esd final report: paying it forward

7/28/2019 ESD FINAL REPORT: PAYING IT FORWARD

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SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGN

Centre for Modern Architecture Studies in Southeast Asia (MASSA)

Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Architecture)

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABLE DESIGN (ARC 1413/1412)

Paying It Forward Project Report

Service Learning experiences should give students a chance to make a positive

contribution in their community. The project is to explore the sense of environmental and

community engagement as future designer.

Georgius Indra Putra (Group Leader)

(Email : [email protected])

0312099

Anthony Sudianto 0312260

Astriyani 0311678

AzinEskandari 0312234

BoediSatria 0311503Christopher Ng Man King 0309552

Michael Ryan

Phillip Sutedjo 0312245

Hong Si Mun 0312643

Vincent Lim Wey Hang 0312091

Organization Name: Hati United Learning Center Contact Person : Madam Mink Ong

Address: United Learnin Center Imbi road Bukit Phone Number : +60196000448


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Index

Number Title Page

1. INTRODUCTION- Paying It Forward- Our Partner

- ULC For The Burmese Children- Burmese Refugee in Malaysia

- The Issue They Face

- The Solution

2. Work planning and timeline- Work Planning

- Timeline

3. PVC SHOE RACK- Description

- Physical and Chemical Properties

- Comparison Between Table And Timber- Advantages of PVC Shoe Rack

- Life Cycle Assessment- Working Process

- Issue Faced

4. CARDBOARD TABLE

- Description- Physical and chemical properties

- Life cycle assessment

- The working process- Issue faced

5. WATER DISPENSER STATION

- Description- Physical and chemical properties- The working process

- Issue faced

6. COSTING

7. Site visit photo review

8. Reflective


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1. Introduction

1.1 Paying It Forward

Paying It Forward, an Environment Sustainable Design project launched by

Taylors University School of Architecture, aim to create the sense of awareness

for environment and society in students heart, giving them the idea to contribute

and make positive impacts. The project itself enables the students to explore and

learn the concept of sustainability by experiencing it first hand, daring the given

amount of time.

1.2 Our Partner

United Learning Centre (ULC) is a non-profit organization situated at Jalan Imbi,

a commercial area in Kuala Lumpur. It acts both as shelter and school, providing

the children with home line atmosphere and at the same time equipping them

with knowledge, wisdom and moral value through education and dogma.

Managed by 2 Burmese volunteers, ULC is now sheltering a total of 35 burmuse

orphans not including another 130 Burmese children refugees who would come

every weekday to get educated. ULC is a corporation unit of the charity

association, Hati.

1.5 Issue They Face

We had our first site visit on 29 th of April 2013. After observation and analysis of

the site, we came up with a conclusion that the environment is unhygienic for

living.


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Issue 1: Unhygienic water dispenser stand

Figure1.1: Water dispenser they used outdoor

Due to long exposure to tropical climate in Malaysia, the timber used started to

decay, fungus and termite could be seen living on the structure giving it a

possibility to collapse and may result in harming the children

The structures of the stand itself are rigid, consisting of only 4 thin wooden blocks

standing from the ground to the cover of the stand; do not act as a support for the

weight of the galloon. However, the white box situated right underneath it, is the

one which helps. In addition, the plywood used to cover the rears and top of the

stand is vulnerable to the weather in Malaysia. The wind may blow away the

stand easily.

Issue 2: The need for more dining tables

Figure 1.2: Dining table for children


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There are only few dining tables available. 135 children would squeeze

themselves for space inside a small living room or the tables located outdoor

every lunch time on the weekdays. Pictures below were taken during weekends

while most of the children (100 in precise) were not present. It looked cramp

even though most of them are absent at that moment. While most of the tables

are still in good condition, however the hungry crowds filling up the limited

spaces is inevitable.

Issue 3: Lack of Storage Unit for shoes

There is lacking of shoe rack. Pairs of shoes are twice number the owner. There

are around 135 children, meaning there can be at least 270 shoes scattered all

around the ground, untidy, disorganized, due to limited space provided.

Figure 1.3: Outdoor, boys and girls shoe racks

1.6 The Solution

After the long discussion, we come out with a solution to provide and help the

children in the refugee to improve the quality of life.


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Issue Solution

Unhygienic water dispenser stand Design and construct a new water

dispenser

The need for more dining table Design and construct more table

Lack of storage unit for shoe Design and construct shoe racks for

kids


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2. Work planning and timeline

2.1 Work planning

Na mes Ge org iu s, In dra ,Pu tr a,( Lea der ) An th on y, Su di an to As tr iya ni , Az in ,Es ka nd ar i Bo edi ,Sa tr ia

Christopher,David,Ng,Man,

King Michael,Ryan Philip,Sutedjo Simun,Hong V

ID 312099 312260 311678 311503 309552 312245

4/29/13 Present Present Present Absent Present Absent,(Hospitalized) Present Present Present P

5/5/13 Present Present Present Absent Present Absent,(Hospitalized) Present Present Present A

Main,Responsibility

Lead,the,team,and,supervice,

the,performance,of,each,

member,in,the,team.,

Delegate,task,and,keep,track,

on,the,work,progress.,

Design,and,construction,of,

water,station,


shoe,rack


table


water,station


table


water,station


show,rack,

In,charge,of,finance.,

Budgeting.,Keep,track,on,the,

spending,of,the,whole,

project.

I

f

s

p

f

c

April,7,Z,13

Ap ril ,1 4, Z,2 0 Fa ce bo ok ,g ro up ,wa s,c re at ed J oin ed, gro up J oin ed ,g ro up J oin ed ,g ro up J oin ed ,g ro up J oin ed ,g ro up J oin ed ,g ro up J oi ne d,g ro up J oi ne d,g ro up

Discussion,of,selection,of,site,

on,facebookGiven,options,of,site

First,Short,meeting,Attended Attended Attended Attended Attended Attended Attended Attended Attended A

Location,map,and,ways,to,

reach,the,refugee,centre,was,

posted

Assist,in,looking,for,the,map

First,site,visit,to,the,United,

Learning,Centre

Interviewed,the,caretaker,of,

the,centre,Jonathan,and,

Grace



Grace



Grace



Grace



Grace



Grace



Grace

Draft,proposal Assist,in,drafting,proposal Assist,in,drafting,proposal

Second,site,visit,to,United,

Learning,Centre

Took,measurement,on,the,

site


site


site


site


site


site

Second,meeting Attended Attended Absent Attended Attended Attended Attended Attended A

Further,delegation,of,tasks,

Refugee,visit,designDesign,of,water,station Design,of,shoe,rack Refugee,visit,proposal Design,of,water,station

Design,of,table,approval,

letterDesign,of,wat er,st atio n Design,of,wat er,st atio n Material ,o utsearch,

Sket ches,o f,design Sket ches,o f,design Prov ide,design,idea Sket ches,o f,design

Received,approval,letter,from,

Mr.,Ong,Mink Sket ches,o f,design Sk et ches,o f,design Material ,co st ,May,12,Z,18 Finalization,of,proposal

May,19,Z,25Card,board,cutting,dumping,

area,visit,get,cardboard

Card,board,cutting,dumping,
















C

a

May,26,Z,June,1

Cut,cardboard,and,PVC,pipe,

cutting,buy,PVC,pipe,and,

order,metal,car


cutting



order,metal,car


cutting


cutting



order,metal,car


cutting


cutting


cutting

C

c

o

June,2,Z,8

Announment,on,facebook,on,

progress,Cardboard,cutting,

cardboard,hunting

Cardboard,cuttingCardboard,cutting,card,board,

huntingC ardboard,cut t ing C ardboard,cut ting

Cardboard,cutting,cardboard,

huntingC ardboard,cut ting C ardboard,cut ting C ardboard,cut ting

W

h

June,9,Z,15Weld,metal,buy,brush,paint,

sand,paper,working,on,reportWeld,metal

buy,brush,paint,sand,paper,

working,on,reportwo rk ing,on,report Weld,metal

Buy,brush,paint,sand,paper,

wrking,on,reportWel d,m eta l Wel d,m eta l w orki ng ,o n, re po rt

b

w

June,16,Z,22

June,23,Z,29

Weekly,Progress,Task,

Delegation

E.S.D.%Project%2%Group%3%Bar%Chart

Categories Item

Shelter,Visit,Dates

Group,Members

Group,created

Pictures,of,the,centre,were,taken

Decision,made,on,United,Learning,Centre

April,21,Z,27

April,28,Z,May,4

May,5,Z,11


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2.2 Timeline

Date Time Activity

12-Apr-13 10:00-10:30 Formingtheteam

18-Apr-13 11:59AM Facebookgroupwascreated

21-Apr-13 13:00PM onlinediscussionstarted

9:00PM Fixfirstmeetingday23-Apr-13 1:00PM Shortmeetingaboutsite

14:15-17:00PM Goingtoobserveandgotinformationforthesite

28-Apr-13 22:36PM Decidethesite

29-Apr-13 10:47-11:15AM Onlinediscuss ionaboutfirstsitevi sit

14:15PM Departtothesite

15:05PM Buysomesweetforthechildren

16:30PM Arrivetothesite

16:35-17:40 Observethesiteandshortinterview

30-Apr-13 11:21-12:38 Onlinediscussionaboutwhatcanwedoforthechildrenatrefugee.

14:00-21.30 Makingandsubmittheproposal

1-May-13 16:44 Proposalrejected

2-May-13 13:06 Rewritetheproposal

4-May-13 10:21 Onlinediscussionaboutsecondsitevisit

5-May-13 10:13 Arrivetothesite

10:15-13:21 Furtherinterview,measurethesite13:25 Leavethesite

13:40-14:15 Shortdiscussionaboutthesite

6-May-13 18:50-20:00 Onlinediscussionaboutmaterial

7-May-13 11:00 Meetingaboutrejectedproposal

17:55 Rewritedproposal uploadtofacebookforrevision

9-May 4:00AM Proposalrejected

19:00PM Rewritetheproposal

10-May-13 10:00-10:45 Discussabouttheproposalandsite

11:40 Proposenewsolutionfortherefugee

11:50 Newsolutionaccepted

13:00-13:50 Shortmeetingaboutnewproposal,thirdsitevis itanddistributethejob

16:28 Newproposal acceptedbytherefugee

17:20-18:50 Proposesomedesignviafacebook

11-May-13 11:00-13:15 Thirdsitevisit

16:26 Recaivedapprovalletterfromrefugeeviaemail

17:20 Startdiscuss aboutthedesignandmaterial

12-May-13 19:32 Firstdesignofshoeracks

21:45 waterstatondesign

13-May-13 19:49 tabledesign

20:29 Compilingdataforfinal proposal

14-May-13 0:18 Finalizetheproposal

15-May-13 19:45 Proposalapproved

19-May-13 9:00-10:30 Visitthedumpingareaformaterial

21-May-13 21:37 getthecardboard

23-May-13 13:00-02:15 cuttingcardboard

31-May-13 12:00-16:30 cuttingcardboardandpvcpipe

16:30-17:25 Buypvcpipeandordermetal

3-Jun-13 14:35 g et meta l

6-Jun-13 21:39 reportwhatweachiveandnextactivityviafacebook

7-Jun-13 11:00-14:00 cuttingcardboard

14:30-17:50 Huntingcardboardandpvcpipe

8-Jun-13 10:00-18:00 cuttingcardboardandpvcpipe

12-Jun-13 12:30 Starttoweldthemetal

13:15 Buysomeequipment(paint,brush,etc)

13-Jun-13 16:00 Researchanddoingreportdraft

14-Jun-13 13:00 Doingreport,weighttestingfortable,showrackassembling

15-Jun-13 15:00 tableassembling


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3. PVC Shoe Rack

3.1 Description

From our site visit, we observed that the refugee center did not have enough

shoe rack that caused the shoes scattered all around in front of the entrance.

There are 135 kids in the refugee centre where 35 of them are staying with

Pastor Jonathan. The ranges of age are from 3-16 years old. The only shoe rack

they have is from the donation of the society. The issue that we observed is the

shoe rack is full that causes some of them just leave their shoe on the ground.

Therefore we come out with the solution of making a new shoe rack for kids.

The solution that we can think of is sponsoring them a new shoe rack. In the

group discussion, we eliminate the idea of buying them a whole new shoe rack

from the shop. We propose an idea of hand-made shoe rack. A rough idea of the

design came out and we have a structural racks design.

Figure 3.1: first idea of shoe rack

After the idea of shoe rack is decided, we moved to the designing process. The

first consideration we take is the material. We decided that the material chosen


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must be safe for children, durable, environmental friendly and low cost. We

compare 2 common materials in the market and finally we decide to use PVC

pipe that reach all our criteria.

3.2 Physical and Chemical Properties

Physical and chemical properties

Density (g/cm3) 1.3 1.45

Embodied energy (MJ/Kg) 67.50

Carbon emission (kg CO / kg) 24.40

Life span ( years) 20

Compression strength ( psi) 9500

Temperature to decompose ( C) 140

Oxidation index 45 or more

Energy consumption (Mj/kg) 57.2

Table 3.2: The physical and chemical properties of PVC

3.3 Comparison Between PVC and Timber

Material PVC pipe Timber

Safety Yes No (sharp edges present)

Costing Low High

Stability Yes Yes

Summary of the analysis impact of IKA AT-11

Energy Medium Lowest (13% of PVC)

Durability High Low

Emission to air

( CO2, CO, SO2)

Medium Lowest

Emission to water Highest Medium


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Waste Low High

Environmental impact of production, use and recycling from IKP D-6

Chemical stability Yes Yes

Global warming Medium Lowest

Summer smog Low ( no coating needed) High ( coating on timber

causes significant emission)

Use phase No maintenance No maintenance

Recycling Yes Yes

Total primary

energy

Medium Lowest

Recycling rate 70% recycling material 100% thermal recycling

Table3.3: comparison of PVC and timber.

Source: Final report, LCA of PVC and of principal competing materials

commissioned by European commission.

IKP: University of Stuttgart

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a third most widely produced plastic in the world. It is

a newly invented material in the modern era that brings benefits and convenience

to human being.

The table 3.2 above is the comparison between PVC and timber. The first aspect

we look into was safety precaution for children. PVC does not have sharp edges

while timber has many edges after processing it. The sharp edges may cause

injury to the kids. We wanted to minimize the risk of hurting the children while

they are using our products. The cost of PVC is much lower than timber which

cost only RM 0.30 per meter. The stability of both materials is similar.

According to the impact analysis of IKA AT-11, the energy consume for PVC is

medium is higher than timber; however the durability of PVC is much higher than


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timber. As a result, the waste for PVC is lower than the waste for timber due to

their durability difference.

From the view of environmental impact, the chemical stability of both materials is

very similar. PVC doesnt cause summer smog because no coating needed and

there is minimal maintenance needed. Where else timber need high maintenance

every year with addition of coating on timber causes significant emission to

summer smog.

PVC was thought to be not environmental friendly. However, from the scientific

analysis, the recycling rate of PVC is relatively high which enable uses of 70% of

the recycling material. In year 2010, PVC waste management cab be monitored

by Vinyl and its main target is to recycle 800 000 tons per year of PVC by the

year 2020 through the process called vinyloop. The recycled PVCs primary

energy is 46% lower than conventional produced PVC. This had influenced the

global warming potential to decrease significantly, which is 39% lower.

From economic aspect, we compared PVC shoe rack with the timber shoe racks

from the market. From our study of the price and function, the cheapest timber

shoe rack is RM119 that can hold 12 pairs of shoes. Compared to our D.I.Y. PVC

shoe rack, the cost is approximately RM100 which is slightly cheaper. The

difference shows when our shoe rack can hold up to 23 pair of shoe each. This

had made the shoe rack more suitable for the refugee center. The life span of our

PVC shoe rack is longer compare to IKEA timber shoe rack. The high humidity

level can easily corrode and decompose the timber when placed outdoor.

Getting high quality timber furniture is costly these days. To get new timber

signified to chop down more trees in indirectly. Even the wood shoe racks on the

market that we see in shop are mostly from recycled wood or MDF board. The

life spans of these products are comparatively shorter. Besides that, when

factory used timber to make furniture, paint is applied on it to make it more

durable. The paint they used causes emission of CO, CO and SO in the air.


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The using of PVC shoe rack is more convenient due to its easy cleaning. PVC

pipe is waterproof and the pores of PVC surface are smaller. It will not cause

bacterial and fungus grown on the pipe that will bring diseases to the children.

On the other hand, timber needs high maintenance of bacterial, fungus and

termites, making it inconvenient for the refugee center.

After the study and research for material, we conclude that PVC is much more

sustainable and suitable than timber in our case.

3.4 Life cycle assessment

To present PVC life cycle effectively, this section is divided into 3 phases, the

production phase, the use phase and the eng-of-life phase.

Figure 3.4: summary of LCA of PVC

Production phase

Pure PVC is hard and brittle material which degrades at 100 C and sensitive to

light and heat.

EDC / VCM production

PVC polymerization production phase

PVC processing

PVC products use phase

Disposal/ Recycling End-of-life

EDC:1,2-dicholoroethane

VCM:Vinylchloridemonomer


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Figure 3.5: overview of PVC product manufacture (RANDA EU.003 study)

Use phase

PVC products are highly durable; durable products are replaced less frequently.

This has a positive influence on the PVC life cycle.

Maintenance efforts required for PVC products are relatively low. PVC material

requires little maintenance and repair due to its chemical, mechanical and

thermal stability. This also has a positive influence on the environmental

performance of the life cycle.

PVC generally performs well in terms of the parameter of maintenance methods,

intervals and service life.

End phase

From a life cycle perspective, the effectiveness of an environmental improvement

Ethylene Chlorine

EDC

Thermal

decomposition

VCM

Polymerization

PVC Additive

PVC compound

Processing (molding)

PVC product


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increases if the quality of the recycled product is higher and therefore can be

applied in the production of new products (decreasing the demand of primary

produced material).

Recent studies show that the presence of PVC has no significant effect on the

amount of dioxins released through incineration of plastic waste.

Due to the available joints of the PVC pipe, we have a few possibilities to do the

design. After a few experimental models, our final design came out.

The sketches below show the detail of the final design.


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3.5 The working process

3.6 Issue Faced

There are 2 issues we faced during the designing stage. The first problem was

we could not find any appropriate joints that we need. After a few days hunting

for the joints, we decided to modify the design so that it is easier for us to

assembly. The second issue was the low stability of the shoe rack. Due to the

consideration of children safety, we decided to modify the design again. After 2

times of changes, we finally come out with a shoe rack that fits the design quality.

Sustainability of material can be seen not only from its eco-friendly but to

see it from economic and social aspect.

4. Cardboard table

4.1 Description

When we first arrived at the site, the objective was to do an analysis of the needs

lacking in the Learning Centre in terms of hygiene and scholar necessities. One

First design

of shoe rack

Material

decided

Material

shopping

Second

design of

shoe rack

Searching

for specific

joints

Third design

of shoe rack

Mock up

model

Scale 1:1

model

testing

Final design

of shoe rack


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of the issues revealed by Pastor Jonathan after his interview was a lack of

hygiene conditions concerning the eating process of the children between the

ages of 3-5 as they are not able to sit on standard height tables which are mostly

for adults and other people between the heights of 1.3m-1.7m. This issue was

considered as one of our objectives for this project and we decided to proceed to

the exploration stage of the issue and started coming out with designs suited for

the children.

Once the analysis considered, we moved to the design process and most of the

proposals were based on the recyclability of the material, lightness for easy

transportation by the children, Life Cycle Assessment of the material and

Embodied energy. The process principle employed was mostly about the human

design which means designing in terms of the human anthropometric data and

ergonomics and also in terms functionality of the table.

We came out with the proposal of table. This is the first design of our table.

The design of the table contains the concept of aesthetic, sustainable and

functional.

After discussion, we agreed on the material cardboard which can express both

of the concepts in the design.


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4.1 Physical and Chemical Properties

Density (kg/m) 6.89

Embodied energy (MJ/kg) 16000

Carbon Emission (kgCO/kg) 2.6

Life span (years) 20

Compressive strength (N/mm) 0.6

Energy consumption (Gj/tone) 13.5

Advantages - Fire resistance (according to

chemical modification)

- Waterproof ( according to chemical

modification)- Moisture resistance (according to

chemical modification)

- light but a very good load bearing

material

- recyclable

- nature-friendly

- warm ( just like wood )

- safe to use (for kids)

- versatile material

Figure 4.1: properties of cardboard

The reason why we did not choose timber and metal is because it possesses a

consequent weight which is a very big disadvantage in terms of transportation for

the children. After studying the characteristics of cardboard, which is considered

as the lightest and stiffest building material nowadays, we designed a light weight

structure respecting the human proportion. Explorations about the form according

to the function were executed.


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Figure 4.2 Breakdown of paper waste item

Source: clean up Australia, PDF file

According to the rubbish report done by clean up Australia, the main rubbish

waste is small paper. The secondary subcategory is others, which includes

cardboards and boxes.

As paper is biodegradable, it does not persist in the environment, making it muchless damaging than others material. Recycling cardboard uses 40% less energy

than extracting fresh lumber to create cardboard.

From the economical point of view, the studies did by Andrew Zentner & Anna

Lier state that the society discard approximately 363 cubic meter of cardboard

waste per month which is equivalent to 4356 cubic meter per year. The latest

market price for wholesale new cardboard cost RM 8 each. From the calculation,

society throws RM34, 848 per year to the dumping area which is a significant

amount.

Breakdownofpaperwasteitem

others

smallpaper

fastfoodpackaging

printmaterial

cigare>epackage

bags


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Greenhouse gas emission

Figure 4.3: summary of LCA of cardboard

Figure 4.4 Greenhouse gas emission from pulp and paper industry related to fuelcombustion.

Source: clean up Australia, PDF file

Gar emissions are directly proportional to energy consumption. The production of

pulp is the most energy intensive process in making paper, accounting for 56% of

Greenhousegasemission

PulpproducBon

PaperproducBon

Paperboard

producBon

Timberdrying

cut wood is transported to

a paper center

Emission (heat and electricity)


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its emissions. Turning pulp into paper is the second most energy consuming

among the processes. Harvesting and timber processing is the least energy

intensive process for making paper.

The scope of the study was to develop a cradle-to

-cradle Life Cycle

Assessment of the 2006 U.S. industry-average corrugated product.

Paper mills drive the life-cycle profiles For all impact categories, material and

energy flows from paper mills dominate the results. Environmental impacts are

dominated by energy demands at the mill. Bio-based energy (e.g. hog-fuel, liquor,

etc.) substantially reduces global warming potential (GWP) contribution from mills,

but does not eliminate mills GWP contribution due to the use of fossil fuels.

Energy sourcing is a management option that may be open to mill operators that

can have a substantial effect on the environmental impacts.

Increased use of bio based energy sources will further reduce the overall use of

fossil energy and GWP impacts from mills, although there are numerous factors

that must be considered in energy sourcing decisions (e.g. availability and price).

End-of-Life as modeled (based on 2006 industry average) demonstrates that it is

only important in relation to global warming potential. Other life-cycle impact

indicators show little or no response from the End-of-Life stage. The End-of- Life

effect on GWP is mainly related to methane generated but not captured from

landfill operations. The sensitivity analysis on different End-of-Life management

scenarios clearly shows that increasing recovery, increasing efforts to capture

methane, or increasing the percentage of disposed corrugated materials that are

incinerated for energy recovery have the potential to improve overall

environmental performance.

Cardboard has been denoted as the most efficient building material for interior

design as it has been proven that houses' interiors, exteriors and even structures


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of mini houses could be built out of it.

We experimented through a few mock models. The main reason we modify the

design is because of the stability of the table. We try to improve the quality of our

design in each model.

The sketches on next page shows the final model with detail and measurement.


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wet cleaning and for waterproofing. Plasma sheet which is a mixture of paper

components and polycarbonates is the best suited material for this task. The

material will be used in only a small percentage of the design integrity which

means that it will be used only as a protective skin which will at the same time

increase the chances of the material meeting the limit of 20 years life span.

4.5 Weight testing

The table is placed on a flat surface and the car tire is placed on the table. Each

of the car tires is weighted 20 pounds. We placed 6 tires on the table to test the

stability and strength of the table. The table proved its capability when it was able

to withstand 6 tires.6 tires which weighed 120 pounds in total are much heavier

than a child.

The only issue faced on our side was to find large piece of recycled cardboard,

we had to explore a lot of dump areas and finally we could come up with

sufficient amount of material to execute the design.

Design for the human with respect to nature and material capabilities.

5. Water dispenser

5.1 Description

In the first visit of the refugee center, there was cold drizzle falling in the late

afternoon. The original water dispenser is placed in the entrance of the refugee

with the graffiti of drinking water on it. The first thought came into question was

the stability of the water dispenser. We decided to make a new water dispenser

to serve them more hygienic and healthy.

The second step in the manufacturing process is to decide the material. We start

our material study from the material they originally used. After research, we

found that the timber they use is environmental friendly and low cost. The

disadvantage of using timber is the durability. Due to this point, we rejected the

idea of constructing the water dispenser using full timber.


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The next and last material we looked into was steel, a stronger and long lasting

material.

Physical and chemical properties

Mild steel Material Timber

7850 Density ( kg/m) 1500

36 Embodied energy (Mg/kg) 1.5

0.464 Carbon emission (tones

CO/ton)

0.093

50-100 Life span (years) 20

60 000 Compressive strength (psi) 3 000 -10 000

17.37 Energy used (Gj/t) 0.007

4 222 Air emission index 3 820

29 Water emission 3

High Rate of hygienic Low

Yes Weld ability Yes

- low waste

- flexibility

- resource

efficiency

- Adaptability

- Demount ability

- long lasting

appeal

- safety

- reusability and

recyclability

Advantage - low cost

- reusability and

recyclability

- aesthetic

- low emission to

water and air

- low embodied

energy

- energy efficient


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Mild steel

Figure 5.1 summary of material choice

Mild steel is iron containing up to about 0.25% of carbon. The presence of the

carbon makes the steel stronger and harder than pure iron.

From the environmental point of view, the recovery rates of steel are high.

Research shows that 99% of structural steel arising from demolition sites is

recycled or re-used. There is a conservative estimate that over 80% of all steel

scrap that becomes available each year is captured and recycled.

The vast majority of ferrous waste is re-incorporated immediately back into the

steel production chain. Almost no steel is ever intentionally wasted because it isvaluable. A recent survey indicated that no more than 1% of structural steel ever

goes to landfill. The rest is multicycled indefinitely.

generallymedium

lowcost

1.commonlyused

inthesociety

2.lightandeasyto

process

1.reusable

2.noenvironmental

impact

steel

Economic

Social

Environmental


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Besides that, steel is mealable, efficient, predictable and safe. Steel is the cost

effective solution and delivers long term value through flexibility, adaptability and

lasting appeal.


Figure 5.2 flow chart of steel life cycle

Source: World steel association (worldsteel)

The LCI data quantifies 'cradle to gate' inputs (resources use, energy) and

outputs (environmental emissions) of steel production from:

1. Extraction of resources and use of recycled materials

Scrap steel is an essential ingredient for all new steel, so every steel-

making plant is a recycling plant. The value of scrap steel ensures that

whenever it can be collected and recycled, it is. But in many applications,

steel lasts for a long time, so there is a lot of steel in the world, doing a

useful job.


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2. Production of steel products to the steelworks gate and this is when the

most energy is being spent

3. End-of-life recovery and recycling of steel.

Timber

The raw material for timber is wood from trees. Sunlight provides the energy that

drives the biological process that produces wood. Once harvested, relatively little

energy is required to transform the logs into timber compared to other building

materials.

The reason why we choose timber as our second material is because of the

properties and advantages. We do not choose the new, fresh cut timber for ourwater dispenser. We found out the recycled timber pallet and use it as our

material. The advantages of timber are explained below and process of

manufacturing timber pallet will be described in process part.

The advantage of timber is not toxic, does not leak chemical vapor into the

environment and is safe to handle and touch. It also means that as timber ages,

it does so naturally and doesnt break down into environmentally damaging

materials. People have been using with timber for thousands of years. Timber is

continually being grown in our forests and plantations. New trees are planted to

replace those harvested; timber is always available as long as there is planting of

trees.

In the consideration of production energy, timber takes very little energy to

convert from trees into the wood logs. Timber milling can be found commonly

around the world and is often used in its local production area. This promotes

local economies and reduces the energy needed to transport materials in long

distances.

In addition, timber is versatile and can be used in a wide variety of ways. Being

light, it is easy to install and can be worked with simple equipment.


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5.3 Life cycle of timber

Energy needed to

remove the outer

layer Transportation

Most energy used

Energy needed to construct on site

Figure 5.3 summary of LCA of timber

1. Harvesting

First stage of the life cycle of timber begin in extraction of the raw materials by

harvesting it from the forest, this include the activities of building the access

road, establishing the plantation or native forest regeneration. Environmental

impacts associated with harvesting trees may include undesirable changes to

ecosystems. People may have to conserve the forest to ensure constant

supply of timber.

2. Manufacturing

Harvesting

Manufacturing

Constructing

Using

Recycling


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Timber is transported to the mill where it then processed and cut to its

standardized size for materials. This is when the most energy is being

used during LCA of timber. Generally, during manufacturing, the machine

utilize the entire log to produce a range of products with differing value but,

there are certain conditions when it is necessary to treat young-seasoned

timbers with preservatives to reduce the risk of decay from external

attacks.

3. Constructing

The third stage of the life cycle of timber is the on-site construction of the

building. Timber requires little on-site energy or special machinery as it is

light and easy to handle, its versatility offers design flexibility therefore it

can be more responsive to the conditions, minimizing site disturbance and

environmental impact.

4. Using

This includes the maintenance of timber to protect its appearance and or

durability, it require the application of regular treatments of surface

coatings.

5. Recycling

Final LCA stage of timber, the environmental impacts related to reusing

timber are similar to those for using new timber. These may require

energy to remove paint, varnish or other finishes as well as the removal of

old nails screws etc.

Judging through the environment we faced, we have decided to used steel as ourmain material for the water dispenser as it has longer lifespan and higher

compressive strength compare to timber. Though timber spent less energy

during manufacturing and emits less CO to environment, steel have higher

resistance to environment attacks compare to timber where we have to coat to


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add in additional properties, made it not suitable for used for structural and main

material.


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The sketches below show the detail joining and measurement of the final design.

5.4 The working process

Mild steel Wooden pallet

Decide of material

Clean off all dust and dirt.

Decide of design

Apply a layer of steel premier

in the morning and apply

second time in the afternoon.

Sho in of material

Paint the steel structure with

black paint.

Get the wooden pallet from

dumping site and friends.

Sandpaper the steel

structure.

Cut the pallet into wooden

cord.

Manufacture in metal work

shop. Steel structure water

dispenser formed.

Measure the size of the wood

need to cover the side of

steel structure.

Cut the wood into actual size.

Sandpaper the wood.

Clean off all the dust and dirt

Apply a layer of premier.


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Figure 5.6 working process

The issue that we faced is making decision for the material. We could not finalize

our material due to the properties, advantage and disadvantage of the material

around us. Finally, after studies and research, we came out with the water

dispenser with mix material which serve all of our needs and most sustainable.

Mark all the position of the

bolt.

Screw the bolt on the wood.

Drill holes on the wood.

Final product done


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6. Costing

Figure 6.1 summary expenses of this project

22/5/13 Hangerx5 RM4.90

22/5/13 Waterpipe,pipecutter,pvcelbow,pvctee RM68.20

20/5/13 Cardboard RM6.00

19/5/13 PVCelbowandPVCtee RM2.00

23/5/13 Cardboard RM15.00

22/5/13 CorrogatedPVC RM182.00

22/5/13 Modelboard RM25.00

31/5/13 Steel RM302.00

31/5/13 Waterpipeandjoints RM180.00

7/6/13 PVCpipejoints RM99.40

12/6/13 Sandpaper,paint,joints RM70.00

31/5/13 Cardboardandyellowpins RM23.60

14/6/13 Welding RM50.00

15/6/13 Yellowpinsx10 RM38.00

23/6/13 Thinneretc RM19.00

23/6/13 Varnish RM64.50

24/6/13 Boltsandnuts RM30.50

24/6/13 Handsaw RM25.00

24/6/13 Bladerefill+sandpaper+glue RM28.80

24/6/13 Hanger RM20.00

Figure 6.2: Detail costing of this project

Cost

Shoerack

Waterdispenser

Cardboardtable


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From figure 6.1, the majority expense of this project is the water dispenser. It

cost total RM 614.80. The steel, bolts and nuts that used for the water dispenser

is much more expensive than other material such as cardboard and PVC pipe.

The expense for shoe rack is RM374.50 while cardboard table is RM265.10. For

the shoe rack, we do some experiment with water pipe and try to get a perfect

design. We waste a little PVC pipe there and it is calculated in our expenses.

Besides that, we get sponsor of 20KG of cardboard from our course mate, which

greatly reduce the amount spending in cardboard table.

7. Site visit photo review

First site visit (29/4/2013)

On our first site visit, we did observation around the refugee centre. We

interviewed Pastor Jonathan and his wife, grace, who take care of these children

every day. From this site visit we found out the basic information like how and

why this refugee built, the background of these children and the reason they lived


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in here instead of with their family. We brought some candies for the children on

the first visit. We are amazed that we saw spirit of sharing among the children.

We had fun time playing with the children after the interview.

Second site visit (4/5/2013)

For the second site visit, we try to know more about the children life style. We

interviewed Grace, who plays role as their mother. We found out how they gone

through their everyday life style. Some day is better with the sponsors help, and

some are harsh without any help from outsiders. We also asked about what

happen if some children sick and what they really need for these days.

Afterwards, we had fun with the children. We tried to talk to them but

unfortunately most of them cannot really understand English.

We start to measure our site after the interview. Some of children are curious on

what we did so some of them followed and help around.

After the second site visit, we began with our work planning. We started to plan

for the design and material used.

8. Reflective & Conclusion

We started the project with much excitement and curiosity. Wondering how the

project would go and what we can do to impact the society. Under Georgius

leadership and all the members cooperation, the team started off well.

First, it was hard to find a suitable target group that we should help. When

thinking about helping and paying back to the society, the first thing that came to

our mind was refugee. We searched for refugee centres around Selangor. And

then we found an event hosted by a Myanmar Refugee, to our favor that they

were outsourcing for volunteers. So we contacted the person in-charged, Ms.

Ong Mink. It was a blessing to meet Ms. Ong Mink. She is a Christian who

dedicated her live in helping refugees around Selangor. Instead of just donating

money, she is active in organizing events and outsourcing volunteers around

Malaysia to help the refugees. She wanted to raise the awareness so that people


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will always give out their helping hands for the need. After emailing her and

acquired the details, she directed us to Pastor Jonathan from United Learning

Centre (ULC).

It was really excited when Pastor Jonathan agreed to accept our intentions to

contribute to the refugees. Pastor Jonathan together with his wife had been

taking care of ULC for almost 6 years. We knew that Pastor Jonathan is a nice

person and we made up our mind that we must somehow help the centre.

So, we arranged the appointment to visit ULC. It was early morning that all of us

meet up at Mentari Court. We planned to use public transport to go to ULC

because there were 10 of us and there are not enough cars to travel there. So

we took bus, KTM, and LRT, finally after 1 hour of seemingly long journey, we

arrived at Jalan Imbi. It was raining that afternoon. We waited for the rain to stop

until we were able to walk to ULC.

First time going to ULC was the longest distance we ever walked, because we

were lost although we had seen the map. The area was just way too big for us to

explore. So instead of going around without any direction, we asked the local to

guide us there. And finally, we arrived at ULC.

When we arrived, we saw a lot of kids playing outside the house. They were very

charming and energetic. When they saw us, some of them waved at us and

some hid around. That day we spent our day surveying the site. And of course,

some fun time we got while playing with the children and giving out candies.

Starting that moment we had made ourselves a promise that we will do our best

to help these children, to keep their smile, to show them that in this world there

are people out there who cared for them and willing to contribute for them to

have a better life.

Then we identified 3 major problems that can be seen obvious at ULC. First was

the unhygienic water dispenser, lack of shoe racks, and lack of dining tables. So

we move on to designing and constructing the items. Instead of buying the


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products from the market, it is more meaningful when we dirty our hands and

work it out to make our intention a reality.

We then started doing the works to design and construct. Searching for materials

is not easy, while constructing the items was energy consuming, however we pull

through everything with team work enjoying the fun time working together. After 3

months of hard work, we finally able to complete the parts and were ready to

assemble on site.

This time when we go to ULC again, the children welcomed us with smile. The

children helped us to unload the items from the car. Then together, we taught the

children how to assemble the PVC pipes to make their own shoe racks. It was

really an enjoyable experience working together with the children. They showed

great interest in learning new things.

At the end of the day, we have the water dispenser, show racks and dining table

assembled. Pastor Jonathan and his wife thanked us for what we have done to

ULC. From their review, Pastor Jonathan was so touched that we actually went

there and engaged with the children. He said that usually, people would just

sponsor things buying from the market and sent it to ULC. We were the first one

to come up with our own design, construct it, and built it on site to engage with

the children in ULC. And for us, we are happy that we had contributed to help

ULC, and we had done something to help the society. We had paid it forward.

The essence of green architecture is not that there is a single correct answer in

any given situation, but that designer should be aware of the factor to be

evaluated when material and component are specified.

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children."

~Native American Proverb

esd final report: paying it forward

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