CHAPTER 2 CONCEPTS AND THEORIES
3.4 Architecture as a Contributor to its Setting
3.4.2 Socio-economic sustainability in design
Sustainable development is seen to be an integrative and universal concept that strives for harmony and balance in the world. It encompasses ecological, economic, social and cultural framework for the activities of the public, enterprises and individuals. According to the CIB Agenda 21 (1999), the construction industry and the built environment are the two key areas to be considered in order to attain a sustainable development (CIB, 1999: 120). It is understood to be a process which eliminates negative impacts on the environment and occupants through the optimisation and use of resources.
Sustainability however, is regarded to be a diverse approach and has different methodologies and understanding in developed and developing countries. Developed countries
33 | P a g e due to their economic status are able to provide added attention to sustainability through new developments and the use of new technologies. Developing countries on the other hand focus
mainly on social equity and economic sustainability
(http://cibworld.xs4all.nl/dl/ib/9903/pages/pro1.html#anchor413919). The concept of sustainability is changing over the years, focussing initially on issue of limited resources particularly with regards to energy and its impacts on the natural environment. It further encompassed technical issues in construction such as materials, building components, construction technologies and on energy related design concepts (http://cibworld.xs4all.nl/dl/ib/9903). Currently, there is great emphasis on sustainability which focuses on the economic and social aspects with prominence given to cultural issues and the cultural heritage implications of the built environment (Figure 9).
According to ISO (2006) the following economic aspects are associated with a buildings sustainable life cycle:
Investment: site, design, product manufacturing, construction
Use: energy consumption, water consumption, waste management etc.
Maintenance and repair
Deconstruction and waste treatment: Ensuring least cost methods of construction and optimal allocation of resources and discouraging wastes.
Development of the economic value of a building
Revenue generated by the building and its services
Social characteristics of buildings are directed towards the buildings interactive capabilities related to sustainability at the community level. Community level issues refer to “ urban sprawl, mixed land use, access to basic, availability of green and open space, attractiveness of city centres, development of brownfields, availability of housing, social
Figure 7: sustainability diagrams
Source: http://cibworld.xs4all.nl/dl/ib/9903/pages/pro1.html#anchor413919
34 | P a g e segregation, cultural quality and protection of cultural heritage, safety, noise and air quality”(ISO, 2006: 12). According to ISO (2006) social aspects addressing a building are:
Quality of buildings as a place to live and work
Provide employment through formal construction and material production.
Building related effects on health and safety of users
Barrier free use of buildings
Access to services needed by users of a building
User satisfaction
Architectural quality of buildings
Protection of cultural heritage
Include community involvement in the design process
These aspects can be seen in the design for Epicenter (Figure 10) founded by Artists for Humanity. Artists for Humanity is a non-profit organization association founded in 1991 by Susan Rodgerson with a mission to bridge economic, racial, and social divisions and provide
underserved youth with the keys to self-sufficiency through paid employment in the arts(Home:
Artists for Humanity, 2008). The three story building has 23,500 square feet and is located in South Boston, Massachusetts. The design comprises of studio spaces, large gallery area and offices. Located within an industrial zone in South Boston the site posed several challenges such as environmental remediation, negligible lot-line clearance, direct street frontage on two ends and a nine-foot grade change. These were incorporated into the planning of the building minimising construction costs.
Figure 8: Epicenter located in South Boston Source: Kollmuss, Neely, Kambli. 2005: 1
35 | P a g e To address the building priorities specified by Artists for Humanity a “whole building design” approach was applied to the design process. A feasibility study compiled for Artists for Humanity clarified nine activities that are a part of „whole building design‟ (Kollmuss, Neely, Kambli. 2005: 5)
Inform and Include Decision-makers in Selection of Sustainability Criteria and Goals.
Integrate Site Opportunities, Community Goals, Minimize Direct and Indirect Impact.
Minimize Functional Requirements Including Energy, Transportation, Water, Waste.
Integrate Health and Materials Considerations.
Minimize Envelope Loads.
Use Available Renewable Energy.
Maximize Equipment Efficiency.
Plan for Occupancy, Maintenance and Reuse.
During the design process workshops were held to discuss issues of sustainability in which the teen artists, board members, architects, and engineers were encouraged to share their ideas of what the most important issues were. Teen artists were included in much of the vision, mission and design process. Elements they were involved in included building of a model, studying day lighting options and designing various aspects of the building. Carlo Lewis, an AFH staff member worked in the Arrowstreet‟s offices during the design process to facilitate communication and exchange of ideas between teen artists, staff and designers (Home: Artists for Humanity, 2008).
The project includes several notable green design aspects:
A 49-kilowatt roof mounted, grid-connected photovoltaic array, currently the largest PV array in Boston, provides renewable energy for the building;
A super-efficient envelope, including operable, low-emissivity, high-performance windows, reduces heating and cooling loads;
Natural ventilation is used instead of air-conditioning;
South-facing windows provide passive-solar heat gain and daylighting;
Open, unobstructed interior spaces allow for effective daylighting;
Energy-efficient lighting is coupled with daylight dimming and automated controls;
The efficient mechanical system includes a heat-recovery system;
Many building materials were salvaged and reused;
Many building materials include high recycled content; and
Rainwater is harvested and stored for landscape irrigation
The buildings location with Boston required a strategic location to transport as traffic, congestion within the city further depicted by a 2003 study based on U.S. Census data which ranked Boston as having the 10th-longest commuting time in the country
36 | P a g e (www.bwc.gov/pdf/new_england/bos_biz_jrnal_3-12-04.pdf). Hence, the site chosen was strategically selected due to its proximity to public transport such as the MBTA Red Line1 subway train approximately three blocks away and a bus line which runs close to the site (Kollmuss, Neely, Kambli. 2005).
The EpiCenter is a simple, functional building that achieves the highest levels of sustainability on a tight budget as it uses only 25% of the energy compared to a conventional building of similar size. The building uses energy and water efficiently, incorporates recycled materials, makes full use of natural daylight, and promotes the health of its occupants. The EpiCenter also offers an opportunity to build public awareness of sustainable, economic, and environmental principles among the immediate community and beyond. It portrays the cutting edge, socially conscious identity of the Artists for Humanity organization as the building relates and draws from its neighbourhood making the EpiCenter an architectural invitation to the surrounding community.