NORM Courtyard

System of Systems

ImplementingtheNaturalOrganicRecyclingMachine (NORM) provided a meaningful new approach to design with an ecological intent in mind. Pursuing integration of the system allowed the project to feature both an educational opportunity and provide a delightful public space for the community.

NORM efficiently treats wastewater by employing microbes that are ‘rockstars’ of biogeochemical cycling of inorganic and organic nutrients, matter, and pollutants. The NORM system is designed to prioritizesustainability,resourceefficiency,andallows for aesthetic integration while highlighting a natural and safe means of on-site treatment and reuse.

Components

As a meta-system, NORM showcases congruence and interdependence between natural and manmade systems. In my project, NORM behaves as an organizing design element, provides an interactive experience,anddemonstratesthepowerofconnecting with natural systems and the benefit of intentionally overlapping ecologies. NORM’s components are most simply explained by their functional purpose within the water reclamation process as follows:

1 2 3 4 5

Primary Waste Management

Nutrient Reduction & Treatment

Filtration & Microbial Activity

Wetland Treatment

Water Storage & Reuse

NORM in Focus

Percolate & Circulate

The means of travel for water being treated is mostly powered by gravity throughout the entire journey through NORM, and gradual filtration occurs at each step of the reclamation process. By relying on biological processes and natural systems, NORM minimizes the need for energy-intensive mechanical treatment methods typical to conventional wastewater treatment plants. As diagrammed below, the circulation of treated water is not as simple as it appears on the surface (pun intended). Using the Primary Waste Tanks as the initial reference and with Clean Water Storage marking an end, the entire system runs the length of approximately 200 feet with a varying width at a maximum of 45 feet.

The wetlands and dentrification reactor work together to create flood and drain conditions mimicking a cleansing tidal system.

Woodchipper Wetland

Further enhances nutrient removal through the use of wood chips.

Polishing Tidal Wetland

Subterranean treatment through flood conditions which foster microbial organisms for additional nutrient reduction.

Clean Water Storage

Clean water is stored and ready for reuse: flushing toilets, landscape irrigation, AIS decontamination stations, or sent to groundwater recharge wells.

Dentrification Reactor

Microbial den which facilitates the removal of nitrogen compounds.

Mechanical Filter Room

Micro-filtration and UV disinfection removes fine particles.

Groundwater Recharge Wells

Deep wells that injects excess reclaimed water into the ground to replenish groundwater.

Primary Waste Tanks

Collection and initial containment of wastewater with emergency overflow connection to city sewer system.

Anoxic Reactor

Oxygen-free microbe feasting hall reducing nutrient content of wastewater.

Trickle Pump Filter

Utilizes organic medium and microbial activity to remove nutrients. The funnel form and use of gravity uniquely illustrates NORM’s unique design economy.

Resourcing the Lake

The Lakeside Ecology Center utilizes Lake Chelan’s thermal energy to power its sustainable heating and cooling system by tapping into the thermal energy beneath the lake surface. The geothermal collection system is a closed-loop design that features 2100 feet of Pex tubing arranged in three rows, each measuring 60 feet in length. The looping configurations, spaced 3 feet apart and with an impressive 8-foot diameter, ensure optimal efficiency as the system sources or sinks heat into the waters of Lake Chelan.

With a 10-ton capacity, the system is more than capableofmeetingtheheatingandcoolingdemands of Lakeside Ecology Center’s current programming, totaling 20,800 square feet. Of that figure, 2,300 square feet is dedicated to unconditioned storage and circulation zones.

As designed, the system is sized in theory to meet the HVAC needs of a 26,000-square-foot building. The decision to slightly oversize the system meant the ability to generously accommodate up to 7,500 square feet of future additions or zones (to the building or even new construction on the other fingers). It’s this potential for adaptability that made pursuing a geothermal system such a desirable strategy for creating resilient design.

During the design phase, it was crucial to identify a lakebed area where the underwater coils remain at least 8 feet below the surface, even during Lake Chelan’s lowest water levels in early spring. The ideal coil-field location was determined to be site-center, approximately 120 feet offshore, and submerged 26 feet below Full Pool levels (1074 ft ASL), ensuring temperature consistency and system effectiveness year-round.

The displacement ventilation system runs in an enclosed 20-inch plenum beneath the Center’s floor, comprising 2x2 layered panels (core: high-

Fan Coil Units

Plenum Air Distributive Ducting

Geothermal Heat Exchange Loop

density particle board, finish surface: hardwood in parquet pattern). The system also features selectively placed displacement floor grilles supported by steel pedestals and gridded stringers. Users can control the locationofthedisplacementgrilles,thefancoiloutput temperature,andtheairflowvolumeemittedfromthe grilles. The interactivity of this floor system and tactile user-controlled climate demonstrates adaptable design while poetically serving as an expression of blending natural and architectural ecology.

The building’s central mechanical room serves as the heart of operations, processing the geothermal collector loop, the heat pump, and supplying the air for twelve distinct building zones and their fan coils.

Framing Resources Framing Resources

Mechanical Art

The building’s central mechanical room is the heart of HVAC operations, processing the geothermal collector Exposing the mechanical room and transforming the geothermal system into a central showpiece within the Lakeside Ecology Center is a powerful and artistic statement, reinforcing the multi-layered relationship between humans and the natural environment. By deviating from the traditional approach of enclosing and hiding the mechanical room, the Center embraces Center transparency and invites visitors to witness the intricate collaboration between various systems. IntentionallyframingNORMCourtyardandviewsof Lake Chelan with weaving copper pipes and steel manifoldsstrikesavisualconnection,symbolizingthe interplay between systems of the built environment