04,04.11 Global Ecovillage Network

Quite a long day – bombarded with lots of figures and scenarios about the worlds current and future state of affairs, all very depressing reading, and much that I am all aware, although it's important to be reminded. Some previous thoughts I've read about a silver bullet solution to our problems through technology could be turned on their head and could also be percieved as a threat – I'm slightly sceptical towards this as it's very difficult to predict what the future will hold in terms of technology – we only need to look at the images of the future from the 50's and 60's to see how misguided they can be.

We also talked about massive inequalities of wealth and consumption by countries – perhaps it would useful to show these inequalities in the countries themselves, even with towns or communities allowing or exposing behaviour, but not so to increase conflict or aggression.

I think I have always viewed ecovillages as independant communities, but in fact they are very interdependant on the wider surrounding area, country and certainly in the case of findhorn – international. They may have all been set up with initial shared values (and to some extent these values remain) but they also grow and develop as quickly and diversely as 'the outside world'. It could also be said it is too diverse to call it a movement. Several communities have a strong bond with indigienous or aboriginal pasts – whilst important I think that for existing communities to adapt we may have to look not as far back, and even reference our own living older generations, something that has already been stated by the transition groups across the world.

I also wonder sometimes if the label 'eco-village' is a help or a hinderance to sustainable development.

Reflecting on the ecological footprint of the community – so low that many residences find so hard to believe, a lot of discussion was had today about whether or not ecovillages are infact a 'ideal' model for development. I agree with the thoughts that places like findhorn are like research bases, a lot like educational facilities with their techniques and teachings permiating through to the towns and cities. On the breakdown of the ecological footprint, the main strictions to lowering even further are civil infrastructure, doctors, civil servants, although this has already been potential reducted with the low number of cars and by dealing with their own waste.

With the communities electricity supply provided by the wind farm – there still seems to be several pv panels, used in effect to help pay for the wind farm by selling back (around 20%) to the grid and grants have been made use of to install these. However with the lack of understanding about the end of life use of solar panels, and embedded energy in some manufacturers models their merits are more questionable in this situation.

As I'm from a more technical background, hearing about all the other sides to sustainability is really insightful. I've come across the introduction of community currencies before, and curious about their beneifits and pitfalls and what level of take-up is acheieved. Also by transfering notions of ownership to actual access of equipment and goods is a very persuasive argument and one that has already taken hold with the city car club schemes around many UK cities - it is also another form of social interaction. The level of shared financial commitment that the community has given to start up all these projects is really admirable, but this would probably require more fundamental government support nationwide to avoid low earners missing out. It's level of commitment may not be for everyone, but then again it doesn't have to be.

03.02.11 Team Building

I was lucky enough this morning to share a conversation over breakfast with Richard, a resident of over 30 years. He opened up the possibility to me of how perhaps the communities and the individual resident's aims and requirements may change over the years as the generations of the community age, the older residence perhaps requiring more stability than in their youth. Does the older residence hold more power within the community – apparently not. The younger residents create more initiatives whereas the older tend to have already worked on their own in their youth. Standards have improved here from the early days of the community, much like the rest of the world. Would it perhaps be more difficult today to make such a large lifestyle change and commit to the establishment of an eco-community especially with the today's materialistic standard of living?

The part of the course I think I have been dreading the most finally arrived – team building through dance. In the end the first team building exercise beforehand opened the group up more, mainly through the playfulness, laughter and throwing off of any hang ups. By the time the dancing actually came round we were all laughtered out, and it turned into a slightly more somber affair, even if we were out of breath. It was interesting to see how this community and others like it still use dance as a way of community bonding, much the same way as a traditional ceilidh still does in many parts of Scotland, a reminder than you must bring the community together and create an enjoyable place to live in rather than just building green buildings – this is the real glue.

I'm still slightly confused about the ownership of the Foundation and the Community – although this confusion seems to be accepted as something that is ever changing and developing. Tight environmental building regulations are enforced by the Findhorn council – even more stringent than building control. Might be interesting to actually read these and compare. There is an application process for joining the community or purchasing a property which allows a kind of self-filtering, with some prospective residences put off by the demands of the community – although they have never turned anyone away. I wonder if this is the same model that is used for business practices within the community. The rules on immigration within the UK are tightening, and a number of residents here are from other countries, some outside of Europe – how will this affect the community? There is also another impact on the horizon – the neighboring Kinloss airbase is to close, a huge provider of employment to the local area. Is the working community forming some kind of economic plan to be able to welcome larger numbers or help to ensure that the local economy stays strong throughout this time? It also raises another question that was brought up at the slide show today – the density of the eco-village is quite low, although not low for the local surroundings – how could this model of housing be brought into a site or location where a higher density is required?

Findhorn Ecovillage Placement – Reflective Journal

As part of the coursework for both of my modules (Community Design Practice & Ecovillage Practice) to be completed during my stay in Findhorn, I am required to complete a reflective journal as a means of communicating my thoughts and any questions arising from the days activities. I have decided to combine this coursework with the blog, hopefully giving an insight into the outcomes of my learning experience here. So here goes….

02.04.11 - Day One

Although today was mainly about settling in and getting a feel for the village, even a tour around the living quarters and facilities opened up a whole raft of questions. Being shown how the community has grown from its very humble beginnings to around 250 residents was very inspirational, and being here in general has given me a great opportunity to see some of the theory from the course so far in practice.

Amongst some of the early permanent residence buildings we were shown have recently been connected up to a new biomass boiler providing heat and hot water. The pipes were installed underneath meandering existing footpaths to avoid disrupting plantings with the installation of the biomass –is this also possible for other services such as electricity? There was also talk about future demolition and replacement of these buildings - is there scope for more retrofitting of these buildings rather then replacement – at what point does retrofitting become unviable when consulting costs or carbon/ecological footprints. I would also be interested in finding out if it would be more cost effective to build a larger biomass boiler that provides all the heating and hot water requirements for the community as a whole – how are economies of scale calculated.

I was also really impressed by the reciprocal roof within the barrel houses (see image), though agreed with comments made our guide about their architectural scale and detail being a little chunky – however it is a very strong visual feature underpinning the support mechanisms within the community. How else / what other architectural features could be symbolise community.

There is obviously a high level of cooperation and understanding here, however disagreements must arise between the spiritual community members and those who are more concerned with the ecology of the area, who are perhaps more pragmatic? How are these and other conflicts dealt with within the community? I would also be interested in learning if potential residents who purchase properties on site are vetted or are required to sign up to some sort of community pre-purchase agreement in terms of lifestyle choices and commitment to the community.

Better on both sides

Just a quick post regarding an interesting innovation in PV panels introduced to me via a CPD in the office last week from a company named Renewable Resources Ltd based in New Lanark in Scotland. Our attention was brought to a new product available on the market called Solyndra. These panels operate in much the same way as the standard flat panel models; however these panels consist of cylindrical models mounted off any flat roof surface allowing solar radiation to be captured on the panels entire 360 degree surface, and the installation of a white coated roof surface allow light to be reflected back and converted into electricity. Combined with direct and diffuse sunlight, these panels can also be placed closer to one another than standard PV panels (which usually require tilting) allowing for a significant increase in the electricity produced.

The panels are installed horizontally, and there are small gaps between the cylinders which allow for wind loading requires and the panels are self-ballasting – reducing the labour and parts costs and installation time associated with mountings for tilted models. These small gaps also provide natural cooling to the panels reducing heat loss and providing higher energy production.

This model would be of particular interest in large scale commercial buildings, with a lot of flat room space to put to use – or perhaps on the aforementioned Shrubhill House building. Another point highlighted by the engineer was that even during the heavy winters that we have experienced in the UK in the previous years the Solyndra panels, unlike conventional models, would continue to produce electricity, as the albedo from any snow underlying would continue to be absorbed by the cylinders. Pretty impressive stuff…

Demolishing the Future

The current prolonged downturn has seen a tranche of mothballed sites around many city and town centres, leaving gaping holes within streetscapes. Whilst some sites sit entirely empty, with mounds of topsoil gradually being overgrown with weeds, others contain whole derelict buildings derided by locals as an eyesore, a constant reminder of the cash strapped times we now find ourselves in. Right leaning think tank The Policy Exchange has put forward the idea of transforming our redundant high streets into housing (another gem from the ‘greenest government’), conflicting directly with the forming of sustainable communities with a range of mixed used developments. Combined with a drop in petrol prices, this would indeed be the final nail in the coffin of the high street as we know it, as householders jump into their cars to do their weekly shop at the nearest out-of-town shopping centre. This in turn would also lead to the further erosion of any local services and social cohesion associated with popping down the shops and bumping into a few people that you know – and all done without planning permission no less... and yet I feel they have hit upon something.

SUSTAINABLE_SOLUTION

There is definitely scope for regenerating derelict areas, providing that it is done to reinvigorate and not further deteriorate. Shortcomings within areas (i.e. housing, shops, workplaces, public buildings) should be identified and developments geared towards this, with the goal of strengthening communities and reducing travel distances. We should be making better use of run-down building in prime locations rather than leaving them to rot or knocking them down. There advantages to this are pretty obvious – reduced planning costs, reduced construction costs, and a reduction of pressure on resources involved with new building. All of which could be carried on to the end user as low cost housing. The main obstacle would be in persuading local opinion that monstrous decrepit buildings could still have a part to play in their area. However this in turn represents a chance for architects to once again gain the trust and respect of communities following their recent public batterings. It would also represent an excellent opportunity to create exemplars of green building technologies.

SHRUBHILL_HOUSE

I pass one such potential site on a daily basis. The Shrubhill area of Leith Walk in Edinburgh was until the last decade home to local council offices (Shrubhill House) and a bus depot. To go even further back reveals the area’s history as one of the original sites of the botanical gardens within Edinburgh – eventually moved to Inverleith due to increased traffic levels on Leith Walk affecting the growth of plants. The red-brick bus depot buildings have been almost entirely been demolished spare a couple of buildings to the west boundary and a tall chimney which all formed part of the old power station which provided power to the old tram network that once ran through Edinburgh. Although these buildings are run-down, their Victorian/Edwardian industrial era architectural merits are easy for all to see. To the north of the site lies several typical Edinburgh colony flats (all Grade B listed and part of a conservation area, including Middlefield House) and to the south traditional tenement blocks adjacent to an existing railway track serving nearby waste incineration works. Still standing on the south boundary of the site is an existing masonic lodge constructed of 1970’s style steel frame and metal cladding. On the sites west boundary stands a section of the now derelict Shrubhill House, a 1960’s concrete clad box which served as offices for council staff. To say it is ugly would be an understatement, and the local community would surely be content at seeing the building raised to the ground. Local council planning statements also encourage this. However it is in this unsightly building that I see some potential for sustainable development and a starting block for the site as a whole.

Planning permission has already been granted for the demolition of Shrubhill House and construction of multi-storey student housing by Unite in association with Acanthus Architects. The existing master plan for the site includes further low density housing to the rear of this, with underground car parking provided, and a scattering of landscaping (mostly hard landscaping) throughout. The old bus depot buildings and chimneys have been sensibly retained and provide a good lure to increase permeability through the site. However once people realise these buildings are converted housing, that appeal may be short lived.

ALTERNATIVE_PROPOSAL

Having obtained existing plans from the local planning portal, I have decided, beginning with Shrubhill House, to develop an alternative scheme, one that makes perhaps better use of the site for the area as a whole, supplying not only housing but commercial and public service opportunities, whilst providing more green space and attempt to encourage a more sustainable transport network – all at a scale suitable to the site. I will also use any designs as a springboard for learning more about the green technologies that are available and their suitability. So far I have broken down the site and surrounding area to represent existing building uses, permeability and green spaces, as shown below:

I’ve also began working on a scheme to convert Shrubhill House into medium density housing, with commercial units on the ground floor. This is very much a work in progress at the moment, but the intention may be to have some kind of solar buffer within each apartment and either attempt to have natural ventilation or go with a Passivhaus Standard (u-values not exceeding 0.15 W/m2/K for building envelope, 0.8 W/m2/K for glazing) which would mean incorporating mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. I’ll update more as I work through ideas, but here are a few sketches that I’m working on.

The danger is that the longer a site is allowed to deteriorate, the lower the expectations are for any development that would be eventually constructed – something is better than nothing. But this in turn leads to a cycle of unsuitable unsustainable building resulting in more demolition and redesign in another generation. This is a cycle we cannot afford, financially and environmentally.

New Songdo City

As one of the many coursework’s I have undertaken for the ‘Sustainability in Civil Engineering’ module of my masters, the CEEQUAL analysis was certainly one of the most enlightening. CEEQUAL, or Civil Engineering Environmental Quality Assessment and Award Scheme (think they may have to work on that acronym) provides participating developers or clients with an assessment and subsequent award with regard to their sustainability credentials for a specific project. With the aim of driving up environmental and social awareness of developments, CEEQUAL works in a similar way to a BREEAM assessment, though perhaps on a broader basis. The assessment itself is split into twelve separate sections, each containing a number of questions which the assessor must award points or scope out where relevant. The tally of these points for each section are then displayed graphically, and pitted against the potential points available to highlight shortcomings. The final award is then based upon the total points given from all sections. The final award is rated in the following order: No Award, Pass, Good, Very Good and Excellent. The assessment is usually carried out post completion; however an interim award is also available. Although not a statutory requirement, its award and required ambition to reach this award is sold as good PR and as an improvement to efficiency and best practice. So as part of our course we were given a variety of projects to choose from, and using the CEEQUAL assessment tool Version 3 (there is now a new improved version 4 available)perform an assessment of the projects sustainability credentials from the information available. Coming from an architectural background, I chose New Songdo City, Central Park in South Korea using the report descripting the project provided by its engineers Arup, which can be found here. Here are some snippets from my analysis of the results of the CEEQUAL assessment:

New Songdo City is citied by its developers as an exemplar in sustainability and green urban planning on a massive scale. One key aspect of this is the utilisation of almost 40% of its master-plan for the development of green spaces, the largest of which being Central Park. On the basis of the material available, New Songdo City has received a Good pass award with an overall initial score of 53.8% post construction. The majority of points awarded were achieved through effective project management, consideration of water issues and the development of a sustainable transport strategy, all of which resulting in a high award for community relations. There was however scope for the whole project rating to achieve an excellent award, should the developers have placed more emphasis on effective land use, reduction of energy consumption levels and ensuring that sustainable materials were selected and sourced locally.

Sustainability was obviously one of the key objectives of this development, something that has been undertaken by considered project management. The inclusion of sustainability consultants within the design team reflects this ambition. Points have also been gained through the consultation of local design teams and academic institutions, ensuring that most environmental impacts have been identified early on, and that the development meets local design and construction standards. This has also supported an attempt to balance the parks design with the natural surroundings of New Songdo City and respect historic Korean construction traditions. Rigorous consideration has also been given to the design, maintenance and water quality of the canal. Although this is in part due to the desire to maintain a reliable canal service route, praise should be given to the developers attempts to incorporate SUDS and the inclusion of an Operation & Maintenance plan. Consideration has also been given to the impacts on soil and groundwater and correct analysis and sustainable use of existing water bodies. The successful planning and development of new transport networks via new footpaths, cycle ways and a ferry service on the canal heavily contribute towards the park award, all attempting to encourage a reduction in car usage and minimise traffic impact. One of the perceived bonuses of building on reclaimed land is that there are few, if any, local communities to engage with, which although reducing the possibility for conflict also could encourage complacency within the developments design.

However it could be argued that while sustainability has been integral to the overall master plan of New Songdo, the same attention has not necessarily been paid to the actual construction of the park. This is reflected in the choice of materials and the consumption and generation of energy with the parks associated buildings (i.e. car park, boat stations) where little mention of sustainable local sources or renewable energy generation is made. Although difficult to achieve with the development of a park, it would appear that no whole life costing has been carried out with regard to the canal, park and associated buildings. It should also be noted that the production of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) could have resulted in the resolving of several unknown factors, with possible impacts on the final award. Korea suffers from Geographical restraints, with limited land resources due to large central mountainous regions resulting in either huge cut and fill developments or land reclaiming programs. However there is little evidence substantiation the necessity of the land reclamation here, or proof that alternative solutions have been fully considered which may have had a zero or minimum impact on the existing wetlands habitat so crucial for local wildlife. Consideration has also not been fully paid to the impacts of climate change, with the potential destruction from rising sea levels and the increased capacity of extreme weather to hit the region.

Below is Radar plot of my score award to New Songdo City. As part of the coursework I also carried out a critique on the CEEQUAL assessment itself, which I may post parts up at a later date…

Northern Exposure

Unfortunately it has been a while since I have added to the blog – this was due to balancing my workloads between my current employment and my part time masters. Alas the combination of coursework, lectures and exam preparations got the better of me regarding time; however I now have a lull for 3 months in classes and will soon update the blog with some recent activities and thoughts on the course so far. For now however I will cast my mind back to August last year, and to Scotland’s Housing Expo, where I took the opportunity to view some of some Scotland’s most revered architects attempts to create innovative modern low energy housing designs, constructed of sustainable local materials.

The site contains in total 52 houses, a mixture of bold designs and realistic solutions. Several units were incomplete due to the impact of the financial crisis, and snagging required to others but considering the current state of the construction industry in Scotland this is understandable. Around 20 of these homes are affordable rent or low cost home ownership with a shared equity scheme, delivered by the Highland Housing Alliance in conjunction with Albyn Housing Society Ltd and Cairn Housing Association.

MASTERPLAN

In attempting to avoid the traditional cul-de-sac of the neighbouring developments, master planners Cadell2 have considered the Scottish environment and climate and how to respond to the sensitivity of the Scottish landscape. The individual housing sites are located perhaps more closely than normally associated with traditional housing schemes in an attempt to recreate the more socialable, dense, tight knit communities of Scotland’s past and moving away from detached properties by including a couple of possible terraced house solutions. The site makes good use of its outdoor spaces, including a wide village green and play area avoiding the usual accompaniment of uninviting railings and hard landscaping, as well as a gentle sloping avenue enticing people to a wooded area north of the site. The two main streets through the site have also been located to incorporate the existing waterways on the site. Although efforts have been made to reduce car numbers, an opportunity to make the site entirely car-free has been missed. The Expo in particular could have been a great exemplar of how cars can be separated from housing design, emulating several housing developments around Europe that the Expo perpetrates to admire. According to the site plan however the site is not linked up the surround housing schemes, possibly restricting permeability, although access to walking, cycling and public transport routes are provided at the south of the site.

AFFORDABLE_TERRACE

Although not initially overwhelmed by its metallic exterior and its vernacular house shape, on reflection ‘The Timber House’ by John Gilbert Architects certainly avoided the pitfalls associated with unrestrained double-storey glazing that so many of the other house designs seemed to submit to (i.e. overheating, privacy, carrying of odours and expensive). That’s not to say that there is a lack of natural light. After negotiating the semi-detached house’s slightly awkward entrance, the spacious lounge area is naturally well-lit by an extensive corner glazing incorporating timber double-glazed argon filled doors. This is a sentiment that is continued in every room, with generous but understated glazing provided to the kitchen and first floor bedrooms.
The combination of warm timber internals and natural light is backed up by the timber framed external wall construction, consisting of 95mm cross-laminated timber frame pre-fabricated from Sweden (do they not make this in Scotland?) enabling quick erection and a high thermal mass. Ventilated corrugated aluminium sheeting insulated with 200mm hemp is then attached to this frame, avoiding overheating from insolation in summer and keeping the house cosy in winter. The aluminium façade is continued in the pre-fab roof build-up. I would question the use of aluminium here, being that as a material it has an extremely high embedded carbon levels so should really not be considered when conceiving a ‘low carbon’ house. Aesthetically, it also doesn’t really work here, and in time the walls could become reminiscent of the many decaying out of town shopping warehouses that blight the landscape around most cities. In terms of its use of reflecting solar radiation in the summer, several other materials and coatings with high albedos are also available, and the use of suitable coloured paint can add to this as well as getting away from the gloomy grey pebbledash housing that we are so accustomed to in Scotland. The architects might not have pushed the boat out when it comes to taking design risks; however its modest attributes could make it attractive to private housing developers and with heating bills as low as £73/year (54 KWh/m² energy consumed, heating only) it has the potential to appeal to the social housing attempting to combating fuel poverty.

SECRET_GARDEN

Isle of Skye practice Rural Design’s Secret Garden plot was a great example of how space within a dwelling can be used resourcefully without stifling design inventiveness, and providing the added bonus of a large outside space required for a sustainable lifestyle such as food production. By strengthening a traditional highland house design, the architects have created a modest yet welcoming environment with a balanced room layout.
On entering the detached property, the staircase to the upper level is carefully tucked away removing its use as a feature but freeing up more space. The large living/dining area overlooking the stretch of garden to the rear of the property, clearly connected by large single storey full height glazing (with a slight overhang from above) and roof lights within the lounges sloped ceiling section. By separating the footprint of the two levels within the property, the architect is then able to make use of the room space over the lounge area, giving the room a more spacious and inviting feel again achieved in conjunction with timber internal finishes. The 3 bedrooms upstairs all face the rear of the property, maintaining privacy, and once again making full use of roof space to increase the perception of space. The use of roof space generally here does have its short fallings though, as indicated in the houses low carbon credentials slightly especially in comparison with its neighbouring sites. With an annual energy bill for heating of £320 (126 KWh/m²), its timber frame with 350mm insulation will need to be complemented perhaps by ensuring that the building is air-tight (perhaps built to Passiv Haus standards) and possible use of heat recovery technology.

MISHAPS_OTHERS

These two designs, although not perfect, stood out for me particularly. However there were also a number of successes and mishaps scattered around the development as a whole, each with their own nugget of value. As previously mentioned, several designs opted for full height double storey triple-glazing designed no doubt to increase heat gains from solar radiation. Twin Peaks by Joseph Thurrott highlighted the flaws associated with this feature when not correctly positioned, by creating too much roof space leading to expensive energy bills and smells directing from the below kitchen towards upper bedrooms, not to mention inadequate shading to prevent overheating. The Apartment by Keppie Design displayed an interesting solution to this problem by providing every apartment with a glazed balcony and retractable doors between this space and the living quarters, allowing more flexibility and the potential to warm air during the day ready for release within the property in the evening. Timber was present in most of the buildings, mostly prefabricated but not always sourced locally which was a let-down. Black was also present in a lot of buildings, no doubt due to its heat absorption properties however it remains to be seen how popular this tone is with buying customers. JM Architects went one step further with specifying black rubber to the outer face of their terraced housing on Stealth Terrace, although they attempted to balance its impact in the long term by introducing climbing ivy. NORDs Stone House made excellent use of local Caithness stone and the building form created a uniquely shaped lounge area. However the houses room layout seemed at odds with conventional wisdom, placing the dining and kitchen area on different floors (the dining area with it’s very on en-suite bathroom?) ensuring that any residents life would be spent firmly on the stairs. Visitors were equally confused by the abnormally high storage spaces provided in the bedrooms of the terraced housing scheme Three on Nine by Graham Mitchell Architects. Workspaces generally seemed to be an afterthought in most designs, many placed within hallways or redundant upper floor space created by vast glazing.

CONCLUSIONS

So what can be taken from the once dubbed ‘Highland Housing Expo’? The now defunct name at least explains its location in Inverness, not exactly the most accessible venue to promote quality design around Scotland. Low Carbon and Zero Carbon houses are always going to be a hard sell on their own, with higher purchasing costs clients will find it hard to visualise where all that extra money is going when so many of the advances are coming in energy generation technology and hidden away thicker insulation. The clients and architects at the expo have recognised this, and acknowledged that there is a need to re-evaluate the design of houses to give the client something more tangible for their buck. The designs also show the lack of a silver bullet for house design, each with their own appeals and snags. Sacrifices are always made. At the heart of any solutions though is a combination of very plain detailing and innovative use of new technologies and techniques, not a bombardment of gadgets. In this respect better information could have been on display regarding the energy saving devices spread around the sites. I was also genuinely surprised at the number of families and ‘average punters’ attending the expo. Participating architects could have learned a lot from spending some time eavesdropping on their prospective inhabitant’s thoughts, perhaps making use of those hallway workspaces they neglected to integrate properly into their designs….