Vernacular Coding – Hot Dry Climate Albuquerque, NM
CAMERON SAVOIS URBN 6642
CLIMATE
There are many characteristics that create a successful habitable and climate conscious
urban dwelling unit. Different types of climates deserve specific and flexible approaches to the urban design and architecture within the urban condition. The hot and arid climate is one that is very prevalent in many urbanized areas throughout the world. Addressing the climate in a comprehensive and innovative manner, is difficult for many developers and is often overlooked in the design process. This is why regulations in the development process are so vital. In this paper I will discuss the characteristics of the hot and arid climate and offer some building typology solutions that fit contextually within a specific urban setting, as well as develop regulations that create sustainable and flexible forms for the climate.
The hot-dry climate is characterized as a combination of low humidity and high summer
daytime temperatures. The sky is usually clear most of the year, with little cloud coverage, thence enhancing solar heating during the days. Winds in these regions tend to be strong throughout the day. As deserts tend to be located within these climate zones dust storms are very prevalent due to the strong winds. The sunlight reflection can be very intense in some regions due to the barren lands and light colored ground, glare is often a symptom of these conditions, which can affect human discomfort. Since winter conditions tend to vary depending on region (within the hot-dry zones), the summer season is the most consistent and the harshness can affect the indoors and outdoors. There are many contexts that consist of this type of climate, the one that I will focus on is Albuquerque, NM.
Albuquerque, NM is centrally located within the state at northern tip of the Chihuahuan Desert,
near the Colorado Plateau. Albuquerque is designated as a cold semi-arid climate according to the Koppen Climate Classification. The description of this climate zone is hot and dry summers with cold winters (some snowfall). These regions tend to be distant from any bodies of water and high in elevation. There are significant swings in temperature from daytime to nighttime, which can be challenging to design for comfort and energy conservation. This classification gives you a general sense of the type of climate Albuquerque has, but what features can be attributed to this condition?
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Albuquerque's climate is usually sunny and dry, with low relative humidity, with an average of 3,415 sunshine hours per year. Intense sunshine throughout the year, averaging 278 days a year. There are times where high and mid level clouds appear which mellows the sun slightly, although extended amounts of cloud coverage is very rare. The average annual precipitation is low, and no month averages below freezing. The city has four distinct seasons, but the heat and cold are mild compared to some regions throughout the country.
Albuquerque has a very unique and diverse topography, which creates many of the climatic
situations that exist. The city sits within the Rio Grande Valley, with the mountains to the east and the mesa to the west (considerable elevation change in both directions). The Sandia and Manzano Mountains to the east of the city create a rain shadow effect, due to the drying of air ascending the mountains. The city usually receives very little rain or snow, averaging 8–9 inches of precipitation per year. The Valley and west mesa areas, farther from the mountains are drier, averaging 6–8 inches of annual precipitation. The Sandia foothills tend to lift any available moisture, enhancing precipitation to about 10–17 inches annually.
FORM
There are specific considerations and features that result in responsive architecture and urban
design to hot-arid climates: Compact exterior, focus on limited areas (patios and verandas) for plants and vegetation, high lot coverage, stepping buildings to catch the winds and breezes, arcades and colonnades, avoid the amount of east and especially west exposure, limit the amount of outdoor grounds, and avoid excessive paved surfaces. These are all characteristics that respond to the hot-arid climate and limit in some form or another the discomfort of the heat and high winds. These features and elements have not been an integral part of development for Albuquerque in recent times. There are four primary building typologies that reflect the era in which they were developed. Each have a distinct building form that are not responsive or designed with the climate in mind. There are some buildings in Albuquerque that were designed well for the climate, most notably Old Town, but I focused primarily on single family detached dwelling units.
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The single family detached context in Albuquerque can be divided up between the original
settlement, that railroad era, mid 20th century development, and suburban development from the 1990’s -2000’s. These contexts set the stage for the type of development in Albuquerque, as well as the progression of building typologies through time. The first context I looked at was the original settlement of Albuquerque, when the Spanish colonized and mandated the Law of the Indies Figure 1. This context exists between Old Town and downtown, and consists of irregular shaped blocks (transitioning to the grid as it get closer to downtown), small lots, compact single family residential, and high lot coverage. The traditional single family typology consists of an adobe home, a garden wall, single to two stories, articulated facades, sometimes verandas or some shade/patio element, and alley access if it exists Figure 2. This typology is the best designed for the climate, it has many of the characteristics to help keep a structure cool and its inhabitants comfortable.
Figure 1.
Figure 2.
The next context I examined was the development that occurred during the time the railroad
came through Albuquerque in the late nineteenth century. This context is similar to the traditional spanish settlement with an irregular block pattern Figure 3. The housing typology typically seen here has a garden wall, little to no setbacks, varying lot coverage, patio, narrow lots, and no building articulation Figure 4. This development was clearly imported to the area at the time, this being the genesis of divergent building typology from the traditional spanish style. This typology does not have many desirable characteristics for the climate, it does generally have at least 60% lot coverage and some shade element either natural or structure.
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Figure 3.
Figure 4.
The next context I looked at was the Mid twentieth century, this development occurred after
World War ll, for all of the soldiers returning from the war. This was the beginning of the large tract development in the orthogonal grid orientation Figure 5. This context has consistent lot sizes, high lot coverage, alley access, and large setbacks up to 40ft. The building typology within this context varies now on developer, but the traditional style adobe home is appearing again, with flat a flat roof, some building articulation, a small front porch area, single story, and not much else Figure 6. There is not a large building envelope with this typology, there is significant yard space most likely satisfying people desiring the “american dream.� This context we lose the advent of the garden wall, which is an important element in climate design for catching winds, limiting outdoor grounds, lot coverage, and privacy.
Figure 5.
Figure 6.
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The last context I explored was the most recent suburban trend of the last 20-30 years. This
context has a curvilinear block pattern with large lots and no alleys Figure 7. The typology seen in this context is faux adobe tract homes with large setbacks, attached garage, one/two story, little to no building articulation, rare vegetation, large yards, seldom shade structures (porches, patios, etc.) Figure 8. The current state of development is not responsive to climate or environmental sustainability, in the way buildings are designed and constructed as well as the location of these new suburban developments.
Figure 5.
Figure 6.
CODE
After analyzing the climate and the single family detached typologies and contexts of
Albuquerque, I developed my own set of regulations for single family detached units that I feel better addresses the climate as well as being a sustainable urban form. There were several elements from the research that I wanted to incorporate as well as some elements that are context specific to Albuquerque. The elements I incorporated into the climate code are: garden walls, verandas, building articulation, second story stepbacks, flat roof, high lot coverage, and no setbacks. These features are intended to protect from the intense sunlight, catch wind and sand from dust storms, keep cool air within the structure during the day, privacy, cultural heritage, and keep persons cool when outdoors during the day.
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The code I created is fairly flexible but has specific intent. The lot size is a typical
Albuquerque urban edge context lot. It is narrow but with the lot coverage regulation there is a lot of space to build. Because, the context is urban edge and the typology is single family detached I felt that anything taller than 2.5 stories was inappropriate, and a potential nuisance. The setbacks are provide privacy but enough buildable area. I wanted to create a variety and flexible typology by regulating the second story stepbacks that play off each other and still provide those climate controls. Lastly these articulations in the form will themselves create different pockets of enclosure and sun protection that is contextually appropriate for the climate as well as the heritage.
HEIGHT Stories (max) Feet SITING Lot Size (Min) Lot Size Width (Min) Lot Size Length (Min) Lot Coverage SETBACKS Primary Street Side Street One side only
Single Family Attached E - SU-D 2.5 30'
3,150 sq ft 35' 95' 75%
Garden Wall 8' 8' 0' Building Single Car Garage - Opposite of Wall 0' Rear 10' setback/ 1,2 story 15% of Rear stepback 5'-10'/ 2 story Front 15' min setback/ 1,2 story 50% 1'-5' setback/ 2 story Side 1 - Garden Wall 4' setback, 30% setback 6'min/ 1 story 0' Setback 30% setback 10'max/ 2 story Side 2 - No Garden Wall 3' setback/ 1 story 0' setback /2 story DESIGN ELEMENTS Flat Roof Attached Garage 4'-8' Height of Frontage Wall Awning over building entrance
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CODE SITE TEST
The first code test I did I wanted to really see the capability of this regulation. With this first
massing, I was able to construct all of the elements that I had intended in the code. It is flexible enough to get some articulation in the buildings, and create pockets of space for verandas and balconies. There is potential for good shadow coverage, which is somewhat dependant on the orientation of the building.
Perspective 1
Perspective 2 7
front elevation
plan view 8
CODE HALF BLOCK TEST The half block code test reveals there is a considerable amount of flexibility for developers and architects. The results of the code vary and will result in a mix of form that is not easily replicable. The varied results for the placement of the stepbacks that create the verandas and balconies prove to create privacy amongst each lot. The variety also does not diminish the major design intentions, no matter which way you design in the form it will still result in the desired climate control elements.
front elevation
plan view
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Perspective 1
Perspective 2
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