design realisation report 2011-2012 part 2, clarissa yee

Design Realisation- towaRDs a slow fooD co-housing typology claRissa yee unit 22 43

02- Building Construction

Rock sand water

cardboard glass Rubblescrap metal

fRee coMMunity MateRials:fsalt ayre, ovangle Road, lancasterMajor recycling centre for household waste and holds many materials:cans, cardboard, electronic equipment, fluorescent tubes, fridges/freezers, gas bottles, glass, garden waste, hard plastics,, paper, paint, plastic bags, plastic bottles, plaster, plasterboard, rubble, hardcore, scrap metal, textiles, tyres.

“fRee” site MateRials:stones, rocks, sand, water, air

lancashiRe local builDing MateRials

sustainably grown timber

02.10 Materials and Construction

Explanation of materials, properties and precedents

Materials were selected on the basis of what could be brought by the site, the immediate surrounding area and what the community could bring to the project.


construction process:Rammed earth construction will be used for the communal areas and connecting areas between the housing units. the form work will be set up for the community and they do the ramming of the earth and floors when they can.

Benefits:good thermal mass, good strength, low cost and easy for community to build, using hand held rammers.

the process for the walls to dry out can take a long time- sometimes months. however, due to the construction of these walls to be done by the community time will not be a problem.

Due to the flexibility of the forms that can be achieved this seems like a good choice when working with the community.

table below explores the different options of using earth bricks and rammed earth and its suitability for use in this project.

02.11 Rammed Earth Construction

time labour

CEBSome soil conditions permit the blocks to go straight from the press onto the wall. Takes one day to build and 1 80m2 house.

The soil mix is 15-40 percent non-expansive clay, 25-40 percent silt powder, and sharp sand to small gravel content of 40-70 percent.

mix finishing

Completed walls require either a reinforced bond beam or a ring beam on top or between floors. Bricks need stabilising to leave without finishing.

Standards for foundations are similar to those for brick walls. A CEB wall is heavy. Footings must be at least 10 inches thick, with a minimum width that is 33 percent greater than the wall width.

foundations

rammedearth walls

Damp material is poured in to a depth of 10 to 25 cm In modern variations of the method, rammed-earth walls are constructed on top of conventional footings or a reinforced concrete slab base.

it can take as little as two to three days to construct the walls for a 200 to 220 m2

Rammed earth is roughly 70% sand and gravel, the structural filler, and 30% clay and silt, the binder

it takes some time to dry out, as much as two years for complete curing. Exposed walls should be sealed to prevent water damage.

Unskilled labour can do most of the necessary work

unskilled labour brick layers

The thickness, typically 30 to 35 centimetres. Well-cured walls accept nails and screws easily, and can be effectively patched with the same material used to build themRammed earth using rebar, wood or bamboo reinforcement can prevent failure caused by earthquakes or heavy storms

construction and compatibility with timber construction

Like brick construction

Construction methodAesthetic qualities of different rammed


construction process:this process of blending soil with selected materials can produce a modified or re-engineered soil that has strength, impermeability and/or elasticity.

the process is achieved by installing specialised jetting equipment down conventionally drilled diameter holes of approximately 600-900mm in diameter.

Benefits:There is great flexibility in the choice of borehole entry points which allows the formation below ground to consist of complex geometrical shapes of treatment by combination of overlapping individual treatment zones.

they will be used as a foundation for timber frame structure and also for rammed earth structure.

it has been chosen as it is less invasive than concrete- and as it uses the existing soil, it has less embodied energy in the process and takes more advantage of the existing ground instead of digging.

Another benefit from using this method is that these ground reinforcements can become a feature within the architecture by creating pockets in ground that can be inhabited and become interesting spaces in their own right.

photos right: model showing jet grouting becoming a wall feature and seen as an interesting architectural feature.

02.12 Jet grouting Construction

1. Method of jet grouting drilling into the ground and injecting material at high pressure (http://www.zakladani.cz/en/jet-grouting)2. Drilling machine for jet grouting (http://www.bacsol.co.uk)3. Jet grouting columns holding up a building (http://www.zakladani.cz/en/jet-grouting)

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construction:frame construction was chosen for its delicate for and the fact that the load bearing elements function independently from the enclosing elements such as facades and partitions. This makes it more flexible for different configurations within each floor plate without there being a compromise in structural support.

Benefits:timber construction was chosen because it is grown locally and using timber from lancashire encourages good woodland management of the area. sycamore forms a large portion of the trees in lancashire woods that is removed in favour of more desirable trees like oak and ash, which can be used internally also.any left over materials from the construction process could be used for storing for using in biomass.

stability:primary beams and columns make up the load bearing structure. the secondary beams change direction by 90 degrees alternating between primary beams (see plans). They also alternate between floors. This increases the stability since the lengths of timber are short, by laying out these beams this way resists wind loads in both directions.

02.13 Timber frame Construction

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image:


02.14 Timber frame details

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timber joints have been designed with simplicity and labour available in the area.

Platform framing means that each floor can be built before the next which eliminates the use of scaffolding like in balloon framing. this makes it a lot faster to build. the joints are simple taking advantage of metal angles which distribute the load from horizontal to vertical.


02.20 Solar Gain and Daylight

issues that surround solar gain on this site is that witha lack of buildings and trees, there is not much solarshading existing on site. the hill to the north east ofthe site provides shading from the sun in the morning,and the few trees provide some in summer months.

Daylight is important particularly to the houses, andoffice parts of the building and not required so muchin the food storage areas of the building, therefore thepositioning of these areas have accomodated for that.

south elevationsSouth elevations can be shaded in summer by fixedhorizontal louvres which will cut off high level directsunlight and act as light shelves bouncing reflected lightdeep into the space. in winter when sun is scarce andheat is less of a problem the sunlight will enter theroom.

west elevationswindows facing west will tend to admit low angleafternoon sunlight for the hottest and longest partof the working day and are frequently the cause ofoverheating. west elevations therefore generallyrequire moveable shutters or blinds which are oftenvery costly to install and maintain.

east elevationswindows facing east admit sunlight for a relativelyshort part of the working day in the morning whichcan be used to warm the building before the daily airtemperature has risen. east elevations can be protectedby fixed vertical shading “blinkers”

north elevationsOnly second floor will receive north light and mayneed protection from glare and solar gain, dependingon the use of the space and the amount of glazing.

see section 03 for more detailed design and analysis

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Summer solstice 61.9 degrees

Winter solstice 15.1 degrees


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02.21 Solar Shading

looking particularly at south and east elevations- the facade has been designed to cut out high level of direct sunlightthese drawings focus on the main communal entrance and ripening space and one of the timber residential buildings.

south this side of the building acts as a trombe wall see section 03 for more details. the timber shading cuts out high summer sun to avoid overheating

eastVertical external shading acts as blinkers to cut out excessive solar gain during the morning sun.


02.30 Water Tightness

water tightness is important at two points in particular one is the junction of the rammed earth wall at the ground and the other is the roof.

this is a set of details explaining the first situation.

water must not be able to sit at the bottom of the wall as it will damage the rammed earth wall which will soak up the water.

two precautions have been made:

1. wall sits 300mm above outside ground level and drainage is provided at the base of the wall for the water to be directed to planted areas for trees.

2. Dpc has been provided which runs under the wall and through under the floor of the building which prohibits water vapour from penetrating floor.

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02.40 Interstitial Condensation

the climate of the uK means that the cold outside temperature and warm temperature on the inside of the building, especially during the winter months mean that the warm moist air internally could potentially condense when reaching a cold surface on passing to the outside of the building. if this dew point is inside the walls of the building it could cause damage to the timber frame and cause the structure to weaken and potentially fail.

strategies that could be employed to avoid this is:

1. providing a vapour barrier on the warm side of the insulation to stop moisture penetrating the enclosed spaces of exterior construction

2. let moisture escape before it can condense to a liquid by providing ventilation cavity

3. expansion joints will also let the building move with temperature and humidity differences

4. Double and triple glazing decreases the difference in air temperature from inside to outside.

u-value calculation:

Rammed earth walls between 1,400 and 1,800 kg/cu m can have thermal conductivity U-values of 0·7 to 0·9W/sqmK. As a comparison, the cibse guide quotes thermal conductivity of 0·51W/sqmK at 1,400 kg and 0·87W/sqmK at 1,800 kg for homogenous masonry.

therefore insulation is needed to get the u-value down to under 0.3W/sqmK.

the right shows how different build ups affect the dew point. the dew point needs to be outside the waterproof layer for the wall to successfully avoid interstitial condensation.

LayerPlywood

Corkboard

Plywood

Cavity

Plywood

rammed earth

Thickness (mm)18

200

18

100

18

450

Conductivity (W/mK)0.14

0.042

0.14

-

0.14

1.40

Resistance (m2K/W)0.13

4.76

0.13

0.18

0.13

1.25

6.58

Condensation risk

*

*

*

*

Total resistance

U Value 0.15W/m2K

Internal surface

external surface

U- value calculator values initially states that the U-value of this build up is sufficient to be comfortable, however there is a condensation risk within the plywood cavity which is inside the waterproof layer. This would be dangerous, as the condensation can cause damage from inside this wall.

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wall requires a vapour retarder to prevent water vapour from condensing within the layer of insulation. a vapour retarder becomes more important as the level of insulation increases.


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02.50 Thermal Insulation

possible insulation materials include:

breathing insulation: cellulose slab, composite wood wool board (not cement-based), wood fibre board, cork, hemp, hemp-lime .

possible render materials: limecrete, mineral render, glaster, proprietary permeable renders

Option 1- with insulation fixed on the outsidepros: wall is protected from weatheringexposed thermal mass internally

cons:loss of characteristic appearance externally

Option 2- with insulation fixed on insidepros:external appearance maintained

cons:loss of available thermal mass

for more on thermal mass and solar heating see section 03

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openable insulated panels to allow the thermal mass to be released on the inside. see section 03 for more on thermal mass.


02.60 Internal Fire Spread Legislation

internal lining :

escape routes marked in section 01, are lined with plasterboard which will fall into the class 0 category for fire performance.

structure:

each building will be treated separately and compartmentalised per floor of each. 60 minute fire doors with automatic closers will be provided at each escape. the wall common to two buildings should be designed and constructed so that it resists the spread of fire between those two buildings. (part b building Regulations)

when wall compartments meet the roof the wall should extend at least 375mm above the top surface of the adjoining roof covering.

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02.70 Maintenance

there certain parts of the building that will need maintaining or replacing as the building ages.

basic elements of the building:Rammed earth walls need little maintenance.timber frame may need to be re-preserved.

every year:gutters cleaning, water tank cleaning,

Regularly:light bulbs need replacingwindows need washing.

limewash rammed earth walls once a year to maintain surface quality


03- Building Performance

this diagram shows initial concepts of how the incorporation of water from the River lune could be used within the building using passive and sustainable energies.

by respecting the cycles that the building is housed in- the processes work with the site and its inhabitants whether that is human animal or plant.

food is grown in a different way from what is expected. off the ground, with the water being filtered before it is released back to the wild. this is to preserve and work with native species of the site and appreciating the link we have within this environment

Machine cooKingin which the heat from washing machines can power cooking methods such as sous vide.

bio compostervegetable peelings and other wastes composted using microbes and worms which can be used as fertiliser

bio toiletWaste is flushed plant filtration system that provides waste for biofuel and plants benefit also. Excess water is filtered down

wateRing clouDwater stored in ‘cloud’ made of recycled plastics and used to water plant beds depending on what areas need it.

plant bedsplant beds raised off and positioned on top of rocks found naturally on site to filter the water clean before it is released back to the river

wateR fRoM RiVeR luneDrawn up through pump into a pool that can be used for animals and birds. the reduced number of natural birds has meant a decline in fish over the years so this will help to replenish the health of the local species.

wateR to be filteReD by site MateRialThe bank will be used to filter the water by archimedes screw powered by bike and then using the natural rocks on the banks to filter the water for the 1st time.Some water will be filtered by slow sand filtered using a similar system, but with a layer of bacteria

wateR tuRneD to steaMto clean, cook and heat houses, excess steam will be turned back to water and used clean the exterior as it runs down to the ground

03.00 Initial Ideas on Performance

Design Realisation- towaRDs a slow fooD co-housing typology claRissa yee unit 22 56[Academic use only]

Meeting cluster of the scheme is located over the free running water in attempt to use the ground water as a cooling strategy for the rooms that will more likely over heat. these rooms have computer systems and electrics in, or a high proportion of people: the meeting rooms.

wateR cools builDings especially aReas with excess heatevaporating water keeps humidity in the air for ripening fruits and vegetables and keeps areas cool without the need mechanical cooling

builDings becoMes RocKface to DiVeRt wateRthe building itself will resemble a mountain rockface with its own valleys, and water channels carved out of it,

showeRsanyone entering the site from the Riverside will need to at least wash their shoes to ensure seeds soils are not brought into the building protecting the native species of the site

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RocK faceangled roof will help with water runoff and also, blend into the environment

wateR filteReDagain before being released back to the river through a series of rocks.

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wateR walKwayseducational tool to teach users about how water is obtained from the site and how the process works

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bio anD steaMenergy and cleaning process as explained before on previous page

03.01 Initial Ideas on Performance


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03.03 Overview on Performance Issues

the performance of this building is unique to the users in which will be using the building. the clients are a set of people in which comfort to them will be different to others. i would like to challenge how comfortable these people want to be in order to- in what some would think- to sacrifice the opportunity to feel connected to the environment and to save costs.

it is my belief that the building should react to primarily the control of the environment and what is best for the site and then secondly how the users of the building would like to change their building environment over time without having to resort to mechanical and energy wasting means.

two options low energy high performance buildings:

passivhaus and bReeaM’s code for sustainable codes focus on:

• high levels of insulation • low levels of air-permeability• passive solar design strategies • low energy lighting • the use of environmentally benign materials • low water use sanitary ware • rainwater harvesting

the schemes that aimed for higher levels of the code also included renewable energy such as photovoltaic cells, biomass boilers and other features, such as green roofs.

Many of the projects had incorporated metering equipment and had developed plans for future post occupancy monitoring, which will help to provide feedback on the actual performance of different systems during occupation.’

http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/1161997.pdf

the opposition to this is traditional housing where the outer shell of the building is more leaky, buildings interiors are maintained for heating and cooling the room.

i have decided to go for somewhere in between. the user has the choice of whether they want to go for the low air permeability option or high depending on the season or mood.

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=


internal heat gains are caused by the occupancy density, computers and other machine and lighting loads; it is usually worth considering reducing them. For example, there are many energy-efficient lighting devices on the market –high-efficacy lamps, high-efficiency luminaires and lighting controls. If these loads cannot be reduced then some form of cooling will be required to the space. natural ventilation may not be adequate.’ Ventilation and cooling option appraisal, http://www.ihsti.com/tempimg/25B6D19-CIS888614800287117.pdf

a well-designed building envelope in the uK can restrict peak space temperatures to about 28ºc without the need to resort to mechanical cooling. if this temperature swing is acceptable to the occupants then a low-energy naturally ventilated solution may be a viable option.

here openings at high and low level encourage air to enter low and leave at high level. Draughts will be avoided by bringing air in far enough away from occupants that it becomes sufficiently mixed with warm internal air as not to cause discomfort.

03.10 Ventilation and Cooling Strategy: Passive

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windows at high and low levels promotes air to enter at a low level and leave at a higher level.

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03.11 Ventilation and Cooling Strategy: atria

this plan shows how the main entrance used wind driven ventilation to cool the building passively.

the location of the windows and the height of the communal space dictates how air flow rises through and up the building, bringing new fresh air in.

also, the door into residential areas from the main door are deliberately laid out in a way so that draughts from the main entrance do not effect these areas.

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humidity is measured in terms of relative humidity (RH). In general, people find the humidity to be acceptable within the ranges of 40% to 70% Rh. Most buildings will float within this range without humidification plant, which would consume significant energy in winter. if the humidity is too low then problems can occur with static electricity (<40% Rh) and health problems associated with the drying of the respiratory tract (<30% Rh).

humidity will be unlikely to be a problem on this site, and comfort is to be achieved through adequate ventilation and control of ventilation in the space.

since humidity will be more of a problem in the summer, i propose that water will be a way to cool residents down by providing a water mist which will cool the rammed earth spaces gradually. this will encourage people to share cool spaces and therefore encourage interaction between people.

the breathable nature of the rammed earth will mean that the humidity will be able to tolerate the humidity without the use of mechanical ventilators or affecting the strength of the material.

03.12 Humidity Strategy

1:100

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03.20 Solar Heating Strategy

trombe wall made from rammed earth acts to heat a corridor space which in turn is drawn into the fruit and vegetable ripening spaces on the other side of the trombe wall. at night the heat stored in the rammed earth wall is released for a night time cooling effect.

precedent for this is the Design build bluff organisation house project, Rosie Joe. this house has a trombe wall corridor with a rammed earth wall which regulates the night time temperature of the house.

Design build project, Rosie Joe house trombe corridor

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03.21 Solar Heating Graph

this air temperature and sol-air temperature by orientation graph (right) shows how the building can take advantage of solar gain throughout the day by positioning rooms within the building to suit the thermal and solar needs of activities in the room.

east

peak east solar air temperature coincides with the lowest outside air temperature.

this facade will be best for kitchens for morning light and also it will not overheat on this side of the building from additional heat from cooking.

a lightweight responsive facade allows the beneficial warmth to heat up the building.

south

peak south sol air temperature is a midday and receives a lot of light for major working hours of the day between 7am and 6pm.

programs such as working rooms and social rooms used in the day such as communal rooms would be best orientated south.

A shaded facade will exclude or reflect light in summer when the sun is high in the sky.

west

peak west solar air temperature coincides with highest outside air temperature. it is the hardest facade to shade as it is easy for rooms to overheat from the west sun.

bedrooms have been orientated to the west as the evening sun may be pleasant through here and heat the room up for the evening ahead. in the summer these rooms will need to be shaded carefully to avoid overheating.

a heavy facade can store the energy from western sun which can store the energy and release it 6-8 hours later when ambient temperature is at its lowest keeping the building warm through the evening and through the night. this explains the thermal lag.

summer sun at midday, the timber shading blocks out some of the sun over the whole area of the rammed earth wall behind it.

winter sun at midday, the timber facade shades the top half of the interior wall but allows the low sun to penetrate at ground level.

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computer renders to show how the sun’s path changes the effectiveness of solar shading to the south east trombe wall facade

Horizontal louvres create block shading when the summer sun is high

summer sun

winter sun


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03.22 Plan layout according to solar heating

by assessing the air temperature and sol-air temperature by orientation graph layout takes advantage of thermal lag on west facades.

the layout of the programs in plan can be manipulated to take advantage of the solar air temperature on the different facades of the building.

Reviewing this has meant that it is more beneficial to have the kitchen and dining spaces facing east and the bedrooms facing west to take advantage of thermal lag present in the evening to heat up the bedroom during the night.

the openable doors mean that the level of comfort and heat from the rammed earth walls can be controlled easily by the users.


03.30 Energy Assessment

4600 kwH/day needed in electricity

30% “lost” as heat

70% for use as energy

ONE SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE WITHIN CO-HOUSING SCHEME

ElectricityCookingCleaning

ON GRID SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE

4600 kwH/day needed in electricity

STEAM SYSTEMconstant to make it worthwhile

FOSSIL FUELSturned on only when needed to save fuel

Gas and electricityas and when it is needed

Used for heating and cooling

more sustainable energy

water and steam and excess energy

Pollutants

BY PRODUCTS

BY PRODUCTS PRODUCTS

PRODUCTS

£

£

COST

Money: £3.10/day

Money: £1.30/day

Maintainance

reliance of grid

Freedom

organisation of waste for fuel

BENEFITS

Environment

COST BENEFITS

Speed

O

ENERGY SOURCE

one single faMily house within co-housing scheMe

on gRiD single faMily house


03.40 Energy overview Strategy

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03.41 Energy Strategy

as much as it would be possible to be off grid when it comes to energy use, there are many sources of energy that can be harvested on the site.

however, it is likely that a range of different sources of sustainable energies will be used and not just relied on one which may not produce enough.

strategy includes:

using a biomass boiler and solar power for heating water and use biomass, wind and hydro power to turn turbines to charge batteries.

using the biomass boiler for electricity generation will only be a back up for other more sustainable and free methods such as hydroelectric energy and wind energy.

heating water can be done using solar pVs to initially heat up water so that there needs to be less energy input into heating water up to the right temperature.

Depending on uses, time of year and what energies are available at one time a combination of energy sources will be used. +

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Wood burning

cold water in

inner coil super heater

water tank (600 gallons)

generator

battery charge

turbine

hotwell

steam out

Desuperheater

hot and cold Water for houses

Uses

Exhaust

air

hot water out

Biofuel from vegeta-ble and human waste

wind or hydro power used as other sources of energy to be inputted here

Photovoltaics could be used to initially heat up water

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01

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wood burning boiler

Air pumped in to light fire

Combustion chamber where fuel/ air mixture is burned

exchanges heat from superheater to water

engine

generator turned by engine to make Dc electricity

water tank providing hot water for homes

holds a given amount of water to be pumped to the boiler

hot water and electricity distributed to houses

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03.42 Heating and cooling systems

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the building should minimise heat loss to the outside in cold weather and minimise heat gain in hot weather. any excessive heat loss or gain must be balanced by passive energy systems or mechanical heating and cooling systems to maintain conditions of thermal comfort for occupants of a building.

there are three factors that affect human comfort:

Relative humiditycontrolled by introducing water vapour through humidifying devices or removing it by ventilation.

Radiant temperature of room surfaces can be raised using radiant heating panels or lowered by radiant cooling.

air motion can be controlled by natural ventilation

Measures have been made to ventilate and heat the building passively, however there will still need to be additional changes in the internal environment for the user to control. for example when it is too cold or too hot within a building.

Air temp can be controlled by supply of a fluid medium- hot or chilled water to a space. The benefit of using water over air is that it uses less space.

warm water- can be heated by boiler or solar collectors or geothermal

Sizing heating a cooling equipment depends on heating and cooling loads anticipated.

Radiant heating utilises heated ceilings, floors and sometimes walls as radiating surfaces. ceilings are preferred as they can be heated to a higher surface temperature than floor slabs. In both electric and hot water radiant systems the installations are normally completely sealed except for thermostats.


03.50 Water Supply Diagram

water will be supplied by the River lune, using a reciprocating displacement pump. this type of pump works off the atmospheric pressure of the water surrounding it.

the water will only be fed into the system when it reaches a certain level. this ensures that the amount of water fed into the supply is only when the River has sufficient amount of water at one time, respecting that the water is also shared with many plants and animals in the River also. the water is then fed through a series of filters before being released back into the River- the same or better living quality than it was before it was extracted.

water supply diagram 1:400

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03.51 Rainwater Drainage and Harvesting System

Calculation to determine appropriate storage tank sizeannual rainfall (mm) x effective collection area (m2) x drainage coefficient (%)x filter efficiency (%) x 0.05

1200mm x 2200m2 x 0.9 (for picthed roofs) x 0.9 (average) x 0.05=106920 litres or 10.7 cubic metres (m3)

for 75 people that is 1425 litres per day.

so, the capacity for rainwater harvesting exceeds the needs of the inhabitants. the effective collection area can then be reduced to 124m2 which will provide the minimum amount of water required for every person every day. provided that each person will use 80m2 water per person per day.

55% of water use could be from rainwater harvesting. toilet flushing, clothes washing, outdoor use and miscellaneous use.

the total cost of installing a Rwh system is the sum of the cost of the components plus installation. systems can cost from around £2,500 up to £6,000 depending on the size of the tank. Since there is not a huge demand or cost for water in this region, there is less of an incentive to install a Rwh system which has a high degree of maintainance. (three times a year). a possible solution is to provide Raiwater harvested water for non potable use such as flushing toilets and garden use, and use water filtered from the Lune as the main source of potable water in a system that integrates the two so one is not reliant on the other. this way, if there is a drought or the levels of water on the lune need to be carefully monitored there is a back up source of water for use without using the grid.

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Rainwater harvesting umbrellas making the process easy to understand by residents water use in homes- non potable rainwater can be used for a variety of used without the need to filter it.

Graph showing the flow of water in the 6 major components of a rainwater harvesting system


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03.52 Rainwater Supply System

based on the graph previously, the rainwater system for the building could work on conveyance by gravity. this would prevent the need for pump systems which use up energy.

the system of pipes could be carried in the roof of the building and the roof therefore becomes a landscape which explains the flow of the water and becomes akin to the landscape diverting water in streams.

the system takes rainwater as it’s main source of water supply and transports it to be filtered and stored.. when needed the water is then distributed by gravity through pipes to the different buildings through gravity before being filtered again and channelled back to the River being careful that the quality of the water is the same of that in the River or better. the levels of the water in the River would have to be assessed as to know at what rate water could be put into in without interrupting flow or water levels.

Overflow of water from the water storage will be diverted to the base of the trees which have been planted for solar shading, acoustic qualities and to increase the stability of the soil. *

* see 3.70 services strategy for more information on roof support for water pipe system.


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old windmill, west finlandtypical american wind powered water pump

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03.53 Alternative Water Supply

as a second water supply water is drawn up from the lune. this should be relatively simple, as the river is close to the site, there is not a long distance vertically for a well to reach the water. also, with strong winds on the site and the lancashire council’s survey of the site being in a zone with potential to harvest wind energy, there is a good possibility that drawing water through wind energy is likely to be successful.

this is a good alternative to the electric pump option shown in the sectional diagram below.

simple and cheap to install, the maintenance of the windmill should be easy for the residents to manage.

electric water pumphand water

other ways to pump water

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Discarded option: archimedes screw to transport water from river to building. the height needed to have a distribution by gravity requires the water to be transported to a greater height than can be adequately provided by this method


03.60 Rainwater Nature Bathroom

wc encased by hedge walls which are watered by hand washing water

Rainwater harvesting umbrellas

Water filtered to remove debris

2. Water to flush WC

1. Water flows down jet grouting wall in a waterfall to rinse hands

access hatch to water storage


03.70 Services Strategy

the infrastructure of the building has been thought about in terms of future flexibility. i am not interested in every ‘conceivable adaptation or conversion but rather a strategy that can withstand the conditions of economics based practice and what might supply answers to medium or long term needs.’* *

since, internal partitions and facades may change over time, the only thing that will remain in the future in the load bearing structure. This needs to have flexibility of planning.

load bearing column in the middle of the plan may not be as flexible.

Two options for flexibility can be achieved:

Hollow columns and Slender floorscoupling vertical infrastructure such as stairs, lifts and services with load bearing structure.

slender columns become shafts.

An example of this is Kenzo Tange, Communications centre, Kofu 1964-67.

Even though this plan was designed to be flexible the plan layout is dependent on the existence of the proper infrastructure at every core and therefore the over designed infrastructure means that the flexibility is reduced due to the size of these cores.

Slender Columns- hollow floorsBy reducing the column size and vertical components be they parts of the load bearing structure or infrastructure means that the interior is not restricted. planning between storeys are not predetermined by services. an example is louis parnes Department store project.

* Andrea Deplazes, Constructing Architecture Materials processed structures a handbook ( Zurich: birkhauser Verlag ag, 2005) , pp.323

[Academic use only]

Roof canopy holds services which is accessible to community additions and acts as a shelter also.

West sides of the building act as the main service risers on the exterior of the building as a visual explanation of the inner workings of the building

Schematic diagram as a result of the service strategy analysis shown on right.


Kenzo Tange, Communications Centre- Hollow columns- slender floors

Louis Kahn, Salk Institute, Storey high floors accommodate building services

[Academic use only]


the roof canopy has been re designed here taking the gravity water system into account. the slope and direction of the roof reflects this.

in conjunction with all the service pipes, the roof’s slope also diverts rainwater similar to that of the landscape away from the surface into the River.

it is transparent in places which means that the canopy still allows light to pass through into open spaces below, and also serves as educational tool.the community will establish their own spaces and additional communal spaces once they move in, and to have the services on display reflects their self build and self sufficient attitude they have. They can easily see where the pipes lead to (at least on the roof) and so predict where the growth of the building will be likely to occur.

the deliberate space between the north side and south side has been left open to let in light and space between the buildings and to encourage the other gaps between the buildings to be used as sheltered space to preferably build on.

grassed areas used for resident accessgrowing vegetables and relaxing with views to the River can be from here

non-accessibletransparent areas used for basic shelter and to house services can be viewed from the roof and from below.

Jakob + Macfarlane, Docks de paris.


03.80 Acoustics

Due to the nature of the site, there is no problem with neighbouring noise form building, or traffic. M6 is a good enough distance for it not to be troublesome. however, due to the close nature and semi- detached or terrace house formations, there may be acoustic problems between households.also, the sound between houses and the common areas such as communal kitchens, meeting space, laundry rooms and children’s play areas.

solutions:

trees- a combination of deciduous trees and evergreen trees is most effective in intercepting and attenuating airborne sound especially when combined with earth mounds.

green trees are proposed newly planted treesblack trees- existing trees on site.

[Academic use only]


03.90 Environmental Impact of Materials

tiMbeR-low embodied energy than alternatives including aluminium, steel and concrete. however, the sawn soft wood has as little as 0.5 Gj/tonne, glue-laminated timber and laminated veneered lumber are quoted as having figures between 4.6 and 11 Gj/tonne. *

locally grown timber has a lower embodied energy than imported. lancashire has locally grown timbers which reduces ‘product miles’ thus minimising pollution. the timber comes from local woodlands. oak, sycamore, beech, ash elm and alder cherry are all grown in the area.

the durability is important, as if the timber needs to be replaced often there is a greater impact on the environment than if the structure was treated to be preserved over a long period of time. there are a number of different treatments the most common form is cca (copper-chrome-arsenic) of which has been banned in use in domestic buildings since 2004. less toxic alternatives are available which also help preserve the natural colour and finish of the timber. waste wood on site can be used in the wood boiler for heat.

RaMMeD eaRth-the material is natural and found locally which reduces the amount of embodied energy- embodied energy is similar to brick veneer construction and the earth is reusable post demolition.it is non-toxic and breathes which means it does not need any further treatments over the walls which means it is 100% natural. the embodied energy is in the transporting of the earth and the ramming, however compared to most other methods the actual time of ‘ramming’ is short and the walls can last forever if maintained well.

Jet gRoutingis a good alternative to concrete footings for foundations. it can be used for retaining soil also. it uses the existing soil to make up the mix for grouting and therefore is more environmentally friendly than having to make and transport material on site. The drill itself is high energy, but the benefits outweigh

* www.theenvironmentalhandbook.com

the energy required.

pRefabRication Prefabrication can benefit the environment in a number of ways. a controlled environment of the factory can guarantee a greater thermal performance. potential to reduce waste integrated serves allow installations to be minimised which reduces the amount of materials and shorter pipe runs.bathroom and toilet pods and bedrooms can be prefabricated off site to a high degree of precision which will be fitted on site.

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1 timber construction2 Rammed earth wall and wooden lintel3 Jet grouting on site

low embodied energy+durability preserved

lasts well and reusable post demolition

Reduces need to transport material to site.


Detail investigation how the project would be delivered in a professional context. Specific consideration to appropriate modes of architectural practice, project management, including the legal and legislative issues surrounding the project. possible procurement strategies and their affect upon design and design information, possible risks and difficulties in construction and how there might be designed out, the role of consultants, the role of contractors and suppliers, contractual relationship with the client.

04- Building Delivery

04.10 Planning Legislation and how it affects the scheme

Relevant lancashire planning obligations:

1. waste Managementthere is a shortage of landfill sites and for every new household local authorities will request contributions towards a new waste management network. currently this is £480 per household.

2. countryside access encourage people to walk and cycle in the countryside. being close to the river means that planning authorities will seek contributions for the maintenance for the towpaths, infrastructure and litter removal.

3. landscape character and Designheritage supplementary planning guidance aim to protect and enrich the landscapes of lancashire. this is especially the case where landscape degradation is an issue

4. natural heritageto conserve, restore and improve the diversity of england’s wildlife and geology; and to contribute to rural renewal and urban revival.

5. youth and community80% of young people in county council areas to be within safe 30-minute walking time of youth services. all young people must have access to youth services for at least 4 hours a week.

6. affordable housing A range of types and sizes on appropriate sites. The key aims behind this are to promote integrated and balanced communities and to provide access to decent homes for those in need of housing

7. flood defencesScheme must take into account future flood risks.

how it affects the scheme:

waste is easy to compost and recycle so less goes to landfill

where water intake from the River to the site occurs this does not interfere with access to the path.

landscape has been preserved and retained so that it can be naturally enriched slowly over time.the development drains directly into a canal, this can have a direct impact on water levels that may need correcting

Development proposals include the creation of alternative habitats or improved facilities for wildlife.

Due to the location of the scheme part of the programme will provide space that can be used for youth services.

section 106 agreements plays an increasingly important role in providing housing within this sector. Most affordable housing has been provided through this mechanism. shared-ownership schemes – homes that are part owned and part rented, usually through a Rsl.

it is the developers responsibility to fully assess the risk of flooding and propose measures to mitigate the risk.

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[Academic use only]

04.20 Contractual relationships of client, design team, contractor and sub contractor and supplier

Detail investigation how the project would be delivered in a professional context. Specific consideration to appropriate modes of architectural practice, project management, including the legal and legislative issues surrounding the project. possible procurement strategies and their affect upon design and design information, possible risks and difficulties in construction and how there might be designed out, the role of consultants, the role of contractors and suppliers, contractual relationship with the client.

in a traditional contract the client is in direct contractual relationship with the consultants and the contractor. any contractual links or sub-contracts or sales contracts will be between the contractor and the sub-contractors.

the consultants have no contractual link with the contract.however, the architect or another consultant may be named in the building contract as the ‘contractadministrator’. 1

the client will need collateral agreements to protect the client’s interests when selecting any sub-contractors or suppliers. this is due to matters that may lie outside of the contractor’s responsibilities.

in a Design and build contract, the client will wish to get advice from outside consultants on preparation of requirements and to evaluate and select tenders.

often one or more of these consultants will switch from being appointed by the client to being appointed by the contractor at the time the contractor is engaged.

the main contractual link is between the client and the contractor and if the client’s agent or representative has only a limited role. the contractor might also have a contractual link with his own design consultants, and with sub-contractors and suppliers. as the contractor is wholly responsible for their performance, both in terms of design and construction, there might be less need for collateral agreements between them and the client and therefore less risk.

1 see section 04-4 for more details


04.30 Architect’s role and appointment

the architect’s role is to:advisestatuary regulationsauthorityrepresentative

the diagram on the right explains how the architect can develop the brief and design through Riba workstages a to f.

on this project, the process could be fast tracked so that the development of the design process can be compressed and therefore the overlapping of the workstages could save time overall.

As the diagram shows briefing is a continuous process that evolves throughout the design process. this can be interesting in the project is built in phases, the brief can improve even while on site as new buildings are erected. 1

1 architect’s Job book pp.64

[Academic use only]

The process of brief and design development


04.40 The role of each of the other consultants

[Academic use only]


04.50 Financial Context

funDing

hca throughout 2011-15, will invest £4.5bn in affordable housing through the affordable homes programme and existing commitments from the previous national affordable housing programme. the majority of the new programme will be made available as affordable Rent with some for afford-able home ownership, supported housing and in some circumstances, social rent.

there is a possibility that a grant could cover the costs.other routes which are more likely are to obtain a loan from Mortgage lenders and finally to self fund.

funding for the scheme would operate differently depending on the financial model the co-housing company was operating under. the most common being a traditional leasehold, however, it is possible to be a mutual home ownership scheme and in this way the residents may benefit from this model type and finding investment might be easier. 91% of homes were

delivered with grant from the homes and communities agency in 2010-11

local authoritiesstrategic housing Rolelocal authority role

affordable Rent and affordable home ownership(low cost home ownership on newbuild home buy lease terms or on equity loan terms)

homes and communities agency (hca)

grant contribution

framework Delivery programme

section 19 of the housing and Regeneration act 2008

self fundingif denied

loangrant

Re-mortgage current home

borrow money from family

Mutual home ownership scheme

Mortgage loans from long term investorsecology building society and the charity bank

if denied

traditional leasehold arrangement with the group/company as the freeholder

Financial/ ownership models for co-housing companies

self build Mort-gageMoney released in stages but only available to freeholds

homes advertised on co-housing web site with prices, plans and information on the project.


based on springhill co-housing scheme in stroud it could be assumed that the lancaster co-housing group could be funded in the same way.

they had bought the site with some personal backing and shares to the value of £5000. individu-al members to the group were required to pay for their plot according to the size of their dwelling. 5 bed: £36,0000, 1 bed £18,000. these plot sales went back to the founder of the group, and to pay for the site, and the professionals.they expect that in the next phase of recruitment the house prices will be in the region of £130K to £285K. The build costs will largely be financed by a corporate loan. it is anticipated that this will be a rolling loan facility. this loan will cover a maximum of 70% of the project costs, therefore members have to put down a 30% deposit.

the money required from members at different stages in the project is as follows:

on joining- £5Kwithin 3 months of joining- 30% (or more) of projected house cost (minus £5K already provided)build completion- cash or individual mortgages for the remaining 70% (or less)

paying for the homes could not be done through self-build loan as the homes are bought on a 999 year leasehold not a freehold, so the only way to fund this is corporate loans. since, this is personally funded many members will have to sell their current homes before the new homes will be built and live in rented accommodation in halton until the houses will be available to be moved into.

04.50 Financial Context- A case study

lessons learnt:

time is important factor

Move in date as early as possible. Delays to be minimised

client’s risk is already high with personal finances. client may not want be at further risk in the project.


04.60 Establishing Procurement Profile

Establishing a contract profile quickly assesses the importance of cost, time and quality using a radar diagram like that on the right, it can suggest where design responsibilities are to restand their extent, and the most suitable procurement methods and constructionprocedures. this in turn will affect tendering arrangements and the amount and format of the information needed.

costthe client might have limited funding and require reassurance of a fixed price with no risk of fluctuation.

long term cost implications in this case are important. as it is self funded and a new way of living that is being pursued the future maintenance costs should be advised to the client.it is more important in this case for the price for running and maintenance costs to be low with a good quality design which may cost more rather than running down costs which may increase running and maintenance costs.

QualityQuality of materials do not need to be expensive but good quality in the way that they need to last and not need to be replaced very often and they need to fit and last with the environment. the quality of space needs to be high. the environment and experience should be to a high standard. As hand over will be before the building looks ‘finished’ the spaces need to good enough at this stage to be comfortable and the additional work done by the community is adapted to their personal level of comfort.

tiMeReal savings can be made in overall project time by effective management and not taking shortcuts like a premature rushed start to construction. Due to the nature of the residents’ financial circumstances the longer the build is the more money many of the residents will spend of rented housing nearby in halton, as many have sold their houses in order to pay for the new development. they want to move in as soon as they can.

phased completion could allow an affective way for the community to be really involved and learn from the build and move in earlier to save money. not all contracts allow for this, and it needs to be included in the contract conditions as a programmed requirement.

Lowest possible capital expenditure

Certainty over contract price, no fluctuation

Best value for money overall

Earliest possible start on site

Certainty over contract duration

Shortest possible contract period

Top quality, minimum maintenance

Sensitive design, control by employer

Detailed design not critical, leave to contractor

)elacs tsehgih 5–tsewol 0( ytiroirPairetirC

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when choosing a procurement method several factors must be considered.

Design responsibilitywill it be the architect, other consultants, the contractor or specialists subcontractors?will contractually provisions apply?

co-ordination responsibilitysingle contract or combination of contracts will affect responsibility for workmanship, goods and materials, working methods, supervision etc.

priceLump sum or measurement will define the overall price of the project and the quality.

plan of workprocurement choice will affect the ‘plan or work’ Riba stages used for calculating consultants fees and the client and professionals are involved throughout the project.

traditional procurement design and construction work is separated which results in a linear pattern. (top diagram)on the other hand Design and build procurement work stages are not so strict. the work stages may be set out in a different sequence and parallel working or fast tracking may occur to save time overall. (bottom diagram)

04.60 Procurement of the building and implication of the different contracts used


04.70 CMD

[Academic use only]


books

Andrea Deplazes, Constructing Architecture Materials Processed Structures a Handbook ( Zurich: Birkhauser Verlag AG, 2005)

francis D.K. ching, cassandra adams, building construction illustrated (new york: John wiley& sons, 2001)

hugh clamp, stanley cox, sarah lupton, which contract? (london: Riba publishing, 2007)

Paul Graham McHenry, Adobe and rammed earth buildings : design and construction (Arizona: University of Arizona Press, 1984)

hse, Managing health and safety in construction, construction Design and Managements Regulations 2007, (norwich: hsc books, 2007)

wolfgang Ruske, timber construction for trade, industry, administration : basics and projects (princeton: princeton architectural press, 2004)

Kennedy, smith, wanek(eds), the art of natural building, (canada: new society publishers, 2002)

peter walker, Rammed earth : design and construction guidelines (bracknell: bRepress, 2005)

websites

The Environmental Handbook, http://www.theenvironmentalhandbook.com, accessed Jan 12Ventilation and cooling option appraisal – a client’s guide, http://www.ihsti.com/tempimg/25B6D19-CIS888614800287117.pdf , accessed Jan 12

Lancashire Government website, http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/planningobligations/PlanningObligationsPaper.pdf accessed March 12

Homes and Communities, http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/sites/default/files/our-work/framework_delivery_agreement_-_ex-rsl030811.pdf, accessed March 12

http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/affordable-homes,, accessed March 12

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/water-supply-systems-d_477.html, accessed March 12

¬¬¬DR pictures and no more than 5000 words. Marked by comprehension of lecture course/seminars/tutorials and reading; elegance and intelligence in the application of taught material and personal research; satisfactory analysis of required content and quality of analysis and presentation.

05- Bibliography


06- Appendix

00-ground floor plan 1:125@ a101-first floor plan 1:125@ a1 02-second floor plan 1:125@ a103-long section 1:125@a1

[Academic use only]

[Academic use only]

private bedrooms Zone 1

semi- private social space Zone 2

semi- communal social circulation Zone 3

commnal social space Zone 4

legend

design realisation report 2011-2012 part 2, clarissa yee

Documents

earth bricks

brick walls

m2 rammed earth

themrammed earth

community time

finishingcompleted walls

exposed walls

wellcured walls