CONSTRUCTION OF 45 PLUS-ENERGY (BEPOS) VILLAS IN A SMART GRID
KUNMING 2014, YUNNAN PROVINCE, SOUTHWEST CHINA

1. CHINA’S ECO-HIGH-TECH CITIES : TOWARDS AN ENERGY EFFICIENT COMMUNITY IN KUNMING

Stepping out of your plus-energy house regulating the light and the temperature cleverly and automatically according to the sun’s path. Catch the vital energies of the nature by training ourselves Tai Chi Chuan or Qi Gong under a snow of cherry tree petals. Cultivate together with our neighbors the community vegetable garden. Harvest the organic vegetables for the family dinner. Wander between the marshes of rainwater harvesting and the recycling lagoons where the sky of koï carps is covered of lotus flowers. Swim in a naturally filtered swimming-pool. Admire the elegant and nagging axial wind turbines.

Listen the laughter of children of the eco-district who share with their grandparents the games of Mahjong, Go and Cuju in the wild field. Recycle our organic waste in compost wells producing natural fertilizer. Sort out the other waste via a silent and underground pneumatic collection system. Go to work by electric bicycle or driverless car (Electric Networked-Vehicle), both recharged directly by the photovoltaic roof of the house. Follow the road whose sensory LED lights match according to sounds and movements of the city-dwellers.

This is the Eco-High-Tech atmosphere of the “Flavours Orchard” project. It’s a pioneer project that fights for the conception of eco-responsible lifestyles along the Daguan river connecting the “Emerald”, the green lake of the city centre of Kunning, to the magnificent Dianchi Lake in the South. Capital of the Yunnan province, the city is located at 1894 meters high and benefits from a temperate climate all the year that gives to it the charming name of « The City of Eternal Spring ».

The site of several hectares is an old industrial wasteland devoted to be restored in a new eco-district whose exemplarity in terms of sustainable innovations is supposed to be reproducible everywhere in China. The leitmotiv is to produce more energy and biodiversity than we consume by recycling at the same time our waste in reusable natural resources endlessly towards a post-nuclear, post-fossil and zero carbon emission city. Through the creation of such projects, China is recovering its delay on the ecological debt reimbursement and tries to slow down the massive rural exodus it suffers by the creation of new urban prototypes mixing all the advantages of the city and the countryside.

2. 45 PLUS-ENERGY (BEPOS) VILLAS PLANTED IN THE SMART GRID OF A COMMUNITY ORCHARD

The building sector is a primary energy consumer particularly in China (40% of total consumed energy) in front of the transports (30%) and the industry (30%). It is responsible for more than 40% of total emissions of CO2. It’s obvious that the energy savings are thus the major economic and ecological challenge for this sector. Whereas the prices of the fuel and the non-renewable energy increase unavoidably, the objective is to divide by 10 the consumption of this construction sector for an equivalent service within the next ten years.

In this perspective, the concept of this new « Flavours Orchard » eco-district is to build 45 Plus-Energy Villas in a huge community orchard/food garden integrating a Smart Grid self-managed by the gardener-inhabitants and the participants of the project.

In the heart of this nourishing landscape, the goal is to associate a state-of-the-art for smart building automation systems and information integrated in each villa (leading to cost reduction and Increased functionality) with an intelligent energy network in order to redistribute the produced excess (electric, calorific, food) towards the nearest needs so as to prevent from the loss in lines or related to the storage systems. In addition to the fuel cells, the electric vehicles are also used as buffer storage of electricity excess produced by the solar roofs assuring thus the daily travels of the inhabitants for free.

The objective is also to repatriate the production of the organic agriculture in the heart of the city, center of its consumption. This bio-geographical integration of the master plan respects the natural qualities of the site and maintains the continuity of the endemic ecosystems (trees, hedges, streams, floras and fauna are preserved). Flavours Orchard is a genuine garden sharing its energies designed and cultivated collectively. Ideas are here more shared than the ground, the sun or the wind because it deals not only with producing what to eat, lighten and air conditions but also to meet on a common ground of ecological experimentations and collective projects. It’s an urban landscape open to everybody without fence between the villas, in favor of the neighborhood relationships and the intercultural and intergenerational social links. It’s an educational tool about the environment respect thanks to its ecological master plan, its organic agriculture technics, its smart home automation strategies and its integration of renewable energies.

The private garages for electric cars and the technical rooms for home automation are located underground. This basement distributes each villa under the central path to liberate completely the orchard dedicated only to pedestrians, cyclists or electric driverless cars.

The future families of these Plus-Energy villas will be able to live and work comfortably in their villa reinventing new eco-responsible lifestyles maximizing the normal living standards.

The 45 Plus-Energy Villas produce more energy from renewable energy sources, over the course of a year, than they consume from external sources. This is achieved by using large North and South facing window areas to allow sunlight to penetrate the structure, by reducing the need for energy use from air cooling units and light bulbs with triple-glazed windows, and by the addition of heavy insulation that means the structure is already warm in the evening and therefore needs less heating.

These passive buildings (BEPAS) that capture heat during the day in order to reduce the need to generate heat over night, exceed their energy needs through renewable energy production by the integration of solar photovoltaic and solar thermal panels, geothermal heat exchangers, and combined heat and power units (CHP). All grey water is recycled in lagoons for agricultural irrigation and toilet flushing. All waste water will be sent to bio-reactor facades (with panels filled with algae) for anaerobic digestion and the methane emitted during the digestion process will be used to produce energy and to cool the interiors.

The construction of positive energy constitutes a high technological and conceptual rupture. These villas are thermally insulated without discontinuity and without thermal bridges. They are airtight, present controlled ventilation and are also equipped with economical domestic appliances of A+++ class. They generalize the LED lighting with automatic detection of presence and needs. They have a total consumption of primary energy (heating, sanitary hot water, lighting, all appliances) estimated at less than 50 kWh/m2/year for an average production that can reach 100 kWh/m2/year via the sun or wind. According to the usage of inhabitants, the consumption of primary energy could even decrease under 35 kWh/m2/year.

The 45 villas building with a wood/steel structure are divided into three architectural typologies forming thus 3 eco-districts having their own identity:

2.1. THE “MOBIÜS” VILLA (15 units)

The Mobius Villa is organized around an endless ribbon drawing the symbol of infinity around two patios, one aquatic and the other planted. This ribbon with primary steel structure and secondary wood frame is built from the repetition of one trapezoidal module repeated 24 times in the space. This module, opened at 30 degrees forms thus a pedestrian sloping path of 720 degrees along its double revolution. It contains all the bedrooms, the bathrooms, the offices, the libraries and the game rooms. It is covered by a green roof, true suspended vegetable garden with high thermal inertia and with a zenithal photovoltaic glass roof. The curved geometry forms a snake in sustentation on top of a façade in “8” with supporting frames. Louvered shutters in translucent glass pivot automatically along this glass facade to regulate the solar inputs during the day.

The panoramic ground floor aims at immersing the diurnal life spaces in the heart of a clearing coiled in the orchard. The living room, the kitchens and reception rooms are located around the central vertical axis of the project. Actually at the intersection of the double loop, the vertical circulations distribute the 4 inhabited levels and the garden roof.

2.2. THE “MOUNTAIN” VILLA (15 units)

The Mountain Villa opens out at 180 degrees such as a huge Chinese fan built from east to west to ideally follow the sun’s path. It’s a double-skin architecture presenting a south facade very glazed and a very opaque north façade in wood presenting 20% of perforation. The 22 arches are linked together by cables. They are closed by solarized photovoltaic glass panels. Panels filled with algae are also integrated to the conception in the 7 central arches to produce bio-hydrogen. The second exterior skin develops a glued laminated timber frame and works as a huge windscreen shaped in wood lace. This trellis enables to assure the intimacy of the inhabitants and to regulate the inputs of heat by subduing the solar rays from east to west.

In the center of the villa, an atrium full of light raises on 4 levels. A spiral staircase coils around a panoramic glazed elevator to distribute all the night and relaxation spaces. The living rooms and reception spaces are opened towards the landscape by a big arch going through the North and South facades.

2.3. THE “SHELL” VILLA (15 units)

The Shell Villa liberates itself from the ground on its 6 stainless steel pillars to stretch towards the sky and to make its axial wind turbine higher than the top of the fruit trees. A circular deck takes the loads of a glued laminated timber carpentry that is plaited in diamonds such as a conical Chinese hat. It’s a cocoon villa drawn in double curves and organized around three patios in spiral that fit closely the membranes of the twisted wood beams.

These patios are isolated by the glass façades whereas three stainless steel petals put on insulating cushions coat the structure from outside. This radiant wood structure is divided into 36 standardized beams that are spaced out from each other by 10 degrees from their center. Thus, from the life spaces we obtain panoramic views on the whole orchard whereas an elevator goes through all the levels to the top of the mast of the axial wind turbine.

These three typologies of Plus-Energy Villas set up in the clearings of the great community orchard are the symbol that it is possible to invent new contemporary models of eco-responsible housing mixing the economical evolution in China and the worldwide respect of the environment. The precursory inhabitants are linked together by their citizen commitment for a new ecological ideal that is energetically efficient, collective and sustainable.

Through Architecture, the social life between city and countryside is first of all reinvented!

© Vincent Callebaut Architect

Dutch architects hold out hope that skyscraper project utilizing wind power will come to fruition

With an eye trained directly on a sustainable future, Amsterdam-based NL Architects has come up with plans for an energy-generating skyscraper that would harness the power of 600 wind turbines.

The project first came to light recently when NL Architects entered the concept – dubbed Tower of Power – in the Taiwan Conceptual Tower International Competition. While its bid did not win, a spokesperson for NL Architects says that there is definite interest in this innovative idea, and they are confident an energy company will help see it through to fruition.

The project would utilize 600 wind turbines to produce six megawatts of electricity. In addition to its renewable energy-generating capabilities, NL’s spokesperson said the landmark tower would provide an observation deck, meeting space, office space, museum, and parking.  The lace-like skyscraper, then, would combine mixed-use space with a productive clean energy source for a city.

“The idea,” the NL spokesperson tells Green Building and Sustainable Strategies magazine,“ is to combine a type of observation tower with wind energy generation, creating a new type of sustainable landmark.  To get that, we would deploy vertical access wind turbines and place them in the intricate ‘lace’ of the structure. Think Eiffel Tower plus wind energy equals landmark of the future.”

Inspiration for the Tower of Power design came from a “bamboo basket” concept. There would be a meshed exterior encasing all the of building’s elements. The way the design of the structure weaves in and out would create an intricate pattern and series of spaces that would offer city views. The mesh-like tower would have small vertical axis turbines installed into the façade, all of which would produce the projected amount of clean energy power.

The gaps between the mesh would provide the space needed for the installation of the 600 wind turbines. The turbines, says NL Architects, would be quiet and sculptural, as opposed to larger, noisier alternatives.

In its brief to the Taiwan competition, NL stated: “Tower of Power is not just a symbol of good intentions; it actually produces green energy. Instead of being yet another ‘empty’ icon, it actually is a usable object.

“Next to its required functionality as sightseeing tower and telecommunication base, it is an environmentally-friendly power plant.  And Tower of Power is also an attempt to investigate how power plants of the future can be turned into objects of beauty.”

Web: www.nlarchitects.nl/

CANADA’S FIRST ACTIVE HOUSE

Toronto based architects superkül designed Canada’s first Active House in Ontario’s Niagara region. Great
Gulf, one of Canada’s largest home builders, selected superkül, a firm with a breadth of experience designing
sustainable homes, to design Canada’s first residence that meets the construction metrics outlined by
the Danish Active House program. The Active House program was initiated by a European consortium of
academics, scientists, architects, engineers, and building manufacturers to promote a holistic approach to
home design that marries environmental responsibility and energy efficiency with the need to design spaces
that contribute positively to the health and well being of its residents.
“We’ve designed several green homes, but this project presented the exciting opportunity to collaborate
with Great Gulf and the Active House Alliance to create a new paradigm for the sustainably-minded and
health-conscious homebuyer,” said Andre D’Elia, a Principal at superkül and the lead architect for Great Gulf
Active House.

superkül’s design strategy considered the environmental impact of the entire lifecycle of the home from
concept to performance as well as its impact on its users. The house is oriented with the long roof slope and
major glazing facing south to maximize the efficiency of the solar hot-water system and passive solar gain.
The multitude of skylights and windows create naturally light-filled spaces and minimize the need for artificial
light. Two intersecting axes guide the open plan of the interior to maximize cross breezes. By removing visual
barriers between living spaces, the open plan also creates the impression of a larger home. To promote the
comfort of the residents, superkül ensured that each room featured exterior views without compromising
privacy. The patio that aligns with the width of the living room reinforces the visually seamless extension of the
interior spaces.

Great Gulf Active House boasts fully integrated systems designed to optimize natural lighting and air quality
while reducing its dependency on non-renewable energy sources. Natural ventilation is encouraged by a
dual-zone HVAC system connected to a Somfy Tahoma Smart House system that uses sensors to automate
the windows, blinds and 14 skylights to open and close in response to the interior temperature and air quality
while two heat recovery ventilation (HRV ) units supply the house with fresh air. The use of low VOC paints
and low emitting interior finishes improve indoor air quality. A grey water heat recovery unit captures heat from
showers and baths and preheats incoming cold water to reduce the energy demand for domestic hot water.
A cistern and rainwater collection system reduces the need for municipal water up to an estimated 35% while
lessening the loads on the municipal waste water system. superkül ensured the house is supplied by 100%
renewable energy by installing solar thermal panels and providing renewable gas from Bullfrog Power. The
electricity, also provided by Bullfrog Power, comes from 100% renewable sources.
The exterior walls, roof and floor systems were prefabricated in Toronto at Brockport Home Systems’ factory,
expediting the house to be erected in only one week. This innovative construction method not only reduces
material waste, energy usage, and risks of onsite accidents during the construction process but also improves
the accuracy and quality of construction. The wood frame panels are a more sustainable alternative to the
typical steel structure.

Great Gulf Active House will be studied and measured by architects, product manufacturer and construction
teams to define the next generation of Great Gulf homes.