US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon - 2nd Place Education Division 2024
Sunflower School 46 is a net-zero K-12 school in Kharkiv, Ukraine that is dedicated to restoring the community devastated by the war between Ukraine and Russia. Our approach to regenerative design combines the adaptive use of the existing building and new construction of Mass-Timber classroom wings with appropriate technologies to respect traditional building systems. We have recycled the rubble from the shelling debris into thermal mass elements in the radiant floor slabs and sourced local Hempcrete bricks to create an environment reframed by the past while aspiring for the future.
Project Type Quick Facts
K-12 School
Project Location
Kharkiv, Ukraine
Professor
Ihab Elzeyadi
Software Used
Revit
IESVE
Tally LCA
Lumion
Photoshop
Grasshopper (Elk)
Team Members
Ben Michel
Quincey Dunlap
Isabelle Chew
Renee Relf
Existing Conditions
Preserving the old building saved 86 Million MBTU. We also deconstructed the destroyed building and reused rubble in floor slabs and planter boxes.
26 Million MBTU was saved by using sustainable materials such as fly ash concrete and mass timber.
If we had designed this as a traditional building the concrete use would make up 87% of the global warming potential, while the reuse of rubble our life cycle analysis shows the concrete only makes up 5% of the global warming potential
Living system effluent processing tanks
Old concrete structure bridign ginto timber atrium
Photovoltaics and solar hot water heaters
Shading system framework
Greenhouse classrooms
Steel I-beam supports shading system & PV’s
Photovoltaic array
Cable suspended terracotta tile shading system
11” soil layer r-10
Drainage layers, roof membrane
14” corn fiber insulation r-50
5-ply CLT r-9
3/4” mineral plaster finish
6” hempcrete nonstructural bricks r-15
3” concrete slab with radiant floor heating
2” air cavity r-1
1” rigid foam insulation r-6
11 1/2” corn fiber insulation r-38
5/8” gypsum wallboard r-0.45
1’ x 1’ GLT column
2’ GLT girder
Cable suspended shading system
Triple-pane r-7 windows with .5 SHGC
6” concrete slab with recycled rubble aggregate r-1
9” packed perlite r-28
4” rigid foam insulation r-24
10’
Roof Photovoltaics
Horizontal Louvers
Double Skin Facade Living Machine TM
South facing solar atrium and roof
Interior Courtyard space
Typical wetlant species remove the remaining nitrogen through root systems and convert them to harmelss nitrogen gas.
Aerated and supplied with bacteria, plants, algae, snails, insects, and fish. In these tanks ammonia and organic nitrogen are converted to nitrates. Each one is capable of handling 75% of the maximum daily flow.
Using mass timber to rebuild the new wind and solar atrium can reduce the embodied energy by 20-50% compared to concrete construction.
Using terracotta is beneficial for our building due to its mass production, long life cycle, low maintenance, and insulative properties.
Our Project: 254,409 kg CO2 eq
Full rebuild concrete mass timber hybrid: 2,112,932 kg CO2 eq
New Concrete Construction: 2,365,021 kg CO2 eq
Global Warming Potential: Comparing three scenarios
Viti Levu Veivuke Center
Located in Lami, Fiji, the Veti Levu Veivuke Center is built to withstand the impacts of climate change while incorporating traditional Fijian building techniques. During the day, it serves as a science research center and lab, with plenty of space for education and visitors. In the event of an emergency, such as a cyclone or flooding, the building transforms into an evacuation center. To support those in need, it includes a cache room stocked with food supplies and sleeping cots, ensuring families have a safe place to stay for several days if necessary.
Research Lab & Evacuation
Project Type Quick Facts Project Location
Ground source heat pump moves hot air into the ground and moves cool air in to the cache, morgue, and research lab
Rainwater is collected off of the roof into a 10,000 gallon tank. The tank can provide enough water for 2 months time. Runoff is filtered by rain gardens located at the concrete bases.
Greywater and Blackwater filtration system under the research lab and educational building.
Mesh with Bamboo above the concrete base for added protectionfrom debris during a storm
Electric heat pumps for hot showers during or after a calamity wil provide comfort for those in need.
Building is lifted off the ground per Fiji building code revolving around the increase in cyclone activity and flooding possibilities.
Wetland Restoration with outdoor classrooms
Double-Skin CBSW System
Bamboo lattice for traditional contrast to metal roofing
Bamboo Wall
Bamboo Sunscreen
Locally
Double skin CBSW system
Concrete pier foundation
Bolts, Nails, and Screws
Galvanized-steel mesh nailed to matrix Wall matrix of cane, small-diameter bamboo, or bamboo mats nailed to both sides of the frame
Timber sole plate
Large-diameter bamboo studs
Large-diameter bamboo bracing
Cement-mortar
Damp Proof Membrane
Upstand of reinforced concrete
Bolts, Nails, and Screws
Concrete Bamboo Shear Wall
Rose City Athaneum
The Rose City Athaneum is located at the north park blocks of Portland, Oregon. The current state is a parking lot, and the goal is to create a space that feels public and open to the ground level. The Athaneum is a space that also harbors the portland energy lab, and ultimately would be the place to go when you want to learn more about the history of architecture. We took a sustainability studio to help add to this studio class, and in the end we incorporated some of the concepts in to our Athaneum.
Quick Facts
Project Type
Athaneum
Project Location
Portland, Oregon
Professor
Michael Zaretsky
Stephen Duff
Software Used
Revit
Lumion
Photoshop
Burns Paiute Tribe Health & Wellness Center
Project Type Project Location
Gym + Vocational School
Professor
Burns, Oregon
Collaborators
Renee Relf
Giovanni Fazzare
Madison Young
Current Stage
Schematic Design & massing
Room study on one of the existing rooms of the exisiting Armory on site. This project is an
adaptive reuse project where the existing armory on site cannot be altered on the exterior.
No windows or doors may be added to keep the historic integrity.
Tools used: Andrew Marsh Tool, photoshop for graphic representation (pinup)
Roof form exploration. The goal is to provide an expressive roof on the interior and exterior that ties the Burns Paiute Tribe back to nature. We are trying to mimic the rolling hills and mountains of Burns.
Room study on one of the existing rooms of the exisiting Armory on site with different types of possible skylight installations.
Tools used: ClimateStudio
Ihab Elzeyadi
Room study diagram showing possible environmental strategies without changing the exterior facade and not adding any doors or windows.
Tools used: IESVE for climate design suggestions, Revit for room base, Illustrator post process
Existing building diagram showing possible environmental strategies for future massing. Orange buildings are existing armory & shed on site, which cannot be altered. Room that was studied in previous pages is outlined to show location on site.
Tools used: IESVE for climate design suggestions, Revit for base, Illustrator post process
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Tree Nursery & Planting volunteer
While I was still living in Maryland, I was volunteering with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. We worked in the tree nursery during the spring and summer in order to get trees ready to be planted by the fall. These trees are planted in and near rural parts of Maryland, in order to increase soil health in farmlands and reduce the risk of flooding.
Not only was this a great volunteering experience to meet new people and spend time outside, I was able to give a presentation about how planting more trees in the surrounding Chesapeake Bay Watershed can also lower flood risks in cities like Baltimore, MD.
AISES Native American students in STEM outreach for the University of Oregon
I recently had the pleasure of attending the 2024 AISES National Conference in San Antonio, TX, with Sophia Hodgon, Olivia Iverson, and Clay Neal for the University of Oregon Architecture Department outreach and recruitment. It was an amazing opportunity to connect with Indigenous students and professionals from all over the US and even Canada, as well as those committed to increasing diversity in architecture and STEM.
During the conference, I was able to attend a variety of STEM and Indigenous-focused lectures, covering topics such as Sustainable Indigenous Designs with Mass Timber and Renewable Energy Education and Workforce Development.
