Rethink Construction

Study Break.

2011-05-25T01:25:00.000-07:00

Just came across this absolute gem.

What an incredible structure. Why complicate simple buildings with walls, roofs etc?

Curves all around this fantastic little creation.

Some sort of home, I suppose. Bold, striking and yet quintessentially organic.

Love it. Here's more info

It's been a while...

2011-04-18T23:41:00.000-07:00

Far too long since my last blog, and I figured I should use this opportunity to discuss my latest project

Sustainable Design of a hypothetical student residence in Burnaby

Quite a few ideas have been running thru my head, but I love the idea of modular homes in a versatile design.

The ideal of modularity combines form and function. Attractive form, and functional construction.

But herein lies the problem - a fixed design concept (straight edges and for lack of a better word, boxy).

The combination of bio-mimicry and modularity seems to be the key. Tying together attractive design and sustainable practices. I call it, bio-mod design.

The concept in held together by simple form for the structure and bio-mimicry for the facade.

Let me know what you think! Will post pics of my design ideas

Architecture that repairs itself?

2010-11-15T01:03:00.000-08:00

This is brilliant.

Food for thought

2010-10-20T23:24:00.000-07:00

Finally an opportunity to update the ol' blog,

Visiting a 'Living Building' construction site next week as part of my Materials and Processes class. Van Dusen Botanical Gardens Visitor Centre trying to be the first Canadian project to be certified as a 'Living Building'.

Essentially the principle surrounding this certification is the requirement to run for a year with no external water or power demands. All rainwater is collected and the building is powered by photovoltaic cells. Quite outstanding.

I'm eagerly awaiting this visit, and with Ledcor as the main contractor, things will certainly progress smoothly. But you have to wonder, is this idea going to go further than a one-off. Great news for the city of Vancouver if it does end up being the first 'Living Building' to be certified. Beyond LEED design, this is a truly exciting prospect.

Question is, can this idea become mainstream and perhaps more importantly, can it be applied to larger building that have a larger carbon/resource footprint. I'll leave it at that.

Here's the info on the Living Building certification - click here

Cheers for now,

Ashley

Biomimicry

2010-08-26T21:49:00.000-07:00

As humans, we haven't been on Earth all that long. Nature has...

In my research of architecture, it became apparent that biomimicry is one of the most fascinating ideas I've come across. The whole concept of us humans mimicking the design of what we assume to be simple creatures, is incredible.

Nowhere in nature are there square boxes, perfectly flat surfaces, or corners. Fluidity and continuity might be a huge challenge for specifiers in Architectural design, but it needs to be thought of. Perhaps we have designed homes, buildings and structures with too much aesthetic rigidity.

A facade of natural beauty may be all that is necessary to trick our minds into believing that our creations are more in-tune with nature. It may just be the future. Maybe we should look at what has survived far longer than we have.

Ashley

Keeping cool, in a design sense

2010-08-11T21:29:00.000-07:00

Imagine a house. A regular home, roughly 2000 sqft. What do you see, hardly an architectural masterpiece but it not what you see that I want to discuss.

Instead look at what the building you see could be. The aesthetic panels could be solar panels, the windows made more reflective, and the roof made to absorb less sunlight. All of these could save people money. Hundreds of millions is spent on cooling homes/business/office buildings because their roofs absorb heat.

It's like going out in the heat of summer, wearing all back and wondering why you get hot. I just doesn't make sense! So why not flip the tradition on his head and offer reflective roof panels. Granted this has already been thought of, but as I continue to mention the matter of price, it remains vital. ENERGYSTAR qualified roof products can help reduce the amount of air conditioning needed in buildings, and can reduce peak cooling demand by 10-15 percent.

Would be great to see reflective coatings gaining a greater market share and eventually becoming mainstream

Thanks for reading!

Ashley

Architectural simplicity

2010-07-16T22:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome back,

How much space is necessary for a human being? Most North Americans see bigger as better. Not saying this is wrong, but it does raise an interesting point: how big, is big enough?

The average North American home is approx 2000 sq ft, but why so large? Can we handle a 300 sq ft or less apartment? I think it's feasible, as long as the design is thoughtful.

The L41 home is designed for a generation that understands the principles of “small is beautiful”. l41home.com

L41 is constructed of Cross-Laminated Timber, (CLT) a relatively new wood product in North America. CLT is solid wood and can be used as a substitute for concrete in mid-rise buildings. (the British have built 9 stories buildings from CLT) When one considers that concrete is responsible for 8% of the world’s carbon emissions, the implications become clear. A minimalist architectural masterpiece setting a new LEED standard.

Getting a little carried away, this ideal might be a little difficult to market. Might be seen as too small, not practical or a bit of an extreme in minimalist design. Cost effectiveness will be the key. Make it cheap and cheerful and people will buy it. Prefab will eventually sell itself.

Cheers

AP

Sustainability for the masses

2010-07-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

One-offs are great, they raise awareness and publicity, but applying these design concepts for the average Joe is what we need.

For instance, This fantastic three-apartment building on the outskirts of Bern, Switzerland. Built by architect Peter Schurch, principle architect of Halle 52. Natural and local materials, plenty of daylight and a unique footprint — the building even cost less to build than the other homes in the neighbourhood, yet it has r-52 walls and a solar-electric green roof. (credit to Inhabitat.com)

Reading thru all of the 'fun facts' of this development, the most important fact is the reduced cost. Providing a wide-reaching market is crucial to green design success. Return on investment, in the short term is necessary for a widespread sustainable construction.

Rethink what it means to get more, from less.

The Future of Design

2010-07-07T22:14:00.000-07:00

Architecture is a science not a process, and is an industry that affects each and every one of us. The complexity of modern construction is astounding but the idea of changing the way building are developed from design to completion is even more daunting. An architect studies, studies, and studies some more in order to gain a broader perspective of design, thoughtful, respectful, suitable design. But what if someone was to turn this process on its head. Innovative design is what the construction world needs.

A structure made entirely of wood, or examining the possibilities of sustainable self-sufficient buildings. Not new ideas to many, but these projects exist as one-offs. What is stopping this innovation? Industry demand is lacking

It seems like people, myself included, enjoy the rhetoric of sustainable homes, preaching the benefits of insulation, low energy lightbulbs or the next best plastic alternative. I'm beginning to digress...

From minor small scale home-building to multi-billion dollar developments, the bottom line is quite simply the bottom line. I'm not suggesting that this is wrong, but highlighting the necessity of satisfying the 'need for green' and the benefits that may follow.

As anyone if they want a green home, they'll say yes. Would they like a home with zero net emissions from production of materials to installation - yes. Back to the real world. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but surely the greatest challenge is to attract people to choose sustainable products/methods/ideals without a monetary incentive. Mission impossible perhaps - 'Willingness to pay' is most suitable phrase.

From a pure design perspective, the balance that needs to be struck needs to include all facets of sustainability. The short term costs need to make sense. Noone in their right mind will pay more for something unless they can see a tangible impact right now (or soon at least). A sustainable building must be competitive building - an economic decision not a lifestyle decision for engineers and architects.

AP