Solar Shade by Buro NorthPublished in May 17th, 2008 Posted by admin in Technology

Solar Shade by Australian designers Buro North educates primary school children about collecting energy from the sun while providing shade in playgrounds.

The canopies have solar cells on top and large handles on the base mean that the canopy can be rotated by pupils or teachers to get the most efficient orientation in relation to the

sun throughout the day.

LED displays communicate how much energy is being generated and whether the device needs turning around.

For more from Buro North see our story from December about their Eco Christmas tree.

The following information is from Buro North:

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Project Overview

In partnership with the Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab we have developed a solar-collecting sun-shade for Australian primary school yards aptly titled the ‘Solar Shade’.

Project Detail

As a government funded initiative, the VEIL solar-shade is a future possibility for the integration of solar-energy harvesting technologies into a form that is pragmatic

(providing shade & energy), evocative and educational. Current Australian school curriculums utilize information around consumption and energy as an educational device, and we have designed this interactive concept to explore the visual connection between

energy collection and consumption.

The goals of the government funded project include:

The creation of a solar shade that exposes and exhibits the technology of solar energy harvesting;

To engage students by developing an interactive concept that requires their input to function;

To shield students from the harsh Australian playground sun; To inform students about the collection of electricity and how the quantity of

energy harvested directly relates to the world around them; To provide students with a direct benefit from the collection of solar energy.

About the VEIL Solar Shade design concept:It features a broad, uni-directional solar panel surface as a visible face for the structure. Most solar collecting structures position the panels on an elevated surface not visible

from the ground, removing visual recognition from the audience.

The structure is rotated throughout the school day to best suit the position of the sun. Markings around the circular base indicate best time-specific direction for shade in the morning and afternoon. The large handle on the shade allows for smooth rotation by

children and adults.

The shade area of the structure is extended by the large sail-cloth awning that extends from the solar panel section. The Solar Shades can be arranged in clusters in

appropriately sized spaces to create playground shade.

The underside of the shade features a dynamic visual feedback system to instantaneously indicate the quantity of energy currently being collected from the solar panels. Correct solar orientation will generate a positive visual message (LED’s glow green), incorrect

orientation will indicate the low amount of power collection (LED’s glow red).

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Technicolor Bloom by Brennan BuckPublished in July 12th, 2008 Posted by admin in Technology, designs

 

Technicolor Bloom is an architectural installation constructed from 1400 flat plywood panels to form a double-curved perforated tunnel.

Designed by Brennan Buck with Rob Henderson and students from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, Austria, the project is currently on show at the Museum

of Applied Arts (MAK) in Vienna.

Buck is assistant Professor at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna and a critic at Yale School of Architecture.

Photos are by Christof Gaggl.

Here’s some info from Buck:

Technicolor Bloom

Technicolor Bloom is a kaleidoscopic architectural prototype built from 1400 uniquely cut, flat plywood panels.

Installed for the first time in Fall 2007, Technicolor Bloom recently won an international FEIDAD Design Merit Award (www.feidad. org) and is now on show

at the MAK (Museum of Applied Arts) in Vienna.

Designed and fabricated by Brennan Buck with Rob Henderson and students from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, Technicolor Bloom uses completely standard, scalable fabrication technology to produce doubly curved, digitally

designed architectural form. It proposes a method and a set of aesthetic principles that extend the architectural potential of topological form by incorporating

architectural systems such as structure, aperture, fenestration and construction directly into the project’s geometry. The result is a spatial study of the literal and

phenomenal effects of 3-dimensional pattern.

www.technicolorbloo m.com

Passive solar building designFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

active solar water heating technologies, etc. may be more appropriate for some locations.

It is possible to have active solar hot water which is also capable of being "off grid" and qualifies as sustainable. This is done by the use of a photovoltaic cell which uses energy from the sun to power the pumps.[25]

[edit] Design tools

Traditionally a heliodon was used to simulate the altitude and azimuth of the sun shining on a model building at any time of any day of the year.[1] In modern times, computer programs can model this phenomenon and integrate local climate data (including site impacts such as overshadowing and physical obstructions) to predict the solar gain potential for a particular building design over the course of a year. This provides the designer the ability to evaluate design elements and orientation prior to building works commencing. Energy performance optimization normally requires an iterative-refinement design-and-evaluate process.

[edit] Levels of application

[edit] Pragmatic

Many detached suburban houses can achieve reductions in heating expense without obvious changes to their appearance, comfort or usability [2]. This is done using good siting and window positioning, small amounts of thermal mass, with good-but-conventional insulation, weatherization, and an occasional supplementary heat source, such as a central radiator connected to a (solar) water heater. Sunrays may fall on a wall during the daytime and raise the temperature of its thermal mass. This will then radiate heat into the building in the evening. This can be a problem in the summer, especially on western walls in areas with high degree day cooling requirements. External shading, or a radiant barrier plus air gap, may be used to reduce undesirable summer solar gain.

[edit] Annualized

An extension of the "passive solar" approach to diurnal solar capture and storage ("short-cycle passive solar"). Other experimental designs attempt to capture warm-season solar heat, convey it to a seasonal thermal store for use months later during the cool or cold season ("annualised passive solar.") Increased storage is achieved by employing large amounts of thermal mass or earth coupling. Anecdotal reports suggest they can be effective but no formal study has been conducted to demonstrate their superiority.

Examples:

Passive Annual Heat Storage (PAHS) - by John Hait Annualized Geothermal Solar (AGS) heating - by Don Stephen Earthed-roof

[edit] Minimum machinery

A "purely passive" solar-heated house would have no mechanical furnace unit, relying instead on energy captured from sunshine, only supplemented by "incidental" heat energy given off by lights, computers, and other task-specific appliances (such as those for cooking, entertainment, etc.), showering, people and pets. The use of natural convection air currents (rather than mechanical devices such as fans) to circulate air is related, though not strictly solar design.

Passive solar building design sometimes uses limited electrical and mechanical controls to operate dampers, insulating shutters, shades, awnings, or reflectors. Some systems enlist small fans or solar-heated chimneys to improve convective air-flow. A reasonable way to analyse these systems is by measuring their coefficient of performance. A heat pump might use 1 J for every 4 J it delivers giving a COP of 4. A system that only uses a 30 W fan to more-evenly distribute 10 kW of solar heat through an entire house would have a COP of 300.

[edit] Zero Energy Building

Passive solar building design is often a foundational element of a cost-effective zero energy building.[26][27][28] Although a ZEB uses multiple passive solar building design concepts, a ZEB is usually not purely passive, having active mechanical renewable energy generation systems such as: wind turbine, photovoltaics, micro hydro, geothermal, and other emerging alternative energy sources.

[edit] See alsoEnergy portalSustainable development portal

Solar energy Active solar List of low-energy building techniques Low energy building Zero energy building Energy plus house

Energy Rating systems

House Energy Rating (Aust.) Home energy rating (USA) EnerGuide (Canada) National Home Energy Rating (UK)

Solar-designers

History of passive solar building design Category:Solar building designers List of pioneering solar buildings Steve Baer J. Baldwin Tom Bender Lee Porter Butler Peter Calthorpe Buckminster Fuller Larry Hartweg - DOE/ORNL Zero Energy Design[3] William McDonough William Shurcliff Felix Trombe Sim Van der Ryn James Wines Ken Yeang

[edit] References1. ̂ "Passive design - Introduction". Retrieved on 2008-01-14. 2. ^ a b "Rating tools". Retrieved on 2008-01-14. 3. ̂ Your Home Design Guide - Home Page 4. ̂ http://www.srrb.noaa.gov/highlights/sunrise/fig5_40n.gif 5. ̂ http://www.srrb.noaa.gov/highlights/sunrise/fig5_0n.gif 6. ̂ http://www.srrb.noaa.gov/highlights/sunrise/fig5_90n.gif 7. ^ a b Your Home Design Guide - Home Page 8. ^ a b Your Home Design Guide - Home Page 9. ̂ BERC - Airtightness 10. ̂ Your Home Design Guide - Home Page 11. ̂ http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/

mytopic=11680 EERE Radiant Barriers 12. ^ a b c d "Glazing - Overview". Retrieved on 2008-01-14. 13. ̂ Your Home Design Guide - Home Page 14. ̂ Your Home Design Guide - Home Page 15. ̂ "Introductory Passive Solar Energy Technology Overview". U.S. DOE - ORNL

Passive Solar Workshop. Retrieved on 2007-12-23. 16. ^ a b Chiras, D. The Solar House: Passive Heating and Cooling. Chelsea Green Publishing

Company; 2002. 17. ̂ Zero Energy Buildings 18. ̂ "Two Small Delta Ts Are Better Than One Large Delta T". Zero Energy Design.

Retrieved on 2007-12-23. 19. ̂ William A. Shurcliff. Thermal Shutters & Shades - Over 100 Schemes for Reducing

Heat Loss through Windows 1980. 20. ̂ MEEF Roman Architectural Glossary 21. ̂ EERE Consumer's Guide: Sunspace Orientation and Glazing Angles 22. ̂ http://irc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/pubs/cbd/cbd039_e.html Solar Heat Gain Through Glass 23. ̂ http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Environmentandgreenerliving/Greenerhome/DG_064374 24. ̂ Reduce Your Heating Bills This Winter - Overlooked Sources of Heat Loss in the

Home 25. ̂ "Active Pumps". Solar Thermal. 26. ̂ Cold-Climate Case Study for Affordable Zero Energy Homes: Preprint 27. ̂ Zero Energy Homes: A Brief Primer 28. ̂ Moving Toward Zero Energy Homes (Fact Sheet)

[edit] External links Canadian Solar Buildings Research Network www.greenbuilder.com - Passive Solar Design www.eere.energy.gov - US Department of Energy (DOE) Guidelines www.greenhouse.gov.au - Australian Dept of Climate Change www.ornl.gov - Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Building Technology www.FSEC.UCF.edu - Florida Solar Energy Center www.ZeroEnergyDesign.com - 28 Years of Passive Solar Building Design Passive Solar Design Guidelines http://www.solaroof.org/wiki Calculation of insolation (houses, garden, roof, apartment...) www.PassiveSolarEnergy.info - Passive Solar Energy Technology Overview www.gaisma.com - Sun path calculator for selected cites

http://sunposition.info/sunposition/spc/locations.php - Sun path by location and date

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_solar_building_design"Categories: Construction | Solar architecture | Heating, ventilating, and air conditioningHidden category: Articles lacking in-text citations

http://civilengineeringtopics.blogspot.com/2007/08/current-topics-in-civil-engineering-air_26.htmlCIVIL ENGINEERING SEMINAR TOPICS CURRENT SEMINAR TOPICS IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

AIR POLLUTION CONTROL

CONFIGWARE

CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING SYSTEMS

ENGINEERING BEHAVIOR OF SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS

FLUROSCENT MULTILAYER DISC(FMD)

GLOBAL POSITIONING AND GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS APPLICATIONS

HIGHWAY DESIGN

HIGHWAY SAFETY

MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION

MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS IN BUILDINGS

PRINCIPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

QUANTUM CRYPTOLOGY BECOMES A REALITY

REINFORCED CONCRETE DESIGN

SMART MATERIALS AND SMART STRUCTURES

STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS AND DESIGN

STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOR MEASUREMENT

TRAFFIC OPERATIONS

ZFS

Civil engineering is that field of engineering concerned with planning,design and construction of natural resource development, regional andlocal water supply and storm water facilities, waste managementfacilities, transportation facilities, tunnels, buildings, bridges, andother structures for the needs of people. Persons who are qualified byeducation and experience and who meet state requirements for practicingthe profession of civil engineering are called civil engineers.

Performance Criteria for Civil Engineers

As professionals, civil engineers should conform to the following canonsas they perform their duties:

1. Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.(Welfare of the public implies a commitment to sustainable developmentwhich is meeting the current needs and goals of the project whileprotecting the natural resource base for future generations. )

2. Act for every employer or client as faithful agents or trustees andavoid conflict of interest.

3. Apply to the fullest extent their knowledge and skill to everyclient's project.

4. Maintain life-long learning, always willing to participate in theprofessional exchange of ideas and technical information.

5. Perform services only in areas of competence; in other areas,engineers may engage or collaborate with qualified associates,consultants, or employees for performing assignments.

Accordingly, civil engineering projects should be planned, designed, andconstructed to satisfy the following criteria:

1. They should serve the purposes specified by the owner or client.

2. They should be constructable by known techniques and with availablelabor and equipment within a time acceptable to the owner or client.

3. They should be capable of withstanding the elements and normal usagefor a reasonable period of time.

4. Projects when completed should be optimum—lowest cost for thepurposes intended or the best for the money spent—as required by theowner or client. Construction cost should not exceed the client'sconstruction budget, and operation, maintenance, and repair, whenproperly executed, should not be excessively costly.

5. Projects should be designed and constructed to meet pertinent legalrequirements, conform with generally accepted engineering standards, andavoid endangering the health and safety of construction workers,operators of the projects, and the general public.

6. Projects should be designed to meet the goals of sustainabledevelopment which are meeting project needs while conserving andprotecting environmental quality and the natural resource base forfuture generations.

7. Projects, when properly operated, should be energy efficient.

8. To the extent possible, projects should display aesthetic qualities.

The ultimate objective of design is to provide, in precise, concise,easy-to-comprehend form, all the information necessary for constructionof the project. Traditionally, designers provide this information indrawings or plans that show what is to be constructed and inspecifications that describe materials and equipment to be incorporatedinto the project. Designers usually also prepare, with legal assistance,a construction contract between the client and a general contractor ortwo or more prime contractors. In addition, designers generally observeor inspect construction of the project. This should be done not only tohelp the client ensure that the project is constructed in accordancewith plans and specifications but to obtain information that will beuseful for designing future projects.

("Standard Handbook for Civil Engineers, 5th Edition", JonathanT. Ricketts, McGraw-Hill 2004. "Systems Design

Bank plans $2billion building materials company for southern hemisphere building boom

Khaleeji Commercial Bank, an Islamic private bank, has announced they are to invest $2billion in creating a buildings material company to help meet the increasing demand in the Gulf, Middle East and North Africa. While the northern hemisphere suffers from financial crises and building slow-down this symbolises a strengthening development growth in the south.The new company, called Binaa, will aim to produce more than 32 million cubic metres of ready-mix concrete, precast and cement blocks per year as well as trading in steel, glass and aluminium.Bank board member and chief executive officer Ebrahim H Ebrahim told local press: “Due to a variety of factors, there is a huge opening in the market at the moment for a building supply company that can serve both the institutional and retail segments.”Our intention is to build a first-class, regional brand that will effectively reposition the building materials industry in the region.”Khaleeji has also recently announced the investment of $163.5 million into a real estate investment company for India.Rising oil prices have meant that construction materials costs are also rising but with massive buildings growth and developments such as the Burj Dubai (pictured) bringing increasing investment this is seen as an opportunity for competition within the materials industry.Binaa has forged several strategic relationship with existing companies to ensure their success. Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consulting (GOIC) has been working with Binaa as a market adviser to develop the market assessment and entry strategy and China National Building Materials Company will serve as a strategic technical and trading partner in the venture.Niki May Young

All eyes on the watchtowerPublished in June 15th, 2008 Posted by admin in Architecture 2009

New RTA Headquarters designed by Zwarts & Jansma Architects

Zwarts & Jansma Architects won the competition for the design of the new headquarters of the Road & Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai 2007. RTA HQ will be built in an

artificial lake at Al Garhoud on Marrakech Road, adjacent to the new Ras Al Khor Bridge and neighbouring the new interchange of Rabat Road and Marrakech Road.

The site is an excellent habitat for the headquarters of an organisation responsible for traffic. RTA HQ will stand as a watchtower overlooking a landscape of infrastructure

embedded by the natural beauty of the Dubai Creek and the green zone of Festival City. The crossing of waterways, highways and subways has been a key-factor in the

development of both the architectural concept and the landscaping.

RTA HQ is a glass crystal with Venetian blinds. The angled surfaces of the building derive from the site. The reflection of sunlight changes the appearance of the facades

during the day. The façade facing the new Ras al Khor Bridge will be covered with a grid of LED-lights: a ‘billboard’ showing images, animations or information to the flow of

traffic crossing the creek.

RTA HQ will be built in an artificial lake. During office hours, different features will make the water swirl and turn, in the evening the surface will become quiet. The light-

effects then take over, reflecting the building and the city’s traffic. The level of the lake is slightly above that of the surrounding area. Underneath it are a publicly accessible

exposition space and a congress facility.

Access to the building is provided in three different ways. The congress facility and exposition space are accessible by descending stairs that run over the full length of the northern part of the plot. Staff and employees enter the building through the car park.

Taxi drivers drop off visitors on an eye-catching fly-over crossing the artificial lake, right in front of the elevators in the entrance hall.

 

Russian tower houses ‘hanging’ gardenPublished in June 29th, 2008 Posted by admin in Architecture 2009

RMJM has unveiled exclusive images of a proposed tower building in Ekaterinburg, Russia’s third largest city, which houses a vertical ‘hanging’ garden – believed to be the

only one of its kind in the world.

Speaking last week at a Pan-European conference on green construction in Berlin last week, Matt Cartwright, a director of RMJM’s London office, said:

“Tall buildings will play an important role in the future of modern cities and the focus for all cities, including London, should be on making these buildings environmentally sustainable so we preserve the environment, conserve energy and provide healthy

working and living spaces.”

He added: “Building tall can mean a smaller building footprint, allowing for more space for the parks, rivers and green public space that are vital for a city.”

Inspired by the city’s heritage and developed for the Red Group, the tower has a contemporary vertical evergreen park running through the core of the building

demonstrating that tall buildings also provide an opportunity to create new green public space for a city.

The Ekaterinburg tower is designed for the enjoyment of the general public, as well as those who work in the building. The firm’s design solution was developed in response to the extreme climate in the country. The vertical park is topped by a public sky park at the

building’s pinnacle offering panoramic views of the city