LSBU Architecture

Environmental Technology PGDip. FT1/PT2

2009/10
23.4.10

Lecture 8 - Contemporary Architecture and the environment

Mike Kane
Charles Jencks’ (updated) diagram of architectural evolution
1. 1
The use of resources/materials – an understanding of materials and how they can
be used efficiently according to their ‘natural’ qualities. The minimisation of waste
as part of the design process.

A / 3 pavilions for the Hannover Expo 2000

- Swiss Pavilion by Peter Zumthor
the ultimate recycleable building?
- Japan Pavilion by Shigeru Ban
Cardboard as a building material
- Dutch Pavilion by MVRDV
A Pavilion about the environment?
Swiss Pavilion by Peter Zumthor
Swiss Pavilion by Peter Zumthor
Swiss Pavilion by Peter Zumthor
JApan Pavilion by Shigeru Ban
JApan Pavilion by Shigeru Ban
Netherlands Pavilion by MVRDV
1/2. The use of resources/materials – an understanding of materials and how they
can be used efficiently according to their ‘natural’ qualities.
Fabrication and the art of understanding materials-

Adjaye Associates - ‘Sclera’ at the Royal Festival Hall Square

AADRL pavilion at Bedford Square

SCLERA Pavilion by Adjaye Associates
Festival Square, South Bank
SCLERA Pavilion by Adjaye Associates
Festival Square, South Bank
 AADRL Pavilion Bedford Square
(Outside the Architectural Association)
AADRL Pavilion Bedford Square
(Outside the Architectural Association)
2. Embodied energy
– the energy required to make and deliver the materials of the
building before it has even been assembled. Alongside this it is
important to understand the time and effort required to
construct the building.
Taking 2 familiar London examples

Stadthaus, Murray Grove N1 Waugh Thistleton Architects,

K2 building Grimshaw
StadtHaus, Murray Grove N1 - Embodied Energy statistics:
StadtHaus, Murray Grove N1
Waugh Thistleton Architects
If built in standard reinforced concrete frame construction
the production process would PRODUCE 125,000 Kg of Co2

As built in Engineered Timber construction STORES 185,000Kg of

Co2

This is equivalent to the Total Energy consumption of this build-

ing over a 20 year period.
Current legislation requires a 10% on site renewable energy
 K2 building LSBU embodied Energy (estimated):

At 900 sqm, the reinforced concrete structure would weigh

in region of 11,000 Tonnes. Allowing for carbon emissions
of 0.8 T of Co2 per T of RC this would equate to 8,800T of
Co2 emissions for this single element of the building.
Heating & cooling energy provided by geothermal piles
Programme 1 – how the conceptual approach can inform the design and
future needs of the building and users. The concept as a means of using
minimal resources
2 ferry terminals in Japan

Naoshima Ferry Terminal, Japan Sejima &

Nishizawa (SANAA)
 - simple repetitive & lightweight construction.
- straightforward construction method
- energy requirements minimised.
- flexible - adaptable & extendible without effecting the ‘whole’

Naoshima Ferry Terminal, Japan Sejima &

Nishizawa (SANAA)
Naoshima Ferry Terminal, Japan Sejima &
Nishizawa (SANAA)
Yokohama Ferry Terminal Japan, Foreign Office Architects

- highly complex, non-repetitive structure

- high embodied energy due to volume of energy
intensive materials used
- large spaces requiring heating/cooling
- is it flexible?
- Large spans requiring innovative enegineering solutions
+ multi-functional - landscape + ferry terminal
Yokohama Ferry Terminal Japan, Foreign Office Architects
Yokohama Ferry Terminal Japan, Foreign Office Architects
Programme 2 –
A. the plan as a means to allow independent spaces
to adjust to individual needs throughout the day/
season.
B. Utilising the ‘As found’ qualities of building.

2 galleries –
Kanazawa SANAA as a flexible type,

Tate Modern, Herzog & de Meuron- utilising the existing ‘as found’
spaces
21st Century art gallery, Kanazawa, Japan
Sejima & Nishizawa (SANAA)
21st Century art gallery, Kanazawa, Japan
Sejima & Nishizawa (SANAA)
21st Century art gallery, Kanazawa, Japan
Sejima & Nishizawa (SANAA)
 Tate Modern
Herzog & de Meuron
 future expansion of Tate Modern
into the existing underground oil tanks
Herzog & de Meuron
4. Flexibility in building types
– their ability to re-used/converted rather than demolished
taking some local examples

London Warehouses,
Peabody Buildings
GLC island block/Park Plaza Hotel, Westminster Bridge Road
Converted Warehouses, Bermondsey

Original Peabody housing blocks, Blackfriars Road

 4. INFlexibility in building types
– their INability to re-used/converted rather than demolished

GLC island block/Park Plaza Hotel,

Westminster Bridge Road
GLC island block/Park Plaza Hotel,
Westminster Bridge Road
5. Energy requirements of the building in use.
Minimising the energy consumption of a building.
Utilising context -
- Therme Vals, Peter Zumthor - Locally sourced materials & Geothermal energy
- Zollverein School of management SANAA - Geothermal

Where is the energy used? - Heating, cooling, lighting, ventilation & appliances.
Passivhaus, vs the typical office/retail design mentality.
More London ,the generic supermarket as a model of environmental hypocrisy.
Vals, Switzerland
Thermal Baths, Vals, Switzerland
Peter Zumthor
Thermal Baths, Vals, Switzerland
Peter Zumthor
Zollverein School of management,
Essen Germany, SANAA
Zollverein School of management,
Essen Germany, SANAA
 5. Energy requirements of the building in use.
Maximising the energy consumption of a building.

Where is the energy used? - Heating, cooling, lighting, ventilation & appliances.
Passivhaus, vs the typical office/retail design mentality.
More London ,and the generic supermarket as a model of environmental hypocrisy.

Can we go on like this?

6. Scale – does the building really need to be so big, or is it
just an ego thing?
The impact design has on its context – location, access, etc.

BMW Welt , Munich, Coop Himmelblau,

BMW Welt , Munich, Coop Himmelblau
A Change in focus for the profession?
Why are the ‘star’ architects turning to the Big issues of
globalisation, resource depletion, sustainability etc.?
OMA/AMO – roadmap 2050

Winy Maas & the Why Factory, Delft

Braungart & McDonough – Cradle to Cradle

Hungry City, Carolyn Steel
How we can save the planet, Meyer Hillman
T?F 20/04/2010 15:37 T?F 20/04/2010 15:42

Green City Foodprint

Calculator Manhattan
The Green City Calculator measures
Green City Calculator Green City Calculator
the ‘greeness’ of the city and makes it
Varosha! comparable. This tool for sustainable Varosha! Foodprint Manhattan
The Why Talks planning will be developed in this The Why Talks
studio. Studio is a collaboration of T? How much food do I consume? How
F and Climate Design and much land is needed to grow it?
Sustainability Could we grow our food in the city?
Vertical Village Vertical Village
Challenge Could we feed all Manhattanites by
Super kampung Super kampung growing food on Manhattan island?
We need to measure the greenness of
Atlantis our cities. We have a lot of labels for Atlantis
buildings. Two for neighbourhoods For the exhibition and Foodprint The
BiodiverCity BiodiverCity
are in development. But so far, there Hague, commissioned by Stroom
Energetic City Energetic City earlier this year.
is no tool to measure and compare
Austeria cities. We need the Green City Austeria
Calculator, because cities are crucial
in the fight against climate change.
Death of Leisure City We need to measure our effords to Death of Leisure City
Hong Kong Fantasies know if they have an effect. And to Hong Kong Fantasies
know where we are and how far we
Austerity Austerity
need to get.
The Green Dream The Green Dream Ideally the mouth of the consumer should be
World Wonders World Wonders as close to the growing ingredients as possible,
but can we achieve that?
NL To Do NL To Do
Concept:
Automatic City Automatic City Foodprint Manhattan is a study on food
The Green City Calculator© quantifies the
Foodprint Manhattan “greeness” of the city and makes it comparable. Foodprint Manhattan consumption patterns and production
City Pig It is a program that computes data from the City Pig capacities. It visualizes how much and what we
city and turns it into an accessible, comparable consume and what are the spatial
and measurable statement on its sustainability. consequences.
It can be used as a planning tool to support
sustainable planning. It is transparant to the The amount of arable land is shrinking
planners and to the inhabitants of the city. globally. Water scarcity is a problem in various
regions of the world. But what if plants don't
Experts: need soil anymore and use less water?
We will work together with experts: Prof. Winy Foodprint Manhattan shows how more
Maas took the initiative for the project. Prof. advanced food production methods compare to
Andy van den Dobbelsteen works with us from current production and how they could help.
the department of Sustainability and Climate Study puts current discussion about urban
design. Jaap Wiedenhoff is Director of Arup farming into context, by visualizing how much
engineers Amsterdam, global expert in space is actually needed to produce our daily
sustainable design. Paul van Bergen is Director food.
of DGMR engineers and developed Green Manhattan
Calc+ Nico Tille is working at the City of
Rotterdam and researches at the TU on
sustainable city planning. Foodprint Manhattan animation is
commissioned by Droog Design and was
Peers: presented at NY400 Week / Holland on the
We will discuss our concepts with the peers, Hudson Pioneers of Change, a festival of Dutch
for whom we design it: design, fashion and architecture on New York's
City of Rotterdam Governors Island. Exhibition took place in and
Rotterdam Cimate Initiative around eleven officers' houses at Nolan Park,
City of Almere Governors Island, New York.
Ministy of VROM
Dutch Green Building Council
City of Paris (to be confirmed)
Pioneers of Change featured leading designers
Studio and Seminar: and institutes from fashion, design and
The seminar will evaluate the existing: architecture, such as: 2012 Architecten, Atelier
We will current green city initiatives and NL, Maarten Baas, Cooper-Hewitt, National
current sustainability labels. Design Museum in New York, Experimental
The studio will consist of two parts: Jetset, Christien Meindertsma, MVRDV and
In clear steps, we will build the calculator. The Why Factory with Work Architecture
In parallel we will test it and use it to design Company, Parsons The New School for Design,
the optimized green model city. Platform21, Michael Schoner (NL Architects),
Richard Hutten, Atelier van Lieshout, and
Chris Kabel.

Manhattan
The Why Factory, MVRDV and Work
Architecture Company, presented several

http://www.thewhyfactory.com/?page=project&project=21&type=active Page 1 of 2 http://www.thewhyfactory.com/?page=project&project=29&type=future Page 1 of 2

roadmap 2050
document legend

e
iv
at
rr
na
in
ma
Pages on the main narrative line explain
the essentials of Roadmap 2050; includes
technical graphics, spatial planning and
visualization of the grid.

r
t ou
de
A detour stop explains components of the
proposal outside the main narrative:
includes additional incentives,
elaboration of project graphics, and
visualizations.

transcripts
interviews, workshops, and discussions
scheduled to provide further insight
into the roadmap
 D
o
N ena
Sc
ot r
hi io
ng
Without drastic reductions in global CO2
emissions, the earth’s temperature could rise
as much as six degrees Celsius by the end of
the century…

SOURCES:
www.grida.no/go
www.ipcc.ch
www.epa.gov/climatechange
There is a general scientific consensus that the he Earth’s most extreme temperature has fluctuated between about 1
degree Celsius for the last 2000yrs. So 2 degrees or even 6 degrees would be a compartively enormous change!

6 Roadmap 2050: A practical guide to a prosperous, low-carbon Europe OMA/AMO

7
 st
or
y
bo
ar
d

The steam revolution began. Lobbyist tried to scare the public... But, governments brought stability...

Aristrocrats lobbied against the But, planning & investment triumphed… The industry grew beyond expectation... In less than 50 years, the railroad
change... revolutionized transport.

The revolution thrived... In less than 40 years, the industrial The electric revolution began.
revolution changed the world forever...

The railroad revolution began. Fear and ignorance confused the But, government vision brought order...
public...
24 Roadmap 2050: A practical guide to a prosperous, low-carbon Europe OMA/AMO
25
 CO2 PARADOX

For every barrel of

CO
oil we burn three

2
Pa
times the quantity

ra
do
of CO2 is being

x
produced. This
means our actual
carbon footprint is
almost three times
the size of our oil
consumption
footprint!

Note: Hydrocarbons exist in many forms but the principle remains the same. To demonstrate the reaction we us the simplest form of hydrocarbon: Methane (CH4)
Other related Hydrocarbons are: Pentane (C5H12) refined becomes Octane or petrol (C8H18) Nonane (C9H20) refined to hexadecane or diesel fuel (C16H34) Butane
(C4H10) For example: C8H18 + 12.5 O2 --> 8 CO2 + 9 H2O
The cycloalkanes, are saturated hydrocarbons which have one or more carbon rings to which hydrogen atoms are attached according to the formula CnH2n
The aromatic hydrocarbons are unsaturated hydrocarbons which have one or more planar six-carbon rings called benzene rings, to which hydrogen atoms are attached with the
formula CnHn.

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 ENERGY RESOURCES IN 2050 (HIGH RES PATHWAY)

Renewable
Technologies are
allocated to

En
regions based

er
gy
on the natural

Re
occurrence of the

so
ur
ce
renewable source.

s
in
20
50
SOURCE: Roadmap 2050 Technical Analysis SOURCE: Team analysis

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 GROWTH IN WIND TURBINE EFFICIENCY
wind turbines
are both growing
in size and
efficiency, as well
as decreasing in
price.

G
ro
wt
h
in
W
in
d
Tu
rb
in
es
SOURCE: Offshore Design Engineering, Bunderswerband WindEnergie e.V

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79
 EU ENERGY RESOURCE MOSAIC
overlay of current
energy use and
those regions with
the highest energy
potential.

M
os
ai
c
RE
S
M
ap
pi
ng
146 Roadmap 2050: A practical guide to a prosperous, low-carbon Europe OMA/AMO
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