The Concept of Biomimicry in Environmentally Sustainable Design - Term Paper Example

Environmentally Sustainable Design Name Course Institution Date Executive Summary The report is aimed at exploring and discussing factors to take into consideration during the designing of buildings for effective attainment of environmentally sustainable and high performance buildings with respect to efficiency in energy, water and resources usage. The report emphasizes the importance of close cooperation between the stakeholders, particularly the architects and the engineers in the entire process of the building design and construction to enhance smooth achievement of energy and resource efficiency in the design of the building. The concept of Biomimicry will be evaluated, through reference to two case studies involving CH2 (Council House 2) and 60L Green Buildings in Melbourne, for their consideration in being incorporated in the design of sustainable building within the context of imitating designs from nature to realize sustainability ideas that would lead to energy and resource efficiency in the refurbishment of Building D at Victoria University Footscray Park Campus. Table of Contents Introduction……………………………………………………………………..…………………4 The concept of Biomimicry in environmentally sustainable designs..............................................5 Case studies: CH2 and 60L Green Buildings…………………………………………..…………6 Environmental sustainability in CH2 and 60L Green Building design…………………...………6 Sustainable solutions in Building D refurbishment….....................................................................9 Conclusion….................................................................................................................................11 Bibliography……………………………………………………………….…………………….12 Environmentally Sustainable Design 1.0 Introduction As the Biomimicry 3.8 Institute (2014) explains, biomimicry encompasses a design aspect that endeavors to imitate naturally occurring designs and patterns for incorporation in the establishment of sustainable solutions on the premise that nature has solved most problems in a sustainable manner and it would therefore be sustainable imitating what the nature has already achieved. The concept borrows the ideas from the nature and in an innovative manner aligns the ideas so observed into a model of processes, systems and strategies taking the form of a design that sustainably solves existing problems. The benchmark of sustainability in mankind innovations within the context of biomimicry lies in ecological yardsticks with regard to environmental conservation, energy and resources efficiency. The focus is primarily not on what can be extracted from nature but rather on what can be learnt from it and be applied in designing the world in a sustainable way while conserving the environment. The application of biomimicry in the building and construction industry therefore implies inclusion of nature concepts in the various aspects of building constructions, designs and upgrading so as to achieve sustainability objectives. In the design phase of building constructions, inclusion of biomimic designs implies undertaking conscious efforts towards ensuring that the building in question assumes an aspect that imitates natural entities in terms of shape and other important characteristics for the sake of enhancing sustainability. The report discusses environmentally sustainable design by referring to two case studies that involve CH2 (Council House 2) and 60L Green Buildings in Melbourne and explaining the designs and sustainable aspects of the buildings and sustainable solutions that can be adopted in the refurbishment of Building D at Victoria University Footscray Park Campus. 2.0 The concept of Biomimicry in environmentally sustainable designs As has been mentioned, biomimicry basically entails observation of nature and learning from it the sustainable solutions that can be adopted in providing equal solutions that withstand the test of time in various aspects of life including the design and construction of long lasting buildings. According to Benyus (2009), biomimicry has over time transformed into a specialty that concentrateson understanding the operational mechanisms of the natural environment and living organisms existing in the natural environment approach and conquer the challenge of sustainable designs creation. By concentrating in understanding how the natural environment operates and creates sustainable solutions through design innovations, architectural engineers incorporate aspects of shapes, materials used and the coverings on the wall to the final form of the building to mimic nature in constructing environmentally sustainable designs for buildings. Mysteries as regards processes that living organisms occurring in the natural environment use in carrying out survival activities such as water collection and storage, how they sustainably control their thermal regulation dynamics such as body cooling through shade, how plants capture and store light and the various forms that organisms assume such as light wings provide guidance to structural engineers on how to sustainably design buildings for durability and environmental conservation. Pawlyn (2011) further explains that human beings continue to apply the ingenuity of nature in construction fraternity by mimicking forms that enable sustainable light weight structures to be erected, employment of photosynthesis concepts in green building to attract and store solar power, imitating body regulation mechanisms such as homeostasis in designing buildings such that regulation mechanisms involving temperature control can be sustainably implemented without adversely affecting the environment. 2.1 The case studies 2.1.1 CH2 (Council House 2) building As can be retrieved from the City of Melbourne website (www.melbourne.vic.gov.au), CH2 building is constructed using the concept of biomimicry in the sense that it mimics nature in its design that conserves energy and water and that the internal environment is aligned in such a manner that it regulates itself through a system of interrelation among various internal parts to heat, cool, distribute water and power in the building just the same way the body regulates internal mechanisms through the process of homeostasis. The building is located 240 Little Collins Street, Melbourne and provides the offices for the Council of City of Melbourne having been constructed due to lack of sustainable office spaces for the council workers back in the year 2004 . The photograph below is a pictorial depiction of the external characteristics of the building. As a sustainable measure to ensure energy and resources’ efficiency, the building has the following elements embedded within the core of its holistic design: It has a natural lighting system It has an efficient heating and cooling system It is constructed of western timber shutters and vaulted concrete ceilings It has a waste management system that is environmental friendly The building generates energy through an efficient system and the windows are treated to enhance the quality of internal air It has a self regulatory mechanism that caters for all seasons from winter, and summer including day and night modes. The below diagram represents the internal design of CH2 building that facilitates energy and resource efficiency as mentioned above: 2.1.2 60L Green Building According to Bulkeley (2013), the 60L Green Building in Australia is designed and built in a sustainable manner within the contexts of energy and water consumption with minimal negative environmental effects. Moreover, sustainability was enhanced in the construction phase by recycling the used construction materials such as bricks which are exposed on the buildings walls and wood that built the doors. The building is located in 60 Leicester Street, Carlton, Victoria. Aspects of environmentally sustainable design in the building include: It has efficient sewerage and the water systems A green rooftop garden ensures that green gas emission into the environment is minimized and provides insulation to the entire building by providing thermal mass Tress are planted around the building to neutralize the little green gas emission from the building and achieve a nil greenhouse effect around the building The heating, ventilation and cooling system is natural and includes the building windows, chimneys and atrium occurring at the centre of the building. The windows are computer controlled and regulate the internal air flow automatically depending on the direction and speed of wind thereby preventing heat from accumulating in the building at night. The windows can as well be controlled manually by tenants. The design of the building maximizes the spread of the natural light to all sections of the building reducing use of artificial light and heat generation from the same The building primarily uses rainwater. Large tanks are installed to tap the water. Water demand is minimized by use of facilities such as toilets that do not require water and toilet pans utilizing low flush volume. Energy is generated through roof top solar panels. 3.0 Sustainable solutions in refurbishment of Building D According to Malina (2012), sustainable practices with regard to design, protection, thermal regulation, illumination and construction of buildings ensure that the use of water, heat, light and other resources is efficient with inclination towards achieving sustainable efficiency in all aspects of the building use over its entire life cycle while at the same time minimizing adverse effects on the environment. Sustainable solutions are geared towards achieving high performance buildings by using energy and resources efficiently for long term economic advantages of a building within the confines of reduction of negative impacts to the environment. Sustainable solutions are guided by construction standards and in Australia, as Yao (2013) postulates, Green Star represents the Australia’s rating standard for analyzing environmental sustainability and performance of buildings along parameters of water, energy and resource efficiency and conservation and the nature of internal environment of buildings. According to Green Building Council of Australia (2014), the Green Star-Education V1 is a rating instrument employed in the assessment of environmental characteristics of both new and refurbished educational buildings in Australia for purposes of establishing or improving environmentally sustainable designs for buildings meant for educational purposes. The parameters used in the Green Star-Education V1 assessment exercise and which can guide in recommendations pertaining to sustainable solutions to be adopted in the refurbishment of Building D at Victoria University Footscray Park Campus include: 1. Aspects of the building management system 2. Indoor environment quality 3. Energy efficiency with respect to greenhouse gas emissions 4. Transport dynamics that facilitate fuel efficiency and minimize negative environmental impacts 5. Water storage and consumption management 6. Waste materials management mechanisms 7. Land use and ecology management in an environmentally sustainable manner. In light of the above information, the following sustainable solutions can be employed in the refurbishment of Building D at Victoria University Footscray Park Campus include to ensure environmentally sustainable designs: Vertical vegetation where vegetation is grown on the walls of the building for insulation purposes, improving energy efficiency and borrows on the biomimicry concept of photosynthesis. Buoyancy-driven ventilation with respect to installation of fans and chimneys through which to regulate the flow of air into and out of the building A combination of both natural lighting through windows and artificial lighting through use of energy saving bulbs that are tested to be working in an efficient manner and equitably distributed User of light sensors to detect when to switch lights on/off Use of chilled beams systems as the heating and cooling system due to low green house gas emissions To install Grey water management system for various uses such as flushing the toilets, watering the vertical vegetation and installing tanks to tap on the rainwater. 4.0 Conclusion The report has discussed the concept of environmentally sustainable designs within the context of biomimicry. The report has briefly explained what biomimicry entails and how it is applied in design and construction of buildings for sustainability with respect to production of maximum economic benefits while minimizing negative impacts to the environment. Tow case studies have been referenced to put the whole issue into perspective and the report has explained how sustainable measures can be incorporated in the refurbishment of Building D at Victoria University Footscray Park Campus. Bibliography Bulkeley, H. 2013. Cities and climate change. Abingdon, Oxon New York, NY: Routledge. Benyus, J. 2009. Biomimicry innovation inspired by nature. Pymble, NSW New York, NY: HarperCollins e-books. City of Melbourne, 2014. About CH2. Retrieved on 13th May 2014 from http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/sustainability/ch2/aboutch2/Pages/AboutCH2.asp Green Building Council of Australia, 2014. Green Star - Education v1. Retrieved on 13th May 2014 from http://www.gbca.org.au/green-star/rating-tools/green-star-education-v1/ Malina, M. 2012. Delivering Sustainable Buildings an Industry Insider's View. Chicester: Wiley. Pawlyn, M. 2011. Biomimicry in architecture. London, UK: Riba Publishing. The Biomimicry 3.8 Institute, 2014. What is Biomimicry? Retrieved on 13th May 2014 from http://www.asknature.org/article/view/what_is_biomimicry Yao, R. 2013. Design and management of sustainable built environments. London: Springer. Read More