Architectural Science in the UK - Assignment Example

Architectural Science in the UK Introduction In the United Kingdom under the English law, a dwelling refers to a unit of settlement. This implies to either a part of a building or an entire building that constitutes to a unit of accommodation. Such units require a degree of sustainability a feature that prompts the process of designing and developing such units. The sustainability of a dwelling centers of specific features of the structure that contribute to their usability and accessibility all of which should seek to conserve the environment (Curtis, 1999). As the code for sustainable homes dictates, the designing and construction of dwelling must aim to reduce environmental pollution and reduction of the amount of carbon emitted. This requires effective consideration of particular features of the dwelling in order to enhance the use of green energy thereby containing the runaway pollution experienced in particular parts of the world as the discussion below portrays. Designing and developing a dwelling requires effective utilization of space, which is often the most important feature. Consumers continually demand larger homes spaces besides several other features that make homes habitable (Evers & koln, 2006). This thus influences the selection of a construction location often considering the elements of nature. The selection of a construction site must minimize conflicts between humans and other animals occupying the ecosystem. Peaceful coexistence between humans and other wild animals is essential in the construction of sustainable dwelling since such help minimize any conflicts that may arise. Cases of insect bites in different parts of the world such as Australia typify the nature of the conflicts. In such cases, the humans spend millions of pounds in seeking medication for the different bites with the country reporting high number of deaths arising from insect bites. The topography of the location is major factor that architectures consider when designing a dwelling. Such factors as the stability of the structure relies on the nature of the topography of the land thereby validating the consideration. Effective utilization of space dictates that a dwelling must permit easy access of the housing units. The housing units must safeguard the safety features that arise from the placement of rooms among other aspects of the house thereby enhancing the accommodation of families of varying sizes. The manipulation of the space contributes to the sustainability of a dwelling besides contributing to the safety of the structure. Safety of both the users of the structure and the constructors is a paramount feature that designers must consider when designing a structure. A dwelling must for example be spacious enough accommodate varying number of families. Accessibility for example must consider such urgent evacuations as during natural calamities. The size of the space of a dwelling should dictate the number of people living in a housing unit. Energy use is an equally important factor to consider in the design of a sustainable dwelling. As defined, a dwelling comprise of several housing units. This implies that the consumption of energy is often higher in such dwellings. The development of sustainable dwellings demands that architectures must uphold the use of clean energy. Clean energy also known as green energy refers to the use of energy sources that emit such poisonous gases as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide among others. This way, the dwellings help curtail raising global warning. Additionally, those who live in dwellings consider numerous factors key among which is the cost implications in every element in a house. This implies that the energy incorporated in the design of a dwelling must be affordable to numerous people. Electricity is among the most common sources of energy that people use in different countries, however, the cost of hydroelectric power is often high thereby limiting the usability of the energy source. People in the United Kingdom among other parts of the world that experience such cold seasons as winter spends millions of pounds in heating water for different reasons, using hydroelectric power from national grid often raise the cost of energy thereby deterring the sustainability of such sources of energy (Peter, 1910). This implies that the design of a dwelling must consider the method of heating water since such would contribute to the sustainability of the houses. By providing, an alternative energy used specifically in heating water would reduce the cost of energy thereby improving the sustainability of the dwelling. The use of such sources of green energy as wind, sun and bio thermal are among the most effective ways of curbing the rising cost of energy in the country. The roof provides a large surface that helps in harvesting solar energy. By placing large solar heating panels on the roof of the dwelling will reduce the cost of energy in the country by providing an alternative yet efficient source of energy. While solar energy is reliant on the presence of sunlight, it provides an efficient source of alternative energy since most countries including the United Kingdom receive more than six months of adequate sunlight. During such months, the dwellers of the housing units will cut their energy cost a feature that will contribute to the sustainability of the dwelling. Additionally, depending on the prevailing ecological factors in a region, the incorporation of effective wind projects can provide dwellers with an efficient source of energy capable of heating water besides lighting the homes. However, the reliance of such elements of weather as sun and wind are temporary owing to the unpredictability of weather, the two provide users of such structures with an effective alternative that will reduce their electricity bills. The dwellers will use electricity on different other uses but substitute the use of the energy on heating water depending on the prevalence of the weather elements thereby minimizing their electricity bills. Reduction of the electricity bill is a major factor that contributes to the sustainability of a dwelling. Just as the above paragraph portrays the use of energy contributes to the sustainability of a dwelling. Energy is a major component in a building since it enhances the usability of a house. Efficiency and affordability of the energy is an essential factor that every homeowner considers. This implies that the design of a dwelling must make specific considerations to the features of the design that will limit the dwelling’s consumption of energy thereby making the structures sustainable. Among the fundamental uses of energy in a house is lighting. Architectures must consider specific features including the nature in improving the lighting of the dwelling. Daylight is the cheapest source of lighting. The design of a dwelling must therefore consider the placement of specific features that enhances the use of daylight in lighting a home. It would for example be redundant for the design to compel its users to keep bulbs on during the day. The design of the dwelling must incorporate particular ventilations that permit light to enter the structures longer thereby keeping the housing units lit throughout the day. The design strategy should permit light while limiting the adverse elements of weather from entering the structure. While the natural light for example is essential in lighting the dwelling, the penetration of sunlight into respective homes is uncomfortable. This implies that the designers must place the dwellings strategically in order to prevent sunlight from entering into homes. However, the penetration of sunlight into such common spaces within the dwelling as the veranda is fundamental since it keeps the spaces dry and warm. The architectural designers must therefore design the structure effectively often considering the elements of nature. The design should permit sunlight to penetrate into the entire block in order to enhance the usability of the block while limit sun rays from entering the houses. Additionally, such dynamic requirement must incorporate efficient lighting of both the homes and the entire block thereby minimizing the consumption of energy. This way, a dwelling becomes sustainable. Ventilation is an equally important factor that influences the sustainability of a dwelling. Ventilation refers to the aeration of a housing; such is an essential factor that influences the sustainability of a dwelling (Weston, 2004). Air must circulate freely within a dwelling thereby enhancing life of the dwellers of a housing unit. The design of a dwelling must therefore incorporate doors and windows among other types of ventilations in order to enhance the circulation of air both in a building block and in specific housing units within the block. Additionally, the placement of windows in a housing unit influences the cooling of a house thereby making a dwelling sustainable. During dry weather, families use millions of pounds within the country in the installation of cooling systems in their homes a feature that further increases the electricity bills that such families settle periodically (Bunker, Roux & National Fire Protection Association, 2007). Designing a house strategically thereby enabling the hose to cool naturally contributes to the sustainability of the houses by reducing the energy costs. While the penetration of such elements of nature as sun into the housing units make life uncomfortable in the homes, wind should flow gently both in and out of a housing unit thereby cooling the housing unit besides the natural balance of pressure that the flow of wind ensures in a housing unit. The design of the dwelling must therefore consider the flow of wind within the block in order to enhance the cooling of the particular housing units within the block. Consideration of the flow of wind is fundamental in designing the dwelling. The flow of wind for example must influence the position of toilets and garbage collection unit among other features that may emit smells. The flow of wind into the house must not carry any uncomfortable smell emanating from nearby dumping sites and the toilets within the house since such factors make the house uncomfortable. As discussed earlier, waste management is an equally important factor that influences the sustainability of a dwelling. Sewer pipes incorporated in the design of the dwelling must not present any discomfort to the dwellers of a housing unit. Additionally, the design of a dwelling must consider the placement of dustbins. Waste management contributes to the sustainability of a dwelling (Lapunzina, 2005). The design of a dwelling as discussed earlier must consider the flow of wind thereby influencing the placement of sewer pipes and dustbins some of which are emptied weekly in blocks. The flow of wind should ensure that the smell emanating from such features do not flow into the housing units. Management of temperature with dwellings also influences the sustainability of homes. Architectures must design appropriately often considering such factors as the temperatures of the building in order to enhance the life of the people residing in the housing block. As discussed earlier, the penetration of natural light into a dwelling in fundamental. Additionally, sunrays increase the temperature of a block thereby enhancing life in the block. Most people in dwellings rely on sunrays to dry their laundry. Failure of adequate light to penetrate into the block contributes to the block dampening a feature that may affect the health of the people living in the housing block. Sustainable dwelling must enhance the life of the people living in a block by minimizing any health threat including dump conditions. Stagnating water within the block for example readily form breeding grounds for mosquitos a feature that threatens the life of residents. When designing a dwelling, architectures must consider accessibility of water in the block besides providing efficient flow of sewer lines. Both are fundamental life sustaining features in a dwelling. Sewer pipes and water pipes must for example not run alongside each other since should both burst, the fresh water flowing into the homes become contaminated. Instances of water contamination threaten the life of the residents in a block of buildings. The design must therefore provide for an effective flow of both ensuring that no housing unit within the dwelling lacks either of the two fundamental services. The design must consider the repair of the pipes. Wear and tear dictates that pipes may burst thereby spilling the contents of either sewer or water pipes flowing into the flats. An effective design of the dwelling must therefore consider the placement of the pipes in order to enhance the accessibility of the pipes during repair. Space utilization in the dwelling must incorporate the placement of the sewer and water pipes within the block. Strategic placement of such pipes within the dwelling must minimize the risk of contamination in case of breakages while making every essential part of the pipes accessible in case of repair. Additionally, in case of breakages neither the water nor the sewer should stagnate within the dwelling since such makes life unbearable within the block. Furthermore, the architectures must ensure that such stagnating water do not flow back into the houses especially when the damages are outside. This implies that the design of the floors must slant away from the houses thereby enhancing the flow of wastewater away from the homes. Additionally, such common spaces as the verandas must have effective drainages that ensure that water do not stagnate but instead flow out of the block. Adequate drainage eliminates water that would otherwise stagnate within the dwelling thereby risk the lives of the dwellers. Additionally, the management of space of a dwelling affects the safety of the block of houses. In order to accommodate more housing units, architectures recommend the development of story buildings. While such structures are beautiful and contribute to effective utilization of space, they raise serious security threats that require effective consideration in order to resolve. Accessibility just as discussed earlier is fundamental despite the height of such tall buildings. The architectures must incorporate an efficient staircase one that slants at a low angle in order to minimize the strain that people undergo whenever walking either up or down the stairway. Low angling stairs consider such vulnerable users of the building such as children thereby minimizing injury in case of accidents. However, in tall buildings the use of elevators is advisable in order to consider disabled users of such buildings. Additionally, the stairway must be spacious enough to permit easy accessibility of all the floors within the block. The height of the building also influences the sustainability of a housing block since the inclusion of elevators increases a building’s energy consumption thereby curbing the sustainability. A building should not house many people since such houses threaten the lives of many people who are likely to incur injuries in case of an accident. An effective design of a housing block must provide adequate space for the residence by safeguarding the accessibility and safety of every feature of the house. In a summary, a sustainable design of a dwelling must care for particular features of the structure that enhance the safety of the residence. Space management is fundamental in the design of a dwelling. The architectures must consider specific features of space that influence the usability of the house in order to minimize the pollution of the environment besides safeguarding the health of the dwellings. This implies that the design of the dwelling must provide realistic solutions to any threat that may arise from both the design and utilization of the dwelling. References Bunker, M. W., Roux, R. J., & National Fire Protection Association. (2007). NFPA pocket guide to fire alarm system installation. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Curtis, W. (1999). Modern architecture since 1900. New York: OUP. Evers, B. & koln, T. (2006). Le corbusier, In Architectural History from Renaissance to the present, eds. New York: Polity Press. Lapunzina, A. (2005). Architecture of Spain. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. Peter, B. (1910). Art and Technology. New Haven: Yale Univ. Press, 1910. Print. Weston, R. (2004). Plans, sections and elevations: Key buildings of the twentieth century. 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