BUILT
ENVIRONMENT HOMESustainable Architecture: A Definition By John Norton
Sustainability is a concept increasingly used as a measure of the worth of an approach to meeting contemporary shelter needs. Sustainable architecture implies an approach that in a development context goes beyond the project phase. There is a focus on the process as well as the end product. Sustainable architecture recognizes that while the product may wear out over time, the process remains . This process can then be repeated without resort to major external inputs.
Whilst one could be forgiven for defining sustainable architecture as, "buildings that will stay intact for a prolonged period", what we are in fact concerned with is the search for and the promotion of building methods that people can go on using with the skills and resources available to them.
Traditional planning and building methods were often good examples of sustainable architecture in their time, and represented good uses of local resources matched with local skills. Combined they produced a built environment which met people's needs.[C.ELDOC.6009260]
Conventional vs ecological
Characteristics of conventional & ecological design as regards to energy source , material use, pollution..[C.ELDOC.6009290]
Interview with :Joe Van Belleghem:Joe Van Belleghem is a developer from British Columbia who has devoted his business to sustainable projects. We recently talked to Joe about how to make high performance buildings—that are better for occupants and the environment—pay off.[C.ELDOC.6009244]
Reviving vernacular architecture in india By Kiran Keswani
Vernacular architecture can perhaps be defined as architecture born out of local building materials and technologies, an architecture that is climate-responsive and a reflection of the customs and lifestyles of a community.
Vernacular architecture often merges with its surrounding natural landscape, simply because it takes from that very landscape, the earth for its walls, the wood and leaves for its roof or the stone from a rocky terrain.
One would expect that our villages and small towns have the vernacular architecture that we aspire to study and to learn from. However, there has been a decay of vernacular architecture in the villages. If one walks into a village street today, it is lined on both sides by houses that are built with concrete. With changing lifestyles and a fascination for all that is urban and western has brought down the interest in local customs.
Simultaneously, one sees a resurgence of vernacular forms in the urban areas.
There are “crafts villages” with shelters built of mud-plastered walls, roofs of grass and thatch. Architecture schools in India need to emphasise a study of vernacular houses and street patterns.
Today, almost no documentation exists in India on the architectural heritage which is fast disappearing. Old timber and clay tile houses are deteriorating due to lack of maintenance. [C.ELDOC.6008996]
What is Architecture ? By R.L.KumarCOST EFFECTIVE ARCHITECTURE:
What are the essential differences between the meaning of architecture for a sthapathi and for a Charles Correa today?[C.ELDOC.6009266]
Tradition and Modernity
Over the years I have spent a great deal of time and effort to learn about the traditions that form a central part of the Indian reality. There are two aspects of the learning that are of enormous value for the modern designer. Let me attempt to place these within a comprehensible format for the Indian designer who is presently struggling to integrate the traditional skills and knowledge with a contemporary life style.The two aspects are namely, the theoretical principle base and the application or building practices.[C.ELDOC.6009459]
Cost-effective architecture for comfort and economy
Cost-effective does not mean substandard or poor quality structures. Quite the opposite, it involves strategies intended to optimise resources, technologies, material utilisation, and maximise efficiency of the structure. "Cutting costs can be achieved in various ways without losing sight of utility or aesthetics", says B S Bhooshan, an architect and planner.[C.ELDOC.6009233]
Environmental Sustainable Architecture
Buildings, not cars, are the major damagers of the Earth. Pollution from the heating and cooling of buildings exceeds that from cars, even in America. We just don't see it, except maybe from the chimneys of an older city on a cold Winter day. It happens at the power plant, and where the materials are made.
The basic goal of Environmental Architecture is simple: attractive, comfortable, affordable shelter that does no harm to the Earth in its manufacture, or its use.[C.ELDOC.6009239]
The Good Earth
"We don't want a concrete structure," they told the architect. "We want a house made of mud."
With more people like Ajayan feeling alienated in concrete jungles, urban housing is witnessing a quiet revolution: there is an increasing demand for eco-friendly architecture. Believe it or not, some want concrete to be replaced by material such as mud.[C.ELDOC.6009241]
Edifice of Excellence By Amarnath K. Menon
The concept of green buildings is catching up in India as many organisations realise that environment-friendly architecture also makes eminent economic sense in the long run
A gleaming group of buildings sprawled across west Hyderabad has convincingly debunked the old myth that what is economically friendly cannot be ecologically friendly. [C.ELDOC.1076080]
Constructions cheap and worthy
Constructing a house can be quite a torrid affair especially when one’s financial resources are limited. It is an acid test for a man’s ambition, planning and perseverance. The question that lingers in an individual’s mind would be “Will I be able to construct a house with the money I have?Laurie Baker, an architect from Birmingham, now settled in Thiruvananthapuram, has effectively combined traditional techniques with indigenous innovations and has managed to bring down the cost of construction by half.[C.ELDOC.6008641]
Sustainable Buildings by : CETArchis..
Energy consumption
Material used
Air Quality
Sustainable building” refers to the economic, social and environmental impact of buildings and building activities.
Over half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. Houses, factories and offices in cities, towns and villages have to be heated, lit, cleaned, managed, maintained, renovated, rebuilt or conserved. Buildings consume.
They use energy, whether for office equipment, televisions or electric lighting, and so burn fuel, from wood to mined fuel. This contributes to greenhouse gases, while refrigeration adds to ozone production.
The operation of buildings accounts for 25-40% of final energy consumption in the urban areas. Construction of buildings and infrastructure could be responsible for up to half of all material used in some countries.And then there is the waste that has to be managed and minimised.Safety is another building concern, as disasters like earthquakes in cruelly remind us. This means setting standards and responsibilities that apply throughout the buildings’ lifetimes.
Air quality is another building concern and a health one too.
Moreover, buildings are fixed capital: the French call them immobile capital, as distinct from mobile types, like money and equity. They are a form of investment, vehicles of value and products of exchange, though fixed in physical space during their entire lifetimes. They are a key part of the urban engine of capitalism. One problem is that while buildings can inject value into land, they can also fall apart from negligence, reducing their own value and that of those around them. Buildings require maintenance, upgrading or demolition. They can, in short, be a planning headache.[C.ELDOC.6009258]
ROOFTOP GARDENING
Urban Agriculture Reaches New Heights Through Rooftop Gardening :AN ALTERNATIVES’ PROJECT
In Montreal, as in other Canadian cities, many citizens would like to rent a small plot of land or join other growers to plant and grow vegetable crops cooperatively and then share the harvest.[C.ELDOC.6008873]
RAINWATER HARVESTING
Rainwater harvesting to be must in new buildings :Mumbai: Ever wonder how cities can evolve a sustainable way to meet growing demand for water?[C.ELDOC.1068912]
Thane residents harvest rainwater: Pipes from the roofs of every building carry rainwater to a pit on the ground, which then percolates and replenishes the water table. [C.ELDOC.6007234]
SUSTAINABLE BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES:The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System was created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to establish a "common standard of measurement" for "green" buildings.
LEED .....a good practice and comfort brief which is
totally redundant in a place like India which is
economically so diversified.......READ FULLKalam to open world's 'greenest' building
Syed Amin Jafri in Hyderabad
President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam will inaugurate the CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre in Hyderabad on Wednesday.-- is the only building in the world to be awarded the 'platinum rating' under the LEED rating system of the US Green Building Council, making it 'the greenest building in the world.'[C.ELDOC.1074729]
Actor Robert Redford poses a challenge to India's Green title
By Chidanand Rajghatta
Times News Network
America wants it back. No, not the outsourced jobs. And not the GE-404 engines, or the fire-finding radars. It wants to win back a title that has, against all form, unexpectedly come India's way-the honour of hosting the world's greenest building.[C.ELDOC.1072595]
Use Local Materials: So, when you are thinking about a building project, either large or small, I suggest you first look around at the materials that nature provides nearby. You just might find more treasures than you suspect.[C.ELDOC.6009263]
Biobased Building Materials: Building materials derived from plants aren't a completely new idea. Today increasing attention is turning to biobased building materials, which offer lightweight strength and are a renewable resource, able to deliver material where and when it is needed.[C.ELDOC.6009421]
Local Building Materials
Adobe is one of the oldest building materials in use. It is basically just dirt that has been moistened with water, sometimes with chopped straw or other fibers added for strength, and then allowed to dry in the desired shape.
Ramming earth to create walls is at least as old as the Great Wall of China.
Cob is a very old method of building with earth and straw or other fibers. [C.ELDOC.6009245]
Building Materials
Fly -Ash / Agro Waste Recycling / Cellular Lightweight Concrete[C.ELDOC.6009220]
Construction and Demolition WasteRELATED READINGS:
Across the country, dismantling existing buildings is gaining popularity as an alternative to demolition. Material recovery helps extend supplies of natural resources, and diverts wood waste from landfills.[C.ELDOC.6009426]
Passive solar: LET THE SUN SHINE IN
Passive solar design is one of the oldest and simplest uses of renewable energy. Passive design utilizes a building's structure to capture sunlight and store and distribute heat, thus providing free heat and light over the building's lifetime.[C.ELDOC.6009250]
House of bamboo
Maitreyee Handique
Colombian architect Simon Velez is propagating the use of bamboo in modern buildings [C.ELDOC.1073612]
Cost-effective housing Technology/ Use of coir in the development of pre-fabricated building material components for constructing cost-effective houses in quake-prone zones is soon to become a reality [C.ELDOC.6004701]
Promotion of Innovative Building Materials and Technology through Micro-Enterprises by Shrashtant Patara
The article states 3 basic points:
*Government programs, in their present form, cannot close the housing gap.
*Measures taken to strengthen entrepreneurial activity in local building economies will have the maximum and most sustainable impact on shelter conditions.
*Voluntary agencies can play a crucial catalytic role in transferring sustainable building technology packages to rural micro-enterprises[C.ELDOC.6009232]
Mumbai's first eco-friendly house: “This is my tribute to Laurie Baker,” says Anil Sekhri, the proud owner of the city’s first eco-friendly bungalow in Malad, referring to the British architect known for his low-cost housing.[C.ELDOC.6009246]BIO CLIMATIC BUILDINGS
One Step Forward: Explore interesting, eco-friendly, energy-efficient, cost-effective ways of building a house.Architects & PLanners in India involved in promoting sustainable building practices.
[C.ELDOC.6009230]
All for a roof
use of alternate building materials for.....[C.ELDOC.6006622]
A Dream House made from Scrap:
is it possible....[C.ELDOC.1074545]
Special Report
With EMS fast gaining importance in the Indian construction sector, the government is taking initiatives to develop energy conservation codes. [C.ELDOC.6009218]
Eco Houses in India & Wales by sue roaf
Listen to me before they axe me by ANIL CHINTAMANI
Bangalore, which has become a concrete jungle, thanks to development, has turned a deaf ear to what its trees and water bodies have to say. Listen to a tree speak. [C.ELDOC.6007854]
As part of a coherent and intelligent approach to ecological development it is necessary to incorporate appropriate aesthetic and design guidelines to ensure that a rethink of the development process does not provide a new carte blanche for aesthetic chaos.
Architectural principles have been a commodity in short supply all over the world during the last fifty years or so. As the principles have become less and less in evidence so the general public and lay people have become less and less able to enjoy the fruits of the labours of architects, planners and other urban design professionals.
| 1. The Place "Respect the land" This clearly relates to ecological design principles but is not as strong or as ecologically orientated as the Principles and Checklist above. |
2. Hierarchy "Architecture is like a language" If a building cannot express itself, how can we hope to understand it? Ecological architecture should honestly reflect its antecedents. |
3. Scale |
|
4. Harmony |
5. Enclosure |
6. Materials |
|
7. Decoration |
8. Art |
9. Signs and Lights |
| 10. Community "Let the people who will have to live with what you build help guide your hand" READ FULL TEXT
[C.ELDOC.6009216] |
||
40
Inventive Architecture Principles With Examples By Darrell
Mann & Conall Ó Catháin
Use this document as a reference when seeking to ‘eliminate’
architecture design contradictions using the 40 Inventive Principles. [C.ELDOC. 6009299]
Urban Sustainability:
Sustainability at the Urban Scale
For the Irish Architect Brian O Brian
Designing buildings more sustainably is critical to improving the resource and energy performance of society's activities. Buildings, however sustainable, though are limited in their ability to influence the patterns of energy and resource usage, waste minimisation and material choices outside their own walls where transport, urban design and land use become more critical. The expansion in the role of many architects to carry out urban designs and an increased awareness of the importance of 'design' over 'density' in recent planning reports points the way to opportunities for architects to improve our cities through urban design that is more sustainable.
But what is sustainable urban design ? Urban design might be said to be the 'composition' of the city's elements (buildings, open spaces, activities) so that they add up to a higher quality experience than the sum of the elements. Might sustainable urban design be a composition where the urban experience is more self-supporting, efficient and resilient. Sustainable city design increases complexity in how the city performs. It provides many different ways to fulfil each of the city's physical functions, (movement, shelter, energy, manufacture, waste management) in much the same way as the natural world operates; the designing out of inefficiencies and the designing in of beneficial relationships.
The question of energy is always the first thing to come to mind when sustainability is mentioned.
In the future it is clear that we will begin to see the structures of the city itself emerge as energy creators, examples already exist; photo-voltaics integrated into road overpasses in Switzerland and Copenhagen's wind turbines standing gracefully at home in the ports skyline of cranes and gantries.
While energy may be the connective tissue in cities, transport is the lifeblood of the system. The backbone of any sustainable urban design strategy is land use and public transportation. Achieving densities that can support public transport, by zoning, area planning, or fiscal instruments is essential. Putting the facilities in place in advance is essential.
The materials used in the public realm also affect the daylight potential and comfortableness of nearby buildings. Badly designed outdoor lighting whether in the public or private realm results in light pollution (defined as wasted energy) which not only reduces the natural experience of dark sky for city dwellers, but also interferes with wildlife and rural amenity for many many miles around. The numbers of stars visible over a city is now one of the prime indicators of efficient lighting design and control internationally.
The air that moves through a city is another vital ingredient of well being. Meteorologists talk about the 'airshed', likening it to a watershed, which reminds us that air always comes from somewhere and, as with water, always goes somewhere after we have used it.
Water is perhaps the most important resource that a city consumes and urban design can create a much more sustainable usage pattern if considered in advance.
Again we need to see our city as an integral part of the natural watershed that surrounds it.Public spaces, parking areas and roads should be designed to be much more porous allowing rainwater to reach and replenish the water table underfoot, protecting foundations, vegetation and wildlife and relieving the stress on surface water drainage systems.
Water once used in the city may also be treated using more natural systems. Living machines, or in less dense areas, constructed wetlands (reed beds) can be designed into complexes of buildings and open spaces such as parks.
Finally sustainability calls for the inclusion of industry and employment within the city while designing out waste, traffic and noise. Industrial Ecology is an innovative approach, at an urban scale, to tune the outputs of one industry to the required raw materials of another, located nearby in a kind of 'synergistic' composition.
In some ways its harder to make an impact on the environment when dealing with large scale networks of buildings (whether city quarter, town, or housing estate). There are more players and decision makers involved, more people to be consulted, competing financial and aesthetic interests and often long periods between decision and action. In other ways the potential for creating benefit is far greater, often a commission to carry out urban design signifies an immediate appetite for change, a will to implement and the availability of large scale resources. Accepting these potential opportunities and broadening our view of urban design to embrace sustainability will strengthen both our cities and the environment. In addition it can only reflect well on our profession and that's good news for us as well.[C.ELDOC.6009228]
NEW URBANISM is the most important planning movement this century, and is about creating a better future for us all. It is an international movement to reform the design of the built environment, and is about raising our quality of life and standard of living by creating better places to live. New Urbanism is the revival of our lost art of place-making, and is essentially a re-ordering of the built environment into the form of complete cities, towns, villages, and neighborhoods - the way communities have been built for centuries around the world.READ FULL TEXT
The Ahwahnee Principles Toward More Livable Communities Cities everywhere are facing similar problems - increasing traffic congestion and worsening air pollution, the continuing loss of open space, the need for costly improvements to road and public services, the inequitable distribution of economic resources, and the loss of a sense of community. The problems seem overwhelming and we suffer from their consequences every day. City character is blurred until every place becomes like every other place and all adding up to No Place. [C.ELDOC.6009217]
Ten Keys To Walkable/Livable Communities
Walkable communities or neighborhoods are destinations. These places are built with vision, patience, love, common sense, teamwork, and openness. Walkable communities have shared commitment by diverse groups of citizens and stakeholders; they are graced with widely held and firmly developed sense of ownership. [C.ELDOC.6009264]
Transit Oriented Development is the exciting new fast growing trend in creating vibrant, livable communities. Also known as Transit Oriented Design, or TOD, it is the creation of compact, walkable communities centered around high quality train systems. This makes it possible to live a higher quality life without complete dependence on a car for mobility and survival.[C.ELDOC.6009261]
Localising Technology : There's nothing new about subjective filtering of space and people, but externalising the idea and undermining the apparently fixed nature of the built environment erodes notions of common experience and common reference points.
Cities have scaled up so that more and more people live in them, but the people in them are further apart than ever. Idealised close communities can only be found on TV shows, corporate campuses and in the compounds of religious cults.
Architects and planners have designed buildings, housing projects, and whole communities, and then tightly packing those places with people who don't know each other, and doing so without being able to build sophisticated interfaces and information systems for those communities[C.ELDOC.6009272]
Imagine a neighborhood where.....
..neighbors know each other well & can if they choose ,catch up on each other's lives several nights a week during home cooked dinners in a spacious & comfortable house..READ MORE
Public Spaces: The Architecture of Supervised Freedom By R.L. Kumar
What we know as public spaces today, are largely spaces of supervised freedom. Roads, parks, capitols, beaches, zoological/botanical sanctuaries are all public spaces which, in their design and intent, guarantee the freedom of some while denying the freedom of others.[C.ELDOC.6009251]
NIRMITHI KENDRA
Architect Known for integrating the factors of simplicity, order and regularity in his design.laurie baker has offered successful solutions to the roofless millions through low-cost housing, in accordance to the needs, climate, lifestyle and preferences of clients. He has transformed individual creativity into collective expression through his efforts at addressing the housing problems of the country.
Baker's buildings have an aura of tranquility, freedom with provision for aeration and a touch that is ethereal and down to earth.
READ PROFILE
The idea of establishing a Nirmithi Kendra (building centre) came about during the massive floods that hit the state of Kerala (India) in 1985. The then District Commissioner of Quilon C.V. Ananda Bose realised the shortcomings of the administrative machinery to provide timely relief to the victims. He came up with the novel idea in which land and finance could be made available combined with beneficiary participation for speedy housing delivery to those whose houses were destroyed by floods and soil erosion. LEARN MORE OBJECTIVE / APPROACH/ IMPACT
VIDEOS : Films On Sustainable Architecture
PUBLICATIONS: Reports, Books
CONTACTS : Architects/ Engineers/ Organisations
VIEW PRESENTATIONS AT THE BESHARP CONFERENCE IN MUMBAI ON OCTOBER 16 . 2004
Sustainable Built Environment in Belgium : An Overview : Victor brunfaut , La Cambre, Brussels, Belgium
VIEW
Co-operation Among Regional Sectors in Sustainable Built Environment in Europe : Riccardo Cecatiello
VIEW
Examples of SBE training and curriculum in EUan Italian experience : Francesca De Filippi, Irene Caltabiano
Polytechnic of Turin – Dipt. Casa - Città
VIEW
betterbricks.com The goal of BetterBricks is to help business professionals understand the power of energy efficiency to make a real difference in their buildings and in their business. It’s about how to make buildings work harder and smarter.
dreamgreenhomes.com Have you been dreaming about that perfect green home that is welcoming, cozy, and provides for all of your housing needs, while also allowing you to live lightly on our earth? DreamGreenHomes.com can help you discover a home plan that matches your needs and aesthetics, in a way that will conserve energy and resources.
buildingforhealth.com YOUR ONE STOP SHOPPING for healthy and environmentally sound building materials & home comforts
crbt.org CRBT is a project of the National Center for Appropriate Technology, NCAT. CRBT is dedicated to promoting environmentally responsible practices in construction.
greenhomebuilding.com where you can find a wide range of information about sustainable architecture and natural building.
headmap..org : Headmap an informal guerilla (distributed) think tank.Headmap examines the social implications and applications of location aware devices, augmented social networks, wearable computers, thinking tools and semantic network interfaces.
besharp.org :Be!Sharp is a platform to enable the creation and development of a common space that will allow for interface, mobility and pooling of competencies between Europe and India in the sustainable built environment sector.