architects, technology and energy saving

Designing More Sustainable Buildings

Using the right data and so.ware technology

Wai Sem Morris Green Drinks Shanghai, 16 Oct 2014

wai sem morris 2014 nbbj

What do Architects do? We design buildings – when it is built, we hope to make a beDer

world.

As a society we want to make our lives beDer than before, but to do that we have over consumed our natural resource to sustain our current habit. To build a beDer future we must become more sustainable in order to maintain our current living standard.


The sustainable buildings of the past:

Does not mean beDer living condiKon for modern society. We want a comfortable and safe environment.


To make an environment more comfortable current buildings consumes much of the energy today:

Research and Data shows it.

Key elements for comfortable buildings: Thermal, Visual, AcousKc, Safety & Wellbeing

Research has illustrated that we like a certain temperature range.

HolisKcally, buildings produce about 1/3 of global greenhouse gases.

Building energy use is related to climate: UK uses more for heaKng due to the cold weather.


Over consumpKon, especially non renewable energy is having an adverse effect on our planet.

But why does it maDer to an Architect and what can we do to help our current situaKon?


Even in China, although energy consumpKon is sKll lower per person than in USA.

Reports shows that we should all lower energy use; including within a building and the process of construcKon.

But how do we track and prove the improvement?

Although the McKinsey & Company report was produced back in 2009, it has many interesKng data and suggesKons in making China Greener.


AIA IniKaKves:

Did you know the AIA is an advocate of the 2030 challenge, which members are encourage to design all buildings so that there is a 60% reducKon in EUI by year 2030.

It is assumed that by 2030 the other 40% of energy is produced by a carbon neutral source, therefore making buildings carbon neutral.

NBBJ iniKaKve in finding the baseline, and tracking EUI (Energy Use Intensity)for the 2030 Challenge.


NBBJ Process:

In house protocols helps us keep track of our building design.

Lack of client interest and specificaKon transparency hinders our approach in China.


Learning from the past:

Comparing data and knowing current typical EUI. Benchmarking what we have now to make a beDer future. – But these are based on US staKsKcs.

How do we esKmate our design? The target.

The baseline based on typical similar buildings.


So what makes a building more sustainable?

Sustainable buildings includes many elements; but knowing how to reduce energy use is one of the key

factors.

Passive Design is one of the key concept we embrace: it saves energy and money in the long run.


Understanding Passive Design

The need to uKlizing the natural elements: The Weather, nature and physics.

Available Weather Data: EERE website (Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy) Chinese Standard Weather Data (CD of a book) Autodesk Climate Database (Revit/GBS/Vasari) China Meteorological Data Sharing Service System NaKonal ClimaKc Data Center

Check list: LocaKon: LaKtude, Longitude, AlKtude, Time zone Check if some data is missing ( Rainfall, Wind, Illuminance) Compare data from different sources Compare data with climate descripKon in text

Watch out for data discrepancies within a small region.


Bio-‐climate Analysis Data can improve design.

Where to get the data and how to interpret them can make a building more passive.

Weather Tool : Excel, Climate Consultant, Ecotect, Green Building Studio (GBS) , Vasari, Revit , IES VE

WriDen reports from those typical climate scenarios are helpful for prioriKzing design ideas.

From numbers to graphs can be produced, and they can be easier to visualize and understand.


Free websites that helps use translate the weather files:

The shared knowledge helps us make beDer decisions on our iniKal designs.

CLIMATE CONSULTANT


Sohware allows us to make more detailed analysis including:

Knowing the right tools for the right jobs is important: Also asking the right expert to do the

analysis is always more effecKve.

ECOTECT

Ecotect has been a strong tool for daylight studies. Most impressive has been they way it can produce easy to understand informaKve illustraKons.

AddiKonal plugins can make photo realisKc analyKcal images.


Other analysis sohware that you may be interest in:

It is the computaKonal power that is allowing us to make sure the design is more efficient and

sustainable before it is even built.

REVIT

Autodesk 360, with its cloud based analysis and renderings has allowed us to gauge if our design is heading the right direcKon. (But it doesn’t work all the Kme if the model is built incorrectly.)


Sohware tesKng and seeing what they are good for: VASARI

The above analysis was produced with Falcon, which is now running within Vasari. It’s been suitable with wind direcKon and velocity analysis. The solar radiaKon feature is not as useful. Wind analysis helps us make microclimate more comfortable and reduce structural wind load.


More detailed analysis to prove a theory: AUTODESK – 360 (GBD)

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Running CFD (ComputaKonal Fluid Dynamics) with GBD (Green Building Design), proved that this underground labyrinth air movement theory worked. The analysis showed how it would work and to what extent it would reduce heaKng cooling and air supply mechanical load.


More detailed analysis to prove a theory: THE FEEDBACK DATA


Results from Ini4al Run with Outside Air Temperature at 50 F

Level 2 -‐ Supply Level 2 -‐ Exhaust

Opening Area from stair 3.458 m2 Opening Area into stair 3.458 m2

Volumetric Flowrate 4787.6 h3/min Volumetric Flowrate 4669.44 h3/min

Vy-‐Velocity 128.624 h/min Vy-‐Velocity 125.45 h/min

Pressure -‐6.08906 Pa Pressure -‐5.85345 Pa

Temperature 60.3632 Fahrenheit Temperature 66.8855 Fahrenheit













Results from Run with Outside Air Temperature at 30 F








Volumetric Flowrate 4160.07 h3/min Volumetric Flowrate 4197.68 h3/min Vy-‐Velocity 74.51 h/min Vy-‐Velocity 75.1835 h/min



Opening Area from stair 6.9156 m2 Opening Area into stair 6.9156 m2 Volumetric Flowrate 3615.6 h3/min Volumetric Flowrate 3649.83 h3/min



The diagram indicates the seasonal condiKons when the Stack system may be able to operate based on the outdoor condiKons, both in heated and passive mode. It indicates that as many as 4176 hours could be served by this system – given there are 8760 hours in the year, the system could be operable up to 47% of the year.

Other more powerful and accurate analysis tools:

More suitable for expert mechanical engineers due to Kme and detailed input that is required. Useful to know its capability.

IES-‐VE

SomeKmes sohware tools can be too Kme consuming for Architects to make good design judgment. IES-‐VE is useful for its iniKal climate analysis and suggesKons, but proved too Kme consuming to iniKate other analysis to make a beDer design.


New more intuiKve sohware aimed for Architects:

Development in which virtual models are evaluated is making it easier for us to visualize the efficiency we are making to the buildings.

SEFAIRA

This is the latest tool we are tesKng out: Sefaira is promising with its instant feedback analysis and curve adjustment graph to illustrate the different degree of effecKveness in design variables. But the need for VPN due to google map, makes it more complicated to be used in China. Also unable to handle with complex design makes it limiKng.


Other computaKonal ideas that improves efficiency:

Many of 3D modelling is done through Rhino, and Grasshopper allows us to uKlize computaKonal design in order for us to visualize variables –

making analysis quicker.

GRASSHOPPER

DIVA

LADYBUG AND HONEYBEE

Good for comparing different design – but accuracy is sKll quesKonable.


Other computaKonal ideas that improves efficiency:

Making a building more efficient, not only saves cost; but can also save material and energy.

INHOUSE TOOLS

Unique design calls for unique analysis tools.


Other computaKonal ideas that improves efficiency: FURTHER STUDIES BY EXPERTS


SimulaKon on Façade performance, natural venKlaKon strategy, has allowed this building

achieve China 2 Star raKng.

These analysis and ideas are all possible through BIM

This is a very broad topic, to summarize: BIM (Building InformaKon Modelling)-‐ allows us to analysis the building virtually – and to improve the

efficiency of the building in the real world.


The cloud is making beDer design more instantaneous, and more collaboraKve.

By uKlizing beDer compuKng power, we can make design developments quicker for a more sustainable building. Development and evoluKon of

design is realized and raKonalized more effecKvely.


Networked infrastructure that shares these data.

Can make Urban Design more intuiKve.

Data can be analyzed and knowing how to interpret them to make buildings and infrastructure more efficient. All this can inform Architects on how to design beDer, more sustainable spaces. Good basis for design is learning from feedback, this is just a more scienKfic way of gerng that feedback – and quicker.


Even the small scale web based shared knowledge holds interesKng issues to make a building more sustainable.

From large scale of urban planning to a smaller scale of material selecKon.

Walk Score: promoKng good urban environments.

GIGA: promoKng sustainable materials.

U-‐wert: promoKng good external walls.


Learning from Computer Games AI (ArKficial Intelligence), it can inform us on how to make a beDer environment.

SIM city has become educaKonal, and city planners can learn from the coding on some of the basis for good urban environment. Computer coding and understanding

mathemaKcal formulas has allowed us to predict the future.


So, What do Architects do?

Technology, especially sohware has allowed us to improve and prove our design ideas before it is built, in order for us to build a beDer

environment for the future.

Maybe one day buildings will design itself through game play.


Thank you Feel free to contact me: [email protected]

I’m constantly learning, and shared knowledge can make a beDer and more environmentally sustainable world. We need to build a beDer future

together, and I’m more than happy to share my knowledge.


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