History Day
Paolo Soleri
Arizona
Arcosati: 5000people > 3% complete
Arcology: Architecture coherent with ecology
Windbells
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Reclaimed Habitat
Yesterday I came across the evapotranspiration factor. As in electronic sensors that can detect the moisture rates in a specific microclimate.
evaporation--the process of liquid water becoming water vapor, including vaporization from water surfaces, land surfaces, and snow fields, but not from leaf surfaces
+
transpiration--process by which water that is absorbed by plants, usually through the roots, is evaporated into the atmosphere from the plant surface, such as leaf pores.
=
evapotranspiration--the sum of evaporation and transpiration.[1]
This is something you want to be aware of when considering how often and how much to water vegetation. Essentially, a robot can measure and predict conditions to prescribe appropriate watering schedules. Building science gets ever closer to computer science and our systems go beyond the building shell and into the landscape. Is it excess? Could it be public art? In our sprinkler case, I think its measured efficiency. It's the sure fire way to success (that was borrowed from business). There are ten good reasons to get rid of this system, and one sustainable solution; native plants.
Get rid of the turf, use mulch and design to the natural setting. If you don't need a permanent irrigation system[2], then sophisticated electronic robots might not even be needed in your 'reclaimed habitat'.
If you are trying to grow food, there are many ways to collect rainwater or greywater to irrigate all site types. Rain cisterns collect roof runoff from the gutters and reduce the amount of storm water flow. Inside, clean plumbing outgoing pipes, with filters, can be used as a non-potable irrigation source.
Sustainable design is simple to me; utilize the resources at hand, as efficiently as possible.
[1: definitions taken from the United States Geological Survey webpage
2: recommended 1-2 years temporary irrigation ]
evaporation--the process of liquid water becoming water vapor, including vaporization from water surfaces, land surfaces, and snow fields, but not from leaf surfaces
+
transpiration--process by which water that is absorbed by plants, usually through the roots, is evaporated into the atmosphere from the plant surface, such as leaf pores.
=
evapotranspiration--the sum of evaporation and transpiration.[1]
This is something you want to be aware of when considering how often and how much to water vegetation. Essentially, a robot can measure and predict conditions to prescribe appropriate watering schedules. Building science gets ever closer to computer science and our systems go beyond the building shell and into the landscape. Is it excess? Could it be public art? In our sprinkler case, I think its measured efficiency. It's the sure fire way to success (that was borrowed from business). There are ten good reasons to get rid of this system, and one sustainable solution; native plants.
Get rid of the turf, use mulch and design to the natural setting. If you don't need a permanent irrigation system[2], then sophisticated electronic robots might not even be needed in your 'reclaimed habitat'.
If you are trying to grow food, there are many ways to collect rainwater or greywater to irrigate all site types. Rain cisterns collect roof runoff from the gutters and reduce the amount of storm water flow. Inside, clean plumbing outgoing pipes, with filters, can be used as a non-potable irrigation source.
Sustainable design is simple to me; utilize the resources at hand, as efficiently as possible.
[1: definitions taken from the United States Geological Survey webpage
2: recommended 1-2 years temporary irrigation ]
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Hot asphalt & Impervious Pavement
Efficiency is sought in most characteristics of green building. It makes sense. Waste less, gain more. When I first heard of efficient framing - in wood framed homes for example - I had that 'duh' reaction. Why did we start to build inefficiently at all? One answer is the modern luxery of air conditioning, but that doesn't explain how you frame a house.
So today I came across a bike rack that can 'park' 45 bicycles in the space of 4 parking spaces. A modular 'space saver' from Dero. I was impressed, that for something as simple as using a bike over car to get to work, you could save ten times the square feet reserved for transportation on a site plan. When I see parking lots as large as building footprints, I cringe.
One indicator of what it will take for the masses to shift form cars to bike - or any alternative - is the ground they sit on. Cars most often spend their afternoons on hot asphalt or impervious pavement. Bicycles receive shade of buildings or special pavilions, typically on the sidewalk, potentially on pervious paving, and always closest to the entrance.
If we replaced 50% of car parking with bike storage, it could potentially result in more greenspace. In my opinion, it would also cut down on the eyesore of street lots or errie feeling of ten story tall parking garages anchoring towering condos twice as tall.
So today I came across a bike rack that can 'park' 45 bicycles in the space of 4 parking spaces. A modular 'space saver' from Dero. I was impressed, that for something as simple as using a bike over car to get to work, you could save ten times the square feet reserved for transportation on a site plan. When I see parking lots as large as building footprints, I cringe.
One indicator of what it will take for the masses to shift form cars to bike - or any alternative - is the ground they sit on. Cars most often spend their afternoons on hot asphalt or impervious pavement. Bicycles receive shade of buildings or special pavilions, typically on the sidewalk, potentially on pervious paving, and always closest to the entrance.
If we replaced 50% of car parking with bike storage, it could potentially result in more greenspace. In my opinion, it would also cut down on the eyesore of street lots or errie feeling of ten story tall parking garages anchoring towering condos twice as tall.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Night Before
Tomorrow morning, this Intern Architect LEED AP starts a full time job as a Green Building Consultant. For the privacy of our clients, I won't disclose my name, company, or location. I am young in my field of Architecture and about to join the experts in the niche of green building.
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