Design for One Earth

How will Energy Drive Building in the Future?

We have seen the future of buildings in an energy driven world. Perhaps more accurately we have seen pieces of potential futures. One possible future is DOE/NREL’s new Research Support Facilities (RSF) project for the NREL campus. This project by the design-build of Haselden and RNL’s is designed to be a prototype for the future of zero energy buildings. Everyone involved on the NREL RSF has learned a great deal from this project and we have been asked by the Department of Energy to share these lessons. One of the Department of Energy’s goals is to make zero energy commercial buildings market viable by 2025.

 

The NREL RSF project shows a zero energy building future where buildings are optimized for multiple climate responsive passive strategies, and then complemented by very efficient mechanical and electrical systems – extending even into the design of the data center and the IT system for the building. This low energy building approach lends itself well to on-site renewable energy applications, which can then be sized as small as possible to offset the energy needs of the building. This approach can yield projects with significantly better energy and carbon reduction results than typical ENERGY STAR, LEED or 2030 Challenge benchmarks. In fact, this approach may even get us to the end game of the 2030 Challenge today.

The NREL RSF project has a very simple and direct form that is driven by energy. It is not very different from common building forms pre-dating air conditioning. The NREL RSF is a letter shaped building – in this case an “H”. This gives the building two long thin wings or “fingers” with the proper solar orientation and a connecting spine. The building was designed in section first to ensure proper daylighting, natural ventilation, thermal mass, transpired solar collection, and photovoltaic energy generation.

In addition to architecture, RNL has a strong urban design and master planning practice. We deal with the same energy and form issues at this scale. A unique emerging benefit of this is the ability to test new architectural and urban design ideas within a master plan. While our master planning approach addresses important sustainability issues such as land use, orientation, solar access, energy and water infrastructure, transportation, microclimates, pedestrian comfort and wind patterns – it doesn’t always have the scope to design the actual architecture. However, populating the urban plan with architecture helps it come to life. The architecture in these test beds is speculation – not unlike the speculative architecture and urban designs of sci-fi film sets. This provides an opportunity to speculate on new forms of energy driven architecture which leads to continued innovation. The speculative architecture on one of RNL’s recent sustainable city master plans in the UAE takes this idea of the “letter” or “finger” building into a more three dimensional, sculptural approach. The building becomes a vessel or body with more surfaces interacting passively with the environment.

 

There are many emerging design tools that will allow us to design more fluidly around energy. As BIM models become more energy model friendly we have quicker feedback on design decisions early in the process. New design tools are allowing us to automate the manipulation of form in direct response to energy. Tim Meador of RNL has been experimenting with this idea using Rhino 3-D modeling software with a Grasshopper algorithm plug-in using data from an Ecotect model. Surfaces can be scripted to respond to environmental data such as solar radiance which then can automate the free form depth of louver blades for shading or adjust the size of apertures for solar control.

The design of energy systems inside and outside our buildings will also be significantly different in the very near future. Starting on the inside, the occupants of a building have a significant impact on energy use. RNL is finding that in low energy buildings the plug and server loads account for more than half of all the energy use. This is a tremendous opportunity for improvements in occupant behavior, occupant energy feedback and green information technologies. If you have ridden in a Prius you understand the power of feedback on behavior. As you see your instantaneous MPG on the dashboard display you instinctively (or sometimes very purposively) make changes to your driving to move that MPG number up. The same technology is available in buildings.

Outside lies the electrical grid. We have all heard that it is antiquated and needs to be rebuilt, but apparently the grid is also dumb. Enter the smart grid. The idea is to run a communication signal on top of the electrical current on the same power line. With a smart grid the energy producer will have direct two-way communication with the energy consumers. This strategy reduces peak demands by managing energy use at the consumer level (demand side reduction). This opens up a world of possibilities including smart appliances, building energy interfaces, automation controls, better management of distributed renewable energy sources, better energy management for consumers, and better grid and equipment management for the utility. Xcel Energy is leading the way on smart grid technology and Boulder, Colorado is living the smart grid future now as one of the nation’s first smart grid cities.

How will all of these and other energy trends evolve to drive buildings in the future? One of my favorite truisms comes from a computer scientist named Alan Kay who said, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it”. We have the power to invent a clean low-energy sustainable future.

 

To see the visual slide show on this topic go to: http://www.slideshare.net/tomhootman/how-will-energy-drive-building-in-the-future

Design for One Earth

Can we live abundantly within the limits of one earth?

Can we offer future generations an opportunity for an even better life than ours?

Humanity as a whole is using the planet’s resources as if we had 1.3 earths. If we all lived like Americans do we would be using the resources of five earths. RNL believes the design of the built environment not only has the capacity, but also the responsibility to build a new world with a bright green future. Creating sustainable built environments requires optimizing the triple bottom line of environmental, economic and social priorities.

Design for One Earth is a design framework that expands of the triple bottom line by identifying twelve values and measures that define sustainable lifestyles and built environments at all scales. The goal is to use the Design for One Earth values as a guide for a design that expresses our clients’ values and desires resulting in environments that enhance their long term prosperity and respects the limited resources of one earth.

The Design for One Earth Values:

1. Zero Energy – Balance energy use and renewable energy supply so that the built environment consumes net zero fossil fuel energy. Implement energy efficiency, demand side reduction, on-site renewable energy and distributed and grid-wide renewable energy.
2. Carbon Neutral – Eliminate GHG emissions from the combustion of fossil fuel related to all human activities.
3. Water Balance - Balance water use so that so that needs can be satisfied without depleting the renewable freshwater resources available. Implement water use reduction in buildings and landscaping, rainwater catchment, and water reuse.
4. Materials Balance – Balance material use so that needs can be satisfied without depleting renewable natural resources. Incorporate durability, longevity, adaptability so that materials can serve a long life. Incorporate design for disassembly so that materials can be captured and diverted at the end of their service life. Incorporate reused, repurposed and recycled materials. Optimize local and global resources in material choices.
5. Zero Waste – Eliminate waste. Waste is an indicator of inefficiency and a sign of a design failure. Close the loop on material cycles so that all “waste” is diverted for re-use, new use, recycling or composting rather than disposal. Eliminate pollutants and toxicants in all forms.
6. Land Balance – Balance land use decisions to preserve ecosystems, promote ecosystem services, and develop new habitat and landscaped open space. Consider land use and landscaping at all scales including large open space habitats, roof top gardens and interior plants. Globally, agriculture has a significant impact on greenhouse emissions, water use, health and the economy. Consider food production within the built environment.
7. Prosperity – Prosperity is an inclusive economic measure that considers personal wealth, natural capital and long term value. Create sustainable places that provide opportunities and allow everyone to prosper.
8. Resilience – Resilience is part stability and part adaptability. It is a quality that promotes long term viability and the ability to weather adversity. Create built environments that hold long term value, are adaptable and enduring.
9. Visionary – Visionary is the use of innovation to create new value. Visionary is the use of foresight to invest for the future but also to invent the future.
10. Health – Health is the foundation of life. Health is measured at both the public and personal level and can be greatly influenced by decisions and systems at many scales. Promote health in the built environment through design for active living and through access to quality air, daylight and thermal comfort. Eliminate toxicants and chemicals that impede health.
11. Beauty – Beauty is an intrinsic part of nature and humanity. It is a basic human need and not a luxury or elitist concept. Promote beauty in the built environment and provide for a connection to nature and natural beauty.
12. Happiness – Happiness is the sum of many things, but an important measure of quality of life. Happiness is tied to many things including the built environment. Create environments that promote happiness, well-being, productivity and delight.