Minimal Harm - For the Love of the Planet

Green Architecture: Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater

tdamji — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 17:09:49 -0700

This is a place that I've always wanted to visit:

Some info:

"When Wright came to the site he appreciated the powerful sound of the falls, the vitality of the young forest, the dramatic rock ledges and boulders; these were elements to be interwoven with the serenely soaring spaces of his structure. But Wright's insight penetrated more deeply. He understood that people were creatures of nature, hence an architecture which conformed to nature would conform to what was basic in people. For example, although all of Fallingwater is opened by broad bands of windows, people inside are sheltered as in a deep cave, secure in the sense of hill behind them. Their attention is directed toward the outside by low ceilings; no lordly hall sets the tone but, instead, the luminous textures of the woodland, rhythmically enframed. The materials of the structure blend with the colorings of rocks and trees, while occasional accents are provided by bright furnishings, like wildflowers or birds outside. The paths within the house, stairs and passages, meander without formality or urgency, and the house hardly has a main entrance; there are many ways in and out. Sociability and privacy are both available, as are the comforts of home and the adventures of the seasons. So people are cosseted in to relaxing, into exploring the enjoyment of a life refreshed in nature. Visitors, too, in due measure experience Wright's architecture as an expansion of living" ( Source )

"Fallingwater, also known as the Edgar J. Kaufmann Sr. Residence, is a house designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935 in rural southwestern Pennsylvania, 50 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, and is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The house was built partly over a waterfall in Bear Run at Rural Route 1 in the Mill Run section of Stewart Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, in the Laurel Highlands of the Allegheny Mountains." ( Source)

Location: Mill Run, PA
Nearest city: Pittsburgh
Built/Founded: 1935
Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright
Added to NRHP: 1974
Visitation: ~135,000 (in )
Governing body: Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

A fantastic film about it:

Aga Khan Award for Architecture - Environmentally responsible buildings

tdamji — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 07:52:11 -0700

Inhabitat recently showcased the 2007 winners of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, which "recognizes distinguished architecture that encourages social development, restoration, re-use and environmental responsibility in the Islamic world."

Here are a few of the winners:

Royal Netherlands Embassy"With a site-integrated, passive solar design, the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia pays homage to the surrounding nature and cultural diversity with an inherent sensitivity to place. Surpassing functional constraints, the structure’s design quietly supports security while placing emphasis on experience, encounter and efficiency."

"One of the winning projects, the METI School of Rudrapur in Bangladesh, is a great example of these values. The school is an amazing hand-built project that showcases great sustainable design practices and locally-sensitive architecture. Elegantly fusing local knowledge, readily available renewable materials and new construction techniques, the project maintains a traditional identity while embracing modernity in both its form and purpose."

Full pictures and coverage can be looked at here

Green Architecture: Platinum LEED building - EPA Headquarters

tdamji — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 02:40:41 -0700

In Sacramento, California, lies the Platinum LEED qualified Environmental Protection Agency headquarters. The building is able to be both sustainable and economically competitive.

From their case study:
"Thomas Properties invested $500,000 in efficiency upgrades to equipment, operations and employee practices. These improvements generated $610,000 in annual savings, paying for themselves in less than one year. Using an 8% capitalization rate, the annual cost savings have increased the asset value of the building by nearly $12 million."

It is said that a healthy building is crucial for having a productive company. A healthy building = more productive employees. In this building, 80% of the work space is filled with natural light. Here are some pictures of the exterior:

As part of the city's ordinance, buildings must have a certain amount of public space allocated. Here is just one example of some of the art in the building, available for public viewing:

Green Architecture: LEED - Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design

tdamji — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 21:19:19 -0700

There are so many great green buildings out there. How sustainable are they though? I will be showing some great green buildings in the future, but before I do, I thought i'd explain a bit about some of the criteria for getting the oft-desired LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) status on a building.

Here's a bit of background info from http://www.usgbc.org:
"LEED's Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
LEED provides a roadmap for measuring and documenting success for every building type and phase of a building lifecycle."

A few things that LEED looks at, generally:
- Sustainable Sites
- Water Efficiency
- Energy and Atmosphere
- Materials and Resources
- Indoor Environmental Quality

further, LEED buildings -
are leading the transformation of the built environment
are built as designed and perform as expected.
have lower operating costs and increased asset value
are healthy and comfortable for their occupants
reduce waste sent to landfills
conserve energy and water
reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions
qualify for tax rebates, zoning allowances, and other incentives in hundreds of cities
demonstrate an owner's commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility

There are 4 levels of LEED certification based on the number of "points" from the above areas:

Certified - 40-50% of non-innovation points
Silver - 50-60%
Gold - 60-80%
Platinum - over 80%

LEED has grown to encompass over 6,000 projects in 28 countries covering 1 billion square feet of development area. The hallmark of LEED is that it is an open and transparent process where the technical criteria proposed by the LEED committees are publicly reviewed for approval by the more than 8,500 membership organizations that currently comprise the USGBC. (from wikipedia)