Sustainable Building, Design Strategies

The Building Sector is responsible for the largest consumption of fossil fuels and natural resources in the world today. Unless the architecture, planning and building community act now and act decisively, emerging economies will likely follow current design and building practices leading to disastrous global consequences. Fortunately, the energy crises of the 1970's spawned a wealth of research and development into advanced glazing technologies, passive solar system designs, and natural cooling, ventilation and daylighting strategies. Many private sector and government funded (and monitored) demonstration projects were built at the time, illustrating that energy consumption reductions of 50% or more could be readily achieved through design at little or no extra cost (see Mt. Airy Public Library). Since then many contemporary buildings, in all climate zones, have been constructed that confirm this. The following buildings and projects reflect innovative sustainable design strategies from all parts of the world. They are produced by firms committed to engaging the latest information and technologies to create buildings designed to dramatically reduce their environmental impact.
Photo by Enrico Dagostini City of White Rock Operations Building White Rock, B.C. - Canada Busby Perkins + Will	"With the building form somewhat predetermined (the building plan reflects the plans and geometry of the existing buried tank walls on site), treatments used (the amount and location of glazing and solar protection) responded to the structure's orientation relative to the daily and annual solar path. As a result, north elevations have less than 5% glass, and office areas (to the south) have walls with 50% glass. East-facing windows are protected by a large roof overhang and deciduous trees. Trees provide solar protection through the summer heat and admit winter sun in the morning. South windows are protected by a roof overhang and solar shades. West-facing windows are screened using a trellis that supports vines. Building materials were selected for their appropriateness to the building typology, the region, and it's climate." -US Departmert of Energy Size: 6,550 sf Cost: $183/sf Annual Energy Use: 26.6kbtu/sf Information: Busby Perkins + Will US Department of Energy ArchitectureWeek.com
shanghai investment corp. shanghai, china	"The Shanghai Industrial Investment Corporation (SIIC) and Arup recognize the global need to reduce carbon emissions and the importance of taking responsibility for bringing about change. Both SIIC and Arup are committed to reducing carbon emissions on this project. The Shanghai Industrial Investment Corporation (SIIC), vision is to create a development with low energy consumption that is as close to being carbon neutral as possible." -Arup Information: Arup Press Release Arup Projects The Guardian

	"The bottom line is that the daylighted Mt. Airy Public Library is a lowenergy- use building that's extremely attractive, aesthetically pleasing and that the people of Mt. Airy have declared, by their enthusiastic utilization of it, a runaway best seller." -Sarah Shankman Lighting Design + Application magazine
	Information: Mazria Inc. Odems Dzurec Vital Signs It's the Architecture Stupid!
mt airy library mt airy, nc mazria inc. odems dzurec
	"Using only energy from the sun, the teams generate enough electricity to run a modern household." -Solar Decathlon
	Information: Solar Decathlon
solar decathlon washington dc us doe
	"Lighting-energy use is reduced to 52% of allowable lighting energy per Seattle Energy Code, which additionally reduces cooling load within the building, and total consumption by over 22,000 Btus per square foot per year." -US Department of Energy
	Information: Miller/Hull Architects US Department of Energy Seattle Design Commission
fisher pavillion seattle, wa miller/hull partnership
	"Rinker Hall is anticipated to use 57% less energy than a comparable, baseline building." -USGBC
	Information: Croxton Collaborative AIA COTE ArchitectureWeek LEED Case Study
rinker hall gainesville, fl croxton collaborative
	"Energy self sufficiency is a major goal of the project. Photovoltaic panels (153 square meters in surface area) will provide power for electric boats and the building lighting on a seasonal basis." -Randall Stout Architects
	Information: Randall Stout Architects AIA/COTE US Department of Energy
steinhude sea facility steinhude, germany randall stout architects
	"Our goal with this project was to create a building that was environmentally responsible, cost effective, well designed, and built from materials that would otherwise be discarded." -Busby+Associates
	Information: Busby+Associates USGBC Green Buildings BC
materials testing facility vancouver, bc busby+associates
	"The energy savings from the design of this conservatory means that there is only 1/10th the air pollutants of NOx, SOx, and CO2 associated with a conventional Conservatory that uses natural gas for space heating and coal generated electricity for other energy uses." -Solar Today
	Information: Mazria Inc. Odems Dzurec New Mexico Business
rio grande conservatory albuquerque, nm mazria inc. odems dzurec
	"With technology, salvaged materials and a lot of warmth and nuance, Gensler and The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation created a beautiful new office that lives and breathes the organization's sustainable mission and values." -Gensler
	Information: Gensler Metropolis
moore foundation san francisco, ca gensler
	"Daylighting from the north-facing clerestory windows reduces the amount of illumination needed. With task lighting instead of general lighting, and fluorescent lamps instead of incandescents, the home uses 50% less electricity for lighting than a comparable home." -Toolbase.org
	Information: US Department of Energy Toolbase Smart Communities Network
showcase home phoenix, az jones studio architects
	"Colorado Court will be one of the first buildings of its type in the United States that is 100% energy independent. Colorado Court distinguishes itself from most conventionally developed projects in that it incorporates energy efficient measures that exceed standard practice, optimize building performance, and ensure reduced energy use during all phases of construction and occupancy" -Pugh+Scarpa Architecture
	Information: Pugh+Scarpa USGBC Pixelmap
colorado court housing santa monica, ca pugh+scarpa architects
	"BedZED provides the ingredients for a new kind of solar urbanism, with housing facing south, and commercial space facing north. This creates single-aspect dwellings looking south over their own gardens, with high daylight levels maintained in a deep plan by triple glazed roof lights over stair voids." -Bill Dunster
	Information: zed factory arup article open democracy
bedzed london, uk bill dunster architects
	"Daylighting and light sensors reduce energy consumption, and rooftop solar panels provide electricity and heat water." -Greenclips.com
	Information: Envision IsDesigNet.com Green Clips Metropolis
greenpeace u.s. offices washington dc Envision
	"Jersey Devil's architecture shows a concern for craft and detail, an attention to the expressiveness of the construction materials, and a strong environmental consciousness." -Susan Piedmont-Palladino + Mark Allen Branc "The Devils Workshop"
	Information: Jersey Devils
montessori school key west, fl jersey devils
	"His houses are fine tuned to the land and the weather. He uses a variety of materials, from metal to wood to glass, stone, brick and concrete - always selected with a consciousness of the amount of energy it took to produce the materials in the first place." -Pritzker
	Information: Architecture Week About Pritzker Prize
the magney house bingie point, australia glenn murcutt
	"The form of the building itself affords great energy savings. Interior volumes are shaded by the large photovoltaic roof, which minimizes direct heat gains. The narrow plan, together with the space between the two roofs, allows cross ventilation to keep the building cool while providing daylight and views." -US Department of Energy
	Information: US Department of Energy
stri research center boca del toro, panama kiss+cathcart
	"The thermal mass of the walls and a highly efficient mechanical system cut energy usage to one-third the amount initially projected by city planners and utility experts." -Will Bruder Architects
	Information: Will Bruder Architects Phoenix Library tait solar
phoenix public library phoenix, az will bruder architects
	"A large section of the west façade of the building was designed as a naturally vented "double skin" façade, composed of two separate planes of glass separated by a 30-inch air space. This curtainwall allows penetration of light to the interior while minimizing heat gain. This air space has automatically controlled louvers at the roof level to release or retain heat gain as required. Interior lightshelves at each floor of the curtainwall act as shading devices. ' -U.S. Department of Energy
	Information: nbbj Energy Department Seattle's Daily Journal of Commerce
seattle judicial building seattle, wa nbbj
	"China's first Low Energy Demo (LED) building, featuring nearly 100 of the most energy-efficient technologies and products." -Tsinghua University News
	Information: Tsinghua University Chinese Embassy in Romania
tsinghua university tsinghua china
	"The San Francisco Federal Building establishes a new benchmark for the intelligent use of natural resources in the United States." -Pritzker
	Information: Morphosis Building Design and Construction Pritzker Prize
federal building san francisco, ca morphosis