This thesis will explore the unavoidable relationship between social, economic and environmental sustainability that can be developed to serve as a platform for an inclusive and dignifying society for its inhabitants and their surrounding environment.
Architectural frameworks such as program, from, materiality, and structure were assessed during the design process to “design out waste” during the design of the building envelope and program of the building. Aiming for an elusive Zero waste, Zero energy and Zero scarcity community in 2050.
The program of the building will follow primarily social objectives such as reduction in density in the housing states and improving the living conditions of the inhabitants. The program will then follow by providing areas for entrepreneurship, circular manufacture and urban farming.
Lastly, the approach in which these design decisions will be made aims to make issues of environmental and social regeneration tangible to the community at large. By providing economic opportunities and activating a sustainable economy, testing alternative materials and further connecting its residents with their surrounding communities, the building aims to become a sustainability beacon where opportunities for entrepreneurship and self sustainability birth a new building typology to be developed and fully established by 2050.
Q1: Can architecture create a framework for social development in public housing?
Q2: Are carbon negative buildings possible in the context of high rise public housing ?
Q3: Can architectural language provoke changes in social behavior towards an environmentally conscious society?
Q1: Can architecture create a framework for social development in public housing?
This thesis explores how architectural design can have a positive impact on the social development of the Collingwood housing estate. The redesign will seek to empower its residents by providing spaces that allow self-development. By allowing for individual engagement and fostering in the residents a sense of choice, competence, meaning and impact1 the proposed principles aim to provide opportunities for up skilling and community building.
Found in the Circular economy strategy database2 , community involvement can be achieved by providing spaces that allow for goods exchange, repair or upgrade and are crucial in the development of sustainable consumption practices. Marchesi and Tweed3 highlight that residentially based networks are able to improve social cohesion thanks to a shared sense of belonging and collaborations amongst community members. Such collaboration frameworks is incorporated into the design of a more sustainable and inclusive redevelopment of the housing estate.
Architecturally, the buildings on this state is redesigned allowing for collaborative spaces in two spheres, one amongst residents and two between residents and surrounding communities.
These spaces will seek to empower residents with a sense of choice by providing multiple activities that will generate income, knowledge and self improvement. Programatically a sense of competence will be explored by providing spaces that allow for production such as communal gardens, workshops where products are grown, repaired and refurbished.
1. Marchesi, Marianna, and Chris Tweed. 2021. “Social Innovation For A Circular Economy In Social Housing”. Sustainable Cities And Society 71: 102925. doi:10.1016/j.scs.2021.102925.
2. Marchesi and Tweed, 5.
3. Marchesi and Tweed, 5.
Sense of meaning and impact by providing spaces to exhibit or commercialize products made by the residents and communal spaces for casual interaction or community engagement. These social components are planned to support the environmental and economic sustainability of the residents.
Q2: Are carbon negative buildings possible in the context of high rise public housing ?
This thesis will investigate the capacity for architecture to reduce embodied and operational energy emissions in the context of social housing. In his paper Circular Economy in the Construction Sector Sparrevik 4 highlights strategies available for waste reduction in the design stage of the building life cycle. For the purpose of this thesis designing out waste through reuse of components, standardized and simple design and sustainability rating tools will be explored where feasible. These strategies are aimed at reducing the embodied carbon stored in the materials and avoid ecological depletion as a result of waste dumping and resource mining.5 A second approach will be to reduce operational energy demands. Passive house design principles aimed specifically at high rise building typologies will be applied for the design of new spaces to take full advantage of the sun’s path, natural ventilation and passive energy flows. The existing East-west orientation poses the greatest challenge in using passive solar design and require major works. The feasibility of the amount of resources needed to re orientate the buildings will be speculated and weighted against the net benefit to energy consumption and lifestyle benefits to the residents. This will require either additional building elements that optimize the building facade or a total dismantling and rebuilding to the appropriate orientation.
Lastly, the incorporation of renewable energy systems will be explored to offset the fossil fuel energy requirements of the building. This exploration will include solar energy, wind energy, carbon sequestration and biodegradable building materials.
4. Magnus Sparrevik et al., “Circular Economy in the Construction Sector: Advancing Environmental Performance through Systemic and Holistic Thinking,” Environment Systems and Decisions 41, no. 3 (September 2021): 5, https://doi.org/10.1007/ s10669-021-09803-5
5. Sparrevik et al..
Design Variations
Missing/ Insufficient information
Resign for reverse logistics
Design for Disassembly
Design errors Standardized and simple design
Using substandard material sizes and quality with a lack of knowledge of alternative products
Inconsistencies between design and construction/demolition realities
Client non-waste efficient decisions
Lack of adherence to design and waste management plan
Client/ Investor
Designer/ Architect
Project manager
Design out waste Industry Associations
Product certification Builder and subcontractor
Collaborative approach and effective communication
Sustainability rating tools
Sustainability rating organizations
Structural engineer
Front end engineering design Environmental consultant
Design structures and goods that last longer, and easily repaired and upgraded
Implement waste management and continuously improve
Waste management coordinator
Q3: Can architectural language provoke changes in social behavior towards an environmentally conscious society?
This thesis also acknowledges the growing environmental pressures that global warming is posing to our future and the disproportionate negative effect that it will have on already vulnerable sectors of society.
In order to mitigate the effects of global warming, the exploration for a re-design of public housing in Melbourne, will investigate on the extend by which architecture can generate a change in the behavior of individuals and help speed up the transition towards a more sustainable relationship with the Earth.
Inspired on creative arts, this thesis will attempt to influence human behavior by making tangible the metabolic and social systems that take place within the buildings (where appropriate) to the surrounding community.
By exposing the environmental systems and Services, the building will seek to spark curiosity on the wider society to question their own relationship with their environment and thus generate reflection, change behavior and generate new know how
Inspired by the work of artists such as Olafur Eliasson, thirza schaap or Sandra M Sawatzky, the design language will seek to further make available the effects of climate change to the community inspiring behavioral changes towards unsustainable consumption patterns and disproportional waste reduction. The aim of the experience will be to create a glimmer of hope and allow the community to visualize and act towards a better more sustainable future.
Figure 2. “Ice Bergs In The Middle of Paris - Arch2O.Com,” December 15, 2015, https://www.arch2o.com/ice-bergs-middle-Paris/.
Sport Facilities
Communal Areas
• Laundry
• Composting
• Meeting Areas
Bumb Up Spaces
Belonging
Turbine Natural Ventilation PV
Input
Solar Wind
Passive Solar Design
Output Decrease
Operational
Economic Impact
Increase Sense of Increase Income Reduce Expenses
Choice
Competence
Meaning Impact
Figure 3. Conceptual Framework
Entrepreneur Spaces Community Garden
FAb-Lab Workshop Local Market Exchange Bank
Water
Water Intensive Emissions Reduction Increase Renewable
Empowerment Ecosystem
Energy Embodied
• Reduce
• Ecological
• Destruction Repair / Destroyed Ecosystems
Carbon
Carbon Sequestering Waste Reduction
3D Modular Construction
CLT Construction
• Re-cycle
• Re-use
• Re-pair
For apartments to provide residents with a high quality of living, this principle proposes to build great living spaces or in this case refurbish the existing to provide more space, access to the outside and individual planting areas for each resident.
This principle proposes to provide highly insulated panels wherever the apartments are in contact with outside temperatures.
This principle proposes the addition of programmatic areas that allow for material and economic efficiency addressing waste cycles on site and allowing for reuse, repair, recycle and where possible profit from these.
In order to spark curiosity on residents and the community at large as well as allowing for innovation, environmental systems are to be expressed and composed as part of the building facade as opposed as hidden inside the walls.
The aim of this research is to further understand the context in which social housing building will be operating in 2050. The uncertainty in the case of global warming, the ultimate state of the earth’s climate and ecological resources leads to multiple scenarios that will be ultimately decided by the extend of emissions reduction in the current scenario. From individuals to governments meaningful action is required in order to minimize impact and ultimately improve the health and wellbeing of the earth and therefore humanity.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has released a report that highlights the vulnerabilities to which we are exposed should the planet temperature and environmental depletion continue at the rate it is projected without any action. In order to create an advanced society that allows for humans to live in dignity and peace with each other and the environment, it is important to work within a framework of Climate Justice.6
The term Climate justice is used in different ways in different contexts; for the purpose of clarity the IPCC definitions have been adopted for this research. The term encompasses these principles as highlighted in the report:
Distributive justice: Refers to the allocation of burdens and benefits among individuals, nations and generations.
Procedural justice: Refers to who decides and participates in decision-making
Recognition: Entails basic respect and robust engagement with and fair consideration of diverse cultures and perspectives.
Distributive justice: Refers to the allocation of burdens and benefits among individuals, nations and generations.
Procedural justice: Refers to who decides and participates in decision-making
Recognition: Entails basic respect and robust engagement with and fair consideration of diverse cultures and perspectives. 7
6. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2020. “Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation And Vulnerability. Contribution Of Working Group II To The Sixth Assessment Report Of The Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change [“. NY: Cambridge University Press,. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/downloads/ report/IPCC_AR6_WGII_SummaryForPolicymakers.pdf.
7. (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2020)
Figure 5. (Serra Pelada, Salgado 1986)
PHOTOGRAPH OF SERRA PELADA BRAZIL BY SEBASTIAO SALGADO. BRAZIL’S BIGGEST AND MOST DANGEROUS MINES. THIS MINE IS CURRENTLY A CONTAMINATED LAKE IN THE MIDDLE OF A VASTLY DEPLETED AMAZON FOREST.
The IPCC has identified impacts on society produced by the current level of human behavior on the earth since the 1880’s. They have been further summarized here for the purpose of this study in order to understand the bigger picture and the further effects that sustained unsustainable development has and will have on the whole of society.8
1. Weather Extremes:
The impact of human activity on the ecosystem is leading the earth climatic systems to further extremes. The implications of weather extremes include: increased human mortality due to heat stress, coral bleaching, tree mortality, droughts, bush fires, increased cyclone frequency, increase in sea level, loss of property due to natural disasters and loss of regional rain.
2. Loss Of Natural Ecosystems: Human activity and climate change are continuously resulting in loss of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems.
The report highlights that this losses are more widespread and severe as previously thought. Due to high extremes the loss of habitat is also leading to massive species extinction. Some of this effects are already irreversible and many more are approaching irresistibility.
3. Food And Water Security:
The increased impact on the planet’s ecosystems is endangering food Sources by the increased acidification of the oceans and desertification. These effects impact the world unevenly and many vulnerable communities are exposed to reduced food supply and reduced diet variety increasing their risk of malnutrition.
4. Human Health:
Physical and mental health of the population is decreasing few to extreme heat events, food borne and water borne diseases due to climate sensitive pathogens and toxic substances in waterways.
8. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2020. “Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation And Vulnerability. Contribution Of Working Group II To The Sixth Assessment Report Of The Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change [“. NY: Cambridge University Press,. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/downloads/ report/IPCC_AR6_WGII_SummaryForPolicymakers.pdf.
9. (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2020)
5. Infrastructure: Extreme weather events have a negative impact on infrastructure by hindering its proper function and increased air pollution in Urban centers.
6. Economic impact: Areas in climate exposed sectors have been impacted negatively with regional effects to agricultural production, forestry, fishery, energy, tourism and outdoor activity.
7. Exaservating Humanitarian Crisis: Climate change is particularly destructive in areas with high vulnerability. Extreme weather events and loss of habitat are increasingly driving displacement in all regions of the world further perpetuating inequality, conflict and scarcity. 9
Figure 6. Photograph of Oil Bunkering #1, Niger Delta, Nigeria, 2016 by Edward Burtynsky. PHOTOGRAPH IS PART OF THE ‘ANTHROPOCENE’ BODY OF WORK WHICH EXPLORES THE IMPACT OF HUMAN ACTIVITY ON THE GEOLOGICAL FACE OF THE PLANET.“There
is increasing evidence that degradation and destruction of ecosystems by humans increases the vulnerability of people (high confidence). Unsustainable landuse and land cover change, unsustainable use of natural resources, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, pollution, and their interactions, adversely affect the capacities of ecosystems, societies, communities and individuals to adapt to climate change.”10
10. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2020. “Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation And Vulnerability. Contribution Of Working Group II To The Sixth Assessment Report Of The Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change [“. NY: Cambridge University Press,. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/downloads/ report/IPCC_AR6_WGII_SummaryForPolicymakers.pdf.
11. (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2020)
12. Taylor, Chloe. 2021. “SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Deforestation In Brazil’S Amazon Rainforest Hits 15-Year High, Data Shows”. Https://Www.Cnbc.Com/. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/19/deforestation-in-brazils-amazon-rainforest-hits-15-year-high. html#:~:text=Deforestation%20in%20Brazil’s%20Amazon%20rainforest%20hits%2015%2Dyear%20high%2C%20data%20 shows,-Published%20Fri%2C%20Nov&text=A%20report%20published%20by%20Brazil’s,August%202020%20and%20 July%202021.
Globally Less than 15% of the land, 21% of the fresh water 8% of the oceans Are protected areas.11
There is insufficient stewardship on this areas to stop habitat deterioration.12
A REPORT PUBLISHED BY BRAZIL’S NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR SPACE RESEARCH (INPE) ESTIMATED THAT 13,235 SQUARE KILOMETERS (8,224 SQUARE MILES) OF FOREST WAS LOST BETWEEN AUGUST 2020 AND JULY 2021. THAT’S AN INCREASE OF 22% FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. 13
“A SCIENTIFIC PAPER RELEASED IN JULY FOUND THAT THE AMAZON RAIN FOREST NOW RELEASES MORE CARBON EMISSIONS THAN IT CAN ABSORB.”13
13. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2020. “Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation And Vulnerability. Contribution Of Working Group II To The Sixth Assessment Report Of The Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change [“. NY: Cambridge University Press,. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/downloads/ report/IPCC_AR6_WGII_SummaryForPolicymakers.pdf.
14. Taylor, Chloe. 2021. “SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Deforestation In Brazil’S Amazon Rainforest Hits 15-Year High, Data Shows”. Https://Www.Cnbc.Com/. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/19/deforestation-in-brazils-amazon-rainforest-hits-15-year-high. html#:~:text=Deforestation%20in%20Brazil’s%20Amazon%20rainforest%20hits%2015%2Dyear%20high%2C%20data%20 shows,-Published%20Fri%2C%20Nov&text=A%20report%20published%20by%20Brazil’s,August%202020%20and%20 July%202021.
Terrestrial, freshwater. Coastal and marine ecosystems will be at very high risk of loss of biodiversity. Near Term risks of biodiversity loss are moderate to high in forest ecosystems. Some of these effects on ecological systems are already irreversible and some are nearing irresistibility. Due to the lack of action on addressing climate change the RFC’s (reasons for concern) highlighted on the previous report by the IFC are now upgraded to high and Very high compared to only two originally highlighted. These RFC’s are associated to unique and threatened systems at a median value of 1.5° removing the opportunity for adaptation. This effect is exponentially increased with further increase on the earth’s temperature.
• 3 to 14% of species assessed face risk of extinction with an increase of 1.5° of global temperatures.
• 3 to 18% of species assessed face risk of extinction with an increase of 2.0 ° of global temperatures.
• 3 to 29% of species assessed face risk of extinction with an increase of 3.0 ° of global temperatures.
• 3 to 39% of species assessed face risk of extinction with an increase of 4.0 ° of global temperatures.
• 3 to 48% of species assessed face risk of extinction with an increase of 5.0 ° of global temperatures.
15. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2020. “Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation And Vulnerability. Contribution Of Working Group II To The Sixth Assessment Report Of The Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change [“. NY: Cambridge University Press,. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/downloads/ report/IPCC_AR6_WGII_SummaryForPolicymakers.pdf.
16. (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2020).
Risks in water availability at 2° will decrease by 20% due to loss of permafrost reducing water availability for hydro power, irrigation and human settlements. With this changes expected to double at 4°.
Food insecurity is projected to rise due to increased severity, frequency and intensity of droughts, heat waves, floods and continuous sea level changes. Global warming will decrease soil productivity and put pressure on ecosystem systems such as pollination.
Populations with low adaptability and high exposure to global warming effects will be displaced due to increased flooding, drought and rising sea levels. This effects will further impact populations already under conflict due to other socio economic factors.15
Malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies are concentrated in Sub Saharan Africa, South Asia, Central and South America16
Figure 7. (Salgado 1984)`The state of Climate report by the CSIRO and The Bureau of Meteorology highlights 9 Key points on the current state of the climate.
1. Australia’s Climate has warmed by 1.4° + since reliable data began to be recorded in 1990
2. South west of Australia has recorded a decline of 16% in rainfall from April to October.
3. Across the same region, May- July rainfall has declined by 20%
4. Southeast of Australia has seen a decline in rainfall by 12%.
5. Rainfall and stream flow has increased in parts of Northern Australia
6. There is an increase length of extreme hot weather across the country and specially in Southern Australia.
7. There has been a decrease in Cyclone activity since 1982
8. Oceans in Australia are acidifying and have warmed by around 1° since 1910.
9. Sea levels have raised by around 25 cm since 1980
10. (CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology 2020).
When the report was written (2020) t year on record had been 2019, the report also highlights that all seven years from 2012 to 2019 all rank in the nine warmest years. Some colder years are expected with fluctuations between El nino and La nina events.
The frequency of very hot days compared to previous decades has also increased. The number of days that exceeded 39° in 2019 was 33, more than the number of days over this temperature from 1960 to 2018 combined, which totaled 24.17
17. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology. 2020. “State Of The Climate 2020”. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology. https://www.csiro.au/en/ research/environmental-impacts/climate-change/state-of-the-climate.
Figure 8. “As Fire Season Looms, Australia Fears Recurring Nightmare,” Nikkei Asia, accessed October 18, 2022, https://asia. nikkei.com/Spotlight/Asia-Insight/As-fire-season-looms-Australia-fears-recurring-nightmare.
Climate change exacerbates the dryness and amount of plant fuel. Changes in rainfall and air temperature and atmospheric moisture content that increase landscape drying. Increased CO2 can also alter the rate and amount of plant growth, which may also affect the fuel load. Increased frequency and intensity of extreme heat as a result of climate change can also worsen extreme fire weather risk.18
18. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology. 2020. “State Of The Climate 2020”. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology. https://www.csiro.au/en/ research/environmental-impacts/climate-change/state-of-the-climate.
ACCORDING TO THE IPCC A GLOBAL TEMPERATURE INCREASE OF 1.5°RESULTS IN 3 TO 14% OF SPECIES ASSESSED FACE RISK OF EXTINCTION Australia’s Climate has warmed by
All 19 stream flows in the Darling River region show declining trends, half of which show a severe declining trend.19 1.4°
19. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology. 2020. “State Of The Climate 2020”. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology. https://www.csiro.au/en/ research/environmental-impacts/climate-change/state-of-the-climate.
Warming of the ocean has contribute to longer and more frequent marine heatwaves. These are defined periods when the average temperature of the ocean is higher than the historical average for longer than five days. Heatwaves in the ocean are much longer that heatwaves on land and may last many months or even years. 20
The heating of the ocean around Australia means that marine ecosystem health, species and habitat has been permanently impacted. These impacts include poleward shift on marine species, depleting kelp forests and sea grasses as well as increase in marine diseases. This effects are the primary drivers of coral bleaching and damage to coral reefs in Australia. 21
The southern hemisphere oceans are responsible for taking much of the heat product of human activity. This is because ocean currents take the warm water and transfer it to the deep ocean. This transferring of energy accounts for losses in oxygen and impacts on marine ecosystems.
Sea level rises are studied through satellite altimetry, throughout the years the collection of data has made it clear that the anthropogenic climate change effect of the ocean is responsible for the rise in ocean tides. In South East Australia, the rise in tides are significantly higher than the global average. Sea level rise threatens with displacing much of the world population including Australia’s coastal communities which will be faced with risks of coastal inundation, storm surge and land erosion. 22 Ocean Acidification
Rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere increases its uptake by the oceans which alters their composition and decreases their PH levels. This process is known as Acidification. This process along with deoxigenation and temperature increase brings additional pressure to marine ecosystems. 23
The effects of acidification will alter organism growth and reproduction, food web structures, nutrient availability, and reduced calcification rates for species such as corals and shellfish. Due to latitudinal differences, the oceans around Australia are Acidifying faster than the global average. 24
20. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology. 2020. “State Of The Climate 2020”. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology. https://www.csiro.au/en/ research/environmental-impacts/climate-change/state-of-the-climate.
21. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology. 2020. “State Of The Climate 2020”. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology
22. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology. 2020. “State Of The Climate 2020”. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology.
23. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology. 2020. “State Of The Climate 2020”. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology.
24. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology. 2020. “State Of The Climate 2020”. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology.
The rate of decrease in PH has accelerated more than 5 times since it had from 1900-1960.
Oceans in the world absorb 90% of the extra energy produced by green house emissions.
Australian region sea surface has warmed by 1°
Figure 9. “As Fire Season Looms, Australia Fears Recurring Nightmare,” Nikkei Asia, accessed October 18, 2022, https://asia. nikkei.com/Spotlight/Asia-Insight/As-fire-season-looms-Australia-fears-recurring-nightmare.
The global annual mean of CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere has risen 47% since the start of the industrial revolution. This increase is the product of fossil fuel use and land-use changes. By 2019 70% of the emissions needed to reach a 2% increase on the earths temperature had already been released. Because of the nature of gases emitted which last for decades to centuries on the atmosphere further warming and sea level rise is inevitable.
Cape Grim station which is the World Meteorological Organization’s Global Watch Program shows an accelerated increase in Green House Gas PPM and in an accelerating trend.
Significant events such as the bush fires became in 2019-2020 an unusually large source of CO2 from the Australasian continent for that year. Conversely the Global emissions reduction due to Covid 19 was 17% in GHG compared to the same period on the previous year.
The measures of carbon Isotropic measures (Carbon 13, Carbon 14 and Carbon 12) confirm that this increase in CO2 emissions is largely due to fossil fuel and land clearing. Observations in arctic Ice confirm that the carbon levels were stable in the previous 2000 years before the industrial revolution, Current studies allow us to study the past 2 million years of earths history and CO2 concentrations and confirm that the current levels are higher than any other time in the ice core record.
Other measurements have been obtained from sea sediment which show that the last time GHG were the same or higher was in the Paleocene when global temperatures were around 2-3° higher than today. 25
At the current rate, Australian weather forecast predicts a 3° higher than 1910 with an average annual temperature of 24.5° compared to
21.3° in 1910. 26
The IPCC predicts that 3 to 29% of species assessed face risk of extinction with an increase of 3.0 ° of global temperatures.
25. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology. 2020. “State Of The Climate 2020”. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology. https://www.csiro.au/en/ research/environmental-impacts/climate-change/state-of-the-climate.
26. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology. 2020. “State Of The Climate 2020”. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology
Figure 10. “As Fire Season Looms, Australia Fears Recurring Nightmare,” Nikkei Asia, accessed October 18, 2022, https://asia. nikkei.com/Spotlight/Asia-Insight/As-fire-season-looms-Australia-fears-recurring-nightmare.
For the purpose of this study, the focus on adaptation measures will be on urban response and small scale options as policy recommendations are outlined in the report. Land and ecosystems management section highlights the importance of reducing pressure on natural ecosystems and recommends urban agriculture as a focus to reduce load on natural habitat and reduce the carbon footprint of food systems. This recommendation will be explored as it is not only a carbon sequestering activity in the cities but also a viable way to create an economy to support social housing. These adaptation could help reduce waste on site and support balance diets, contribute to health, improve biodiversity on site and by urban greening with trees and other vegetation can produce local cooling. 28
27. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology. 2020. “State Of The Climate 2020”. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology. https://www.csiro.au/en/ research/environmental-impacts/climate-change/state-of-the-climate.
28. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology. 2020. “State Of The Climate 2020”. CSRIO, Bureau of Meteorology
Figure 11. Alana Schetzer, “Greener Cities the Key to Happier, Healthier, Stress-Free Lives,” The Age, January 26, 2016, https:// www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/greener-cities-the-key-to-happier-healthier-stressfree-lives-20160126-gmeay5.html.
The focus on environmental performance has great potential to bring with it economic and social benefits. The opportunity exists for kick start a global recycled material industry as well as the inherent drive for scientific innovation and the incentive to the local industry as builders seek to source materials locally to reduce embodied energy and carbon from imported materials. The importance to invest on local industry has been brought forward by the current supply chain disruptions and scarcity of basic goods and energy sources produced by global instability.
The circular economy is thought as a key concept on environmental sustainability as it re-thinks the current linear model of “take, make,dispose” into closed loop models where inputs become outputs. In construction this is a key concept that may allow us to re-think our cities, the urban metabolic processes that occur within and influence future generations as choices made today in the sector will have an impact in the foreseeable future.
28 The model has been conceived as a “restorative by design”and aims to re framing information, material, and energy flows efficiently in order to reduce or eliminate waste through re-use or re manufacture of materials. Its key concept is that waste elimination can become and generate new sources of value for businesses. 29
The construction industry has a great impact and footprint on the use of energy and resources as well as being a large cause for natural habitat loss. The industry is the largest consumer of natural resources and uses alone a third of the energy produced all over the world. Towards a Circular Economy by The Ellen MacArthur Foundation Describes ways in which CE can be added to productive systems and manufacturing processes from these Magnus Sparrevik has identified three components to be implemented specifically to the construction industry. 30
Designing out waste and pollution: This approach takes into consideration the embodied emissions related to materiality. It recognizes that the intensive energy use in the production of materials should be reduced along with reusing existing
Globally, Construction industry is estimated to be responsible for 40% of energy consumption, 30% of CO2 Emissions and 40% of total solid production waste.
29. Magnus Sparrevik et al., “Circular Economy in the Construction Sector: Advancing Environmental Performance through Systemic and Holistic Thinking,” Environment Systems and Decisions 41, no. 3 (September 2021): 5, https://doi.org/10.1007/ s10669-021-09803-5.
30. Sparrevik et al.
materials with careful reuse of waste produced by building demolition. 31 Keeping products and materials in use: This principle recognizes that products in a building may have a longer life expectancy than the building itself and plans for a conscious re use of building materials and components. 32 By reducing the use of new materials and components the environmental depletion product of mining raw materials can be reduced and thus reducing the impact of construction in the environment. 33
Regeneration of natural systems: There are two distinctive ways in which this can be achieved. In the building operation there can be a reduction of energy and water and encourages the building to become a net producer of energy. The second approach entails that the building also encourages ecological regeneration by using surroundings and roofs for vegetation and water management.34
Due to the high degree of complexity to achieving these goals, there have been LCA tools developed at every stage of the design and construction of the building that allow us to gather empirical information and apply circularity to a building’s design and performance. 35 The construction phase can be divided into two sub levels. Impacts of transportation from the supplier to site and impact of transportation to the supplier. The implementation of circular policies in the design and construction of buildings has an impact over the whole supply chin and will result in research and development of new local solutions to reduce emissions. This creates the opportunity for new entrepreneurship and economic growth within the local context. However this change is led by new entrepreneurial design approaches into developing new and innovative circular concepts. 36
31. Magnus Sparrevik et al., “Circular Economy in the Construction Sector: Advancing Environmental Performance through Systemic and Holistic Thinking,” Environment Systems and Decisions 41, no. 3 (September 2021): 5, https://doi.org/10.1007/ s10669-021-09803-5.
32. Sparrevik et al.
33. Sparrevik et al.
34. Sparrevik et al.
35. Sparrevik et al.
36. Sparrevik et al.
An improvement on environmental practices however cant remain a designer and supplier responsibility, it is imperative as highlighted by the IPCC report for policy makers that this efforts are accompanied or required by legislation through a top down approach that sets minimum regulations for environmental performance and sustainability within the industry allowing research, development and innovation to compete financially with existing linear supply models.37
Designers involved in the procurement process of materials have to their disposal Environmental product declarations developed by product and material manufacturers that asses the environmental impact of such product. These can be used to make objective decisions by the professionals involved
in material procurement in the choice of materials. Through the systematic use of this information, suppliers of materials are encouraged to increase the use of recycled materials and incorporate cleaner sources of energy and waste reduction practices within their manufacturing processes. 38 The implantation of LCA is difficult to implement since it is highly dependent on the context. For example, a complete refurbishment of a building may become counterproductive as the life-cycle of the building materials that are kept may be reduced by the time the refurbishment is made. This case by case situation makes it incredibly difficult to establish standards for sustainable development and create the need of more complex digitized and highly interactive tools for calculating the environmental impact of each project. At a broader level, building certifications
In Australia, it is estimated that the construction industry generates over 360 Billion in revenue and accounts for 9% of the GDP
37. Magnus Sparrevik et al., “Circular Economy in the Construction Sector: Advancing Environmental Performance through Systemic and Holistic Thinking,” Environment Systems and Decisions 41, no. 3 (September 2021): 5, https://doi.org/10.1007/ s10669-021-09803-5.
38. Sparrevik et al.
such as (LEED, BREEAM or similar) are widely used in the industry, although wider in scope, this certifications focus on specific predefined targets that do heavily focus on Circularity concepts such as water, energy and material efficiency. 39
In Australia 2021 the most recent National Waste Report, it was described that the construction industry generated over 27 Million Tonnes of waste during 2019 to 2020, This represents a 61% increase in comparison to the same period 2006 to 2007. 40
Currently this amount of waste including recycled and generated account for the
largest source of waste in Australia. Adhering to a circular model in Australia will reduce waste, its economic and environmental impact, landfill management costs, levies, loss of habitat due to extraction, transportation costs and instead will create new sources of competition and development. 41
(Shooshtarian et al. 2022) highlights that design plays a major part in waste management, it has been noted that the waste generated during the design phase will most likely surpass the amount of waste generated during the construction stage. 42
Preliminary studies, Consultation and design
39. Magnus Sparrevik et al., “Circular Economy in the Construction Sector: Advancing Environmental Performance through Systemic and Holistic Thinking,” Environment Systems and Decisions 41, no. 3 (September 2021): 5, https://doi.org/10.1007/ s10669-021-09803-5.
40. Sparrevik et al.
41. Sparrevik et al.
42. Sparrevik et al.
The current context of environmental crisis, political and economic turmoil and growing inequality calls upon architects to work within a framework of doing more with less.
Our building practices consume an enormous amount of energy both operational and operational. In order to combat environmental depletion, we are required to develop new ways of designing building and demolishing in order to bring efficiency into every stage of building construction. The focus on embodied energy opens up an window for how we may re use the
resources that have already been mined from the earth in re incorporate them into our building stock. This approach demands from the industry to develop technologies and processes that rule out waste from mining to demolition and carry us forward into a post-destructivist era.
Embodied Carbon: All green house emissions related to the extraction, manufacturing and delivery of a product or service.
ENERGY USE STAGES
Embodied
Capital
Upfront
Repair
Refurbish
Operation
Demolition
Construction
Lifespan
End of Life
Existing regulations focus on operational energy performance and disregard the embodied energy and waste produced during its construction. Although operational energy performance can be improved during a building’s life time, embodied energy can not.
WORLD’S ENERGY USED BY BUILDINGS43 36%
43. Magnus Sparrevik et al., “Circular Economy in the Construction Sector: Advancing Environmental Performance through Systemic and Holistic Thinking,” Environment Systems and Decisions 41, no. 3 (September 2021): 5, https://doi.org/10.1007/ s10669-021-09803-5.
CONCRETE 25 MPA
1.1 MJ/KG
STRUCTURAL STEEL
3.5 MJ/KG
CORRUGATED STEEL
28.5 MJ/KG
79.6 MJ/KG ALUMINUM 358 MJ/KG
38.8 MJ/KG SOFT WOOD
19 MJ/KG
HARD WOOD
26.9 MJ/KG PLASTERBOARD 15.1 MJ/KG
13. Embodied energy in most used materials in construction industry in Australia
44. “Embodied Energy | YourHome,” accessed October 18, 2022, https://www.yourhome.gov.au/materials/embodied-energy.
Circular Homes
Renewable Energy
Circular Homes
TaiSugar Circular Village (TCV)is located in the Shalun Smart Green Energy Science City. 52
This residential project is described as one of the first residential projects in Taiwan if not the world focusing on circular economy concept in the construction industry. The project has been led by Taiwan’s Sugar Corporation (TSC) taking the initiative to implement this new economic model.53
The Taiwanese government has listed the circular economy as an important issue
Green Roof/ Farming
Repair/ Workshop
Ecology
Water Storage Aquaponics
Circular Homes
Green transport
Farmers market
of its “Five plus two innovative industries policy”. The government thus is making strong efforts to boost the potential of circularity in the built environment and manufacture as the island is working within a limited resource environment.54 This project embodies multiple ideas of circularity. The architect emphasizes on the importance of modularization for large scale developments in urban areas. This allows for efficient assembly and disassembly.
45. “Taisugar Circular Village / Bio-Architecture Formosana,” ArchDaily, January 6, 2022, https://www.archdaily.com/974658/ taisugar-circular-village-bio-architecture-formosana.
46. “Taisugar Circular Village / Bio-Architecture Formosana.”
47. “Taisugar Circular Village / Bio-Architecture Formosana.”
Figure 14. Formosa Village Program Diagram
The focus on zero waste was adopted by using the salvaged timber structure of the old sugar factory and re used on the structure for the E-house while the fence was made by recycling old railway tracks.55 Timber has also been used for elements like doors and materials such as CLT and recycled led glass into insulation blocks as facade and internal partitions.56 In order to fulfill the spirit of design for disassembly the chosen structural
material is steel instead of reinforced concrete. Modular components such as PC boards, louvers and prefabricated floor panels. 57
The design process used BIM in conjunction with the BAMB database which aims to catalogue and increase the value of materials and lead to waste reduction and reduce the use of virgin materials.58
48. “Taisugar Circular Village / Bio-Architecture Formosana,” ArchDaily, January 6, 2022, https://www.archdaily.com/974658/ taisugar-circular-village-bio-architecture-formosana.
49. “Taisugar Circular Village / Bio-Architecture Formosana.”
50. “Taisugar Circular Village / Bio-Architecture Formosana.”
51. “BAMB - Buildings As Material Banks (BAMB2020) - BAMB”. 2022. BAMB. https://www.bamb2020.eu/.
Figure 15. Formosa VillageAlthough the majority of a building’s energy will be generated during its construction before it has ever been occupied, its operation will also have a great impact on carbon emissions during its operation. Should a building last longer than 60 years in most cases, the operational consumption can start to overtake embodied energy emissions. This is why it is important to design out energy inefficiencies and create well insulated buildings that provide comfort without the need for energy inputs in the form of active systems.
To begin the design process it is important to consider a building’s location and orientation in order to maximize the use of the sun’s energy into cooling and heating the buildings when needed. This process requires a keen understanding of the earth’s temperature processes and knowledge of materials. We need to carefully curate ratios of thermal mass, glass, orientation, shading and thermal bridges in order to generate designs that are responsive to their environment and become truly off their place.
50%
APPROX. OF BUILDING EMISSIONS ARE ATTRIBUTED TO RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS.45
Passive solar design provides a benchmark from which designers can learn to integrate these processes beginning with rules of thumb and culminating with careful modeling that allows buildings to maximize efficiency from concept stages to tender stage. OF ANNUAL ENERGY USE CONSUMED BY BUILDINGS.46
42%
52. Pooya Lotfabadi, “Analyzing Passive Solar Strategies in the Case of High-Rise Building,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 52 (December 2015): 1340–53, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.07.189.
53. Lotfabadi, 1345.
High rise buildings are identified to have great potential for the sustainable development of future buildings. This building typology is compact, economical, efficient use of land, etc.1 In addition to their space efficiency, they also hold great renewable energy production potential due to the large area exposed to solar radiation. 47
Pooya Lotfabadi explores passive design principles in high rise buildings using the Frankfurt Commerzbank building as an example. This building is design with a large central void that extends throughout the whole hight of the building. Along with this void, a sequence of gardens are placed throughout the elevations of the building in manner in which every office has direct contact with a garden. The trees, location of the gardens and the facade detailing, are part of a passive building ventilation strategy. 48
It is estimated that this natural ventilation system will operate for approximately 60% of the year and maintain a relative level of comfort before active systems are required. 49
54. Pooya Lotfabadi, “Analyzing Passive Solar Strategies in the Case of High-Rise Building,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 52 (December 2015): 1340–53, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.07.189.
55. Lotfabadi, 1345.
56. Lotfabadi, 1347.
Figure 16. Atrium Strategies on High Rise buildings• 4-STORY GARDENS ROTATE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE BUILDING, PROVIDING AMENITY SPACE, DAYLIGHT PENETRATION INTO THE BUILDING AND PROVIDING NATURAL VENTILATION, VIA OPERABLE WINDOWS, TO ALL OFFICE AREAS.
• SKY GARDENS OVER A 12-STOREY PROVIDE EFFECTIVE CROSS VENTILATION, IRRESPECTIVE OF WIND DIRECTION AND FUNCTION AS NATURAL SMOKE VENTILATION OUTLETS.
• THIS DEVELOPMENT CONSUMES LESS ENERGY THAN HALF OF EQUIVALENT TOWERS.
• DATA SHOWS THAT OVER THE FIRST 10 YEARS IN OPERATION (1998 - 2008), THE BUILDING IS NATURALLY VENTILATED 85% OF THE TIME.
• ENERGY FOR THE BUILDING IS SUPPLIED FROM RENEWABLE ENERGY.
57. Pooya Lotfabadi, “Analyzing Passive Solar Strategies in the Case of High-Rise Building,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 52 (December 2015): 1340–53, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.07.189.
Figure 17. Section Diagram
58. Foster + Partners / www.fosterandpartners.com, “Commerzbank Headquarters | Foster + Partners,” accessed August 18, 2022, https://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/commerzbank-headquarters/.
Figure 18. Atrium Strategies on High Rise buildingsSocial housing in Melbourne is the product of the “Slum Abolition Program” aimed at “saving families”. This approach was rooted in the believe that “bad houses made bad people” by the Henry Bolte’s government.
The decision to build the towers was heavily influenced by CDA (City development association) and real state developers mounting pressure to reduce the number of social housing developments in the outer suburbs as it created direct competition.
Existing family and friendship ties were demolished along with the residents way of life for “the greater good”.56
1936-1970’s
59. Karen Vella, “THE HIGH RISE AT A GLANCE,” 1990.
Figure 19. Collingwood. Rear of No. 5 Hood Street. 1935 Figure 20. Man dressed in suit and young boy wearing an overcoat, standing in a backyard
The Ministry of housing high-rise flats were a product of experimentation in construction, Their soul is of social service to communities and as such their value must be highlighted as the community condensers they are. Their capacity to become environmental catalyst of
a new type of construction and social development is immense and their future development should be one where the debt to the marginalized communities that gave away their rights for the greater good are paid in the form of dignity.
60. Foster + Partners / www.fosterandpartners.com, “Commerzbank Headquarters | Foster + Partners,” accessed August 18, 2022, https://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/commerzbank-headquarters/.
Figure 21. Collingwood public housing estateThe chosen site for this thesis is 253 Hoddle street in Collingwood, Victoria. This tower is a 20 storey/180 apartment high precast concrete tower built in the 1960’s.57 It was estimated at the time that the tower had a population of 500 people. 61
5 MINUTE WALK 400 M
The chosen site for this thesis is 253 Hoddle street in Collingwood, Victoria. This tower is a 20 storey/180 apartment high
precast concrete tower built in the 1960’s.57 It was estimated at the time that the tower had a population of 500 people.58
Figure 23. Siteplan Transport Collingwood Victoria ParkDISTRIBUTION IN 1993 62
Length Of current Tenancy No Of Households Less than 12 months 22 1-3 Years 64 3-10 Years 64 10 Years + 23 Length Of Tenancy on Vacated Properties No Of Households
Majority of households composed of 2 to 4 tenants. Tenancy duration of 1 to 10 years. Tenancies vacated averaged similar lengths of tenancies.
Table 2. Population Distribution
44% responded that they have “no good” or “Still learning” computer skills. IN 2000 “94% OF RESIDENTS AT THE COLLINGWOOD ESTATE ARE DEPENDENT ON GOVERNMENT PAYMENTS”64 WORK AND EDUCATION IN 2010 63
Study by the brotherhood of St Laurence on public housing residents found in a sample of public housing residents in Collingwood, Fitzroy and Richmond that :
50 % of the unemployed population wanted to work.
50% of the unemployed population that doesn’t want to work is on disability payment.
Figure 26. Population distribution
62. Karen Vella, “THE HIGH RISE AT A GLANCE,” 1990.
63. Lauren Siegmann, “Work and Learning in Fitzroy, Richmond and Collingwood” (Fitzroy, Vic. 3065: Brotherhood of St Laurence, 2010), https://bsl.intersearch.com.au/bsljspui/handle/1/6079.
64. Catherine Guinness, “Assessment Of The Service Needs Of Low Income Families: Collingwood And Fitzroy Housing Estates” (Richmond Vic 3121, 2000), 18, Http://Archive.jss.org.au/Media/Reports/Cg_doc.pdf.
Figure 27. Existing conditions
Addressing the thesis question multiple concepts have been developed in order to create and asses multiple strategies to extend apartments, allow for additional program and improve the environmental performance of existing apartments.
Here the exploration begins by extending the building with an additional wing to face north and include a number of new apartments with optimized environmental performance. This wing will also allow for new program to be located in the building without displacing existing residents.
This concept explores the building in an eight plan shape with two central courts. This concept allows for extra apartments and may enable extensions to existing apartments.
Figure 28. Conceptual exploration
This concept builds on previous concept breaking the new buildings into individual modules which allow for additional circulation and may provide different areas where the surrounding community may connect with residents.
Breaking up the building panels and rebuilding them into 4 stories rotated north removing the need for lifts but re using the materials and thus saving the embodied energy.
This concept adds to the existing building a cubic frame in which prefabricated modules or pods can be added.
This concept expands on the atrium and distributes it along the facade creating a more dynamic composition where multiple apartment arrangements may arise and interact with the atrium
Figure 29. Conceptual exploration
This concept adds to the existing building a cubic frame in which prefabricated modules or pods can be added.
This concept explored adding levels to the existing structure, This may be done by adding four or five stories of light weight timber structures.
The proposed composition of the floor plans is set on a 5 m grid placed over the removed apartments on the floor plate. From the relationships between the grid, program and circulation requirements the plan is created with one wall to connect atrium and workshop with a buffer area for outdoor work and space flexibility into the atrium/ Garden.
Figure 30. Conceptual exploration
Composition atrium experiment with proposed north angle.
Figure 31. Conceptual exploration
Apartment Extensions
Existing apartments extended to allow for greater quality of life for existing residents.
Building Penetrations
Apartments
Removed to allow for natural light, and internal gardens to be created
Community Gardens
Floor Plates allowance for community gardens
Figure 32. Conceptual exploration 3D Model
Existing panels will be re adapted for use as floor plates in extension to the original floor plate area of the apartments.
Prefab Annex
New prefabricated annex to floor plates with optimized thermal performance
Figure 33. Conceptual exploration 3D Model Figure 34. Conceptual exploration 3D ModelCommunal Garden Farming
Green Communal Gardens
New North Facing Windows
New Apartment Extension
Angling North
New CLT Structure
Figure 35. Proposed sketch design diagram
HEMPCRETE
This material has been selected as it is an innovative material with a negative carbon footprint and can be used as facade and insulation material, precast into modules and transported to site.
Proposed Waste Management Strategy for Existing Facade Panels: Concrete crashed and reused as aggregate on following construction stage.
STEEL RE-BAR RECOVERED AND REUSED.
The proposed building typology has allows for functions within the building that will have social and environmental benefits. Such as repair, reuse and recycling for residents. These spaces will have the potential to up skill and foster artistic endeavors by promoting the creative reuse of resources that would otherwise end in landfill. These areas will also create community around similar interests allowing too for entrepreneurial spirit to take place within.
Private Office Space Workshop/ Fablab
Atrium/ Communal Garden
Figure 37. Proposed sketch design Atrium
Breaking the monolithic nature of the building is done by articulating multistory atriums for light access, depopulate existing building and create community meeting points
Figure 39. Proposed sketch design elevation articulation
Further two story cuts are made to introduce circular program proposed for reuse, refurbish, recycle.
Figure 40. Proposed sketch design elevation articulation
Rain water collected
Energy generated by gravity
Energy recovered through a syphon energy generation system
Water used for garden Irrigation
Water Filtered
Water transfered to urban farming
Figure 41. Proposed water articulation on facade
43. Reference
Inspired by Berlin/s water pipes expressed throughout the city and which spark on the eye of the beholder the question about their function and upon discovery reveal their nature, the building will include similar colors and concepts to express its own environmental systems in order to spark similar curiosity.
65. “Berlin-Pink-Pipes-More-than-Green-13-2.Jpg (640×640),” accessed September 24, 2022, https://www.morethangreen.es/ wp-content/uploads/2016/04/berlin-pink-pipes-more-than-green-13-2.jpg.
Figure 42. Reference exposed services Berlin Figure exposed services Berlin
Figure 44. Proposed concept render
Figure 45. Proposed concept section
For apartments to provide residents with a high quality of living, this principle proposes to build great living spaces or in this case refurbish the existing to provide more space, access to the private outdoor areas and individual planting areas for each resident.
Remove corridor facade1
Existing Panels Removed2,3*
Note 1. Corridor wall removed allowing sunlight to enter kitchen and living
Note 2. Existing 110mm precast concrete panels are removed to improve existing apartments.
Note 3. Materials in existing panels will be recovered by:
1. Crushing concrete for aggregate on future works.
2. Steel bars recovered and recycled.
3. Windows reused in current scheme as they have recently been replaced
New Window 4
Glulam Exposed Beam 5
Glulam Exposed Columns
Threaded Connections
Bearing Surface65
Note 4. New window to avoid dark areas in rooms longer than 8m such as the living / kitchen
Note 5. Existing wall panel provides lateral bracing. Beam provided to provide lateral bracing to existing structure and support balconies.
Note 6. CLT was chosen as a secondary structural material as its manufacture utilizes carbon in the atmosphere as a result.
New triple glazed door to living
Windows re-used
New upgraded panels 6*
Note 7. New panels to provide extra insulation to the face of the building where heat exchange occurs with external temperatures.
Note 8. New extension provides options to extend rooms or provide balconies according to residents needs/ preference
Note 9. New planters provide opportunities for greening the facade and reduce the amount of direct sunlight entering through east and west being the main facade in the hottest months
Figure 52. Proposed layout options
Note 10. Prosed internal view relies on principles of DE-materialization where materials are expressed and not finished with additional materials, instead relying on high quality finishes reducing embodied energy
This principle proposes to provide highly insulated panels wherever the apartments are in contact with outside temperatures.
Made from Straw and wheat
Suitable for wall and ceiling 100% Reciclable
Certified in Australia 67
Hempcrete batts
Negative carbon footprint in hemp makes for low embodied energy
Hempcrete batts
Negative carbon footprint in hemp makes for low embodied energy
Pro Clima internal lining Reclaimed Timber Facade
Low embodied energy from recycled material
66. “Sustainable Wall & Ceiling Panels,” Durra Panel, accessed October 24, 2022, https://durrapanel. com/benefit/sustainability/. Proposed
Note 11. Embodied Energy could not be calculated as there is no readily available data for materials such as hempcrete within the Austalian context, resuerces sugest its carbon footprint its negative and the proposal for this material pretends to use this project as a source of further information into more sustainable materials.
Made from Straw and wheat
Suitable for wall and ceiling 100% Reciclable Certified in Australia 68
Hempcrete batts
Negative carbon footprint in hemp makes for low embodied energy
Cellulose Insulation
Sprrayed on wall to fill gaps. Made from recycled newspaper.
Pro Clima internal lining Reclaimed Timber Facade
Low embodied energy from recycled material
Material / Component Double Glazed Window Durra Panel 50 mm Hempcrete 120 mm Cellulose Panels
Proposed Wall
Proposed Wall 2 Double Glazed Window Durra Panel 50 mm Cellulose Reclaimed Timber U Value 3.9
68. “Thermal Performance & Hemp,” Australian Hemp Masonry Company (blog), accessed October 20, 2022, https://www. hempmasonry.com.au/thermal-performance-and-hemp/.
69. “The Fundamentals of Series and Parallel Heat Flow - GreenBuildingAdvisor,” accessed October 24, 2022, https://www. greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/the-fundamentals-of-series-and-parallel-heat-flow.
70. A. Duffy and M. Conroy, “Embodied Transport Energy Analysis of Imported Wood Pellets,” in Energy and Sustainability, vol. I (ENERGY 2007, The New Forest, UK: WIT Press, 2007), 299–305, https://doi.org/10.2495/ESUS070301.
71. “Advantages of UPVC Window Frames - Windows For Life,” Windows 4 life, accessed October 24, 2022, https://www.windows4life. com.au/upvc-advantages/.
This principle proposes the addition of programmatic areas that allow for material and economic efficiency addressing waste cycles on site and allowing for reuse, repair, recycle and where possible profit from these.
Stairs reduce the new for use of lifts reducing operational energy needs.
Seating spaces for contemplation and community building
New window to existing apartments.
Note 12. Communal atrium rises four storey with stairs provided to discourage the use of lifts. Atrium provides seating areas for resting and contemplation as well as green spaces for maintenance by the community.
Note 13. Green areas will allow the building to absorb Co2 .
Planter boxes provided to increase bibliophilia and increase co2 emission absorption.
Workshop space provided for building, refurbishing and recycling.
Planter boxes provided to increase bibliophile and increase co2 emission absorption.
Seating spaces for contemplation and community building
Note 14. Providing a workshop allows for residents to up-skill and share knowledge.
Note 15. Workshop expands across two stories creating communities with similar interests on building and design
Panels installed on apartments can be made, upgraded fixed or recycled on site.
On-site workshop allows apartments to change as the needs of the users change.
Items such as furniture can also be brought and repaired with the tools provided.
Figure 67. Concept view of Atruim L5
Art Studios
Note 16. Providing a IT rooms allows for residents to up-skill and share knowledge.
Note 17. Workshop expands across two stories creating communities with similar interests on building and design
In order to spark curiosity on residents and the community at large as well as allowing for innovation, environmental systems are to be expressed and composed as part of the building facade as opposed as hidden inside the walls.
Syphon energy recovery system. This system recovers energy from the acceleration in water falling at high velocity. This energy although no significant can be used to pump water around the atriums and gardens
Note 18. Green Roof provided as private open space for residents.
Green Roof
Provides fresh air bibliophilia and great views to the residents.
Communal veggie patch
2 stories veggie patch reduces embodied energy needed to create food, reduces cost of living.
These spaces also have composting facilities to recover nutrients in organic waste creating a loop of production and avoiding soil depletion.
The proposed principles have been applied to The Collingwood highrise state previosly highlighted in the Sketch design site plan.
Existing car park has been moved underground and replaced with new landscape to connect all roads around the building allowing the community to engage with the park and use it as a pathway to or from Johnston street.
Structure provided for future developing of low cost housing
Carpark underground
Native Planting
Landscape design inspired by Cranbourne botanical Gardens 72
New building for displaced families
New bike lanes
Provides incentives to reduce reliance on fossil fuels
72. “The Australian Garden / Taylor Cullity Lethlean + Paul Thompson,” ArchDaily, June 28, 2013, https://www.archdaily.com/393618/theaustralian-garden-taylor-cullity-lethlean-paul-thompson.
The buildings arrangement has been planned to create communities that can get together around similar interests or spatial arrangements of the atriums located at 4 stories intervals to incentivize use of stairs to access these facilities.
4 Storey communities created by communal gardens
2 Storey communities created by Vertical farms
Communities created by common interests
Introducing atriums into the building displaces existing residents which will be relocated into new wings added to the east and west of the existing building with its main facade facing north.
Design based on the apartment design guidelines, Victoria,
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2. Magnus Sparrevik et al., “Circular Economy in the Construction Sector: Advancing Environmental Performance through Systemic and Holistic Thinking,” Environment Systems and Decisions 41, no. 3 (September 2021): 5, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10669-02109803-5
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6. “Taisugar Circular Village / Bio-Architecture Formosana,” ArchDaily, January 6, 2022, https://www.archdaily.com/974658/taisugar-circular-village-bio-architectureformosana.
7. “BAMB - Buildings As Material Banks (BAMB2020) - BAMB”. 2022. BAMB. https:// www.bamb2020.eu/.
8. Pooya Lotfabadi, “Analyzing Passive Solar Strategies in the Case of High-Rise Building,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 52 (December 2015): 1340–53, https://doi. org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.07.189.
9. Foster + Partners / www.fosterandpartners.com, “Commerzbank Headquarters | Foster + Partners,” accessed August 18, 2022, https://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/ commerzbank-headquarters/.
10. Karen Vella, “THE HIGH RISE AT A GLANCE,” 1990.
11. Foster + Partners / www.fosterandpartners.com, “Commerzbank Headquarters | Foster + Partners,” accessed August 18, 2022, https://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/ commerzbank-headquarters/.
12. Karen Vella, “THE HIGH RISE AT A GLANCE,” 1990.
13. Lauren Siegmann, “Work and Learning in Fitzroy, Richmond and Collingwood” (Fitzroy, Vic. 3065: Brotherhood of St Laurence, 2010), https://bsl.intersearch.com.au/bsljspui/ handle/1/6079.
14. Catherine Guinness, “Assessment Of The Service Needs Of Low Income Families: Collingwood And Fitzroy Housing Estates” (Richmond Vic 3121, 2000), 18, Http:// Archive.jss.org.au/Media/Reports/Cg_doc.pdf.
15. “Berlin-Pink-Pipes-More-than-Green-13-2.Jpg (640×640),” accessed September 24, 2022, https://www.morethangreen.es/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/berlin-pink-pipes-morethan-green-13-2.jpg.
16. “Sustainable Wall & Ceiling Panels,” Durra Panel, accessed October 24, 2022, https:// durrapanel.com/benefit/sustainability/.
17. “Thermal Performance & Hemp,” Australian Hemp Masonry Company (blog), accessed October 20, 2022, https://www.hempmasonry.com.au/thermal-performance-and-hemp/.
18. “The Fundamentals of Series and Parallel Heat Flow - GreenBuildingAdvisor,” accessed October 24, 2022, https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/the-fundamentals-ofseries-and-parallel-heat-flow.
19. A. Duffy and M. Conroy, “Embodied Transport Energy Analysis of Imported Wood Pellets,” in Energy and Sustainability, vol. I (ENERGY 2007, The New Forest, UK: WIT Press, 2007), 299–305, https://doi.org/10.2495/ESUS070301.
20. “Advantages of UPVC Window Frames - Windows For Life,” Windows 4 life, accessed October 24, 2022, https://www.windows4life.com.au/upvc-advantages/.
21. “The Australian Garden / Taylor Cullity Lethlean + Paul Thompson,” ArchDaily, June 28, 2013, https://www.archdaily.com/393618/the-australian-garden-taylor-cullity-lethleanpaul-thompson.
22. Apartment Design Guidelines for Victoria (Melbourne: Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, 2017).
Figure 1 Hoddle Street Housing Estate by Nicolas Reyes Beltran 7
Figure 2 “Ice Bergs In The Middle of Paris - Arch2O.Com,” December 15, 2015, https:// www.arch2o.com/ice-bergs-middle-Paris/.
Figure 5 (Serra Pelada, Salgado 1986)
Figure 6 Photograph of Oil Bunkering #1, Niger Delta, Nigeria, 2016 by Edward Burtynsky.
Figure 7 (Salgado 1984)`
Figure 8 “As Fire Season Looms, Australia Fears Recurring Nightmare,” Nikkei Asia, accessed October 18, 2022, https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Asia-Insight/Asfire-season-looms-Australia-fears-recurring-nightmare.
Figure 9 “As Fire Season Looms, Australia Fears Recurring Nightmare,” Nikkei Asia, accessed October 18, 2022, https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Asia-Insight/Asfire-season-looms-Australia-fears-recurring-nightmare.
Figure 10 “As Fire Season Looms, Australia Fears Recurring Nightmare,” Nikkei Asia, accessed October 18, 2022, https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Asia-Insight/Asfire-season-looms-Australia-fears-recurring-nightmare.
Figure 11 Alana Schetzer, “Greener Cities the Key to Happier, Healthier, Stress-Free Lives,” The Age, January 26, 2016, https://www.theage.com.au/national/ victoria/greener-cities-the-key-to-happier-healthier-stressfree-lives-20160126gmeay5.html.