Resilient Building Design
Connecting Resilience and Sustainability
Anyone who has been engaged in green or sustainable building and community design will recognize that there are many shared design strategies with resilience. At the most basic level, this starts with an understanding of the regional climate zone and other natural conditions that will affect the design and operation of the buildings in that region, whether in normal or severe times. Green building designs typically look at these regional issues as a basis for energy code compliance at a minimum or full site analysis to determine how to take advantage of the resources available. Resilient design benefits from this same analysis and approach first to understand and plan for both the normal and anticipated changes in natural conditions, weather, temperature, etc. Then, an assessment of the on-site or local resources that can be tapped into as permanent or temporary reserves for building operations can inform vulnerabilities or risk reductions based on the availability of those resources. These natural resources can be used to overcome interruptions in service by public utilities and maintain a degree of normalcy until full service is restored.
Water is a primary concern in both sustainable and resilient design on several fronts. First, a reliable drinking water supply is needed for human life, but water conservation techniques make sense in all cases to avoid the unnecessary wasting of water. If the water supply system requires a public source or the use of electricity to pump the water, then it may be compromised during times of emergency situations.
A more sustainable and resilient approach would be to use on-site collection of water, at least for non-potable uses while preserving drinking water in the process. Water drainage is similarly an issue to address, either in terms of plumbing waste or surface water drainage to prevent flooding.
From a sustainability standpoint, plumbing waste can be minimized through water-conserving fixtures and on-site treatment of grey water. From a resiliency standpoint, flooding may impact the ability of on-site groundwater absorption so conservation and waterless alternatives may be even more important. Designing on-site systems with backup or overflow capabilities can become critical in flooding situations, too.
Energy is a similarly strong concern in both sustainability and resilience. The most effective strategy in both is to reduce the need for energy in the first place. That happens through better building design, usually with a focus on the design of the building envelope or enclosure. New or existing buildings will benefit from well-insulated walls, roofs, and floors with windows, glazing, doors, and skylights that are sized and specified to suit the building’s local climate. They will also benefit from designs that allow occupied spaces to be filled with natural daylight and have the option of natural air flow or ventilation, thus not requiring electricity for either when conditions allow. Where building systems need to be run, such as HVAC or electrical systems, having the ability to control those systems so they are only running when and where needed at the highest efficiency possible will further reduce the need for energy usage in the first place.
With the energy demand under control and the efficiencies maximized, the next step of both sustainability and resilience is on-site energy. In a traditional building, diesel-powered generators are often used. In a sustainable building, on-site renewable energy is used. The beauty of the sustainable approach is that renewable energy is generally available all the time, not just during an event. To guard against being compromised, say from a lack of sun for a solar electric installation, on-site storage in batteries or a heat storage system can carry a building or a group of buildings through an event and enhance their resilience. In this way, the sustainable building is providing energy and functioning well in normal times with renewable energy and can become a welcome safe place in the event of an emergency, too.
Assessing Performance and Design Effectively
With an understanding of the issues and a group of resources to pull from, the process of creating resilient, purpose-driven designs can be enhanced by good design tools, including design software. In this case, the power of the computer isn’t limited to only creating renderings or working drawings, but rather is a powerful design tool that can help perform simulations of normal and severe conditions. It can also be used to analyze different options to maximize both sustainability and resilience.
Images courtesy of SUEP. and Vectorworks, Inc.
BIM can be used to produce accurate flood simulations that inform truly resilient design. On the left, normal land and water conditions are shown, while on the right, flooded conditions are depicted showing the buildings are not affected.
Computer design can begin with assessing conditions at the regional and community scale. At this level, a geographic information system (GIS) can be used as a means to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of spatial or geographical data. This is particularly relevant for things like natural topography, terrain, natural resources, vegetation, water resources, utilities, roadways and transportation, etc. The characteristics of each of these can be assessed for typical conditions and then looked at in terms of how they respond to extreme conditions, short term or long term. That analysis can directly inform building designs. For example, the Ninth Ward in New Orleans has famously been the recipient of Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation, which has solicited well-known architects to provide pro-bono services for innovative, flood-proof houses. The computerized site analysis allowed for a number of creative designs that ranged from raised houses on a variety of “stilts” to tethered structures designed to float upward as the water level increases.
Within the building, building information modeling (BIM) workflows can be used as a tool for visual design and assessments as well as the determination of meeting performance criteria. That criteria can include structural system strength under extreme stresses from water or wind, or energy performance criteria for energy efficiency, daylighting, or ventilation. Each can be looked at independently and then assessed collectively for their interaction and the total design of the building. Shared BIM files also allow a multidisciplinary team to collaborate as a design progresses and is refined. With high-quality, three-dimensional visualizations, it makes it very easy for the outcomes to be shared within the design team so the challenges can be clearly articulated and solutions arrived at collaboratively. Similarly, high-quality visualizations and even animations can be used for communicating outside of the design team with community leaders, first responders, building owners, and the general public.
As an innovative example of this type of collaboration, Greg Henderson is a licensed architect who is using his knowledge of structural design and BIM technology to inform his work on something he has termed magnetic field architecture (MFA). Based on principles similar to trains and other vehicles that have been designed to ride along a magnetic field without touching any tracks, he envisions separating a building from its structural supports when needed in order to survive catastrophes, such as earthquakes or flooding. “The relationship between electricity and magnetism and light isn’t well understood, but I wanted to keep examining it because I think we can form a new understanding of this energy within our lifetimes and use it to do incredible things,” he says.
The premise of this life-saving technology is simple: work in harmony with Mother Nature rather than fight against her. Henderson’s patented, three-part foundation system is based on the concept of decoupling structures from the earth with a fluid or gas, allowing for the energy from natural disasters to gradually impact a building rather than strike all at once. For example, with advanced knowledge of a pending earthquake, one could activate the hover technology to lift homes up off the ground for the duration of the tremors, allowing the seismic energy to dissipate through the air. Similarly, if a hurricane threatens flooding in a coastal community, use the existing water on-site to float the buildings in the flood zone out of harm’s way, creating a liquid buffer from the violent storm surges. “With MFA technology, you could build homes in a flood zone without having to worry about the flood levees breaking or design an office near a fault line without fearing earthquake damage,” Henderson says. Using MFA as a core part of our urban infrastructure may take years of development, but it may have short-term applications that will transform our world, as well.
Photos courtesy of Arx Pax, LLC and Vectorworks, Inc.
Digital technology and BIM are helping architects apply very creative thinking to their work, such as this magnetic field architecture that may one day elevate a building out of seismic or water forces.
Conclusion
Changing environmental conditions and concerns coupled with increased awareness of their impacts on people are pushing the limits of design and construction. Architects and others involved in purpose-driven design are at the forefront of confronting social and environmental concerns head on through innovative design and construction strategies. Communities around the world are recognizing that their buildings and regions need to be more resilient in order to handle anticipated natural events. Designers who embrace the call to meet these needs can use readily available computer technology to respond with buildings and communities that are truly sustainable, more resilient, and better for all of the people who inhabit them.
CHANGING LIVES AND COMMUNITIES ONE PROJECT AT A TIME
Photos courtesy of Kageno International and Vectorworks, Inc.
Profiled Firm: SPG Architects
Location: New York, New York
Original text and publication by Vectorworks, Inc.
Founder Coty Sidnam, AIA, and Partner Eric A. Gartner, AIA, LEED AP, have led SPG Architects to success for more than 20 years, gaining industry recognition along the way for strongly conceived and well-executed work. Known for providing sustainable design solutions for a variety of building types, SPG specializes in using design as a tool to provide programmatic, spatial, and sustainable solutions, while providing ordered, well-proportioned, and even artful forms and environments. “We are well-known for our residential work, but it’s gratifying to expand our vision to a wider variety of building types,” says Sidnam.
SPG’s project in the Banda region of Rwanda, Africa, is especially interesting in this regard. The construction techniques are simple and based on local building traditions, but the project is both environmentally responsible and socially sustainable. “This project approaches the ideal of architecture being an art that makes our lives better,” says Gartner. The client for this project, which incorporates master planning, sustainable design, and ecotourism, is Kageno Worldwide, an organization that identifies communities suffering from impoverishment, AIDS, genocide, and limited access to health care, clean water, and education. It then works with local leaders to help villages build schools, health centers, and pharmacies, plus sanitation and clean water systems, as well as develop community centers and training programs to help them protect their fragile environments. SPG’s project is located on property donated by the village of Banda, and the resulting modern collection of community buildings addresses villagers’ concerns as conveyed to the relief organization. SPG is involved on a pro-bono effort. “We believe in Kageno’s mission; everything else is derived from that,” says Sidnam.
Given the site, the architecture needed to produce its own power and manage its own waste, but this project goes beyond architectural sustainability, incorporating social and cultural viability into its mission. A community center, library, office, and kitchen anchor the site, with two branches reaching in a “V” with a health center and pharmacy serving 1,000 people monthly, four classrooms serving 300 children, a visitor’s center, and bungalows for visitors and permanent staff. Local materials, such as brick, stucco, and corrugated metal roofs, are the primary building components. The site planning and building forms are energized and modern, serving as a symbol of Kageno’s message of a hopeful future.
SPG has managed the entire project from New York. Therefore, it needed an efficient way to communicate internationally. “Although we’ve done this type of work before, we’ve never done it with a local team that we haven’t met in person, so clarity and simplicity of drawings was key,” says Gartner. “The computerized graphics we employ are extremely important to our ability to convey the goals of our projects in drawing form. And when communicated to our consultants, the transmittal of our electronic documents remains easy and well-coordinated. This makes our drawing sets clear to our staff, clients, consultants, and those who build the work.”
Sidnam and Gartner are great collaborators and enjoy the process. “Because our best projects merge indoor and outdoor environments and acknowledge that the occupancy of spaces is more relevant than empty, abstract spaces, collaborations with landscape architects and interior designers can be mutually beneficial and enriching,” Sidnam says.
The original concept of creating a strong, memorable design has remained intact. The interplay between interior and exterior spaces is achieved through a strong site plan, where covered, outdoor, interstitial spaces become gathering spaces for informal connections between children and adults, workers, and visitors. This program extension makes the complex particularly successful as a true community center. Says Gartner, “This project has changed the lives of the people of Banda.”
REVITALIZING THE SPACE “WHERE THE WATERS MEET”
Images courtesy of McGregor Coxall and Vectorworks, Inc.
Profiled Firm: McGregor Coxall
Location: Sydney, Australia
Original text and publication by Vectorworks, Inc.
For the Australian landscape architecture and urban design firm McGregor Coxall, a design has to be more than just a quick solution to a client’s existing problem. Realizing that approximately 70 percent of the world’s population will live in cities by the year 2050, Managing Director Adrian McGregor is clear that the built environment should respond to the needs of today, as well as prepare to combat issues that the population will face in the coming decades. He declares, “I’m passionate about the challenges that human beings are facing globally in terms of our environment, and I want to help cities grow in a sustainable way.” McGregor’s firm therefore uses design to bridge the gap between environment and development, and takes a multidisciplinary approach to innovation and research-based project solutions. One example of how McGregor Coxall furthers its endeavor to build a more sustainable world is with one of its recent projects, the Parramatta River Urban Design Strategy.
Modern Parramatta, an Australian Aboriginal word for “head of the waters,” was founded in 1788 as a farming settlement that provided food for the growing urban port of Sydney 23 kilometers downriver. While Sydney’s metropolitan area grew to encompass Parramatta, the locale did not diminish in importance. Today, the Parramatta City Centre is Sydney’s second largest Central Business District (CBD) and the only one located on a riverfront, presenting a distinctive mix of opportunities and challenges for its development. McGregor Coxall’s Urban Design Strategy for the 31-hectare space is meant to reorient the district toward the river, connecting it to the Circular Quay area by ferry and positioning Parramatta Quay as the new water arrival point at the place where the Parramatta River runs into Sydney Harbor. The strategy aptly rebrands the location “Where the Waters Meet” and aims to revitalize the CBD through an innovative urban realm and four dynamic, mixed-use precincts along the water’s edge. The design creates an active waterfront where the city can celebrate its public life.
The firm analyzed the area’s heritage items and cultural assets, as well as its open spaces and ecology, in order to create a design that would incorporate both the urban and environmental needs of the Parramatta City Centre. The district is currently experiencing economic, demographic, and physical growth, so one of McGregor Coxall’s main goals was to create a space that engaged the public and encouraged pedestrian travel. To accomplish this, the firm designed the new waterfront commercial district within the river’s flood zone, bringing it close to the water level to create activation inside the Parramatta flood corridor.
Using flood resilience concepts working successfully in Hamburg, Germany’s HafenCity, the design team created walkways, termed “Water Streets,” that connect the urban areas of the city to the riverfront. These Water Streets will integrate public art, water sculpture, and water-sensitive urban design initiatives. Once city-goers reach the river itself, they’ll find a variety of public spaces for events, recreation, shopping, dining, art, and culture, as well as easy access to the pre-existing attractions of the area. New medium-rise apartment buildings will also allow for community growth within the city center, contributing to the expansion of the vibrant area.
The plan also calls for the movement of existing weirs and quays in order to shift the location of where the freshwater of the Parramatta River hits the saltwater of Sydney Harbor, which works to restore and improve the aquatic ecology of the area. The design further enhances the river’s ecosystem by introducing water cycle management and water-sensitive urban design. The strategy calls for restoring a natural form to the connected Brickfield Creek channel outlet by creating vegetated banks, incorporating stormwater treatment systems on both sides of the river, and capturing stormwater and wastewater for non-potable purposes in the new developments. The Urban Design Strategy incorporates many precinct-scale green engineering elements that will help the area thrive into the future, making it resilient to the effects of climate change and encouraging ecological growth. The development of the riverfront is designed to withstand flooding of up to three meters to accommodate sea-level rise.
In regard to its working process, McGregor notes, “We’re really happy with the ability to model large-scale environments using computer software and then move into detail with the same software program, allowing us to develop very complex and large 3-D documentation packages, create planting plans, and generate worksheets from those plans in order to specify quantities and material takeoffs.” The firm also uses software for its extensive geographical information system (GIS) capabilities. “We do some very large projects in terms of sheer physical size, which requires us to import a vast amount of GIS data and can become extremely complex,” he continues. “The software lets us incorporate all of that data easily so that we can focus on design.” McGregor sees design software as more than a tool to create the built environment; it’s also a way to more efficiently and accurately protect the planet. He notes, “There’s a commitment to the quality of the work that we do and also to the legacy that we leave.”
WETLANDS CITY: NEW ORLEANS EAST
Images courtesy of LEVENBETTS and Vectorworks, Inc.
Profiled Firm: LEVENBETTS
Location: New Orleans East, Louisiana
Project Type: Phased Urban Plan
Wetland City is a proposal for a new kind of Gulf Coast urbanism, one that embodies the logic of high ground habitation and is sustained by reinvigorated natural processes. This project is located in New Orleans, where the soft ground that the city stands on is receding at an alarming rate. Coastal Louisiana has lost an average of 34 square miles of land per year for the past 50 years, roughly 1,900 square miles. It is projected that by the year 2050, another 700 square miles of coastline will disappear.
In post-Katrina New Orleans, a study of potential flooding documented high points and high lines revealed by the rising waters that inundated the lowlands. An understanding of high and low, how to remove water, and where to go when the flood comes is critical to planning the response to future flooding. A BIM-based study identified a plan to construct and protect wetlands, occupy various types of high ground, and build new elevated surfaces for sensible habitation. The Wetland City site proposed here is for New Orleans East; one of the severely flooded Katrina sites, it is endangered by the region’s rising waters and subsiding land. Water levels are expected to rise by 3 to 6 feet in the next 100 years, while the ground is sinking by about 2 inches per year. As if this slow demise weren’t bad enough, storm surges from Katrina delivered the shock that turned the area—previously home to almost a hundred thousand people—into a ghost town. In most of the residential neighborhoods of New Orleans East, the stormwater settled at about 12 feet and the surge itself topped 20 feet, sending a primarily lower- and middle-class African American community into the great Katrina Diaspora. Following through on the BIM-based Wetland City plan will create a more resilient New Orleans reducing the impact on residents from future flooding.
Peter J. Arsenault, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP, is a practicing architect, sustainable building consultant, continuing education presenter, and prolific author engaged nationwide in advancing better building performance through design. www.linkedin.com/in/pjaarch
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Vectorworks, Inc. is the developer of Vectorworks software, a line of industry-specific CAD and BIM solutions that help more than half a million design visionaries transform the world. www.vectorworks.net. |
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