http://www.hickory.com.au/" target="_blank">Hickory Group's</a> One9 apartment tower in Melbourne, utilising their so-called Unitised
Building (UB) System in <i><a href="http://stevekingonsustainability.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/too-good-to-be-true.html">Too good to be true?</a></i> back in 2014.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Developed and
championed by Australian architect Nonda Katsalidis, the UB system relies on
factory-based modular construction with high levels of external and internal
finishes and fit out, making for fast on-site assembly. It claims, and with ongoing development, clearly delivers the big advantages of modular prefabricated construction. Chief among them are the improved safety and working conditions for the skilled workers who put together the modules in a factory rather than on site.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b>Less easily accessed is information on the new balance between manual production line work for those human workers, and work performed by the robots inherited along with the defunct car manufacturing facility, in which the new building manufacture is located.</b></i></blockquote>
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I don't pretend to have reliable inside knowledge, so I can't actually answer my own question. But I suspect that it's not all gloom and doom.....that there is a considerable range of positives to this change.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGUwWt9jOcwifo9xjagTbd7eodzntTw11LyaV2tpK2GcMbVaNcB2BjUQUqSNfK9O7fUtlNKfQoMgU-BxvI3uTBn9DrXqQYS5qCZ93cu0Z5H6C9KGDwrJD3hjSvCoHU6KlDqPi3NnIJ9FOJ/s1600/brock-commons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGUwWt9jOcwifo9xjagTbd7eodzntTw11LyaV2tpK2GcMbVaNcB2BjUQUqSNfK9O7fUtlNKfQoMgU-BxvI3uTBn9DrXqQYS5qCZ93cu0Z5H6C9KGDwrJD3hjSvCoHU6KlDqPi3NnIJ9FOJ/s320/brock-commons.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
What lends more support to my views this time around is that the changes are occurring across a number of related fronts. Also in The Fifth Estate, within the same week, was an article <a href="http://www.thefifthestate.com.au/innovation/building-construction/worlds-tallest-timber-building-tops-out-ahead-of-schedule/84435"><i>World’s tallest timber building tops out ahead of schedule</i></a>. It celebrates a major advance in the use of cross-laminated timber wall and floor components and gluelam columns, in an 18 storey building under construction in Vancouver, Canada. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b>Because the very idea of timber high rise construction is so newsworthy for anyone who still thinks all timber is a fire risk, little is said about the fact that this construction method by its very nature relies intensely on pre-fabrication.</b></i></blockquote>
<br />
I am reminded that I am old enough to remember the post-WW2
attempts
to turn aircraft production facilities into building prefabrication.
Arguably, those were a failure because the complex social dimensions of
the initiative were not really given time to emerge. I am hopeful that
this time around, the approach and the technology mature gracefully, to
become the promised solution to our need to build more, more affordably
and more sustainably.<br />
<br />
Read:<br />
<div class="art_headline" style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.thefifthestate.com.au/innovation/building-construction/australias-tallest-prefab-tower-tops-out-at-double-speed/84343"><i>Australia’s tallest prefab tower tops out at double speed</i></a></div>
<a href="http://www.thefifthestate.com.au/innovation/building-construction/worlds-tallest-timber-building-tops-out-ahead-of-schedule/84435"><i>World’s tallest timber building tops out ahead of schedule</i></a><br />
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steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-19826454225601307882016-08-02T22:17:00.003+10:002016-09-20T09:59:15.769+10:00Gehry in Sydney too<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/getmedia/6e35d567-ab05-4412-a640-488e9835db7c/141113_UTS1.aspx" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/getmedia/6e35d567-ab05-4412-a640-488e9835db7c/141113_UTS1.aspx" height="220" width="320" /></a>On the occasion of its opening, I posted a lengthy piece about the <a href="http://stevekingonsustainability.blogspot.com.au/2015/02/rational-gerhy-rational-critics.html">Dr Chau Chak Wing Building at the University of Technology Sydney. </a><br />
<br />
My emphasis was on the remarkable way in which Gehry adheres to a highly disciplined, almost simplistically rational diagram, while producing wildly innovative sculptural buildings.<br />
<br />
The first part of that proposition went down like a lead balloon, in the midst of much bluster by local critics and architects.<br />
<br />
Now, looking for something altogether different, I come across a thoughtful article which actually pre-dates my piece, and about which I wish I had known at the time. The title says it all:<br />
<i><a href="http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/projects/education-health/look-past-its-facade-new-uts-business-school-desig#" id="ctl00_plcMain_breadcrumb_rpBreadcrumbs_ctl03_aItem">Look past its facade: new UTS business school designed by Gehry from inside-out</a></i><br />
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Of perhaps greatest interest to me is the claim that the project is 'Australia’s first true 3D-documented building'. We hear often enough of Gehry's use of <a href="http://ttp/www.digitalproject3d.com/">Digital Project</a>, the 3D design tool developed by Gehry Technologies as an overlay of the original Catia aircraft design software. But we rarely have enough of a description of its consequences in how his uniquely complex buildings are tendered and built.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/getmedia/8cb19880-690b-4ce5-a930-4d2b418800b7/141113_UTS2.aspx" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/getmedia/8cb19880-690b-4ce5-a930-4d2b418800b7/141113_UTS2.aspx" height="220" width="320" /></a>This easily read article adds welcome additional information, images and a <a href="https://youtu.be/MF8QdHIjFKs?list=PLKI3bXqM2ppl2KYnM3Ep2WMk7A6TY2-w5">video</a>. It should give anyone who is interested a significant extra understanding to Gerhy's success as arguably the most interesting architect alive.<br />
<br />
I am also happy to report that the architectural tourist will be amply rewarded seeking out the building - the University keeps it surprisingly open and accessible. You can indeed look behind the facade. </div>
steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-27212331198335655652016-04-01T09:17:00.001+11:002016-04-01T09:17:56.359+11:00Vale Hadid<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://assets.inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2012/06/Dame-Zaha-Hadid-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://assets.inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2012/06/Dame-Zaha-Hadid-3.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
I woke up to receive my first news of the untimely death of Zaha Hadid, via Inhabitat. Never carefully accurate, the Inhabitat reporting listed amongst Hadid's achievements the design of the London Olympics Stadium. Small matter, but of course, Hadid did not do the London Olympics Stadium. That was done by Sir Robert McAlpine and Populous, taking an approach to sustainability which it is unlikely Hadid would have. Her firm did the swimming and diving venue, with the famous controversy over restricted sight-lines.<br /><br />Hadid will receive scholarly and personal obituaries commensurate with her stature, so I will not attempt one here. <br />
<br />
Zaha Hadid is a great loss; she has exerted a very large influence over contemporary architecture. I tried very hard to admire her work, but it is likely she will be remembered with mixed feelings. <br />
<br />
If it can be said that the modern movement brought itself into discredit because of its adoption by developers and architects of lesser talents, Hadid's seminal formalism is being brought into disrepute by the shoddy examples produced by her own firm.</div>
steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7178184459929182520.post-27299434985562196102016-01-03T19:55:00.000+11:002016-01-03T19:58:32.253+11:00Had it with Hadid<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="caption">I've been waiting for more images to emerge of the Guangzhou Opera House. They have. Look and weep.</span><br />
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<a href="http://cdnassets.hw.net/dims4/GG/9fbef4e/2147483647/resize/876x%3E/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcdnassets.hw.net%2F4b%2Fbb%2Fb479318c489fa671232c9b857351%2F0622-mm-guangzhouopera-hero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdnassets.hw.net/dims4/GG/9fbef4e/2147483647/resize/876x%3E/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcdnassets.hw.net%2F4b%2Fbb%2Fb479318c489fa671232c9b857351%2F0622-mm-guangzhouopera-hero.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
This from a practice that supposedly employs world-class 'parametrics'. I could have offered them any number of second year architecture students who understand that the point of 'meshing' a complex surface is to resolve the joints and nodes in the simplest, repetitive way....and that you don't impose an arbitrary 'tessellation strategy' which is guaranteed to defeat that potential.<br />
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<a href="http://cdnassets.hw.net/dims4/GG/19747c7/2147483647/resize/876x%3E/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcdnassets.hw.net%2F22%2F29%2F56ed4596423496029a3025524952%2F0622-mm-guangzhouopera-detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdnassets.hw.net/dims4/GG/19747c7/2147483647/resize/876x%3E/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcdnassets.hw.net%2F22%2F29%2F56ed4596423496029a3025524952%2F0622-mm-guangzhouopera-detail.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
If the problem were only that , painful as it might be. Is there any excuse for the shoddy mess at the level where you 'touch' the building? We have been doing that sort of stone detailing since the Greeks. It's convenient to blame the rapid evolution of the Chinese building industry for the lack of skilled trades. But it's not enough to explain why more of the architectural effort hasn't gone into 'designing out' the problems.<br />
<br />
There are innumerable short essays and image galleries available now. Just Google '<span class="caption"><a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?q=Guangzhou+Opera+House+failures&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=LN6IVsCbOqWOmwXmq5v4Dg" target="_blank">Guangzhou Opera House failures</a>'. The authors generally bend over backwards to be 'fair' to the architects. I don't know why.....I am with <b><a href="http://archinect.com/blog/article/54932566/top-architectural-record-award-for-guangzhou-opera-house-really" target="_blank">Larry Speck</a> </b>(former dean at </span>the School of Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin) on this one:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"<i>Architectural Record</i> recently gave Zaha Hadid’s Guangzhou
Opera House its Best Public Project: Honor Award in the Good Design Is
Good Business: China competition and published it on the cover. <a href="http://archrecord.construction.com/ar_china/China_Awards/2012/Guangzhou-Opera-House/Guangzhou-Opera-House.asp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://archrecord.construction.com/ar_china/China_Awards/2012/Guangzhou-Opera-House/Guangzhou-Opera-House.asp</a>
<br />
<br />
Unbelievable! I visited the building last January and was absolutely
dismayed at how inept and poorly designed it is. Had anyone from the
awards jury (which “included editors from Architectural Record and
respected Chinese architects and experts”) actually visited the
building? If so, I cannot believe they would consider it “good design.”
The building’s failures are glaring and are certainly no secret. The
fellow showing me around in Guangzhou did not want to take me to the
opera house because he was “ashamed” of it.<br />
<br />
The photos in <i>Architectural Record</i> do look dazzling—proof
again that photos can be made to lie. The images are dominated by
distant views and night shots that obscure the building skin.<br />
<br />
If you were an arrogant westerner it would be easy to say that the
embarrassing crudeness of the building is not the architect’s fault, but
the result of a Chinese building industry not yet up to the visionary
imagination of the designer. But that notion is belied by the fact that
within view of the opera house are the extraordinary Guangzhou New
Library by Nikken Sekkei, the Guangdong Museum by Rocco Design and the
Guangzhou Tower by Mark Hemel and Barbara Kuit—all of which are
ambitious, meticulously designed and beautifully executed. The problem
at the opera house is poor design.<br />
<br />
Is it possible to create curvilinear forms with very tight radii,
superimpose a series of triangular grid patterns, make the building out
of a very heavy, brittle material like granite, and realistically expect
any sort of success? These seem to be ill-fated conceptual directions.
When things very went badly awry, fat caulk joints apparently were the
universal solution to poorly resolved design.<br />
<br />
The interiors have the same kinds of problems—chases that seem to have
been added as an afterthought, indirect lighting imbedded in sumptuous
glass-fiber-reinforced gypsum forms where the faceted T-5 fixtures are
clearly visible because no one checked cut off angles to be sure the
lamps would be concealed.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Promoting clearly flawed design as the “best” we have to offer is
demeaning and makes us look ridiculous to people outside the
architecture subculture. This is how we lose power in the larger society
and become marginalized as a discipline. Elevating “stars” and
“signature design” at the expense of deeply rooted and rigorous
standards of excellence does a disservice to our field."</b></blockquote>
</blockquote>
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steve kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01977535985183428085noreply@blogger.com0