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Sustainable Design and Built Environment

By: Engr. Dr. Attaullah Shah

Sustainable design

Islamic teachings and Environment − We made from water everything living (Quran 21:30)

− Have We not made the earth sustainable (receptacle, have a self sufficiency), For the living and the dead. (Quran.77/ 25-26)

− “And the earth We have spread out (Like a carpet); set thereon Mountains firm and immovable; And produced therein all kinds of things in due balance. And We have provided therein Means of subsistence,—for you And for whose sustenance Ye are not responsible.” (15:19-20)

− “It is He who produceth Gardens, with trellises And without, and dates, And tilth with produce Of all kinds, and olives And pomegranates, Similar (in kind) And different (in variety): Eat of their fruit In their season, but render The dues that are proper On the day that the harvest Is gathered. But waste not By excess: for God Loveth not the wasters.” (6:141)

− "If any Muslim plants any plant and a human being or an animal eats of it, he will be rewarded as if he had given that much in charity." (Sahih Al-Bukhari, 8:41)

− The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “And to remove a harmful thing from the way is also sadaqah (a charity).” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

− "If the Hour is about to take place while any one of you has a sapling in his hand, which he can cultivate before it takes place, let him cultivate it for he will be rewarded for it.“( Prophet PBUH)

− The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says: "Allah is beautiful and He loves the beautiful."

− Allah’s Messenger said the right of the road is Lowering your gaze, returning greetings, and removing harmful things from the road” (Reported by Muslim).

Layout of presentation

− Sustainability-Definitions

− New Technologies and Sustainability

− Principles of Sustainable design in built environment

− Lean Construction principles

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Sustainability

Sustainable development generally thought of as:− "development that meets the needs of the present without

compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." 

definition developed by the Bruntland Commission in 1987

Another concept, thought to be more solutions-oriented, more inspirational:

− “Sustainable development is a very simple idea. It is about ensuring a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come.”

− Proctor & Gamble

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Sustainability

− The dimensions of sustainability are not independent of one another, but instead intertwine in the tradeoffs that are inherent in any engineering decision.

− Interrelationships among dimensions create the complexity inherent in sustainable engineering design and decision making.

− Perfect sustainability for the earth system is (theoretically) possible− as long as the inhabitants of Earth consume less energy than supplied

by the solar energy budget as long as the sun continues to shine.

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− Technology plays a very important role in sustainable development because it is one of the most significant ways in which we interact with our environment

− Technologies are used:− To extract natural resources− To modify them for human purposes− To adapt our man-made living space

− Technology has created engineered systems that have given us drastic improvements in the immediate quality of life of many people

− Many of these short term improvements in the immediate quality of life have also extracted a great toll on the environment

− We need to develop and use technologies with sustainability in mind: "sustainable technologies“

− Sustainable technology− one that promotes a societal move toward sustainability − A technology that fits well with the goals of sustainable development

Sustainability and Technology

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Sustainability and Technology

− Sustainable technologies must have the following characteristics (in addition to meeting traditional engineering requirements and constraints):− Minimize use of nonrenewable energy and natural

resources− Satisfy human needs and aspirations with

sensitivity to cultural context− Have minimal negative impact on the earth's

ecosystems

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Sustainable Built Environment

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Impact of building on the Environment

Law of Resource Conservation

Three basic Principles of Sustainable Building Design

1. Resource Conservation. − Energy Conservation − Water Conservation − Material Conservation

2. Life Cycle Costing − Pre- Building Phase − Building phase − Post Building Phase.

3. Humane Design − Preservation of Natural conditions − Urban Design site Planning − Design for humane comfort

Future sustainable buildings

Principle No1: Economy of Resources − Energy Conservation:Energy Conservation:

− Maximize the use of natural resources on the site.− In temperate climates, open southern exposure will encourage

passive solar heating; − Deciduous trees provide shade in summer and solar heat gain in

winter. − Evergreens planted on the north of a building will protect it from

winter winds, improving its energy efficiency.− Buildings can be located relative to water onsite to provide

natural cooling in summer.

− Energy-conscious Site planning:Energy-conscious Site planning:− Passive solar architecture− Shading in summer, by plants or overhangs− The wind, or the flow of air: cooling and hygienic effects. − High-performance windows and wall insulation− Reduced heating and cooling loads require smaller HVAC equip.

− Alternative sources of energy− Solar, wind, water, and geothermal energy systems are all

commercially available to reduce or eliminate the need for external energy sources.

− Electrical and heating requirements can be met by these systems, or combination of systems, in all climates.

− Day lighting: − Building and window design that utilizes natural light.

− Lead to conserving electrical lighting energy,− Shaving peak electric loads, and reducing cooling energy

consumptions. − Day lighting increases the luminous quality of indoor

environments, − Enhancing the psychological well-being and productivity of

indoor occupants.− These qualitative benefits of day lighting can be far more

significant than its energy-savings potential.

Passive Solar House design

− Energy-Efficient Equipment & Appliances− Careful selection of high-efficiency heating, cooling, and ventilation

systems

− The initial price of this equipment may be higher than that of less efficient equipment, but this will be offset by future savings.

− Choose Materials with Low Embodied Energy: − The embodied energy of a material attempts to measure the energy that

goes into the entire lifecycle of building material.

− For instance, aluminum has a very high embodied energy because of the large amount of electricity that must be used to manufacture it from mined bauxite ore; recycled aluminum requires far less energy to re-fabricate. By choosing materials with low embodied energy, the overall environmental impact of a building is reduced.

− Using local materials over imported materials of the same type will save transportation energy.

Sustainable Building Design

Future Solar Energy Houses

− Water Conservation:

Water consumed in buildings can be classified as two types: Gray water Can be easily re-cycled Sewage- Need treatment plant

Reuse:- Rainwater collection-Gray water collection

Reduction:-Indigenous landscaping — using plants native to the local ecosystem — will also reduce water consumption. -These plants will have adapted to the local rainfall levels,-The sprinkler heads should be carefully placed and adjusted to avoid watering the sidewalk and street.-Low-flow showerheads.-- Vacuum-assist toilets or smaller toilet tanks

Grey water Reuse system

− Material Conservation:

- Material conserving design and construction

- Proper sizing of building systems

- Rehabilitation of existing structures

- Use of reclaimed or recycled materials and components

- Use of non-conventional building materials

Design of a Stadium

Material Conservation − Adapt Existing Buildings to New Uses

− One of the most straightforward and effective methods for material conservation is to make use of the resources that already exist in the form of buildings.

− Incorporate Reclaimed or Recycled Materials

− Buildings that have to be demolished should become the resources for new buildings. Many building materials, such as wood, steel, and glass, are easily recycled into new materials.

− Use Materials That Can Be Recycled

− During the process of designing the building and selecting the building materials, look for ways to use materials that can themselves be recycled. This preserves the energy embodied in their manufacture.

− Size Buildings and Systems Properly.

− A building that is oversized for its designed purpose, or has oversized systems, will excessively consume materials.

Principle 2: Life Cycle Design

Pre-building Phase. − Use Materials Made From Renewable Resources.

− Use Materials Harvested or Extracted Without Causing Ecological Damage

− Of the renewable materials available, not all can be obtained without significant environmental effects. Therefore, the architect must be aware of how various raw materials are harvested and understand the local and global ramifications.

− Use Recycled Materials

− Using recycle materials reduces waste and saves scarce land-fill space. Recycled materials also preserve the embodied energy of their original form, which would otherwise be wasted.

− Use Materials with Long Life and Low Maintenance

− Durable materials last longer and require less maintenance with harsh cleansers.

Building phase − Minimize Site Impact

− Careful planning can minimize invasion of heavy equipment and the accompanying ecosystem damage to the site.

− Excavations should not alter the flow of groundwater through the site

− Finished structures should respect site topology and existing drainage.

− Trees and vegetation should only be removed when absolutely necessary for access

− Employ Nontoxic Materials

The use of nontoxic materials is vital to the health of the building’s occupants, who typically spend more than three-quarters of their time indoors.

Post Building Phase: − Reuse the Building.− The embodied energy of a building is considerable. It includes not only the

sum of energy embodied in the materials, but also the energy that went into the building’s construction.

− Where complete reuse of a building is not possible, individual components can be selected for reuse — windows, doors, bricks, and interior fixtures are all excellent candidates.

− Recycle Materials

− Recycling materials from a building can often be difficult due to the difficulty in separating different substances from one another.

− Some materials, like glass and aluminum, must be scavenged from the building by hand.

− Reuse Existing Buildings and Infrastructure− Adoptive Re-use

Green Architecture and Building Design

Principle 3: Humane Design

Preservation of Natural Conditions− Respect Topographical Contours: − The existing contours of a site should be respected.

− Radical terra forming is not only expensive but devastating to the site’s microclimate.

− Alteration of contours will affect how water drains and how wind moves through a site.

− Do Not Disturb the Water Table− Select sites and building designs that do not require excavation below the local

water table.

− Placing a large obstruction (the building) into the water table will disturb natural hydraulic process.

− If the water table is exposed during construction, it will also become more susceptible to contamination from polluted surface runoff.

− Preserve Existing Flora and Fauna − Local wildlife and vegetation should be recognized as part of the building

site.

− Native plants and animals will make the finished building a more enjoyable space for human habitation.

Urban Design and Site Planning

− Integrate Design with Public Transportation

− Sustainable architecture on an urban scale must be designed to promote public transportation. Thousands of individual vehicles moving in and out of area with the daily commute create smog, congest traffic, and require parking spaces.

− Promote Mixed Use Development

− Sustainable development encourages the mixing of residential, commercial, office and retail space.

− People then have the option of living near where they work and shop. This provides a greater sense of community than conventional suburbs. The potential for 24-hour activity also makes an area safer.

Green Housing

Design for Human Comfort

− Provide Thermal, Visual, and Acoustic Comfort

− People do not perform well in spaces that are too hot or too cold.

− Proper lighting, appropriate to each task, is essential.

− Background noise from equipment or people can be distracting and damage occupants’ hearing.

− Acoustic and visual privacy also need to be considered.

- Provide Visual Connection to Exterior

− The light in the sky changes throughout the day, as the sun and clouds move across the sky.

− Humans all have an internal clock that is synchronized to the cycle of day and night.

− From a psychological and physiological standpoint, windows and skylights are essential means of keeping the body clock working properly.

− Provide Operable Windows

− Operable windows are necessary so that building occupants can have some degree of control over the temperature and ventilation in their workspace.

− Provide Fresh Clean Air. Fresh air through clean air ducts is vital to the well-being of building occupants. The benefits of fresh air go beyond the need for oxygen. Continuous recirculation of interior air exposes people to concentrated levels of bacteria and chemicals within the building.

− Use Nontoxic, Non-Out gassing Materials

− Long-term exposure to chemicals commonly used in building materials and cleaners can have a detrimental effect on health.

− Accommodate Persons with Differing Physical Abilities

− One aspect of sustainable design is its longevity.

− Buildings that are durable and adaptable are more sustainable than those that are not. This adaptability includes welcoming people of different ages and physical conditions.

− The more people that can use a building, the longer the building successful life.

My Environment Friendly House My Environment Friendly House

Example of Eco Friendly Design

EPA Research Triangle Park EPA Research Triangle Park Campus USA Campus USA

EPA Research Triangle Park Campus USA

During construction, 80% of the construction waste was segregated and recycled - keeping about 20 million pounds of materials out of regional landfills. By using an on-site concrete batch plant, EPA eliminated at least 75,000 highway miles of concrete truck traffic and avoided the combustion of at more than 10,000 gallons of fuel. Having the plant at the site also enabled wastes like crushed scrap concrete to be directly reused for the project.

A few more of our green construction practices include:- No on-site burning - Aggressive forest protection - Stringent protection for lakes and streams - Landscaping debris ground and used on-site as mulch - Gypsum trimmings recycled or applied as soil amendments Reflective,

white roofing was also used to limit heat absorption. The white roof and light-colored exterior walls increase the building's albedo, significantly lowering air conditioning costs. In addition to these architectural features, trees surrounding the building were left in place to help shade.

Computer Centre EPA –USA

Computer Centre Welcome

Labs

Lake

Transport

High Bay

Building Exterior Green Roofs Green Roofs Exterior Exterior

Atrium Atrium Indoor Environment Indoor Environment

Offices Offices Building amenities Building amenities

Lean Construction Principles

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The lean principles

− Eliminate waste

− Precisely specify value, from customer viewpoint

− Identify value-stream, eliminate non-value adding steps

− Improve value process flows

− Respond to customer requirements− “Customer pull”− “Just–in-time”, “right first time”

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What wastes are involved?

− Complexity - Complex products harder to manufacture, produce more waste

− Labour - Improve assembly line-type techniques

− Overproduction - Produce exactly what is wanted, when it is wanted

− Space - Plan efficient use of buildings, plant areas, circulation space, both in factory environment, and on project sites, & buildings

− Energy – reduce excess power utilisation, unproductive operations

− Defects – no mistakes, rework, defects, in factory or on site

− Materials – avoid scrap, trim, excess or bad materials, excess stocks

− Time – downtime, unnecessary delays of people or machines

− Transport – eliminate unnecessary movements in factory & on-site, no double-handling

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Lean thinking in Construction

− All the previous ideas can be relevant to the construction process…

− Design− Virtual Reality, 3d CAD− Customer can “walk through” a building at design stage− Use standardisation, pre-assembly techniques− Design & build contracts

− Production Planning− Benchmarking to find “best in class”− Clear, stable project programmes− Critical path analysis− Risk management

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Lean Construction

Lean Construction is a term which comes from

“Lean thinking”, a philosophy, derived from “lean manufacturing” techniques

− Lean manufacturing pioneered by Toyota

− It is all about elimination of “muda” – waste

− Covers all activities & process which consume resources, but do not add value to the product

− Focuses on customer needs

− Lean Construction is a therefore a production management approach to project delivery – a new way to design and build capital facilities

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Lean Construction

− Project plans, systems approach− Defined construction methods− Agreed by all parties− Communicated to all interested parties− Revisions minimised, kept up-to date− Train the workforce

− “tool-box talks”, Health & safety− Multi-skilling, flexibility

− Progress reports− Commitment to improve

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Related areas to Lean Construction

Lean thinking and lean construction lead to use of standardised products, and pre-assembly techniques

Standardisation-“Extensive use of components, methods or processes in which there is regularity, repetition, and a background of successful practice”

− WHY does Construction industry need it?− Too many unique components products − Lack of thorough design− Not enough testing− Customer requires better guarantees of serviceability

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Benefits of Standardisation

− Improved predictability

− Shorter lead times

− Improved product reliability

− Improved quality

− Lower costs

− Reduced waste – scope for re-cycling

− Ease of maintenance

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Different types of standardisation

− Generic− Is by nature standard, - steel concrete plaster− Is ISO certified, etc

− National− National standards for brick sizes, etc

− Client− Client wants the same product throughout its business− Tesco, Body Shop, McDonalds, etc

− Supplier− Standard product ranges & sizes for components

− Project− Design team decisions re dimension grids, modules, etc

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Modularisation or Volumetric pre-assembly

− NOTE : There is often confusion about these terms, some magazines refer to them as being the same.

− Volumetric Pre-assembly− Complete fitted out unit, eg kitchen or bathroom, lift shafts

assembled before being placed in final position− Often produced under factory conditions

− Modular buildings− Whole building consists of modular units− Hotels, schools, army barracks

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Supply chain management

− Lean manufacturing requires new attitudes & input from suppliers, closer relationships

− Cooperation & planning

− Partnering, shared business strategies

− Open-book accounting

− Performance standards

− Continuous improvement

− Networking

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Partnering is………..

− Partnering is a new philosophy of parties working together, who might previously had a more antagonistic relationship

− Is a “win-win” relationship

− Has become important way in which contractors SELL and clients PROCURE construction services

− Partnering is a strategy to increase repeat business

− Partnering can be a means of increasing levels of client satisfaction

− Can provide a more stable workload

− Partnering is NOT a contract form

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Wider implications of partnering

− Partnering is not just a concept for contractors and clients, or a narrow view of procurement

− What about suppliers & manufacturers?− “The supply chain”

− Managing the supply chain requires commitment by many different parties with common interests

− Concept of “Lean production”− “Just in time”, “right first time”

− Egan’s views on learning from other industries

Conclusion

− Sustainable development is the need of the day.

− The resource conservation, reducing life cycle costing and enhancing the user’s comfort in the design of built environment can lead to pollution free and sustainable design and construction

− Lean Construction is an endeavor to save the natural resources in the design, construction operation and maintenance of built facilities. This in turn leads to sustainability in construction.