ENVIRONMENT

Sefaira Analysis

Schematics

Principles of Solor Design

Cesar Chavez Library

Phoenix,Arizona,USA

Line and Space,2008

Climate

Arizona’s climate is arid and semi-arid. Laveen, which is where Cesar Chavez Library is located, faces annual high temperatures of 87ºF, annual low temperatures of 59ºF and average annual precipitation of 8.5 inches.

(Source: usclimatedata)

Orientation of Building

Location

Cesar Chavez Library is located in the village of Laveen in Phoenix, Arizona.The Library vis one of the four regional Libraries contrructed for Phoenix. The interesting plan enables the community to not only use the amendities in the library, but as a park for the high density of residents enabling all ages to learn and explore the area.

Thermal Mass

Through appropriate orientation, glazing at the north and south of the building allows natural daylight to fill interior space. The west elevation is designed with no windows to mitigate direct solar heat gain, reducing demand on the mechanical system. Deep overhangs over all windows protect from the harsh desert summer sun.

Longitude : -112.1385

Equation of Time: -3.71 minutes.

Local Solar Time Meridian: -105.00 °

Time Correction: -32.26 minutes

Declination (°): -23.01

Mar

There is good level of light throughout the building, although it can be said due to the curved wall on either side of the building, the light is not as effective as it could be.

Mainly outdoors

(Source: SunCalc)

Programme

The Library offers 140,000 volumes, including books, DVD’S etc, public computers, wireless internet access and a 75-seat community meeting room. It also includes children’s area with story room, computer stations and homework help areas as well as a Teen Center at the adjacent local high school with a semienclosed lounge and computer stations

The energy needs are equally balanced thus energy use is efficiently spread throughout.

Solor Geometry

One problem noticable is due to the site being all outdoors, it is overlit, which vaires slightly during the summer and winter periods.

Sandwell Office Building, Welshpool, Australia, Braham Architects

Climate

Welshpool has an oceanic climate most of the time. There is rainfall all year round. The average annual temperature is 19°C and there is about 330 mm of rain a year. Welshpool is dry for 187 days a year and has an average humidity of 75%.

Detailed Section Photovoltaic Panels Brise Soleil

Daylight Path

Deciduous trees are planted around the exterior to add solar shading during the summer. During winter, leaves have fallen off so the extra needed sunlight can penetrate into the building.

CANTILEVER/CAR PARK

Location

Welshpool is in inner southeastern outskirts of Perth (Western Australia). It is located within the City of Canning mainly and partially within the Town of Victoria Park. The area is known as one of the main industrial areas in Perth and is known visually for its 3 complexes of silo towers. These house storage of feed products for the poultry and agricultural industries.

Programme

The Sanwell Office Building features an office which accommodates 20-50 staff members. Variety of features such as store, kitchen, terrace and a large bicycle parking space in the attempt to become more environmentally friendly.

Building Orientation

The Programme responds to the orientation with the commercial office sitting within an industrial context and located on the south side where sunlight is maximised as well as regular cooling south-westerly breezes. Using 30kW Photovoltaic panels on the roof, direct sunlight is taken advantage of and valuable in providing efficient energy for building use.

Sectional Drawing

Sketch Up Model

Car park located under the cantilever prevents the strong Australian sun from overheating the cars. The cantilever allows air to circulate in for pre-cooling and heat can cycle out of it.

Sefaira Analysis

The section illustrates the environmental considerations taken in designing this office building. As office workers stay in the building for long hours, it has been designed to be well lit, which is important for the occupants health. Well insulated roof and walls help maintain thermal comfort in the building, and windows keep the building well ventilated.

Insulation: Appears to be well insulated, which keeps the building at a moderate temperature throughout each season.

Daylighting: As expected from the sunny weather in Australia, the building is overlit. However, the building maximizes the sun by having a roof full of solar panels. As for the interior, the brise soleil shading system and the wide overhangs as shown in our diagrams ensures that the interior is comfortable.

Energy use: This appears to be extremely high. But with the large number of solar panels and self sustaining water irrigation/sewage system, it balances it out, mitigating the effects of the extra energy it consumes, making the building still fairly sustainable.

ASSIGNMENT 3: FRICK ENVIRONMENTAL CENTRE / PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, USA / BOHLIN CYWINSKI JACKSON, 2016 GROUP 32

Sefaira Analysis:

Pittsburgh weather averages:

Annual high temperature 61ºF

Annual low temperature 42ºF

Annual Precipitation 34.83 inch

(Source: usclimatedate.com)

June 20th (Summer) , 9 AM, 12 PM, 6PM

December 20th (Winter) , 9 AM, 12 PM, 6PM

Summer

The daylight is optimal from the East of the building throughout the day. It is also spread in the front of the building, whihc is because of the glazing. But the light doesn’t seem to spread through the building until later on in day. But if the windows are open, then it would disperse more. The classrooms of the school are along the sounthern edge, so the light hits where it is needed the most. The canteliever also allows for the intensity of the iight to be reduced, which is a daylighting strategy. There is also natural lighting to the West, which is not that apparent during winter.

Winter

There isn’t any light coming through in the mornings as the sunrise is later on the day. It is inetesting that there is more light towards the front of the fascade during winter on the diagram, which could be innacurate, but it can also be a result of the lower sun path. In the evening the light is a bit less dispursed and is concentrated mainly on the fascade.

The Climate in Pittsburgh varies depending on the season. Summers are usually warm and partially cloudy whereas the winters are cold and snowy.

The Frick Environmental Centre therefore experiences both warm and cold weather conditions due to its location being between a sloping hillside and Frick park. During Summer, the Centre has operable windows to facilitate natural ventilation.

During colder seasons, the facility is engineered to consume 35% less energy than other buildings through the use of ground-source heat pumps, radiant floors and an intelligent system of reusing stormwater for its own facility use.

In terms of sustainability, the site used regionally sourced materials (wood, concrete, aluminum,steel and glass) proving likelihood to do well within a change of seasons and temperatures.

The building uses 49 kBTU/ft2/yr, which is most likely close to accurate, given that it is designed and engineered to achieve Living Building Challenge and LEED Platinum standards.

ASSIGNMENT 3: FRICK ENVIRONMENTAL CENTRE / PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, USA / BOHLIN CYWINSKI JACKSON, 2016

Indicats ethe SC (Sky Component) of natural light which is the ratio of illuminance within an interior due to light received directly from the sky

Sawtooth roofing is designed to provide natural light over a large area without the problem of direct sunlight which causes glare and thermal discomfort. The reflective surface of the sawtooth roofing allows SC natural light to penetrate via surface reflection. Can be used in conjunction with Clerestory

Passive Solar design calls for South Facing windows, the majority of windows can be found on the south side of the Frick environmental centre. There is a overhang on the south side of the structure. This allows shade, but also aids in thermal comfort due to Winter sun being able to penetrate more easily than summer sun.

Natural ventilation through the operable windows

Winter Sun

Deep penetration of light due to floor to ceiling glass and the top of the window being at the highest point from the floor

Summer Sun

Natural Ventilation

Summer Sun

Winter Sun

Operable Windows

Summer Sun Winter Sun

A Clerestory window is a window located above eyeline; these allow light to penetrate but can evade thermal discomfort. They allow the winter sun to penetrate beneath the overhang, which is ideal in colder, darker months, as there should be as much natural light penetrating the building as possible. It prevents the penetration of summer solstice as the sun is higher in the sky and cannot surpass the overhang to enter the Clerestory window

Due to the Clerestory windows, the DF (daylight factor) could be limited (2<DF<5), therefore, supplementary lighting is required