Connor Hall

4/30/15
Campbell

Big Buildings Costing Big Money

Astechnologyprogressessodothethingsaroundus;carsaregettingsmarter,
computershavegottenalotsmaller,weevenhaveholograms.Howeverbuildingsandthe
waythattheyarelookedatandbuilthavesbeenthesameupuntiltillveryrecently.The
standardwoodframewithsidingandinsulationhasbeenundercriticismfortheamount
ofenergyitwastesandtheenvironmentalimpactthatithas.Fromtheharmfulmaterials
neededtoconstructonetotheamountofwastethatoneproducesfromconstruction.For
exampleinsulation,whichirritatesanyonethatbreathesitortouchesit,PVChasbeen
knowntobeharmfulandcontaintoxins,andonethatgoesunlookedalotisthemercury
usedinourthermostats.Withthatsaidtherehasbeenamajorturnaroundinthebuilding
codeandstandardsthatmanyconstructioncompanieshavebegantouseforbuilding.For
starterstheyhavebegunimplementingenergysavingwindows,doorsandinsulation
reducingtheamountofenergyconsumptionthesinglestructurehas.Thesenewbuildings
arebeginningtotaketheplaceofoldrundownhomesandwastedspace.Withallthese
oldrundownhomesbeingupgradedwhycantwebegintodothesametothebigsky
scrapersthatweseeinallmajorcities?

Todayweseebuildingseverywherefromoutinthecountrytocoveringtheland
inourbigcities.Thesebuildingsdontseemtobedoingmuchharm,butBrynDavison
saystheycontributetoabouthalfofthepollutiontoday,(TheCoolestBuildingsArent
Green).About75percentofthatcomesfromthebigbuildingsincitiesandtheoldhomes
thatofwhichallowenergytobewastedintheheatingandcoolingofthestructurewith
thinwindows,doors,andinsulation.Morefactorsincludethewayeachbuildingis
designed;materialsusedintheconstructionofeachbuildingandmanymore.Thereason
thatthesebuildingsareallowedtohaveallofthesecodeviolationsisbecausetheyhave
beengrandfatheredintothecodeorbarelyachievetheminimumstandard.Thequestion
nowishowtocomeupwithasolutionthatwilladdressalloftheseissueswithout
creatingmoreofanegativeimpact.Researcherstodayhavebeguntostarttodiveinto
housesandlookatallthematerialsanddesignstrategiesthathavebeenexcessivelymiss
used.Thequestionnowishowtocomeupwithasolutionthatwilladdressallof
theseissueswithoutcreatingmorecarbon.

Manyoptionscometothetablewhentalkingaboutwhattodowithold
buildings:.Acompleteoverhaulofthebuilding,whichmeansrenovatingitfromthe
grounduporonecoulddoasimplerenovationandonlyreplacethethingsthatneedtohe
bechangedthemost.Anotheroptionistodemolishtheexistingstructureandbuildanew
buildingthatwouldbefarmoreecofriendlythaenanynormalrenovation.Eachofthese
optionshavetheirowndownfallsandcomplications,butthereisalwaysabetterwayof
dependingonthespecificsituation.Forexample,thefirstcertifiedpassivehouseinNew

YorkCityisarowhomethatusedtobeanormalhousethatofwhichwasoldandfullof
environmentalproblemsandcomplications.Tobepassivehousecertifiedoneshouse
mustmeetspecialcriteria.Thespaceheatingdemandcannotexceed10Wpersquare
meter,thespacecoolingisroughlythesameasheatingbutalsoneedsdehumidification,
theprimaryenergydemandcannotexceed120kWhannuallyforalldomesticappliances,
thenthelasttwoaretheairtightnessofthehouseandthethermalcomfort.Fabrica718,
whichisacollaborativedesignfirmbasedinBrooklynNY,wantedtopreserveits
historicalintegritysotheydecidedtorenovatetheoldhome.TheTighthouseisbasedon
anexistingrowhousethatisoverahundredyearsoldandhasbeenextensively
retrofittedtomeetthePassiveHousestandard.Thecurrentresidentsresideinanalmost
airtightspace.However,thiswasn'talwaysthecase,andtheoriginalpropertyrequireda
significantamountofworktobebroughtuptosatisfactorylevelstomeetthe
standardsscratch.DuringtheextensiverenovationinputfromconsultantsStudioCicetti,
AnastosEngineering,andZeroEnergyDesign,hHelpedintheadditionanddesignofa
newrearfacade,anadditionalthirdfloor,aroofterrace,andanartstudio.Thehouse
includestwosolarthermalpanels,solarPVpanels,alllightingbeingeitherLEDor
fluorescent,andnaturallighthasbeenharnessedwherepossible.Alongsideallthe
advantagesofarenovationarethedisadvantagesandsetbacks.StateFarmsarticleWhat
ToKnowBeforeYouRenovateThatFixerUpperbrieflytouchesonallofthe
advantagesandsetbacksofrenovatinganoldhouse.Whilealowersalesprice,potential
forresaleprofit,andasenseofpersonalsatisfactionarecertainlypossible,therecanalso
bealotofunseencostsassociatedwithbuyingahomethatneedsrepair,(Statefarm

Employee).

Completedemolitionofanoldrundownbuildingisontheothersideofthe
spectrumfromarenovationbutinsomecasestheyendupthesameway.TheDuke
EnergycenterindowntownCharlotteisagoodexampleofdemolitionoftheoldand
buildingamuchbetterbuildinginitsplace.Forthisproject,thedeveloperstoredownthe
existingbuildingandinitsplacetheybuiltaplatinumlevelLEEDcertifiedbuildingwith
manynewbenefitstothesurroundingareas.LEED,orLeadershipinEnergy&
EnvironmentalDesign,isagreenbuildingcertificationprogramthatrecognizesbestin
classbuildingstrategiesandpractices.ToreceiveLEEDcertification,buildingprojects
satisfyprerequisitesandearnpointsachievedifferentlevelsofcertification,(LEED)
Someoftheseincludetherainwaterrainwatercatchsystemthatprovideswaterforthe
rooftopgardenandtheparkacrossthestreetallowingfornowaterwaste.Also,,alsoin
thebasementisawaterpurificationsystemthatpurifiesthecontaminatedgroundwater
bellowunderneathsothatitcanbeusedinthebuilding.ThisbuildingwasthefistLEED
platinumlevelcertifiedbuildinginCcharlotteandcontinuestodoitspart.LEED,or
LeadershipinEnergy&EnvironmentalDesign,isagreenbuildingcertificationprogram
thatrecognizesbestinclassbuildingstrategiesandpractices.ToreceiveLEED
certification,buildingprojectssatisfyprerequisitesandearnpointsachievedifferent
levelsofcertification,(LEED)
Withthesheeramountofhardsurfacesincitiestherainwaterthatfallssimply
runsalongpickinguptoxinsuntiltillitreachesitsdestinationinabodyofwater.The

dropofwaterwillcontributetotheeverrgrowingproblemofourpollutedwaterways.
However,byaddingarooftopgardenthisallcanchangeandbegintobenefitthe
surroundingareas.Rooftopgardensareagreatwaytobegintobrightenupadullcity
withcolorandallowforarelieffromtheharshandeverdemandingcitylife.InGreat
Solutions:GreenBuildingsRobertCassidytalksabouttheadvantagesofgreenrooftopin
thecity;,slopedvegetatedroofthatwilldoubleasacampuslawnforstudentsandthe
public(Cassidy).Thisprojectalongwithmanyothers,arepioneeringthegreenroof
sensationhappeningintheBbigAapple.SoonenoughthegreenroofspaceinManhattan
willcomeclosetothespaceofCcentralPpark.
Weourselvesareresponsiblefortheworldaroundus,andeverydayweimpact
thatinagoodorandbadwaywithoutevenknowing.Fromthemomentwewakeupand
turnonourlightwebegintoimpacttheenvironmentaroundus,butifwedoourpartin
buildinggreenthenwecanstarttoimproveourworld.Onecoulddoasimpleactof
recyclingthecanthatwasjustfinishedinsteadoflettingitgotoalandfill,oryoucango
outandstartsomethingbiggerandbecomeapartofthebiggerpicture.However,no
matterhowweliveourlivesthethingsthatmattermostaretheonesaroundus,sowhy
notstartbyimprovingwhereyoulive?