What is Sustainable Design?Part One:Building an Environmental Ethic

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Presentation SummaryIn this presentation, we will discuss:The Definition of Sustainable DesignWhy is this importantGlobal warmingThe role of buildings in the environmentThe inclusive nature of sustainable design

Presentation CreditsThis presentation was prepared by Terri Meyer Boake, BES, BArch, MArch, LEED APAssociate Director School of Architecture University of WaterlooPresident of the Society of Building Science Educators

Building an Environmental Ethic:how architecture can ~ live lightly on the earthAldo Leopold Legacy Centre, Wisconsin Carbon Neutral and LEED Platinum

What is Environmental Design?the modern architect has produced the most flagrantly uneconomic and uncomfortable buildingswhich can be inhabited only with the aid of the most expensive devices of heating and refrigeration. The irrationality of this system of construction is visible today in every city from New York to San Francisco: glass sheathed buildings without any contact with fresh air, sunlight, or view. Lewis Mumford.

Environmentally sensitive design looks to design in harmony with, and in response to the climate. It attempts to use the natural solar and ventilation characteristics of the local climate/environment to inform the building design so to minimize use and dependency on consumptive non renewable energy sources. Sustainable building design looks to live lightly on the earth so that there will be quality and resources remaining for generations to come.

Eden Project, United Kingdom incorporating nature and innovative architectural design

The Sustainable Ethic:Sustainable building is not a new style of building. It is a way to think about how we design, construct, and operate buildings. Its primary goal is to lessen the harm poorly designed buildings cause by using the best of ancient building approaches in logical combination with the best of new technological advances. Its ultimate goal is to make possible offices, homes, even entire subdivisions that are net producers of energy, food, clean water and air, beauty, and healthy human and biological communities.Green buildings try to take less from the earth and give more to people.

Definitions of Sustainable DesignSustainable development is seeking to meet the needs of the present without compromising those of future generations.

Sustainability envisions the enduring prosperity of all living things. Sustainable design seeks to create communities, buildings, and products that contribute to this vision.

To paraphrase educator and author David Orr: Sustainable design is the careful meshing of human purposes with the larger patterns and flows of the natural world.

To paraphrase architect Bill Reed: Sustainable design is a process that supports and improves the health of the systems that sustain life.

The world will not evolve past its current state of crisis by using the same thinking that created the situation. Albert EinsteinThe current environmental problems of the world are the result of Design the world of DESIGN needs some Radical thinking if we are to Design ourselves out of the problem!

POLLUTION IS AN ACT OF DESIGNRemember, EVERYTHING that is called 'disposable' was DESIGNED from day one to be garbage--as its PRIMARY and overriding design consideration.

EVEN THIS BUILDINGWas designed to be thrown out!

Radical PHILOSOPHY!??WASTE = FOOD(the human race is the only species to DESIGN things with the INTENTION that they become GARBAGE!)

Design for a closed loop where WASTE becomes FOOD and FEEDS back into a healthy cycle.compostable end productMIMIC NATURAL CYCLES

Radical PROPOSITION!??DESIGN FOR DISASSEMBLYSo that we can take things (even buildings!) apart and easily repair or reuse themREUSE MEANS LESS ENERGY THAN RECYCLE

DESIGN BUILDINGS TO COME APART SO THAT THEY CAN BE REPAIRED, REUSED AND RECYCLED EASILY!MIMIC OTHER INDUSTRIES

BUILDINGS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR BETWEEN40% TO 70% OF WORLD CARBON EMISSIONSInconvenient TRUTH

Radical Wake Up Call The Northeast Blackout of 2003 was a massive widespread power outage that occurred throughout parts of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States, and Ontario, Canada on Thursday, August 14, 2003, at approximately 4:15 pm EDT (20:15 UTC). At the time, it was the most widespread electrical blackout in history. The blackout affected an estimated 10 million people in the Canadian province of Ontario and 45 million people in eight U.S. states.

ICE STORM = NO POWER = NO HEAT

Radical PROBLEM!No powerHot August weather orCold January temperaturesHooked on electricity, heat and A/CWhat buildings/environment/systems worked?What buildings/environment/systems didnt work?

SEALED BUILDINGS CANNOT BREATHE

ELEVATORS AND LIGHTS NEED POWERMODERN ARCHITECTURE DOES NOT WORK!

Radical AWAKENING!Grid and energy dependent buildings/environment/systems DID NOT WORK!OPERABLE WINDOWS WORKED!NATURAL VENTILATION WORKED!SHADE WORKED!SUNLIGHT WORKED!DAYLIT SPACES WORKED!WALKABLE NEIGHBOURHOODS WORKED!BICYCLES WORKED!

Radical THOUGHT!??MAYBE WE SHOULD BEGIN TO DESIGN OUR BUILDINGS/ENVIRONMENTS IN REVERSE!Start with a basic UNPLUGGED building

Four Key Steps:#1 - start by UNPLUGGING the buildingThen#2 heat only with the sun#3 cool only with the wind and shade#4 light only with daylight

USE the ARCHITECTURE first, and mechanical systems only to supplement what you cannot otherwise provide.#5 USE RENEWABLE CLEAN ENERGY BEFORE HOOKING UP TO NATURAL GAS, OIL OR THE REGULAR ELECTRICAL GRID (with all of its nastiness including CO2)RADICAL STEPS!

Radical IS PassivePASSIVE DESIGN is where the building uses the SUN, WIND and LIGHT to heat, cool and lightARCHITECTURALLY

Radical REALIZATION#1 - OUR NORTH AMERICAN LIFESTYLE OF CONSUMPTION IS NOT SUSTAINABLE#2 DEVELOPING COUNTRIES (WITH ZILLIONS MORE PEOPLE THAN WE) ARE STRIVING TO BE JUST LIKE US.

CO2 Production by Country in 1997Country CO2 Produced (tonnes of carbon)Total (millions)Per CapitaU.S.1,489.65.48China913.80.75Russia390.62.65Japan316.22.51India279.90.29Germany27.42.77UK142.12.41Canada133.94.42Italy111.31.94Ukraine100.41.97Source: Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee

CO2 Production by Country in 2006Country CO2 Produced % total world emissionsmetric tonnesU.S.5,75220.2%China6,10321.5%European Union1,31413.8%Russia1,5645.5%India1,5105.3% Japan1,2934.6%Canada5451.9%

The Global situation in the past 10 years has become many times WORSE. Chinas emissions INCREASED by 668% in 10 years.Source: Wikipedia, accessed Sept 3, 2009

Canadian GHG Stats:

Canadians create 2% of global GHGs, but are0.05% of global population.

Canada is 9th largest emitter of GHG emissions, but Canadians are the 2nd highest per capita creators of GHGs in the world.

Energy use and GHGs by Sector in Canada:Industrial 39% energy33.3% GHGsTransportation 29% energy 35.7% GHGsResidential 17% energy 15.5% GHGsCommercial &Institutional 12% energyAgriculture 3% energy

Kyoto Protocol:To stabilize atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases at today's levels will require reducing human-generated emissions by 80 percent immediately.There are six greenhouse gases covered under the protocol to the international convention on climate change (the Kyoto Protocol) carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).

The Kyoto protocol was agreed upon through international co-operation under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which was created in 1992.

The Kyoto protocol came out of the UNFCCCs December 1997 meeting held in Kyoto, Japan.

Under the agreement, industrialized nations must reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases by an average of 5.2 per cent (from 1990 levels) by the period 2008 to 2012.

Consider the percentage of energy used as a direct result of buildings

Who designs buildings?

So, who should be held responsible for them?US figures

Sustainable Checklist:"Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children." --- Kenyan Proverb.Ideally a sustainable building should:make appropriate use of landuse water, energy, lumber, and other resourcesefficientlyenhance human healthstrengthen local economies and communitiesconserve plants, animals, endangered species, and natural habitatsprotect agricultural, cultural, and archaeological resourcesbe nice to live inbe economical to build and operateThe Liu CentreUniversity of British ColumbiaArchitectonica/Stantec

Scientists firmly believe that we are running out of oil and the bottom line is that while consumption is ever increasing, production is felt to have peaked and is predicted to rapidly decline.The End of Oil

Radical CONFLICT!??#1 GLOBAL WARMING too much CO2#2 RUNNING OUT OF OIL (oil causes CO2 )

The conundrumGreenhouse gas emissions are ruining life on the planet as we know itGreenhouse gas comes from burning fossil fuelsWe are running out of fossil fuels, so potentially the faster we run out of fossil fuels the more quickly we can solve Global warmingSo, why is this a problem?

If fuel production declines, there is not enough fuel to heat and cool the present building stock in 40 years time -- not to mention heating and cooling any buildings we might add between now and then.Also of concern is the growing reliance on OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries), or non North American fuel sources, given the instability in the Middle East.

The ChallengeArchitects need to figure out how to solve this problem by designing buildings more sustainably and holisticallyAlso to use less and less fossil based fuels as eventually we simply wont be able to rely on them.

Design and Construction Industry as potential single largest contributor (40%) to Canadas solutions for compliance with the Kyoto Protocol and for creating long term ecological sustainability.

Environmental Design is definitely an avenue towards sustainability.

Great potential for Environmental Leadership in architecture

Environmentally responsible architecture CAN make a huge difference.Environmental Architecture:The George and Kathy Dembroski Centre for Horticulture at the Toronto Botanical Garden Montomery Sisam ArchitectsToronto, OntarioLEEDTM Silver

* Healthful Interior Environment. * Energy Efficiency. * Ecologically Benign Materials. * Environmental Form. * Good Design.

Five principles of an environmental Architecture: (Thomas A. Fisher, AIA, November, 1992)The Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research University of TorontoBenisch and Architect Alliance Architects

Healthful Interior Environment.* All possible measures are to be taken to ensure that materials and building systems do not emit toxic substances and gasses into the interior atmosphere. Additional measures are to be taken to clean and revitalize interior air with filtration and plantings.

Cambridge City Hall Diamond Schmitt ArchitectsCambridge, OntarioLEEDTM Gold

Energy Efficiency.* All possible measures are to be taken to ensure that the building's use of energy is minimal. Cooling, heating and lighting systems are to use methods and products that conserve or eliminate energy use.

Stratus WineryNiagara-on-the-Lake, OntarioLes Andrew ArchitectLEEDTM SilverCMHC Healthy HouseMartin Leifhebber Architect(Breathe Architects)Toronto, Ontario

Ecologically Benign Materials.* All possible measures are to be taken to use building materials and products that minimize destruction of the global environment. Wood is to be selected based on non destructive forestry practices. Other materials and products are to be considered based on the toxic waste output of production.

Jackson Triggs WineryNiagara-on-the-Lake, OntarioKPMB ArchitectsMountain Equipment CoopWinnipeg, ManitobaPrairie Architects

Environmental Form.* All possible measures are to be taken to relate the form and plan of the design to the site, the region and the climate. Measures are to be taken to "heal" and augment the ecology of the site. Accommodations are to be made for recycling and energy efficiency. Measures are to be taken to relate the form of building to a harmonious relationship between the inhabitants and nature.

YMCA Environmental Learning CentreParadise Lake, OntarioCharles Simon Architect

Good Design.* All possible measures are to be taken to achieve an efficient, long lasting and elegant relationship of use areas, circulation, building form, mechanical systems and construction technology. Symbolic relationships with appropriate history, the Earth and spiritual principles are to be searched for and expressed. Finished buildings shall be well built, easy to use and beautiful.

Glen Eagles Recreation Centre, Vancouver, BCPatkau ArchitectsWhite Rock Operations Centre, White Rock, BCBusby and AssociatesLEEDTM Gold

Your ecological footprintIf we are not going to be part of the PROBLEM.We are going to learn how to be part of the SOLUTION!Project #1: Calculate your ecological footprint. How many planets are YOU using now.

What is an ecological footprint?

It is a measure of our consumption and/or emissions as a result of our lifestyle.

The bottom line is

SMALLER IS BETTER!Calculating your ecological footprint can naturally extend to an understanding of your carbon footprint

Source: http://www.cycleoflife.ca/kids/education.htm

The relative consumption patterns across the planet earth.

Personal Footprint Calculators:These provide an educational starting point to understand the impact of actions and preferences.They are region/country specific.http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/

www.carbonfootprint.com

www.zerofootprint.net

http://www.myfootprint.org/en/visitor_information/

"Future generation is the most important" --- Confucius.Sustainable development is seeking to meet the needs of the present without compromising those of future generations."It's not easy being green." -- Kermit the Frog, 1972.

Presentation SummaryIn this presentation, we discussed:The Definition of Sustainable DesignWhy is this importantGlobal warmingThe role of buildings in the environmentThe inclusive nature of sustainable design

This presentation, What is Sustainable Design? Part One: Building an Environmental Ethic, is intended to provide an overview to the relationship between Architecture, the Built Environment and the current state of our Global Environmental Health.*In this presentation, we will discuss:The Definition of Sustainable DesignWhy is this importantGlobal warmingThe role of buildings in the environmentThe inclusive nature of sustainable design

*This presentation was prepared by Terri Meyer Boake, BES, BArch, MArch, LEED APAssociate Director School of Architecture University of WaterlooPresident of the Society of Building Science Educators

*Building An Environmental Ethic:

Pictured is the Aldo Leopold Legacy Centre in Barabou, Wisconsin. It has been constructed to both LEED Platinum and Carbon Neutral standards. It is a good building to demonstrate the notion that architecture can be designed to fit easily into the natural environment and live lightly on the earth.*What is Environmental Design?

We are constantly trying to define Environmental and Sustainable Design so that we can better understand their ramifications on the way we need to proceed with modern architectural design and building. A lot of what we are faced with is as a direct result of the failure of most 20th century architecture to live within our environmental means.

The modern architect has produced the most flagrantly uneconomic and uncomfortable buildingswhich can be inhabited only with the aid of the most expensive devices of heating and refrigeration. The irrationality of this system of construction is visible today in every city from New York to San Francisco: glass sheathed buildings without any contact with fresh air, sunlight, or view. Lewis Mumford.

*Environmentally sensitive design looks to design in harmony with, and in response to the climate. It attempts to use the natural solar and ventilation characteristics of the local climate/environment to inform the building design so to minimize use and dependency on consumptive non renewable energy sources. Sustainable building design looks to live lightly on the earth so that there will be quality and resources remaining for generations to come.

The project pictured is Eden Project, United Kingdom which is a large greenhouse installation that incorporates nature and innovative architectural design and that is set in an abandoned open mine.

*The Sustainable Ethic:

Sustainable building is not a new style of building. It is a way to think about how we design, construct, and operate buildings. Its primary goal is to lessen the harm poorly designed buildings cause by using the best of ancient building approaches in logical combination with the best of new technological advances. Its ultimate goal is to make possible offices, homes, even entire subdivisions that are net producers of energy, food, clean water and air, beauty, and healthy human and biological communities.

Green buildings try to take less from the earth and give more to people.

*There are many definitions of Sustainable Design.

Sustainable development is seeking to meet the needs of the present without compromising those of future generations.

Sustainability envisions the enduring prosperity of all living things. Sustainable design seeks to create communities, buildings, and products that contribute to this vision.

To paraphrase educator and author David Orr: Sustainable design is the careful meshing of human purposes with the larger patterns and flows of the natural world.

To paraphrase architect Bill Reed: Sustainable design is a process that supports and improves the health of the systems that sustain life.

However different they may be on the surface, their goals are all the same. And the way that Architecture is designed to interact with the environment is critically at the core of their success or failure.*Albert Einstein once said:The world will not evolve past its current state of crisis by using the same thinking that created the situation.

The current environmental problems of the world are the result of (intentional) Design the world of DESIGN needs some Radical thinking if we are to Design ourselves out of the problem!

*If one looks at the Energy Consumption patterns in North America it can be seen that Industry and Manufacturing account for 32% of all energy consumed; transportation accounts for 28% of all energy consumed, and buildings account for 48% of all energy consumed. This would include not only the operational energy associated with a building, but also its construction associated energy. If we consider that much transportation energy is spent by people driving to and from work and retail, relationships set out by urban planners, it is easy to see that buildings use far more energy than cars, trucks and oversized SUVs!

It is the Architect that has control over the design of most buildings and thereby is the person that must take charge of ensuring that they are better designed in order to reduce their negative impact on the environment.*If we think even more closely about Design, and more broadly, it becomes clear that Pollution is in fact an act of Design. Everything in this world that was Designed to be disposable was designed from Day One to be Garbage as its primary and overriding decision. Perhaps the designers assumed the products would be recycled, but this is not a foregone conclusion in many scenarios and in many parts of the world. Also, not all products are designed to be recycled. Many are highly complex assemblages of multiple materials that cannot be easily taken apart.*Sadly, even buildings are designed to be thrown away. Unlike the enduring nature of the Pyramids, or even the Renaissance quarters of many historic European cities, modern buildings may only be designed to last 20 or 30 years, prior to the wreckers ball.

When buildings are demolished most of their materials end up in landfill and cease to be available as natural resources. Steel is normally able to be salvaged due to its material characteristics (it is pulled out of rubble by large magnets). But for most other materials, extraction from the pile of debris is too much trouble.*An interesting realization is that the human race is the only species to design things with the intention that they become garbage. Most other ecosystems follow a closed loop system where their waste is allowed to naturally decompose and become food. The thought of applying this concept to Architecture is quite radical. How can architectural waste become architectural food?*If we begin to mimic natural cycles there may be lessons to be learned. If we design for a closed loop where waste becomes food and feeds back into a healthy cycle, we can remove the current cradle to grave method of building and replace it with a cradle to cradle methodology. Perhaps if we think of food in architectural terms as simply reusable building product, rather than compost, this might be easier to visualize.*The Radical Proposition that Albert Einstein might have been looking for might have been to Design for Disassembly. This way we can perhaps take buildings apart and easily repair or reuse them. It is more energy efficient to reuse than recycle products. It would mean less dependence on extracting additional virgin material and make for less negative impact on the environment.*Although Design for Disassembly (DfD) is difficult to picture for something as complex as a building, it is a method that is currently being done in the Auto industry in Germany. Not only are vehicles designed to come apart, but the manufacturers are required at the end of a cars life to take the product back and disassemble the car for reuse and recycling of materials.*If you have seen former US Vice President Al Gores film An Inconvenient Truth, it makes a very clear case that Global Warming is a real crisis. What the film does not state is that Buildings are responsible for between 40% to 70% of the worlds carbon emissions. Therefore, to solve this crisis, the way we design buildings MUST change. It must change in the way we use up our natural resources (aka building materials). It must change in the way that buildings use energy, as burning fossil fuels creates GHG.*Sometimes disastrous things must happen for people to wake up to issues.

The Northeast Blackout of 2003 was a massive widespread power outage that occurred throughout parts of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States, and Ontario, Canada on Thursday, August 14, 2003, at approximately 4:15 pm EDT (20:15 UTC). At the time, it was the most widespread electrical blackout in history. The blackout affected an estimated 10 million people in the Canadian province of Ontario and 45 million people in eight U.S. states.

Do you remember how you coped for that period of time without power? Luckily it was summer so that we did not have issues with bursting frozen pipes and people freezing in their homes. But for people in sealed office buildings or windowless buildings, everything had to stop. Without power, the architecture was not only USELESS but also UNHEALTHY.

*If an ice storm hits and we lose power, we have no heat. Pipes burst and people can also freeze to death.*The August blackout created a radical problem!

No powerHot August weather (or imagineCold January temperatures)We were Hooked on electricity and A/C (or heat in winter)

It gives us the opportunity to ponder:What buildings/environment/systems worked?What buildings/environment/systems didnt work?*Sealed buildings cannot breathe. Elevators and lights need power to function. Nobody is interested in walking up 50 stories.

In no uncertain terms, without power Modern Architecture does not work!

The Global problem is that most developing countries are trying to achieve a North American lifestyle. They are building buildings that look and perform just like our failed Modern Buildings. They are abandoning the traditions of their vernacular past that worked WITH the climate, and adopting an energy intensive alternative.*If we look closely at what DID work during the August blackout we can see that:

Grid and energy dependent buildings/environment/systems DID NOT WORK!OPERABLE WINDOWS WORKED!NATURAL VENTILATION WORKED!SHADE WORKED!SUNLIGHT WORKED!DAYLIT SPACES WORKED!WALKABLE NEIGHBOURHOODS WORKED!BICYCLES WORKED!

And, if we keep this in mind when designing new buildings and environments, we might be able to radically improve our chances of creating sustainable environments.*So here is a radical thought.

Instead of designing our buildings assuming that we are providing our heating, cooling and lighting with traditional fossil based energy sources, why not consider designing our buildings and environments in reverse. Start with a basic UNPLUGGED building, and add more traditional energy sources where we find that we absolutely cannot do it without.**So the radical suggested steps are:

#1 - start by UNPLUGGING the buildingThen#2 heat only with the sun#3 cool only with the wind and shade#4 light only with daylight

USE the ARCHITECTURE first, and mechanical systems only to supplement what you cannot otherwise provide.#5 USE RENEWABLE CLEAN ENERGY BEFORE HOOKING UP TO NATURAL GAS, OIL OR THE REGULAR ELECTRICAL GRID (with all of its nastiness including CO2)

Radical in contemporary terms might actually be PASSIVE.

PASSIVE DESIGN is where the building uses the SUN, WIND and LIGHT to heat, cool and lightARCHITECTURALLY

We will address this in more detail in another section of this lecture.

*Within all of this there needs to be a radical realization that has already been touched upon. But let us say it straight up and for the record.

#1 - OUR NORTH AMERICAN LIFESTYLE OF CONSUMPTION IS NOT SUSTAINABLE#2 DEVELOPING COUNTRIES (WITH ZILLIONS MORE PEOPLE THAN WE) ARE STRIVING TO BE JUST LIKE US.*These are CO2 production numbers listed by Country as of 1997. Look at both the numbers for the Country and Region as well as those based upon per capita consumption. Both the United States and Canada use more energy per person than any country in Europe where we might imagine that the inhabitants have a good lifestyle.

On a per capita basis, China and India are very low. But their immense populations, even in 1997 make their GHG contributions very significant.*China went from 913 million metric tonnes in 1997 to 6,017 metric tonnes in 2006. That is more than a 600% increase in carbon emissions! India went from 280 million metric tonnes in 1997 to 1,293 metric tonnes in 2006. That is a 461% increase. Why? Because China and India are striving to reach a North American lifestyle and are mimicking the style and construction of our building stock, with its multitude of imperfections if views through a lens of sustainable design. Their populations are also growing exponentially.

Canadas emissions have grown 4X. So even though we signed the Kyoto Accord, which promised overall green house gas reductions, we have in fact increased our emissions.*The chart shows the overall contribution of the various countries in the world to the burning of fossil fuels.*Canadian GHG Stats:

Canadians create 2% of global GHGs, but are only 0.05% of global population.

Canada is 9th largest emitter of GHG emissions, but Canadians are the 2nd highest per capita creators of GHGs in the world.

Energy use and GHGs by Sector in Canada:Industrial 39% energy33.3% GHGsTransportation 29% energy 35.7% GHGsResidential 17% energy 15.5% GHGsCommercial &Institutional 12% energyAgriculture 3% energy*The Kyoto Protocol:

The purpose of the Kyoto Protocol was to stabilize atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases at today's levels will require reducing human-generated emissions by 80 percent immediately.There are six greenhouse gases covered under the protocol to the international convention on climate change (the Kyoto Protocol) carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).

The Kyoto protocol was agreed upon through international co-operation under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which was created in 1992.

The Kyoto protocol came out of the UNFCCCs December 1997 meeting held in Kyoto, Japan.

Under the agreement, industrialized nations must reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases by an average of 5.2 per cent (from 1990 levels) by the period 2008 to 2012.

*So again,

Consider the percentage of energy used as a direct result of buildings

Who designs buildings?

So, who should be held responsible for them?

And further, if the problem is this severe, can you begin to specifically list the buildings or types of buildings that should NOT be required to be sustainable??*If we were to create an initial Sustainable Design checklist that would help us to meet this definition of Sustainable Design: "Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children." --- Kenyan Proverb.

It might read as follows:

Ideally a sustainable building should:make appropriate use of landuse water, energy, lumber, and other resources efficientlyenhance human healthstrengthen local economies and communitiesconserve plants, animals, endangered species, and natural habitatsprotect agricultural, cultural, and archaeological resourcesbe nice to live inbe economical to build and operate

*Another important environmental concern to consider is the End of Oil.

Scientists firmly believe that we are running out of oil and the bottom line is that while consumption is ever increasing, production is felt to have peaked and is predicted to rapidly decline.

*So here is more puzzling information to ponder.

#1 Global Warming is the result of burning too much fossil fuels, resulting in CO2 emissions.

#2 We are running out of oil hence rising energy prices.

The burning of oil CAUSES CO2 emissions.*The Conundrum:

Greenhouse gas emissions are ruining life on the planet as we know it.Greenhouse gas comes from burning fossil fuels.We are running out of fossil fuels, so potentially the faster we run out of fossil fuels the more quickly we can solve Global warming.So, why is this a problem?

*The End of Oil would not be a problem, and potentially could be a solution to Global Warming except that we are not ready for it.

If fuel production declines, there is not enough fuel to heat and cool the present building stock in 40 years time -- not to mention heating and cooling any buildings we might add between now and then.

It is also of concern is the growing reliance on OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries), or non North American fuel sources, given the instability in the Middle East.

Also, there is reputedly enough coal yet to be mined to maintain energy consumption for hundreds of years, and coal produces more GHG and atmospheric particulates than the burning of oil and gas. So if we run out oil, people will just burn coal.

*The Challenge

Architects need to figure out how to solve this problem by designing buildings more sustainably and holistically.Also we need to figure out how to use less and less fossil based fuels as eventually we simply wont be able to rely on them.

*So the solution to this is to create an Environmental Architecture because Environmental or Sustainable Architecture CAN make a huge difference.

The Design and Construction Industry might be considered as the potential single largest contributor (40%) to Canadas solutions for compliance with the Kyoto Protocol and for creating long term ecological sustainability.

Environmental Design is definitely an avenue towards sustainability.

And there is great potential for Environmental Leadership in the architectural profession. No one else in the building industry is so educated to be able to incorporate ALL aspects of technology, environment, culture and design into our built environments.

Pictured is the George and Kathy Dembroski Centre for Horticulture at the Toronto Botanical Garden by Montomery Sisam Architects*Thomas Fischer, a notable educator in the United States (currently Dean of the Architecture Department of the University of Minnesota) defined 5 principles of an Environmental Architecture:

The building should have a:

* Healthful Interior Environment. * Demonstrate Energy Efficiency. * Use Ecologically Benign Materials. * Have an Environmental Form. * Simply demonstrate Good Design.

Maybe this infers a change in what Architects generally consider to be Good Design?

Pictured is The Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research at theUniversity of TorontoBenisch and Architect Alliance Architects

This innovative infill building has a unique double facade, operable windows, daylighting and a bamboo garden in its atrium space.

*To have a Healthful Interior Environment:

All possible measures are to be taken to ensure that materials and building systems do not emit toxic substances and gasses into the interior atmosphere. Additional measures are to be taken to clean and revitalize interior air with filtration and plantings.

Pictured is Cambridge City Hall by Diamond Schmitt Architects

The building was awarded LEEDTM Gold Certification. Here you can see the beautifully daylit central atrium that also has a large living wall that serves to cleanse the interior environment as well as introduce a natural landscape on the interior of the building.*To be Energy Efficient

All possible measures are to be taken to ensure that the building's use of energy is minimal. Cooling, heating and lighting systems are to use methods and products that conserve or eliminate energy use.

Pictured on the left is the CMHC Healthy House, designed by Martin Leifhebber Architect in the mid 1990s. Imagine that this was the response to a competition that called for the design of a HEALTHY house. Might this infer that most houses at this point were in contrast, unhealthy?? This was an off the grid building in the centre of Toronto. It used all passive means plus some photovoltaics to supply its heating and power needs.

The image on the right is the Stratus Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. It was designed by Les Andrew and was awarded LEED Silver. Although it is not off the grid, it is very energy efficient and created some innovative means to use less power in the wine making process.

*To use Ecologically Benign Materials a building must:

Take all possible measures are to use building materials and products that minimize destruction of the global environment. Wood is to be selected based on non destructive forestry practices. Other materials and products are to be considered based on the toxic waste output of production.

Jackson Triggs Winery, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario by KPMB Architects used a range of products that were quite sustainable. The steel has a high recycled content. The wood is a renewable resource. Other materials were sourced locally.

Mountain Equipment Coop, as demonstrated by their Winnipeg store, designed by Prairie Architects, uses a range of local and reused/salvaged materials in all of their projects.

*For a building to have an Environmental Form

All possible measures are to be taken to relate the form and plan of the design to the site, the region and the climate. Measures are to be taken to "heal" and augment the ecology of the site. Accommodations are to be made for recycling and energy efficiency. Measures are to be taken to relate the form of building to a harmonious relationship between the inhabitants and nature.

The YMCA Environmental Learning Centre in Paradise Lake, Ontario, designed by Charles Simon exhibits a classic natural form. Its glazed side faces the sun. The bermed and green roof face the north. It is dug into the landscape. Not all buildings need to be this environmental in their attitude towards form making, but form will be shown in the Passive Design portion of this lecture to be the central focus of achieving high levels of energy efficiency and occupant comfort in buildings.*And for a building to have Good Design

All possible measures are to be taken to achieve an efficient, long lasting and elegant relationship of use areas, circulation, building form, mechanical systems and construction technology. Symbolic relationships with appropriate history, the Earth and spiritual principles are to be searched for and expressed. Finished buildings shall be well built, easy to use and beautiful.

Both the White Rock Operations Centre by Busby and Associates and the Glen Eagles Recreation Centre by Patkau Architects exhibit qualities that marry the greater idea of Good Design with care for the Environment.*The problem is NOT just about building but also about lifestyle. If we are not going to be part of the problem, we must be part of the solution.

For this first exercise you are to calculate your ecological footprint. There are various online web sites that allow you to do this. The measurements vary depending on the agency that mounts the test. Sometimes we measure our consumption in terms of the number of planets that would be needed if everyone were to have a lifestyle equal to ours. Some measure our carbon dioxide emissions.*What is an ecological footprint?

It is a measure of our consumption and/or emissions as a result of our lifestyle.

The bottom line is

SMALLER IS BETTER!*This map shows the relative consumption patterns across the planet earth as of 2003 statistics.

*Personal Footprint Calculators provide an educational starting point to understand the impact of actions and preferences.They are region/country specific. This one is hosted by the World Wildlife Foundation and is used in the United Kingdom.

*This one is hosted by carbonfootprint.com

The tabs let you enter amounts and usage patterns according to your day to day life.*This one is hosted by zerofootprint.net and is customized to let students at the University of Waterloo compare their use to others on campus.*Redefining Progress was one of the original calculators. It is customizable to reflect data from all of the world.

It is actually interesting to take the time to complete more than one of these tests to compare the results. It is also helpful to think about the results and to make an action plan to reduce your personal footprint as you commence studying the ways and means how to reduce the footprints and impacts of the buildings that you design on our planet.*"Future generation is the most important" --- Confucius.

Sustainable development is seeking to meet the needs of the present without compromising those of future generations.

"It's not easy being green." -- Kermit the Frog, 1972.

*In this presentation, we discussed:The Definition of Sustainable DesignWhy is this importantGlobal warmingThe role of buildings in the environmentThe inclusive nature of sustainable design

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