building archives - planet forward - 克罗地亚vs加拿大让球

homes made of waste in guatemala

wed, 05 dec 2012 10:00:32 +0000

old tires, glass bottles and plastics might be considered useless in some parts of the world, but in others, they’re valuable building materials. an ngo in guatemala inspires volunteers to build sustainable, green homes, and even pay for them! the small town of san juan is now home to energy self-sufficient schools and homes based on a revolutionary recycling concept.

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earth-tone coating that cools

thu, 26 jul 2012 07:00:36 +0000

my idea concerns a product that’s a coating which is utilized like paint or can be mixed in with any phase of the plastering process. it is pigmented earth-tone colors. based on independent testing by the california state university fresno engineering lab, we can reduce the energy consumption at the utility meter by 20-25% based on the cooling powers of the earth-tone paint. not only does the paint cool the exterior of metal or concrete structures, but it also keeps interior temperatures cool as well. this way, cooling costs for equipment, machinery, or just simply living can be cut back. the paint also meets all regulations, including california title 24 standards and upcoming federal measures. for more information on this earth-tone coating, visit www.delcoat.com.

photo credit to shaire productions.

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natural disaster protection for infrastructure

sun, 01 jul 2012 07:00:10 +0000

natural disasters can evoke detrimental damage to infrastructure with untold human casualties. according to the asian disaster reduction center, the frequency and relative ferocity of natural disasters on a global scale has increased, leading to rising costs in damages rendered to society. additionally, due to the need to secure a greater supply of “stored” natural energy, hydraulic fracturing has become a major source of concern with regard to contributing to the potential for seismic activity.

this idea is based on protecting infrastructure from deluge associated with tsunami waves, typhoons/hurricanes, and earthquakes. a few engineering innovations that would better protect buildings include the use of hydraulic ratcheting to raise the building from the foundation during earthquakes, nano building materials that keep structural integrity whilst releasing material stresses to enable swaying and shock, and rising scaffolding from the ground up to protect buildings from flooding/waves. additionally, an automated system would be keyed into vibrations beneath the building (or city center if constructed as a complex) as well as to reports of potential natural disasters on the way. such smart buildings are capable of protecting themselves and their occupants from weather-related disasters including torrential flooding, hurricanes, and anything else nature can muster.

photo credit to chuck simmins.

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recycled, sustainable timber from the mountain west

mon, 18 jun 2012 12:30:12 +0000

beetle kill pine is abundant in the mountain west. for example, colorado state university reports that two million acres of national forest in colorado were subjected to pine bark beetle in 2008, doubling the number just two years earlier and equating to 44 percent of colorado’s national forests. this wood can be used for fuel, either directly as chips and ground material or converted to pellets for stoves and boilers that release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. however, using the wood for energy is the lowest value application and won’t cover the cost of removal and transportation. it is more desirable to use the trees for higher value products such as construction for commercial structures, carbon dioxide storage and the application of residual energy.

interlocking cross laminated timber (iclt) is a prefabricated, cross-laminated solid wood wall and roof panel. similar to cross-laminated timber (clt) developed in europe, iclt is fabricated from two to seven layers of alternating 3” x 6” to 3” x 8” pine stock milled from waste wood. unlike other solid wood panel systems, however, iclt utilizes no fasteners and no adhesives, which reduces overall capital cost for either stainless fastener purchase and install or press purchase and set-up associated with glue lamination. conversely, standard mills and timber fabricators looking to diversify their product offering may produce iclt with existing infrastructure and equipment.

iclt is currently in the development, testing and code acceptance research phase in preparation for market acceptance in the next three to five years.

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ohio state's encore: a net-zero solar-powered home

fri, 02 sep 2011 10:53:42 +0000

ohio state’s encore is the university’s second entry into the us department of energy solar decathlon. the team is designing and building a net-zero solar powered home that will travel to washington dc for the competition in september.

osu’s encore strives for spatial efficiency in a 970 square foot, 3-person family home that features 2 bedrooms and an office. many active and passive systems were implemented in the design including an 8.5 kw pv array, solar thermal hot water collectors, solar thermal hot air collectors, shower drain waste heat recovery, desiccant dehumidification, energy recovery ventilation, air-to-water heat pump heating and cooling, r-40 walls, r70 ceilings, triple-pane windows, and airtight construction. this video introduces these systems and strategies that run this prototype for the new sustainable and affordable family home.

you can keep up with us and learn much more about the house, the team, and all of the student designed systems on our website at http://solardecathlon.osu.edu

looking to keep track of ohio state’s encore?

for access to the entire archive of ohio state’s solar decathlon 2011 videos: visit the member page

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a sustainable transformation: ohio state’s encore house

thu, 01 sep 2011 10:48:55 +0000

we need to rethink the way that people live, redesigning the traditional family home to be much more sustainable in all aspects.

osu’s encore strives for spatial efficiency in a 970 square foot, 3-person family home that features 2 bedrooms and an office. the conceptual elements of the house originate at the central core, to which additional sustainable features are connected. living a sustainable lifestyle does not mean giving up the amenities that a family is used to, but it does require rethinking these elements with a focus on thoughtful design and its integration with passive and active systems to conserve and produce energy. this video introduces the architectural concepts behind this prototype for the new sustainable and affordable family home.

you can keep up with us and learn much more about the house, the team, and all of the student designed systems on our website at http://solardecathlon.osu.edu.

looking to keep track of team encore?

for access to the entire archive of ohio state university’s solar decathlon 2011 videos: visit the member page

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episode 7: move out — transporting the modules for public display

thu, 25 aug 2011 11:30:03 +0000

new zealand: victoria university of wellington is the first team from the southern hemisphere to compete in the u.s. department of energy solar decathlon 2011. they have made a series of video blogs which follow their progress in the lead up to the competition in washington, d.c.

visit the solar decathlon category page!

looking to keep track of team new zealand?

click here to view the previous idea submission from new zealand’s solar decathlon team. for access to the entire archive of new zealand solar decathlon 2011 videos: visit the member page

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flex house: construction in florida’s rainy season

thu, 18 aug 2011 10:00:08 +0000

flex house is designed in a holistic way as a sustainable, pre-fabricated, maximized efficiency house prototype that can adapt easily to different site situations and plan configurations. flex house is a prefabricated net zero energy home prototype that combines the wisdom of vernacular florida architecture with cutting edge approaches to renewable energy.

flex house is a “starter home” for a young, moderate-income couple living in florida. by design, flex house can adapt easily to different site situations and plan configurations. as a family grows, modules can be added to expand the living space.

team florida designed flex house with florida’s hot, humid climate in mind. flex house utilizes both passive and mechanical systems to provide a comfortable living environment year-round. one of the most striking surface features of the house serves as a key passive cooling strategy. a system of cypress louvers covers the house, providing shade and preventing heat gain during the hottest summer months. the louvers are movable, much like window blinds, and can be adjusted to let it light as needed.

flex house construction began in may, and is now over 70 percent complete. the process has been covered by multiple major media outlets in the tampa bay area. the house is scheduled for completion the first week of september even though we have experienced delays due to unforeseen circumstances, such as poor weather.

flex house is team florida’s entry in the u.s. department of energy solar decathlon 2011.

visit the solar decathlon category page!

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two bedrooms, one bath, one-third average annual energy use

thu, 18 aug 2011 02:30:09 +0000

this video is part of a series of four videos (walkthrough, market appeal, architecture, and engineering) submitted to the department of energy for the competition. to see the rest of the videos, visit our planet forward ideas page. this video describes the market appeal of self-reliance, team middlebury’s solar decathlon home. self-reliance is the only house in the 2011 solar decathlon designed for a family of four, and this feature allows our home to appeal to a broad audience. this summer the middlebury solar decathlon is building a small, 100% solar-powered home that will compete in the us department of energy solar decathlon 2011 competition. the solar decathlon is a biennial green-building competition that brings together 20 collegiate teams from all over the country and world to showcase their solar homes on the national mall in washington d.c. this competition is one of the most ambitious and inspiring events in the country, as it challenges these teams to demonstrate inventive clean-energy solutions, feature cost-effective and energy-efficient construction, and incorporate energy-saving appliances and renewable energy systems within their 100% solar-powered homes. team middlebury’s home, “self-reliance,” strives to do all this as it reinvents the iconic new england farmhouse, integrating today’s efficient technologies into a home for a vermont family of four. it is our belief that living sustainably can be facilitated by beautiful, comfortable, and practical design. when architecture and technology are used wisely together to utilize the power of the sun and other renewable energy resources, our impact on this earth is greatly reduced. as we construct our solar-powered home this summer we hope to offer a sustainable solution to life in the 21st century. we invite you to follow our construction progress over the next 12 weeks via the weekly videos we will be posting with planet forward. it is our hope to extend this learning opportunity to a greater community beyond middlebury, and inspire others to turn to sustainable design practices as well. please stay tuned! for more information about the middlebury solar decathlon team, please visit http://solardecathlon.middlebury.edu/

visit the solar decathlon category page!

looking to keep track of team middlebury?

click here to view the previous idea submission from middlebury’s solar decathlon team. for access to the entire archive of middlebury solar decathlon 2011 videos: visit the member page

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urban infrastructure suits solar architecture

thu, 18 aug 2011 01:00:15 +0000

the roofpod is designed to use underutilized rooftops, places where the sun exposure is greatest, to harness the vast potential of space and energy together.

unique features of the solar roofpod are:
1).smart engineering systems that allow a relatively high percentage of glazing in the curtain wall cladding of the building envelope,
2. a rooftop-mounted solar trellis that shades and protects the building from heat gain from the photovoltaic panels,
3. a solar trellis that is easy to upgrade with new pv technologies as they become available,
4. a modular dwelling unit design with components that can easily be arranged in multiple high-performance configurations,
5. a water use indicator to assist inhabitants in monitoring their daily water consumption,
6. the highly efficient and unique solar thermal storage system (described below),
7. the symbiotic relationship with the host building below, and
8. the potential to be installed on hundreds of thousands of rooftops around the world. in this last regard, roofpod installation can be considered a land conservation infrastructure; each new unit added to already developed land equals one fewer newly-developed greenfield parcel.

visit the solar decathlon category page!

looking to keep track of team new york?

click here to view the previous idea submission from new york’s solar decathlon team. for access to the entire archive of new york solar decathlon 2011 videos: visit the member page

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