localmaterialscontemporaryarchitecture hollis 1

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GREEN NEIGHBORHOODS - SUPER STUDIO RESEARCH 1

Green Neighborhoods - Super Studio Research

Local Materials Sourcing in Contemporary Architecture

Rob Hollis

University of Colorado Boulder - Spring 2014


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Abstract

This research report is a review of two leading scoring systems in environmental design and

their relationship to strong environmental ethics in materials sourcing ; LEED 2009 for New

Construction Regional Materials Sourcing Credits 5.1 & 5.2and the Living Building Challenge

Appropriate Materials Sourcing Petal. The goal of this research is to to better comprehend how to

ethically and appropriately source materials for building on a multi-family residential and commercial

scale. The primary focus of this research will be on precedent projects both historical and

contemporary that successfully incorporated environmentally sound materials into a lasting design. The

result will be a overview of a concept to completion understanding of how, as an architect, to

appropriately locate, process, transport and implement a material in a way that maximizes factors

outlined by a contemporary understanding of sustainable building development.


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Introduction

This research begins with a look at two of the building industrys most prominent green building

scoring systems and their relationship to ethical material sourcing especially concerning local trade and

commerce. These scoring systems will include LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)

and the LBC (Living Building Challenge).

Developed by the United States Green Building Council

(USGBC), LEED is a set of rating systems for the design,

construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes

and neighborhoods. The LEED Regional Materials Sourcing Creditis

intended to increase demand for building materials and products

that are extracted and manufactured within the region, thereby

supporting the use of indigenous resources and reducing the

environmental impacts resulting from transportation (USGBC).

This requires that projects use building materials that have been

harvested, extracted, manufactured or recovered within 500 miles of the project site for a minimum of

10% (based on cost) of the total materials value. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing components are

not considered in this calculation, furniture may be included.

Administered by the International Living Future Institute, the

Living Building Challenge is a green building certification program that

defines the most advanced measure of sustainability in the built

environment possible today and acts to diminish the gap between current

limits and ideal solutions. (ILFI) The challenge claims; projects that

achieve this level of performance can claim to be the greenest

anywhere, and will serve as role models for others that

follow. (ILFI)

The Living Building ChallengeAppropriate Materials

Sourcing Petalinsists that the project must incorporate place-based

solutions and contribute to the expansion of a regional economy rooted in sustainable practices,

products and services. (ILFI) This system identifies seven distinct radial distances where building

LEED is a certification system for

green building developed by the U.S

Green Building Council

The Living Building Challenge is a

green building challenge

administered by the Living Future

Institute


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goods can be sourced; from 500km for heavy or high density materials, to 15,000km for renewable

technologies and 20,000km for ideas.

Both the LEED and LBC scoring systems are committed to complete solutions for architecture

and development. With statues relating to all aspects of a project from concept to completion, these

scoring systems act as guides for the design and construction process. Not to develop a polemic on

which metric system is better or more effective. The end goal of this research is to better understand

how to effectively use responsible material sourcing for sustainable building and design.

Historical Context

Local material sourcing has provided a vernacular language of architecture for centuries before

the industrial revolution. As the times changed, physical boundaries that prohibited large scale

material trade became negotiable and more materials became available to more architects. In times of

luxury and prosperity it was, and remains to be, common to source materials from halfway across the

globe. Vernacular architecture design is driven by material availability, unlike polite architecture which

goes beyond functional requirements of design and into aesthetic qualities. Vernacular design is often

characterized by the absence of institutional professionals associated with the project, in other words,

vernacular design is propagated by tradition and craft. On the other hand, polite architecture is more

often associated with institutions of knowledge and professional licensure.

Historic Precedents

Historically most cultures built in a vernacular archetype because of a limited ability to

transport material over long distances. For example, in ancient Japanese architecture wood was an

important material because the volcanic nature of the stone made it impractical for most brick types.

The volatile nature of typhoons and volcanoes required the rebuilding of traditional Japanese

structures to be replaced more often than their more economically advanced countries, also major


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Japanese temples were often torn down and completely rebuilt every decade or two to maintain

pristine qualities of the space. Before liberalization of Japanese timber import in 1960 Japan had a

wood self-sufficiency rate of 86.7%, in 1999 it was recorded as 19.2%, this shows a direct relationship

between local material sourcing and ethics of the environment.

Native American architecture, especially in the western plains, was very heavily influenced by

climatic conditions, heavy clothing complimented thin envelope materials such as raw hide during the

winters. The indian teepee, as a design response, dealt more

with wind conditions than insulation, teepees are designed

with and updraft system and a smoke flap on the top so that

fires can be built inside to stay warm. The American teepee is

a great example of vernacular architecture because it is a

product of evolution, sourced with local materials and passed

down from generation to generation.

In 1851, the United States Congress passed the Indian Appropriations Act in which allowed the

executive order of the formation of indian reservations in the West beginning in Oklahoma. Historically,

the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provided needed housing on this land in the

form of box-homes for a very low cost. Today, Native Americans continue to practice traditional

architecture on the reservations in the form of community rooms and auxiliary buildings. Showing a

longing for traditional practice, indian nations across the country have recruited architects to help

build in a new-old way, using 18-inch straw-bales rather than plastic sheeting, radiant-floor heating

that is much cheaper than the typical propane or electric and a frost-protected shallow foundation that

inhibits mold and is more energy-efficient than the damp basements common here (Seltenrich).

Additionally, the open floor-plan allows for multi-generational living that reflects traditional cultural

values, and all of this is being done for $45,000 less than a HUD home of a simile size.

The native American teepee is an example or

performative vernacular architecture.


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Overview of Key Literature

In Cradle to CradleRemaking the Way We Make Things by

William McDonough & Michael Braungart there are more

examples of how designing something and being more cognizant

of its materials past and future life-spans can improve product

services, enhance ecological services and stimulate local

sustainability. The most obvious example is the book itself, the

introduction states, This Book is Not a Tree. The book is made from a synthetic paper that does

not use and wood pulp or cotton fillers and is considered a technical nutrient by the authors because

of the books ability to be broken down and circulated infinitely in industrials cycles.

In reference to the book as a physical object, the authors, after reaching out to numerous firms

across the world had found that it was incredibly risky in contemporary industry to create something

new i.e. their book with no paper. Finally, Charlie Melcher of Melcher Media accepted the challenge

while he was working on a label for detergent bottles that could be recycled with the bottle rather

than burned off. Charlie developed a paper material that could be waterproof and off-gassed similarly

to a conventional book, but the new paper material had the potential to be up-cycled or creating a

product of even greater value.

Contemporary Precedents

In contemporary architecture green design is becoming common practice if not already a

standard, it becomes harder and harder to find projects that are not making a environmental concern

or awareness a foundation for the sale and implementation of a project. Looking at two stand-out

projects from each of the leading green building scoring systems is to better understand how

contemporary projects are utilizing responsible material sourcing according to their separate sets of

guidelines.

TheUniversity of Colorado Campus maintains a vernacular design with colorado red sandstone,

native landscaping and more. Recently the university undertook a project that sought to unify the

CRADLE TO CRADLE: Remaking the Way We Make

Things.


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campus community in the Center for Community or C4C. The C4C came after a deal was struck

between campus administrators and the student body, where in exchange for a student capital

construction fee all new buildings would have to reach the USBBC LEED Silver rating at a minimum.

Centerbrook Architects with Davis Partnership Architects achieved and exceeded this new requirement

and the $84.4 million dollar project is slated for LEED gold.

Moe Tabrizi, Campus Associate Director of Engineering and

Sustainability (who is retiring this year), states that A large amount of

recycled materials are included in the construction materials of the

project including steel, fly-ash, plastic, and glass. More than 50% of the

materials supplied for the construction come from local sources,

reducing associated transportation energy usage. Taking a very

pragmatic approach to building design administration, Moes team and

staff was required to concentrate on sections which have a longer

lasting payback. While public reports and research in reference to the

project are surprisingly thin, ArchDaily, an online architecture journal

notes The use of local materials, regional colors and organic patterns serve to connect the indoors

with the spectacular environment outside. While the C4C is a great example of local materials

sourcing, this case study shows the need for an educational component and exposure of these

sustainable concepts and ideas.

A look at a building done under the guidance of the living building challenge shows a different

approach to similar concepts. Smith College's Bechtel Environmental Classroom in Whately,

Massachusetts is a new, 2,500 S.F. single-story wood-

framed classroom building, acting as a field station for a

233-acre forest and pasture property. The building

encloses two major spaces, one formal classroom and one

informal classroom space. The LBC website has classified

this building as a Certified Project Case Study and has

detailed this projects approach to each of the LBC

Petals of the Challenge.

Moe Tabrizi was instrumental in

CU Boulders last eight capital

projects achieving LEED Silver or

above.

The Smith Colleges Bechtel Environmental Classroom is a

great example of contemporary green building.


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In a summary of the approach to achieving the Materials Petal, the project managers are said

to have done all of the material sourcing themselves rather than distributing that load amongst the

design and construction team, this helped in organizing and ensuring strict compliance with responsible

materials sourcing as defined by the challenge. Likewise and interestingly enough, the team wanted

each member to understand the materials vetting system and how it felt to successfully vet a product,

therefore each member conducted vetting for a couple of products. Furthermore, when looking for

these products the team members would ask for technical support and find the most knowledgeable

representative, then emphasize that this new concept was about consciousness raising not legal

entrapment. This was said to be a very successful approach.

The LBC continues to elaborate the details of the project with a very specific list of Red List

materials and what exactly they used to supplement them. For example in subterranean piping where

PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is traditionally used, the team specified HDPE (high-density polyethylene)

which required regulatory approval for a change of a standard practice, but ultimately reduced the

amount of volatile material underground. The report also includes a summary of the product classes

and/or specific products that presented particular challenges. For example of the skylights, finding a

product that had a high performance glazing option (U of 0.2 or lower; SHCG of 0.3 or lower; visible

light transmission of 60% or higher) that did not have PVC components was not possible, so (after

daylight model studies to test

the impact) the team deleted the two skylights from the project (LBC).

The LBC continues with a list of regional products specified, for example the Black Locust

fence posts that were used for lighting bollards were sourced from a local farmer who live only one

mile from the site and the countertop was quarried in southern Vermont less than 30 miles away. The

LBC goes on to note manufacturers who made Proprietary Claims when asked about product

concerns, noted manufactures of FSC certified wood

products, named organizations and individuals that

assisted with timber harvest and lumber seasoning, noted

brokers that assisted in sourcing salvaged materials and

finally a comprehensive Embodied Carbon Footprint

analysis done by GreenFootStep, created by the Rocky

Mountain Institute.

The Rocky Mountain institute is a U.S. organization

dedicated to the research, publication, consulting and

lecturing of general sustainability


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Interviews

Several interviews were conducted for this research, this was done to better understand a

current perspective of responsible material sourcing from that of somebody who may not traditionally

consider the matter. The interviewees included a contractor, an excavator and an industrial designer.

Colton Himmelman from Himmelman Construction in Lakewood, CO, Brady Saylor from Saylor and Sons

Excavation out of Pine Junction, CO, and Kris Arnold an industrial designer and fabricator for The Public

Works in Denver, CO were all kind enough to share their thoughts on the subject.

When asked about green building in general and more specifically what trends they are

seeing in the field; Colton said more and more often, government facilities are taking the chance to

go solar and/or geo-thermal, but we find there are often too many hiccups in getting responsible

materials prepared and on time within

budgetpeople want it, but they are

skeptical, there is no trust in the supplier

too. Kris Arnold said, when we do products

for experiential marketing (trade show

booths, buildouts of grocery stores, furniture

etc.) we find that clients are attracted to

relevant materials, for example beetle kill

pine is very popular right now because of all

the standing dead wood we can get easily.

In terms of trends in green building Brady says there is a shift away from propane and towards

natural gas, especially in the mountains. Really, it seems like a shift towards alternative energies in

general. Also we are seeing more infiltrator septic systems that are dealing with human waste in a a

softer more ecological way.

Moving into greater detail each representative of their field was asked what the greatest

hurdles in sourcing materials from a local marketplace seem to be, Brady says as an excavator we can

use or reuse all of the materials on site, there is no need to import or export materials beside fine

The Supple Collection is a very contemporary look at sustainable design


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finish packs. Often the choice is up to the homeowner, if he wants the trees cut down and hauled away,

thats what we will do. Kris Arnold said that while yeah, people are using tons of reclaimed material

and repurposing or using materials in different ways, up cycling, there are still better materials out

there that better approach sustainability from a pragmatic standpoint. For example in our library

furniture collection, Supple, we use a material called Richlite, its FSC certified and lasts ten times

longer than any beetle kill with any amount of protection.

Colton was asked the same question, the greatest hurdle in local materials right now is lead

times and availability. Getting the materials when you need them, in order to keep a schedule going

fluently and to have them on site early for preparation is critical at this scale. Its hard to incorporate

sustainable practices in a competitive market, it has to make sense

in the overall scope of the work. Colton was also asked where the

role of the architect and the builder come together in terms of

finding the right materials, often the builder will play a primary

role in finding materials, but the project manager of the building

company will work hand in hand with the architect. It will be

important for us to understand this role better and be more aware

of our material choices as we mature and move into the future.

Conclusion of Position

We are fortunate to be in a time when using local materials has become something of a trend.

The practice of local materials sourcing stimulates local economies and contributes to design solutions

that are reflective of their regional and ecological context. The LEED and LBC metric systems both

include statues regarding local materials, by looking at them together and in conduction with historical

and contemporary practices architect and builders can better understand where to find the right

materials, how to get the materials implemented in a project, how to understand and prepare for

there life-cycles, how to manage the specification of materials within a specific budget an on schedule,

how to build relationships with sourcing facilities and finally when to draw the line in terms of returns

on investment.

Himmelman Construction won the 2012

ASA Contractor of the Year Award


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It should also be noted that every example provided by this research experienced a significant

degree of pushback from commonplace industry. In Cradle to Cradlethe authors spent months finding

somebody to take on the challenge of a new paperless book. The entire student body of the University

of Colorado had to inspire, push and pay for the concept of sustainable development to campus

officials. The Bechtel Environmental Classroom experienced significant delays and losses to achieve

their project goals. Finally, from the interviews, it is clear to see the desire for and the obstacles faced

in the pursuit of responsible materials sourcing and sustainable design.

Application to Studio Design Project

The application of this research to the studio project is more theoretical than practical, in

closing, a conclusive theory is as follows; when an architect looks at a project, materials should be in

mind first, materials will guide a project in a way that is reflective of a regional context (both from the

perspective of ecology and industry), the projects that consider a traditional perspective on materials

tend to be more place based and last longer, ultimately sustainability is about time. Place based

solutions stand the test of time and they mean more than architecture, whether intentionally or not,

these building tell about people, about culture, about values.


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CITATIONS

LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations v3. U.S. Green Building Council, 2009. Web. http://

www.usgbc.org/Docs/Archive/General/Docs1095.pdf. public document.

Living Building Challenge. International Living Future Institute, 2012. Web. http://living-future.org/sites/default/files/LBC/LBC_Documents/LBC%202_1%2012-0501.pdf. public document.

"Japan's Timber Trade and Forestry."Japan Tropical Forest Action Network (JATAN). N.p.. Web. 3 May2014. . online.

Seltenrich, Nate. "Building better homes in Indian Country." High Country News. N.p.. Web. 3 May 2014..online.

McDonough, William, and Michael Braungart. Cradle To Cradle, Remaking The Way We Make Things. 1.New York: North Point Pr, 2002. print.

Tabrizi, Moe. "Center for Community Submitting for LEED Gold Certification Fact Sheet." University ofColorado at Boulder. public document.

"Bechtel Environmental Classroom." Living Building Challenge. n. page. Web. 5 May. 2014. .
http://living-future.org/case-study/bechtelenvironmentalclassroom