Sustainable+Design_Info


 * __ VIDEOS: __**

It has been a five year journey to get to the opening of the building. They originally started out with a realization that they had an infrastructure issue on campus that their waste water facilities, being an old septic system that was develop back in 1950 by the original owner of the campus, was really close to the end of his lifetime. So they had to come up with a way to deal with all the waist that was generated on campus, anywhere from 20 to 45 thousand gallons a day depending on occupancy. So, with the help from some experts they came up with the idea of creating an eco machine. An eco machine purifies water basically mimicking nature, and ones they committed to that they realized that they needed a building to put that in, and they wanted that building to be as green and sustainable and actually to became a model and a place to do some actual education in. So the end up creating the Omega Center for sustainable living. All the energy needed for the building is generated by themselves, so they generate all the electricity from solar energy, they also have to reclaim all of their rain water to use for flushing the toilets. Materials have to be within a given radius of the project depending on their weight, recycle content, also there’s a list of 30 chemicals that cannot be used. So when you start putting all that together you create a complex building project, first of all those chemicals are in everything that its used on the construction industry, and then they have to educate the contractors to build in a different way.
 * __ Omega Center for Sustainable living __**

A major product out of my Master's thesis at UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism in May 2007. This is a story, told in a visually compelling way, about the rich countries dumping millions of tons of electronic waste on poor communities in China, India, Nigeria and other countries. Harm is horrific, but the public health problem has yet to present its fullest magnitude. As the Chinese saying goes, 'when you drink the water, think about its source.' The signs of water scarcity in the Yellow watershed can be traced all the way to its headwaters in Qinghai, the meltwater of glaciers on the slopes of the sacred spirit mountain Anyemaqen (Ah-nyi MAH-chin). The warming climate has put enormous extra pressure on this corner of the Tibetan Plateau, threatening to make unsustainable the traditional Tibetan way of life. Continued warming holds grave implications for hundreds of millions of people across the lower altitudes of northern China whose livelihoods depend on the Yellow’s water.
 * __ Preview: about e-wait dumping __**

__** READINGS: **__


 * __ The Centre for Sustainable Design __**

Facilitates discussion and research on eco-design and broader sustainability considerations in product and service development. This is achieved through training, workshops, conferences, research, consultancy, publications, and the Internet. The Centre also acts as an information clearing house and a focus for innovative thinking on sustainable products and services. The Centre is an internationally recognized centre of excellence. “Society is living beyond its means. We are about to dispossess the earth of capital assets in the space of a few lifetimes through patterns of exploitation. These patterns are devastating the natural environment upon which we depend for our long-term survival." “Building a more environmentally stable future clearly requires some vision of it. If fossil fuels are not to be used for power, then what? If forests are no longer to be cleared to grow food, then how is a larger population to be fed? If a throwaway culture leads inevitably to pollution and resource depletion, how can material needs be satisfied? In other words, if the present path is so obviously unsound, what picture of the future can be used to move toward a global community that can endure?”


 * __ What´s sustainable design? __**

The concept of sustainable design has come to the forefront in the last 20 years. It is a concept that recognizes that human civilization is an integral part of the natural world and that nature must be preserved and perpetuated if the human community itself is to survive. Sustainable design articulates this idea through developments that exemplify the principles of conservation and encourage the application of those principles in our daily lives. A corollary concept, and one that supports sustainable design, is that of bioregionalism - the idea that all life is established and maintained on a functional community basis and that all of these distinctive communities (bioregions) have mutually supporting life systems that are generally self-sustaining. The concept of sustainable design holds that future technologies must function primarily within bioregional patterns and scales. They must maintain biological diversity and environmental integrity, contribute to the health of air, water, and soils, incorporate design and construction that reflect bioregional conditions, and reduce the impacts of human use.


 * __ What are the principles of Sustainable Design? __**

Sustainable design must use an alternative approach to traditional design that incorporates these changes in mind-set. The new design approach must recognize the impacts of every design choice on the natural and cultural resources of the local, regional, and global environments. A model of the new design principles necessary for sustainability is exemplified by the "Hannover Principles" or "Bill of Rights for the Planet," developed by William McDonough Architects:

1. Insist on the right of humanity and nature to co-exist in a healthy, supportive, diverse, and sustainable condition. 2. Recognize Interdependence. The elements of human design interact with and depend on the natural world, with broad and diverse implications at every scale. Expand design considerations to recognizing even distant effects. 3. Respect relationships between spirit and matter. Consider all aspects of human settlement including community, dwelling, industry, and trade in terms of existing and evolving connections between spiritual and material consciousness. 4. Accept responsibility for the consequences of design decisions upon human well-being, the viability of natural systems, and their right to co-exist. 5. Create safe objects to long-term value. Do not burden future generations with requirements for maintenance or vigilant administration of potential danger due to the careless creations of products, processes, or standards. 6. Eliminate the concept of waste. Evaluate and optimize the full life-cycle of products and processes, to approach the state of natural systems in which there is no waste. 7. Rely on natural energy flows. Human designs should, like the living world, derive their creative forces from perpetual solar income. Incorporate this energy efficiently and safely for responsible use. 8. Understand the limitations of design. No human creation lasts forever and design does not solve all problems. Those who create and plan should practice humility in the face of nature. Treat nature as a model and mentor, not an inconvenience to be evaded or controlled. 9. Seek constant improvements by sharing knowledge. Encourage direct and open communication between colleagues, patrons, manufacturers, and users to link long-term sustainable considerations with ethical responsibility, and reestablish the integral relationship between natural processes and human activity.


 * __ How is it related to architecture? __**

Sustainable architecture is the design of sustainable buildings. Sustainable architecture attempts to reduce the collective environmental impacts during the production of building components, during the construction process, as well as during the lifecucle of the building (heating, electricity use, carpet cleaning etc) This design practice emphasizes efficiency of heating and cooling systems, alternative energy sources such as solar hot water, appropriate building siting, reused or recycled building materials, on-site power generation (solar technology, ground source heat pumps, wind power), rainwater harvesting for gardening and washing, and on-site waste management such as green roofs that filter and control stormwater runoff. Sustainable architects design with sustainable living in mind.Sustainable vs green design is the challenge that designs not only reflect healthy processes and uses but are powered by renewable energies and site specific resources. A test for sustainable design is — can the design function for its intended use without fossil fuel — unplugged. This challenge suggests architects and planners design solutions that can function without pollution rather than just reducing pollution. As technology progresses in architecture and design theories and as examples are built and tested, architects will soon be able to create not only passive, null-emission buildings, but rather be able to integrate the entire power system into the building design. In 2004 the 59 home housing community, the solar Settlement, and a 60,000 sq. ft. integrated retail, commercial and residential building, the Sun Ship.


 * __ What's the role of energy, water, and construction materials in sustainable design? __**

The availability, potential, and feasibility of primary renewable energy resources must be analyzed early in the planning process as part of a comprehensive energy plan. The plan must justify energy demand and supply and assess the actual costs and benefits to the local, regional, and global environments. Responsible energy use is fundamental to sustainable development and a sustainable future. Energy management must balance justifiable energy demand with appropriate energy supply. The process couples energy awareness, energy conservation, and energy efficiency with the use of primary renewable energy resources
 * Energy: ** Sustainable technology in the energy sector is based on utilizing renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind, hydro, bioenergy, geothermal, and hydrogen. Wind energy is the world's fastest growing energy source; it has been in use for centuries in Europe and more recently in the United States and other nations. Wind energy is captured through the use of wind turbines that generate and transfer electricity for utilities, homeowners and remote villages. Solar power can be harnessed through photovoltaics, concentrating solar, or solar hot water and is also a rapidly growing energy source.

** Construction materials: ** G reen building materials are composed of renewable, rather than nonrenewable resources. Green materials are environmentally responsible because impacts are considered over the life of the product upon project-specific goals, an assessment of green materials may involve an evaluation of one or more of the criteria listed below.

Efficiency: ** can be accomplished by utilizing materials that meet the following criteria: - Recycled Content - Natural, plentiful or renewable - Resource efficient manufacturing process - Locally available - Salvaged, refurbished, or remanufactured - Reusable or recyclable - Recycled or recyclable product packaging - Durable
 * Overall material/product selection criteria: **


 * Air Quality: **is enhanced by utilizing materials that meet the following criteria:
 * - Low or non-toxic **
 * - Minimal chemical emissions **
 * - Low-VOC assembly **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">- Moisture resistant **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">- Healthfully maintained **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">- Systems or equipment **

Materials, components, and systems that help reduce energy consumption in buildings and facilities.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Efficiency: ** <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">can be maximized by utilizing materials and systems that meet the following criteria:

Products and systems that help reduce water consumption in buildings and conserve water in landscaped areas.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Conservation: ** <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">can be obtained by utilizing materials and systems that meet the following criteria: