All posts by Giulio

JAMES LAW CYBERTECTURE


Mumbai’s Cybertecture Egg

“In the 21st Century, buildings will be different from 20th Century”, say James Law Cybertecture International, “They are no longer about concrete, steel and glass, but also the new intangible materials of technology, multimedia, intelligence and interactivity. Only recognizing this will bring a new form of architecture to light, namely a Cybertecture.”

This enlightment gives rise to a new form of architecture – “Cybertecture”. The Cybertecture Egg is a Cybertecture building that brings together iconic architecture, environmental design, intelligent control systems, and evolutionary engineering to create the most innovative building for the city of Mumbai and for India in the 21st Century. The concept for the Cybertecture Egg was inspired by looking at the world in terms of the planet being a self-sustaining vessel with an ecosystem that allows life to exist, grow and evolve. Like our planet Earth, the building has a sustainable ecosystem derived from Cybertecture thinking to give the building’s inhabitants both a dynamic physical world and access to virtual spaces of the connected world. As with Earth, the form of the Cybertecture Egg is extruded from a sphere and evolved to create a unique and iconic building, which serves as a beacon and nucleus for the immediate central business district area known as Bandra Kurla Complex. The scheme comprises 33,000 square meters of office space stacked in 13 stories with highly intelligent building management systems and 3 levels of basement providing 400 car parking spaces. The structure of the Cybertecture Egg uses a diagrid exo-skeleton, which creates a rigid structural system allowing for large column-free floor plates and high space flexibility. The ingenuity of this form effectively reduces approximately 15% of construction material use compared to a conventional orthogonal building. This building have an ecosystem of environmental technologies that makes the project one of the most sustainably advanced designs in the world.

The building’s design attempts to decrease energy demands through passive solar design, the construction of an elevated garden to help cool the building (through a process called thermolysis) and the implementation of photovoltaic panels and wind turbines on the roof.

Even water conservation is taken care of with the incorporation of a water filtration system that recycles grey water for irrigation purposes.

Green Features

• Orientation of Building: The building is orientated towards the ideal direction vis-a-vis the sun to minimize solar and heat gain.

• Sky Gardens: Green areas of the building provide sun shading, oxygen replenishment, refuge areas for people as well as cooling for building and wetland filter beds for water recycling.

• PV Farms: Photovoltaic cells are integrated into the façade facing the sun to help provide an alternative electricity source.

• Intelligent Glass Façade: The building’s glazing has

variable fritting and tones based on sun orientation, as well as variable shading and tinting.

• Water Recycling System: The recycling of potable water is done through a combination of rain water harvesting systems, sewerage treatment and filtration, and wetland cell systems. These effectively recycle up to 20% of the water supply consumption of the building.

• Underground Water Cooling: Related to the water recycling system, the underground cooling system embedded deep underground in a reservoir provide naturally chilled water for the building’s air conditioning.

• Intelligent Building Management Systems: BMS to reduce energy use in less utilized or less occupied locations.

Within the building, there will be a series of innovative systems such as ‘cybertecture health’ which is designed to keep track of the inhabitant’s health including blood pressure and weight. The Egg is electronically monitoring workers’ health: vital signs and statistics such as blood pressure are accessible to workers electronically in restrooms, and the stats can be signaled to doctors if deemed necessary.

Maybe a touch invasive, but it seems like the architects have their hearts in the right place when it comes to looking out for the office workers.

Technology and the working environment are united in the use of ‘cybertecture reality’ which allows you to customize your favorite view and have real time scenery all around the world instead of the view the user currently has.

Courtesy of James Law Cybertecture

 

 

THE SCIENCE OF SOLAR POWER

Introduction of Solar Liquid Power (SLP) as a Coating or Paint

SOLAR SYNTHESIS DELIVERED AS A RENEWABLE SOLAR POWER LIQUID

In 2006, a private group of scientists, poured their own funds and the funds of a private investor, into designing a highly specialized mix of inorganic and organic chemistry, physics, nanotechnology, and material sciences into a single integrated science (SLP) to arrive at the latest renewable energy entrant to meet true energy efficiency and performance. “Solar Liquid Power” produced as a liquid electricity producing coating. This technology advancement and its growth may very well become the final solution to using Solar as a renewable energy source! The building and architecture industry as well as other applications will benefit. The longevity, high performance and complete flexibility of Solar Liquid Power allows building materials to be pre-coated for easy installation, thus advancing new architectural design possibilities. Also because it’s a coating, it can arrive clear or colored. Then finally, it can be imbedded into fabric and onto windows all for one single purpose…to produce a constant source of renewable solar energy without the restrictions of physical panels or films!

Exploration of Materiality in Design

Energy performance within design aesthetics is the key to successfully marketing and building skins. There appears to be an infinite number of choices before one can contemplate an intelligent approach to this decision. It is not just an aesthetic process by any means.  Current energy modeling may have justified the type and integration of ventilation systems, and also helped determine the glass coatings for greater transparency, thermal conditions and the control of usable end user lighting as well, but the bottom line in the overall sale is lowering operating costs.

Inefficiency is not a popular expectation!

Thus materiality, in concert with engineering and modeling aspects, have become the new “architectural” approach to high efficiency design. Certainly a newly available revolutionary science and technology advance would be perceived as “required” as long as it cuts your energy bill, remains low maintenance and lasts for many years of service.

Thus Solar Power in the form of an incorporable liquid such as a coating can alter the entire landscape of building skins and other applications. Such an innovation inclusion provides the greatest flexibility to the engineering and architectural aspects of any structure. This quest for usable advances in renewable design and materials across a large scale is what SUNTCO undertook to explore and discover. Solar Liquid Power invention is a discovery that will clearly revolutionize how an energy solution is designed to solve our future energy needs. Designed by visionary scientists, engineered to be architected in our living, playing and our work structures.

External facades of any building structure are more than a protective skin regulating temperature and light. They now determine a building’s very appearance and status within the planned environment. Building Skins thereby focus on wide-ranging aspects of facade design, from the selection and use of materials to the inclusion of advanced technical possibilities, like solar liquid power, now available to the architect.

Entrants like, Solar Liquid Power, allow for endless considerations to advance the use of renewable energy aspects, in this case SOLAR, while incorporating and integrating this science and technology into highly efficient designs.

Materiality in design will now consider the extraordinary advances in science and technology taken these past 10 years, quantum leaps in our ability to harness the power of renewable energy sources from Solar, Wind and Water.

Advancements in Solar Sciences

Solar is one of the most environmentally friendly sources of electricity!  It does not produce any harmful emissions, and the Sun provides an essentially inexhaustible source of energy. However, the materials for traditional solar panels are expensive. As technology has improved, the efficiency of solar cells has gone up and manufacturing costs have come down, but the cost of producing electricity from solar energy remains relatively high compared to conventional sources. Significant leaps in Sun Science and technology, advanced by a few around the world, have discovered new solar technologies which can sustain the demands of new environmentally friendly building structures. One such advancement is solar power in a liquid form from Suntco, as an external paint and/or coating material or integrated into original building materials and skins.

SCIENCE OF SOLAR LIQUID

Solar Liquid Power (SLP) is a revolutionary “panel-less” two part coating derived from a combination of inorganic/organic chemistry, electrochemical and nanotechnology at a very small scale (3 to 1200 nano-meters) to birth particles that convert sunlight to electricity in new and highly efficient ways (over 40%). As a liquid coating, it adsorbs more light from all directions across a longer time thus promoting more power for longer times, exceeding current historical panel type specs.

TECHNOLOGY OF SOLAR LIQUID

Solar Liquid Power comprises over 22 chemical and electro-chemical residual elements (organic and inorganic) to produce a 2 part physical liquid application across a 4 part logical structure as shown.

SCALING AND EFFICIENCIES

SLP is applied or embedded in building materials as paint or a clear coating (windows). Its properties are similar to typical latex paint. The base coat is a sprayed on liquid lipid diode (LLD) which capture and transmit the charged electron particles. The topcoat is also a sprayed on energy-adsorbing layer. Once these two dry and bond, you have a full solar power matrix from all angles collecting and providing highly efficient precious energy.

SOLAR LIQUID SKINS and COATING USE

Solar energy is free, abundant, and inexhaustible. The total amount of energy irradiated from the sun to the earth’s surface is enough to provide more than 10,000 times the annual global electricity needs. By reasonably relying on Solar Liquid Power or its variations, this new advanced technology is positioned to add substantial value to the green and clean ecosystem responses for many years to come. Moreover production of this technology solution (in different forms) can be rapidly scaled, while engendering a substantial reduction in expenditure compared to traditional technologies. Surveys conducted over the last 10 years have clearly displayed that satisfaction in building architecture and engineering, substantially comes first from overall building design, then air quality, thermal comfort and lighting (representing 75%)! Thereafter acoustic quality, office/ living quarters layout, cleanliness and maintenance (representing 25%).

Renewable energy solutions (like Solar Liquid Power) inclusion have a dramatic effect on not only servicing over 75% of the primary needs of the structure, but of providing the client, true savings and efficiencies which can be displayed, metered and managed. This is the bottom line expected use of renewable power solutions. Now apparent with more possibilities because it can be applied or imbedded as a liquid!

MATERIALITY IN MOTION

Wind, Water and Sunlight…these natural and abundantly available natural elements are the engines that drive and will drive a sustainable direction for our energy needs now and into the future. While there are other options, like coal with carbon arrest, ethanol, natural gas, oil and nuclear power, they remain the most costly and poorest power solutions to build, control costs and maintain. Wind, Water and Sunlight are the cleanest and most cost effective means to solving more than just power issues. “A focused approach to solar technology solutions for building and architecture has been taken as a total immersion in this area.  The result is highly efficient and cost effective electricity producing coating or paint from the Sun that can be applied directly or imbedded in original manufacturers’ materials. With this element alone, future designs and architecture can bring about unprecedented visions and changes to how we live, play and work”.  Douglas Linman, Chief Executive of Suntco

INDUSTRY AFFECTS

The building and architectural industries will be positively affected by new renewable energy advances, such as solar liquid power (SLP).  Power utilities firms may also benefit greatly by considering conservation and storage services for excess capacity provided back to the utility companies from these SLP coatings. Credits and Tax breaks with SLP will also provide great incentives to reduce ROI to less than 3 years versus the nearly 20 years for current solar panel installations.

Welcome to SUNTCO, and welcome to the change in renewable energy.

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Contact Info@suntco.com for continuing information or visit www. suntco.com

The Crystal

A Landmark Global Urban Sustainability Centre

The Crystal has been designed to be one of the most sustainable buildings in the world. It is aiming
for top scores of the most stringent environmental international standards for sustainable design and
construction LEED and BREEAM.

ABOUT THE CRYSTAL
The Crystal – a landmark global urban sustainability centre – had opened to the public in London ion
September 29th, 2012. The iconic new centre is a sustainable cities initiative by Siemens, a global powerhouse
in electronics and electrical engineering. It will explore how sustainable technologies can shape a better
future for our cities.
The £30 million building in London’s Docklands will create up to 50 local jobs and contain a free public
exhibition, conference facilities, research space and as well as a restaurant, café and shop. As a flagship
global hub for excellence and learning in urban sustainability, it will bring together mayors, city
decisionmakers, urban planners, architects, engineers, policy makers and sustainability experts from
around the world.


The centrepiece of the Crystal will be a ground-breaking interactive public exhibition and visitor attraction,
attracting around 100,000 visitors per year. The free public exhibition showcases global best practice in
urban planning and design and shows how innovative urban technologies are already improving people’s
lives today and will revolutionize the way we live and work in our cities tomorrow.
The Crystal will also host a debate forum, including a state-of-the-art conference centre seating up to 270
delegates. It will allow mayors, city planners and officials, members of the local community and educational
groups, from school children to post graduate level students, to become part of the exciting and urgent
conversation about our urban future. It will contain office space for over 100 desks for infrastructure
experts, research partners, planners and academics from around the world.
The building itself will be an eye-catching new landmark for London’s Royal Docks at the epicentre of the
Green Enterprise District. It will cover an area of just under 2000m2 in two dramatic, crystal-shaped
sections. The building will represent a new benchmark in sustainable design and construction excellence
through intelligent integration of the building’s structure, fabric and services and a series of coordinated
active systems working together.


Designed as an ‘all electric’ building, the Crystal will be able to operate free of fossil fuels. It will aim to
achieve top scores against some of the world’s most stringent international standards for sustainable
design and construction, including LEED and BREEAM, and making it one of the world’s most sustainable
city buildings.
Just as London’s Crystal Palace pioneered new technologies that drove the Industrial Revolution, the
Crystal will explore a new clean industrial revolution. It will showcase ‘real world’ examples of sustainable
innovation and urban planning that will ensure our cities are resilient in the face of challenges like climate
change and rapid urbanisation and can remain key drivers of our future prosperity.
Siemens is committed to excellence and innovation and hopes that the Crystal will inspire a new wave of
education and learning in the fields of science, engineering, technology and sustainability – not just in
London, but around the world.

SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGIES

Designed as an ‘all electric’ building, it demonstrates innovative technologies using solar power and ground
source heat pumps to generate its own energy – which means that no fossil fuels are burnt in the building. It
also stores electrical energy in a battery. The Crystal showcases existing technologies that support sustainable
urban living and profiles Siemens’ Environmental Portfolio – the largest and most comprehensive in the world.

The building also incorporates rainwater harvesting where the rainwater will be converted to potable water, black
water treatment, solar heating and an innovative building management system that automates and manages energy,
building operations and infrastructure for greater efficiency and comfort. The design of the building, including its glass
opacity, provides additional insulation and takes energy efficiency to a new level.
It also features charging station of electric cars and will be part of the Source London charging network.

1. State of the Art Building Management
2. Extensive Use of Natural Light
3. Low Energy Mixed Mode Ventilation
4. Intelligent All Electric Building
5. Rainwater Harvesting and Recycling
6. Black Water Recycling
7. Heating Designed for Maximum Efficiency
8. Multifaceted and Sustainable Landscaping


1. State of the Art Building Management
The Crystal implements an integrated, state of the art building management system where everything can be
managed from one or many locations. Total integration means the building can be managed by one man or
remotely from anywhere in the world. The building can be controlled from the smallest light fitting for comfort or to
match the requirements of the National Grid when Energy use is critical. Features include intelligent analytics (CCTV),
advanced fire sensors, occupancy detection and comfort sensors. During off peak time the smart node technology i
the building stores electricity in a battery and uses it during peak times. Total room control enables the space to be
adjusted for maximum comfort (heat, light, ventilation) plus minimum energy consumption.

2. Extensive Use of Natural Light
There is extensive use of natural light throughout the architecture and the exhibition. Natural daylight is utilized
wherever possible and features include constant light control with automatic adjustment of each and every lamp
and LED for brightness and colour, according to time of day and occupancy detection. For the majority of spaces,
artificial light during the day is not required and when it is, there is no waste. Glazing is placed strategically for
maximum daylight and minimum unwanted solar gain.
3. Low Energy Mixed Mode Ventilation
The building operates with a low energy, intelligent mixed mode ventilation strategy. Where seasonally possible, it
will be naturally ventilated in both the office and exhibition crystals, using motorized opening vents in the facades
and roofs. The building management system maximizes free cooling, avoiding the use of air conditioning where
possible. The air conditioning cooling is primarily taken from the surrounds via the ground source heat pump.
During hot days, it takes the heat from the building and puts it back into the ground keeping the building cool and
returning the energy to the ground for reuse later. During cold days it takes heat from the ground and puts it into the
building to keep it warm.
4. Intelligent All Electric Building
A significant part of the electrical power produced in this all electric building will be generated by Photovoltaic
roof panels, which collect the sun’s energy producing electricity converted with Siemens Inverters to match the
building needs. An intelligent Energy Centre manages heat recovery and the sun’s energy will also be used to heat the
water used in the restaurants and WC’s using solar thermal panels. Energy in the Crystal is monitored so extensively
that every kW of electricity used for heat and cooling and every litre of water consumed/generated can be measured
from inside the building and compared with performance of other buildings across the world to ensure that efficiencies
are maintained. Battery storage balances load and demand to intelligently control when power is taken from the grid
or exported any surplus. E-car charging stations extend that efficiency to Electric Vehicles for maximum mileage at
minimum cost.
5. Rainwater Harvesting and Recycling
Rainwater will be harvested and treated for use as drinking water. The Crystal will utilize water efficient appliances,
low use taps and sanitary fittings. A connection to the city’s water system ensures a sufficient supply in dry seasons.
6. Black Water Recycling
A black water recycling plant will reuse 100% of the water used in the building (including toilet flushing) to re-flush
the toilets and for watering the landscaping around the building. Smart irrigation detects moisture in the soil to
minimise water needs. Water used for irrigation will be replenished with surplus water from the rainwater tank.
7. Heating Designed for Maximum Efficiency
Ground source heat pump provides 100% of the heat used to warm the building and condition the fresh air. Heat
is pumped from the ground to the building on cold days (heating season) and from the building to the ground on
hot days (cooling season). External glazing and insulated roofing also keeps heat in during winter and heat out
during summer. The glass is angled away from the sun in some areas to shade the building where suns heat is not
wanted, and towards the sun in other areas where we want to use the sun for heating the building.
8. Multifaceted and Sustainable Landscaping
Landscaping at the Crystal is multifaceted. An ecological corridor or linear strip of vegetation provides a strong
buffer along the viaduct of the adjacent Silver Town Way.
Plant and tree species have been selected to withstand more drought tolerant conditions typical of many urban
environments reducing the amount of water required for maintenance. A Community Garden will provide a series of
gardens to promote community involvement for cultivation and education. Even paving and tarmac materials have
been chosen to reduce street light energy use. Finally, the Centre uses a sustainable urban drainage system that
minimizes discharge into the sewer and prevents excess run off to the adjacent dock.

thecrystal.org

“Siemens is establishing the Crystal in order to help find solutions for making the world’s cities more
sustainable. It will serve as a centre for dialogue, learning and discovery.”
ROLAND BUSCH, CEO, Infrastructure & Cities Sector, Siemens AG

Sarah Hall Studio

Sarah Hall:  Stained Glass & Solar Projects

The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto conducts bus tours and walking tours of nearby art and architecture. One of these easily outsells all the others, a bus adventure dedicated to stained glass windows and architecture. You might expect the tour’s destinations to be traditional stained glass in churches and cathedrals. In fact, the bus just as often stops at contemporary new buildings with stained glass designs by Sarah Hall. Sometimes the special guest tour narrator on the bus is also Sarah Hall. You may ask what’s new in stained glass? The answer is that there is plenty that’s new, especially if it involves Sarah Hall.

Hall became interested in stained glass at a young age and discovered that it is a very small world, especially in Canada. In order to find in-depth training in the field she journeyed to Swansea College of Art in Wales. She returned and established a studio on Dupont Street in Toronto in 1980, where she and her craftspeople worked for two decades, introducing new ideas in a conservative field. She was interested in combining new building technologies with stained glass.

 

German Engineering

Around the turn of the century she became involved in projects that required her to relocate her fabrication studio to Paderborn near Hanover, Germany. In Germany she could access a larger pool of glass artisans and large size kilns for the ideas she was hatching. In addition, the stained glass industry in Germany has connections with the broader glass industry, allowing for ambitious product development. New ideas include stained glass windows that could be sent to Austria and tempered, as in safety glass; new kinds of glass that could combine art with heat mirror technology, as in R20 insulated office tower windows; and last but not least, stained glass projects that incorporate solar photovoltaics.

Christof Erban is a renowned German engineer who pioneered the concept of placing a solar PV cell between two layers of glass. Many years ago he visited glass painting studios in Germany looking for artists who were interested in working with photovoltaics. While others focused on the challenges, Hall jumped at the chance. The rest is history. Hall’s studio is now at the forefront of contemporary stained glass architecture.  Since moving the studio abroad, her Canadian/German team has been involved in more than 200 projects.

 

Harbourfront Waterglass Project

Sarah has recently completed a project called Waterglass at Harbourfront Centre’s Enwave Theatre, which is expected to open to the public in Spring. The glass is highly artistic, incorporates heat mirror technology, employs NASA’s dichroic glass technique (sandblasted on its back side and laminated so that it is transparent but also highly reflective of UV rays) and on the western exposure, as directed by engineers, includes photovoltaics to capture solar energy.

 

Her team of six technicians created 1700 square feet of a handmade art glass in just three months. It was crafted in the German studio, sent to Austria for heat mirror and photovoltaic laminations and arrived in Toronto ready to install in thermo-panel units.

 

In addition to being a technical marvel, the installation is an artistic and historic gem.

“The client wanted to symbolically reclaim the lake for Torontonians,” says Hall. “We are cut off in a lot of ways and have not built the lake into our thinking as a city.” At first glance visitors will see water, waves, and the silhouette of a ship. On closer inspection they will find much more.

 

Hall researched and photographed the lake’s north shore for months and then began researching images of people, locations and events. The windows contain hundreds of silk-screened archival illustrations of personalities such as swimmer Marilyn Bell, rower Ned Hanlan, structures like the art deco Sunnyside Swimming Pool Pavilion, and R.C. Harris Water Filtration Plant; events including the war of 1812, pandemics, celebrations, political events and families simply enjoying the lake. “The research experience was very instructive,” says Hall. “Much of our waterfront is privatized or otherwise inaccessible. We need to open up the lake to our consciousness, in order to care more about it.”

Wind Tower at UBC

Hall’s team also created beautiful glass for a wind tower or wind catcher at the University of British Columbia. Wind catchers are traditional Persian architectural elements used to generate natural ventilation in buildings. Hall’s stained glass is the central element of a wind tower that completed an underground library at the university’s Regent College. The forty-foot tall wind tower provides ventilation for the library and is a functional symbol of Regent’s commitment to renewable energy. Hall created a luminous column of light, flowing like a waterfall in silvery blue, violet and white. Included in this column is an array of solar cells that collect energy during the day and use it for nighttime illumination – acting as a beacon for the surrounding park.

 

A similar concept was used for the Grass Valley School in Washington. The architect was interested in a sustainable initiative and felt that not enough educational value would result from simply adding solar panels to the roof. Hall created a beautiful artistic glass window for the main stairwell that included PV cells. These were connected directly without inverter or batteries, to a large LED lighting fixture in the main hall. Students soon saw that the fixture was powered only by the sun, glowing brighter and longer on the sunniest days.

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High Potential New Solar Cladding

Perhaps the most exciting concept that Hall’s team is working on is a brand new type of solar glass cladding for retail stores and office buildings. Her other projects involving solar have been primarily symbolic or educational, rather than highly efficient in terms of electricity generation. The new product, being developed in partnership with a prominent Toronto architect, aims to change that and collect significant amounts of energy. At the same time it will create artistic canvasses of larger expanses, or entire exteriors of shops or towers, according to client preferences.

 

Subject matter will range from highly artistic to commercial in nature, all rendered beautifully in contemporary glass by a very leading edge artist named Sarah Hall.

 

 

See more solar projects at  www.SarahHallStudio.com

 

Barbara Lawlor – Baker Real Estate

Condominiums meet the needs of today’s bottom-line customer

For Barbara Lawlor, President of Toronto’s Baker Real Estate, the concept of embracing “green” has seen a boom to her business. In fact, the entire condominium industry has developed a consciousness about energy efficiency and green sustainability.

The industry has created an environment that is environmentally responsible, and it has become a key design element in condominiums buildings. Condo ownership has never seen better days.

“In the last three years condominium sales have outpaced low-rise and have taken over 50% of the market – so as a lifestyle choice, it continues to grow, and part of that is the government mandate for vertical growth,” explains Lawlor.  “Let’s face it, there just isn’t enough land within the GTA to meet the low-rise demand, so the best use of space is vertical, and condominiums are becoming more popular. Even young families are venturing into condos because of their convenience, location, transit etc.  And let’s not forget those in transition, like empty nesters and young professionals, who don’t want to deal with upkeep. People lead very busy lives, so the more they can have their needs catered to, the better. In fact, most condo buildings today are like coming home to a luxury hotel, with all the amenities offered under your roof.”

However, the driving force at the end of the day is the bottom line. Educated homeowners have demanded the building industry include energy efficiencies.

“People are afraid of costs escalating. So energy efficiency is part of their checklist.  For example, they really appreciate something like individual metering systems. Whatever will make the buildings more efficient and help defray costs, that’s the key for everybody – what’s it going to cost me?”

Ten years ago, energy efficiency and sustainable living may have been a part of the conversation but the uptake was slow. It wasn’t something that translated across the industry as a whole. “But the industry has stood up and deserves a round of applause in my mind for the tremendous efforts and strides it has made,”says Lawlor. “For instance, we represent the residences of the Ritz Carlton, and they have the Enwave deep water cooling system, which is very innovative and taps into the deep waters of Lake Ontario to heat and cool the building. So there are some very exciting things happening in the city including car sharing, bicycle storage — all of this to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. In fact we’re selling fewer and fewer parking spaces.”

In Lawlor’s mind, it’s not about green-washing today’s consumer. There has to be a solid green story regardless of where you’re building or what you’re building.

“Buyers are sophisticated, and they want to know that their building is going to be sustainable and function efficiently 10-20 years from now- not just today.”

Baker Real Estate Incorporated

www.bakersales.info

First LEED Platinum Residence in Greater Toronto

“Swifter, higher, stronger” is the English translation for the original Olympic motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius,” which celebrates the relentless pursuit for improvement in human endeavours, particularly on the athletic field. Rating systems such as LEED recognize achievements in sustainable building. For 72 years the world’s fastest sprinters strove to break the 10-second barrier until 1968, when Jim Hines finally did so; but by 2012 in London seven men ran the final race in under 10 seconds.

“All building projects require passion and commitment from those involved to be successful, but with a sustainable building, these attributes are required in spades,” said Dewson.  “Each and every one who participated in 27 Farnham Avenue held fast to their enthusiasm from the beginning to the end.”

The team included Kyle England, who was Dewson’s Team Leader, Eric Adelman and Matt Brooks of South Park Design Build, Philip Drader of Mindscape Innovations who was the Provider QAD, and Kyle Anders of Greenscape Building Consultants who was the Green Technology & Energy Rater.

The project was a 4500 square foot, six bedroom detached home and scored 96.5 LEED Canada for Homes points for Innovation and Design Process (10/11), Location & Linkages (10/10), Sustainable Sites (17/22), Water Efficiency (6/15), Energy & Atmosphere (25/38), Materials & Resources (14.5/16), Indoor Environment Quality

(12/21) and Awareness & Education (2/3).

In other words LED strip lighting; lots of skylights and big Loewen triple glazed operable windows, a reductive cooling system and six ton geothermal ground source system; 25 bifacial solar panels; a white roof; an energy recovery ventilator; HEPA air filtration, an ultra-insulated envelope with exterior walls and structural framing wrapped with polyisocyanurate foil panels to eliminate thermal bridges; window shim and joist cavities filled with spray foam from soy/vegetable oils and polyethylene from recycled plastic bottles; PIC joints, seams, fixture wells, filter housings, electrical and communication boxes and vent ducts all carefully taped and caulked; Energy Star appliances; no or low VOC paints and flooring; low flow plumbing and dual flush toilets; drip edges, sealing and extra membrane to control moisture and water flow; drought-tolerant native landscaping with no invasive species; a dry well and a permeable parking pad; 80% recycling of demolition waste; reclaimed brick, struts and joists; and more.

Congratulations to Bill Dewson and his team for their Olympian achievement with the first LEED Platinum residence in Toronto. A new benchmark has been set. Now let’s smash beyond it!

Green Development Strengthens Iconic Ottawa Church

CATHEDRAL HILL IS BREAKING GROUND

A groundbreaking ceremony in August marked the beginning of new project by Windmill Developments called Cathedral Hill. It also broke new ground metaphorically, as the project will represent very contemporary achievements in terms of sustainability, heritage, advanced architecture and modern partnerships. Built on-site with Ottawa’s historic Christ Church Cathedral on Sparks Street, it will be an answer to some of the church’s challenges, and it will become the landmark that visitors notice first as they enter downtown from the west.

It combines all the elements of modern condominium living and building: Green technology, stunning natural views from a 20 storey tower, sumptuous design of interiors, courtyards and accompanying townhouses, downtown location advantages,

a walkable, friendly neighbourhood and a community-enhancing development partnership.

NOT-FOR PROFIT PROGRAM

In some parts of the world churches are struggling to redefine themselves within their community and to survive financially. Windmill Developments has created a model that helps such organizations revitalize themselves while remaining viable and becoming more environmentally responsible too.

Cathedral Hill is good example of this idea in action. The church was able to leverage its real estate and key location, and by partnering with Windmill, will increase both its community visibility and the local population base. The developer benefitted from a perfect location for its latest project and the church received prepaid 200-year lease revenue, and should grow, as new owners move into the area.

Today’s non-profit groups are faced with high utility bills, deferred maintenance, and ongoing operational costs. The funds being used for upkeep might be better spent furthering the core mission of their organizations. BuildGreen Solutions, a consulting arm of Windmill, has developed a unique program aimed at optimizing assets of not-for-profit groups, schools and churches and helping them to turn maintenance liabilities into sustainable funding sources.

ENERGY EFFICIENT

In addition, Windmill Developments would have to be considered one of Canada’s greenest builders, and Cathedral Hill one of the greenest projects in Canada. It will be LEED Gold or Silver and is expected to achieve between 40% and 50% more energy efficiency than the Model National Energy Code for Buildings expects from a project with its footprint. It will feature high envelope conservation standards an innovative HVAC system, contemporary water management, and is designed to limit the need for automobile travel.

Cathedral Hill wall sections will be doubly insulated on the inside and on the outside, followed by more exterior insulation, and finally a special cladding material. This achieves overall thermal resistance of approximately R22, far exceeding code, increasing thermal comfort and reducing energy consumption.

Preventing the natural movement of heat toward cooler spaces has traditionally meant adding mechanical heating and cooling, depending on the season. Cathedral Hill’s energy efficient double-glazed Low-E windows are designed to include an insulating barrier, rather than a thermal bridge, between the outside and inside portions of the window frame and between the two panes of glass. This is critical insofar as up to 50% of heat transfer can be via poorly designed windows and doors. Window coatings help control heat gain from the sun in warm temperatures and also keep the heat within the suites in cooler seasons.

VRF HEATING & COOLING

The project will employ a rare and highly efficient heat pump process for heating and cooling. The 200-ton system will use Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) technology to regulate the flow of refrigerant between the condensing unit and each of the indoor units in accordance with the capacity requirements of the building. Because the heat pumps will be centrally located, it will be possible to move heat from one side of the building to another, without îı\002778ˇøÚ‹””>having to use fuel to make more heat. Depending on the outdoor temperature and sun exposure, the VRF system will simply move hot refrigerant to where it is needed.

The system’s inverter drive varies the compressor speed to match the building’s heating or cooling load, which is constantly changing. Partial load conditions prevail for more than 90% of operation time and inverter-driven technology takes advantage of this, so VRF systems produce significant energy savings. There is no refrigerant-to-water heat loss as with a chiller system. This means the compressor can maintain a higher suction pressure for more efficient operation. VRF systems also don’t have lengthy metal ducts that cause heat loss. Instead they save energy and allow each indoor unit to operate individually, with separate adjustment of the environment in each area. In addition, VRF system heat pumps are in the

It is also being designed so that excess heat can be moved, as available, to supplement the domestic hot water heating function, further controlling project energy costs. In addition each suite is equipped with a quiet enthalpy-wheel-based Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV).

GREEN LIVING

Digital metres in the suites will connect the user with environmental conditions and the costs they are incurring. This is a more integrated approach to energy management, and has been proven to reduce energy usage. Suites include Energy Star appliances and all common areas will be lit by extremely efficient LED lighting systems, to reduce the electricity load required by the project.

To minimize unnecessary fresh water use, toilets in the townhouses and on the fist five floors of the tower will be flushed using a rainwater harvesting system. A 125 cubic metre rain harvest tank and 132 cubic metre stormwater overflow cistern will be built into the project.

Cathedral Hill is located near the Gatineau/Ottawa bike trail system. Frequent transit service in the corridor is only a few blocks from its front door. By 2017, the LRT will be complete and a nearby station is expected to be included. Windmill is also in talks with a bike rental service and a car sharing service, either or both of which may be incorporated at or near the site.

High envelope conservation standards, an innovative HVAC system, contemporary water management, limited automobile travel; it all adds up to an almost religious sensitivity to our natural environment. And with its modern church partnership, urban living advantages, innovative architecture and heritage aspects, Cathedral Hill truly is ground-breaking.

 

LiveWall®: New Planted Wall System Achieves Simplicity and Sustainability

Manufacturer of LiveRoof® Introduces a Planted Wall System Designed in Harmony with Nature

Green Walls Should Be Good for Plants: a Conversation with Dave MacKenzie

The team of horticultural scientists, landscape professionals, architects, roofing specialists and green building experts at Hortech, Inc. (Spring Lake, Mich.) who created LiveRoof® — the green roof system proven in more than 600 installations — have launched a new planted wall system, LiveWall®.  In this interview, Dave MacKenzie, horticulturalist and president of Hortech and its LiveRoof, LLC and LiveWall, LLC subsidiaries, discusses some basic questions about green walls and the new LiveWall system.

Q: First, what is the basic benefit of a green vegetative wall?

Transforming an ordinary wall into a vertical green landscape adds a living, organic element to a building. Green walls are visually appealing, inviting and inspiring, healthful, and beneficial to the environment (especially for moderating the urban heat island effect).

Q: What are the basic types of green wall systems?

There are trellis and cable systems and planted wall systems. With the first, a metal trellis structure or set of cables are attached to the side of building and support vines that grow from the ground up. Planted walls have soil (actually, an engineered growing medium) in a set of containers attached to a wall. Thus, planted walls provide soil for the plants all the way up the wall to the height of the installation.

Q: Vines… that prompts the question why not just grow ivy on a wall?

Ivy-covered walls are the most traditional form of green wall. As a horticulturalist and nurseryman, I am reluctant to speak ill of any plant. We grow and sell ivy. But English and Boston ivy both lack colorful flowers. And they can be temperamental and aggressive. In areas of cold winters, English ivy is prone to wintertime dieback. In warm climates, it can be a chore to keep it out of windows and siding. Boston ivy is more hardy but even more aggressive.

Even when vines are grown on a freestanding trellis or cables adjacent to a wall, vines have limitations when it comes to green wall aesthetics, design and function.

Q: Such as?

There is only so much creativity that a landscape architect can bring to a green wall design when constrained to using only vines. I mentioned the lack of colorful flowers with ivy. In addition, it can take years for vines to grow and climb up to make an entire green wall green. A planted wall can support a variety of plants — annuals, perennials, succulents, tropical plants and even herbs and vegetables — and can be a complete green wall from day one. Plus, with soil in all the containers all the way up the side of a wall, planted walls provide more shading and insulation for the building.

Q: When did you start working on a planted wall system?

Well, we started getting questions about green walls almost as soon as we introduced LiveRoof in 2006. We began formal R&D efforts on planted walls in 2008 and put four years of system evaluation and prototype testing into LiveWall.

Q: Why did you decide to develop your own planted wall system?

Because we could not find an existing system that was simple to install and plant, easy to maintain and change, and good at growing plants. The biggest surprise in our tests of current systems is that even many easy-to-grow, resilient, disease-resistant plants (like Hostas, Sedums, Alliums) kept dying. No matter what we tried in terms of irrigation, pruning or fertilization, we could not keep plants healthy in the systems we tested.

So, just like in our development of LiveRoof, we set out to bring our horticultural expertise to bear to understand the problems and design a better system to solve them.

Q: Your WallTers look like window boxes.

That was the inspiration. The idea of window boxes as the model for wall planters came up in our discussions with other horticulturalists, including Ed Snodgrass [internationally renowned green roof and vegetative wall expert and consultant] and David Fell at Hawaiian Sunshine Nursery, our licensed regional grower and distributor in Hawaii.

The reason that window boxes work so well is that they provide proper orientation for roots and stems and allow for irrigation like rain. The engineering challenge was to design a vertical system that could scale up and make it practical to install and maintain an entire planted wall with perhaps hundreds of boxes. That included devising a set of components to make it a complete system.

Q: What does LiveWall cost?

Of course, I have to say that it depends. For a professionally installed system, the price range is about $90 to $125US per square foot (depending upon the size of the system, local labor rates, and the type of plants). That is all-inclusive: green wall planning and design, pre-installation consultation and technical assistance, all the system elements and components (including irrigation), all the plants, delivery, installation.

Q: How is LiveWall distributed and serviced in Canada?

Just as with LiveRoof, we have a national network of licensed regional growers. In Canada that includes LiveWall Ontario (Mt. Brydges, Ontario), Pépinière Premier Plant (Saint-Sulpice, Quebec), Eagle Lake Turf Farms Ltd. (Strathmore, Alberta), and N.A.T.S. Nursery Ltd. (Langley, British Columbia). They can customize plant selection for every LiveWall project. They can deliver the module inserts abundantly vegetated with locally cultivated plants that are full-grown and flourishing for instant results and lasting beauty.