Innovative Sustainable Building Design

In groups, your brief is to use shipping containers as building blocks to create a dwelling for your client. It should provide comfortable living conditions for its occupants whilst also aiming to be responsive to the surrounding environment. Importantly, you should choose ONE of the following climatic scenarios on which to base your design:

SCENARIO 1: Emergency refugee shelter in an arid desert climate (e.g. north & central Sudan). Conditions:

• Very little rainfall most of the year

• High average daytime temperature all year round (above 40°C)

• Low night-time temperatures (average 19°C in January)

• Violent dust storms in summer

SCENARIO 2: Beachside holiday home in a tropical climate (e.g. southern Malaysia). Conditions:

• Tropical hot and humid all year round, with high humidity (70 to 90%)

• Wet season in winter – temperatures around 25°C

• Dry season in summer – temperatures up to 35°C

• Little diurnal temperature difference: 5°C to 10°C

• Plenty of rainfall, most intense during Monsoon season

SCENARIO 3: Urban executive flats in a cold climate (e.g. Oslo). Conditions:

• Mild to warm summers with average high temperatures around 22°C, lows around 12°C

• Winters are cold and snowy with temperatures between −7°C and −1°C

• Moderate rainfall throughout the year

• Snowfall can occur from November to April, but snow accumulation occurs mainly from January through March

This assignment addresses the following course leaning outcomes and these are reflected in the assessment criteria.

• Understanding of the application of building services technology within buildings.

• An understanding of how building services are incorporated and installed within modern buildings.

• Developed communication skills through oral, graphic and written means

• Capacity for independent and self-managed learning on the basis of in-class presentations and discussions, and of formative feedback from assessments

Ventilation systems

The design focuses mainly on the adaption of passive ventilation strategies to reduce the heat gain on the buildings working by the principle that wind flow causing evaporation on moist skin induces a feeling of cool thermal comfort. This will also significantly reduce the dependence of intense mechanical air conditioning systems that are very energy consuming. Therefore, the building itself is oriented axially towards the side of prevailing winds in order to capture the most of the cool beach breezes.

Considering the fact that the site is subject to highly moist conditions of soil, flooding etc. the entire house is raised on stilts (vertical columns) to avoid direct contact of the floor with the ground in order to facilitate natural ventilation. Natural ventilation below the floor…

o prevents rising damp or moisture ingress from the ground below;

o thereby also increasing the durability of the flooring material (timber as intended in the design) by preventing hygroscopic change in dimensions (expansion due to excess moisture or shrinkage upon drying) or rot due to the same.

o keeps the indoor spaces and house protected in the case of flooding or water logging on site;

o encourages air flow underneath and contributes to the cooling of the floor;

o prevents insects or vermin from affecting living spaces

o increase stability of structure during soil erosion or flooding due to strong piles driven deep into the ground.

o efficient use of material for construction of foundation

o minimizes the impact on the site by reducing amount of direct contact

o also provide privacy to the residents from the busy crowd of the beaches.

A significantly necessary amount of area on the roof of the ground floor is designed to be utilized as a balcony or verandah space shaded with pergolas combined with planting of plants or creepers like ivy on the western and eastern facades to filter out intense heat and create a translucent skin.

o These semi-outdoor spaces are made wide to encourage outdoor living in the beach-home to enjoy the views to the ocean across or even be used as a screened “sleep out style” verandah positioned to catch the night time summer breezes.

o This also incorporates the concept of multi-use spaces based on season – summer nights – sleep out style verandah; winter mornings – home party / event spaces

o Expandable living spaces – also on the ground level large garage style doors are included, that open the house up to the outdoors and expand the living space hence making efficient seasonal and adaptable use of space with less built up volume on site.

Materials

- Flooring – Use of reclaimed hardwood planks from older structures, or that harvested in responsible forests practicing the idea of Sustainable forestry by minimizing ecological damage.

- Bamboo is used for the structure due to it being locally available and efficient in terms of employing local skill, labor and craftsmanship. It is a natural material, water resistant and enables possibility of flexible variety of design styles.

- Locally manufactured and prefabricate concrete is used for the construction of foundation.

- Some other materials used are cork, composite boards for other building components.

- The materials used also contribute to lesser amount of waste during construction.

- Tensile fabric membranes are used to provide shading into the internal courtyards like a tent structure.