Global Summary
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Global Summary Building Summary Design Options Materials Stone Glass and Plaster Metals Earth Wood Strawbale Planted Roofs Ventilation Energy Savings Building Config. Room Layout Solar Orientaion Cooling/Heating Water Heaters Water Conservation Landscaping Rainwater Waste Water Readings Examples
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Environmental design does not have to be a high-tech and technically complex
issue. Looking to the indigenous peoples of the planet and even early
pioneers in North America, they demonstrate that using local materials,
properly siting, massing, and making use of natural forms of heating, cooling,
and ventilation are all a part of the wisdom of building. Even the
gopher knows to build its home half way up a hill facing south. In
this location, the gopher avoids the strong winds associated with the top
of the hill and the potential flooding and cold air pooling on the valley
floor. The Chinese practice of feng shui calls such a location as
being in the belly of the dragon and yet the gopher knows neither environmental
science nor Chinese customs.
The design and construction of new buildings accounts for the single largest amount of energy consumption in the United States which is also applicable to Canada. Some 54% of all energy used in America is related to construction, and over 30% of that nation’s landfills consist of construction debris. Architects therefore, have one of the highest levels of environmental responsibility and should consequently apply even the most basic environmental wisdom to all of their projects. Commonly the greenhouse effect and air pollution, in general, are listed as top environmental concerns. The main contributors to the greenhouse effect are carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides, chlorofluorocarbons, and surface ozone, otherwise known as the greenhouse gases. Activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, the regular use of primary refrigerants, CFC, HCFC, Halon, and agricultural sources (i.e. cattle) continue to increase greenhouse gases. Hazardous air pollutants include asbestos, berylium, mercury, vinyl chloride, arsenic, radionuclides, benzene, and coke oven emissions. Other air pollutants are formed when gases are combined. A photochemical reaction takes place when nitrogen oxide, primarily from automobile exhaust, hydrocarbons, and other organic compounds mix in the air in the presence of sunlight, which triggers the creation of toxic nitrogen dioxide and ozone. This is the reaction that forms smog. It is easy to become overwhelmed by these lists of destructive chemicals, but a simple rule of thumb for architects would be to design buildings that minimise, if not eliminate, these products from either being produced by or used in construction. Another consequence of air pollution is acid rain. The combustion of fossil fuels, in particular coal and oil, produces sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons. As global energy consumption rises, these substances are put into the air in increasing quantities. In the atmosphere they combine with water to form sulphuric and nitric acids. Acid rain destroys lakes and forests. It consequently threatens wood, water, and wildlife resources. About 3% of the Earth’s water is freshwater, two-thirds of which is frozen in the polar ice caps. Québec and British Columbia are fortunate provinces to benefit from large sources of fresh water. In fact, Canadians are one of the world’s worst per capita wasters of fresh water. After a building has been completed, the amount of water it consumes depends on its function. In residential and commercial buildings, the toilet is the single largest consumer of water, using one-third of the domestic water supply. Under half of domestic uses require water of drinking quality, but drinking water is typically supplied to satisfy all of these functions. Graywater systems recycle water for uses such as gardening, car washing, and heating. Vast amounts of water are also used in the building process, i.e. curing concrete. The processes of extraction, refinement, fabrication, and delivery are all energy-consuming, and this use of energy adds vast amounts of pollution to the earth, air, and water. The total energy consumed during these processes is known as embodied energy. The embodied energy of a material offers a general guide to the amount of pollution involved in its manufacture. Typically, low-energy materials are least polluting. The distance traveled to the construction site is an additional consideration. Choosing materials that are local or regional not only helps the local economy, but also cost less to transport. Local materials are usually more economically viable and climatically appropriate, thereby contributing to natural energy conservation. As we have seen, not only does concrete require water resources, but it also has a high embodied energy. The manufacture of Portland cement, the basic element of concrete, contributes about 8% of the carbon dioxide to atmospheric global warming. Aluminum is the most energy consumptive material used in the building trade. Not only is tropical rainforest stripped to unearth the bauxite, but vast amounts of power are also used to process it into aluminum. Nearly all of our activities require some kind of energy consumption. Types of available fuels used can be separated into two groups: finite and renewable. Finite, or fossil fuels include coal, oil, natural gas, and uranium. Renewable fuels are derived from natural resources and include solar energy, wind power, wave power, biomass, and timber. Fossil fuels form the basis of modern life in industrialised countries, providing 88% of all energy purchases. As a matter of course, the wisdom of environmental design should be taken into consideration for every project. Architects have a duty to be knowledgeable about the most basic environmental issues that affect the building of their projects. |
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