Eco-Architecture and Sustainable Design in Building Fabric - Term Paper Example

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN: An Analysis of Sustainable Design in Building Fabric 1.0 Introduction The basic understanding of eco architecture lies on the definite role of the said program to alleviate the situation of earth and environmental devastation. Through the effective reduction of energy usage, the process of instigating earth saving procedures in building the most important establishments in the world today has been the most pursued approaches to modern industrialization of several concerned areas around the globe. It could not be denied that because of this, the importance of understanding the procedures of eco architecture has raised much interest among modern builders today. The growing demand for more earth friendly structural creations has naturally given way to the birth of eco architecture as the basic foundation of modern buildings. To understand more, it is indeed important to see how serious the problem really is. Presently, major climate changes are occurring in a global measure thus affecting many ecological and environmental conditions in the planet. All of the evidently noticeably climate shifts phenomenon in the planet can be scientifically traced as effects of the rising global temperature brought by major changes in the Earth’s atmosphere. Ozone depletion caused by ascending pollution rate brought by industrial revolution of the humanity is determined to be the most influential factor for this phenomenon. Climate change resulting from a warmer Earth has been determined to posts many environmental effects. Among of these is the rise in the global water level caused by the melting Polar Regions because of the hotter atmospheric conditions. This condition can adversely affect the water current resulting to the disruption of the balance of fresh water and salt water and the distribution of the oceanic temperature. In addition, atmospheric and meteorological activities namely typhoons, hurricanes, and tornadoes are also affected including the seasonal changes such as winter, monsoons, snow and summer. The rise in the Earth’s temperature and ozone depletion can also affect ecological and environmental aspects. Ultraviolet radiation can damage human health through skin disorders and diseases, optical damage and others. Crop yields and forest productivity will be significantly decrease since hotter atmosphere will dry up farms land becoming hostile to vegetation, alter irrigation systems, and will ignite forest fires. The normal balance of oceanic ecology will also be damage because ozone depletion will result to increase in water’s temperature. This condition will lead to increase plankton production and will disrupt the water’s life-support system. Fisheries and other marine life will die due to suffocation, hot temperature, and lack of food resources. Indeed, changes in Earth’ atmospheric condition and global temperature brought about by ozone depletion have many adverse effects on the capability of the planet to support life and their survival.1 With these thoughts carried into careful consideration, the improvement of building construction procedures is now also given a careful attention. It has been seen that the massive construction if structures around the world has not only become the number one cause for natural devastation of environmental resources; it has also been considered as one among the many contributors of modern environmental problems being dealt with by the human society today. As an answer to the dilemma, the creation of buildings that could best sustain themselves with energy and produce fine ambiance that does not ruin the environment existing around them has been proposed and is now applied all around the world. 2.0 Content 2.1 Sustainable Design Technologies Today, majority of the builders around the world consider the application of eco architecture; a green movement that aims to save the earth from devastation while fueling the need of the human society to progress further in terms of industrial revolution to support the economic needs of major countries around the globe. In accordance with this, the development of the different machines and building systems aided by technology had been given birth giving way to better procedures of heating and cooling approaches, energy efficiency powered buildings, and better approaches used for recycling garbage for better waste management procedures. 2.11 passive solar heating/cooling With the application of dome-based rooftops and open ceilings, the circulation of air and humidity is not considered as a major feature among newly constructed buildings. It is through this feature that the said buildings are also considered to be low energy consuming and high performing in terms of the level of power reduction that it considers in using electric energy. 2.12 low energy/high performance Besides dome roofs and open ceilings, major buildings today also consider adapting glass walls that allow a rather high end source of light from the sun in the morning, and solar power consumption at night. These buildings do have high investments applied at the beginning of their construction, yet the owners of such structures attest to the fact that these investments for the installation of solar power machineries pay so much in the future. Besides solar power machines, some buildings also invest in the process of creating possible procedures necessary for recycling which shall be included in the discussion that follows. 2.13 Recycling It has been written that there are only four ways to deal with garbage: “Bury it, burn it, recycle it—or don’t make as much in the first place.” Buried garbage in landfills not only presents a noxious eyesore to those who must live nearby but can become a health hazard as well. As waste decomposes in landfills, it produces a colorless, odorless, flammable gas called methane. If not controlled, methane may migrate underground away from the landfill, kill vegetation, seep into nearby buildings, and explode if ignited. In some cases death has resulted. Underground water reservoirs, or aquifers, are threatened as hazardous chemicals percolate through the earth and contaminate man’s water supply. The fact that there is overproduction of the newsprints as well as plastic based products, the society has a lesser ability on actually avoiding to consume the said particular products. According to the report of the TechMedics, the actual garbage collected annually amounts to the following list: Stacked end-to-end, toner cartridges thrown away in one year would cover a distance of over 24,000 miles – enough to circle the earth. Each year, over 600 million ink cartridges are consumed in the United States. 5 Million barrels of oil are consumed to produce new cartridges to replace those consumed. This year alone, toner cartridge recycling will save over eleven million gallons of oil. Ink jet cartridges take 1000 years to decompose in landfill sites. (Source: TechMedics.2007. http://www.techmedicsfl.com/recycling_statistics.php). However, if only the society realizes the importance of recycling to the environment, they would be more interested in reusing the products that they are enjoying. In the diagram that follows, a presentation on how mainly the recycling process affects the environment as a whole is to be clearly defined: Diagram 1: A presentation on the effects of recycling and the factors that contribute to its success Diagram Explanation: In the diagram above, it could be noted that there are three major factors that contribute to the success of the recycling processes. The said factors are Community Awareness, Community Cooperation and Social Knowledge. These factors actually start form being duly educated on what is supposed to be done to be able to reach the wanted results from the said process. The results are also subdivided into three basic branches of benefits from the recycling processes. These benefits include lesser expense from plastic production, since the products, which have been duly made from plastic, would be reused. The lesser amount of garbage disposed off daily, which is gradually resulted from garbage segregation, and the lesser consumption of scarce resources mostly used in producing polymers. Hence, in constructing buildings it is important to consider applying the idea of creating areas that are dedicated to recycling the possible garbage that the tenants of the building would be using. As noted from the list above, offices and other work functioning buildings could require an area where cartridges and papers could be disposed in where they could still be reused for future purposes. This process could rather be implied through the application of effective waste management procedures as per discussed in the section that follows. 2.141 Elimination of waste and pollution This section shall be viewed basing on a worldwide occurrence report. This would be done to show comparison among the places that are affected by the garbage dilemma. First to be observed is that of Japan’s garbage situation. One major fact to consider in this situation is the fact that Japan is considered to be the most industrialized country in the world. Its ability to create the newest break though inventions has created a reputation for the said country to be at the top list of producers and suppliers of newly invented gadgets of technology. However, amidst all these progressive reports, Japan is also known for having great problems on the issue of garbage disposal. To solve the problem, the said country came up with methods of reducing garbage disposal. The inhabitants were then asked to divide their garbage into three distinct categories: (1) Combustible garbage [kitchen refuse and wastepaper]; (2) noncombustible garbage [broken china, fluorescent bulbs and plastic]; (3) recyclable garbage [metallic things, including tin cans, glass and glass bottles]. Then certain days were assigned to collect the various kinds of garbage. Because only the combustible garbage would be taken to the incinerator, the amount that had to be burned and buried was reduced. Since the year 1975, when this process of garbage separation has been created, the Japanese society continued segregating their wastes to be able to be of help in the reduction of garbage wastes. The early applications of the said process were very successful. The people of Japan were very cooperative when the new garbage-disposal arrangement went into operation in April of 1975. A rich dividend resulted. In the fiscal year 1975, 335 tons of recyclable garbage—metals and tin cans—and 1,530 tons of glass and bottles were sold for a total of $30,280. Think of it, over $30,000 was earned from garbage. Japan also tried to implement the incineration plant program, however, because of the protests that the said program received from the society, the said process of garbage reduction has not been further approved. Aside from the garbage collection process, Japan also created ways by which the garbage wastes are not to pile up so high to a point that it can bury a community of residents in a certain area that it affects. Garbage pits where then dug out for the waste garbage to have a place within the ground. Going back to the American region, Florida specifically, the situation of garbage regulating programs has been quite successful in terms of the statistical reports that pertain to the garbage collecting processes that are further implied by the government to the said locality. The said state’s local officials have created a recycling law that subjects everyone in the society including both the ordinary residents and the business establishments in the area to segregating the wastes that they collect and thus reduce garbage disposal through the re-use program for the items that are still convertible to usable products. According to the State’s website, there are major reasons behind the implementation of the laws of recycling. These goals and causal sources of the program are as follows: To function as a professional association among individuals engaged in the business of recycling. To assist individual members in improving skills and techniques in recycling.  This will be achieved through education, special studies, research, and the exchange of ideas and technical knowledge related to all forms of recycling. To provide a forum for public, private and non-profit recyclers to mutually discuss and resolve recycling issues. To inform the public, law-making bodies and the business community of the economic significance and importance of recycling and to demonstrate the high professional standards of those involved in the business of recycling.  This will be accomplished through sponsorship of educational meetings, research and publication of articles, reports, statistics, and other material. (Source: Recycle Florida Today. 2007. http://www.recyclefloridatoday.org/) These goals have duly made the garbage regulation solution of Florida a successful program aiming to reduce the amount of garbage being disposed by households and business establishments daily. In the United Kingdom, the same procedures of allocating garbage and finding the right process possible to eliminate waste are being considered. This shall be further given proof through the case studies to be discussed in the discussions that shall follow later on. 3.0 Case studies 3.1 Jubilee Campus, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom The Jubilee Campus of the University of Nottingham, is not only considered innovative for its physical design but also for the systems that it uses to reduce the use of energy that is utilized by the students and the other tenants of the area. The greenery that surrounds the area of the building proves to be a remarkable source of fresh air that does not only create a fine level of humidity and air circulation for the building but also create a fine environment susceptible for learning for the students and the teachers alike. As it could be observed from the photograph itself, the entire structure blends in within its environment creating a more livable campus that could sustain the needs of the people using it through the systems of energy and air circulation sources that it has. Being noted as among the most modern designed campuses in the world, the University of Nottingham stands as an effective proof that green architecture indeed gives a sense of hope for the survival of the entire earthen systems of sustenance that supports the lives of human individuals around the globe. 3 .2 Slateford Green, Edinburgh, Scotland The Slateford Green in Scotland has been proven to be among the most efficient tenant housing around the world as it uses modern technology to actually find the most efficient source of energy possible for usage to support the needs of its tenants. The design of the building itself creates a fine source of energy and lighting that supports that lighting needs of the tenants. This is one of the major proofs that eco architecture could indeed be considered as one among the most innovative procedures to be used to save mother earth. Based from the photograph above, the entire structure of the Slateford is dedicated to serving the needs and the basic demands of human individuals using the said structure. The lined structures that stand as residential phases of the building creates a more homey and well suited area of living for the residents of the building. 4.0 Conclusion The time to act is now. Saving the earth from complete devastation is one among the most important matters that the world must consider as they try to create the possible options of industrializing their areas and establishing major structures that cater to the needs of the human population. This fact is pursued today through eco architecture thus making a huge implicative process in assisting everyone in the process by which they recognize their role in saving what is left of the earth for further future survival . One particular matter to consider though is the fact that eco architecture implication in building procedures actually involves a large concentration on technological investment. The procedures taken by the said program of architecture does not only involve the adjustment of the physical being of each structure but also the important implication of technological machines that are designed to enhance the performance of the building for its major users. Through this particular process, the establishments that are built does not only gain better presentation, but instead, they also become much capable of reducing energy use of the tenants of the said structure thus creating a more livable, more sustaining environment. Reference page Herbert F. Lund. (2000). McGraw-Hill Recycling Handbook, 2nd Edition. McGraw-Hill Professional; 2 edition. Helen Cothran. (2002). Opposing Viewpoints Series - Garbage & Recycling. Greenhaven Press; 1 edition. Rhonda Lucas Donald. (2002). Recycling (True Books: Environment). Children’s Press. TechMedics.2007. http://www.techmedicsfl.com/recycling_statistics.php. (May 4, 2009). Gardiner, Lisa (2004). Effects of Climate Change Today. Windows to the Universe. University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/climate/cli_effects.html. May 4, 2009. Ji Yan and Plainiotis Stellios (2006): Design for Sustainability. Beijing: China Architecture and Building Press. Anastas, P. L. and Zimmerman, J. B. (2003). "Through the 12 principles of green engineering". Environmental Science and Technology. March 1. 95-101A. Paul Hawken, Amory B. Lovins, and L. Hunter Lovins (1999). Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution. Little, Brown. Ryan, Chris (2006). 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