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How Net-Zero Buildings Can Help The Climate Crisis

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How Net-Zero Buildings Can Help The Climate Crisis

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Feb 3, 2020 | The YEARS Project

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How Net-Zero Buildings Can Help The Climate Crisis

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See How Termites Inspired a Building That Can Cool Itself

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See How Termites Inspired a Building That Can Cool Itself

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National Geographic | 2018

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Before you dive into the rest of this Quest, check out these great videos to learn how designers study nature to improve the ways we make stuff. It's no wonder we're so inspired by the natural world- nature has been "product testing" for billions of years!

Watch 1: What Is Biomimicry? (Fast Company)
Watch 2: 8 Useful Technologies Inspired by Nature (SciShow)
Watch 3: Science Copies Nature's Secrets-Biomimicry (IFSVND)
Watch 4: Hidden Miracles of the Natural World: Louis Schwartzberg (TED)

Test the power of nature and find the strength of an eggshell with this project from Science Sparks. Search for instances of biomimicry in your life. Grab a pencil and paper or download an Inventor's Notebook from the Spark Lab. Then, make a list of the products you use each day. Can you think of something in nature that might have inspired their shape or function? Draw a detailed picture of one of the most amazing things you have observed in nature (for example: a turtle's shell, a field of flowers, a porcupine's spine). What is distinctive about its shape? What are its key parts? How does it "work"? How is it connected to other parts of nature? Read teacher John Marconi and his students' very detailed report about green cities and think about your town. What parts of your city or town are your favorite? Least favorite? How would you improve them? Draw inspiration from nature as you design improvements. Lead a discussion with your family (or online with your neighbors!). Ask everyone about a specific problem they or your community is facing. How do you think nature could solve this problem? Observe nature for a few minutes and then write a poem about the form and function of something that caught your attention. Ask your parents or teacher for help sharing your poem online with #EarthSchool. Write a letter to someone from your local government or to a community leader. Explain what biomimicry is, then show them a nature-based design that can improve your community. Suggest what they could do to help make this happen. Need help constructing your letter? Here's a sample. Watch a new movie on biomimicry and climate change narrated by pioneering biomimicry expert, Janice Benyus, and share the link with a friend. Feeling really ambitious? Attend her entire online course. Watch this video from Berkus Design Studio to learn how architects get inspired by the natural world Watch designer Neri Oxman talk about Design at the Intersection of Technology and Biology and learn about other ways to get original perspectives from biomimicry. Read about 7 surprising technologies inspired by nature with Live Science. Design an improvement for your neighborhood. Pick a problem (litter in a local park, not enough parking spaces, a run down building, for example), and use what we've learned about biomimicry to figure out a way to improve the issue. Before you begin, brush up on your design skills with this tool, which is used by world class designers at Stanford University. (for ages 15-18)

Create a new civilization. Lots of species live underground. Could humans? Design an underground civilization with this project developed by educator John Spencer. This Earth School Quest was created by the following incredible educators and environmental experts: Richard Matthew, Steve Davis and Bill Tomlinson, University of California Irvine

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Nature teaches us to solve problems beautifully, intelligently, and sustainably. Did you know Velcro was inspired by burrs stuck in fur? Or that engineers made spider-shaped robots? This design process is called biomimicry. To begin, let's watch a video to learn why architect Mick Pearce designed a building inspired by a termite mound.

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What if Cracks in Concrete Could fix Themselves 

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What if Cracks in Concrete Could fix Themselves 

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Ted-Ed | 2018

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What if cracks in concrete could fix themselves? - Congrui Jin

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How architecture can fight climate change | Michelle Xuereb | TEDxToronto

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How architecture can fight climate change | Michelle Xuereb | TEDxToronto

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TEDx Talks | Feb 12, 2020

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How architecture can fight climate change | Michelle Xuereb | TEDxToronto

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Climate Change Adaptation: Designing for Change

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Climate Change Adaptation: Designing for Change

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Harvard GSD | Dec 6, 2019

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Climate Change Adaptation: Designing for Change

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Reimagining Lincoln Center and the High Line

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Reimagining Lincoln Center and the High Line

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Diller Scofidio + Renfro: Reimagining Lincoln Center and the High Line - Trailer

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Have you ever noticed a problem that you couldn’t figure out how to fix? Dr. Aboubacar Kampo has. He was living in Côte d’Ivoire, a country in Africa, where plastic is a major environmental issue. Côte d’Ivoire’s biggest city, Abidjan,…

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There are many exciting ways that architects and the construction industry are adapting to and preparing for climate change. If you'd like to read more about it, start with this article about How the Architecture Industry is Responding to Climate Change. If you're a numbers person and you want to dig into the facts and data about buildings and climate change, we recommend you start here.

A big part of the solution to climate change will be the types of building we build over the course of the next decade. They consume about 40% of electricity that we use. We have to think about how we insulate our buildings. We need to use better windows. It's also important to think about thermal mass -- materials that can absorb heat. Overhangs for windows can keep summer sun out and winter sun in can also save a ton of energy. If that's the kind of thing you're interested in -- ways that we can build and design our way into a better future -- watch this video. You also might want to check out Michelle Xuereb's talk about how Architecture can Fight Climate Change.

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There are many exciting ways that architects and the construction industry are adapting to and preparing for climate change. If you'd like to read more about it, start with this article about How the Architecture Industry is Responding to Climate Change.

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The Material that Could Change the World

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The Material that Could Change the World

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Concrete is everywhere you look: our buildings, roads and most of our infrastructure. It is a key to a functioning society. Figuring out ways to lower the carbon footprint of concrete and the construction industry is key to a clean and healthy future.

There are already a ton of cool concrete alternatives, many of which are becoming cheaper and more available. You can read about them here. Watch this short documentary about a cement company that says it can bring down carbon emissions.

Check out this short video released by Bill Gates about how the construction and concrete industry can become more sustainable.

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The material that could change the world... for a third time

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Today roads, sidewalks, bridges, and skyscrapers are made of a material called concrete (aka cement). There's three tons of it for every person on Earth. It's also played a surprisingly large role in rising global temperatures over the last century. What exactly makes concrete problematic, and what can we do to fix it?

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Green Innovations Transforming Concrete and Cement

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Green Innovations Transforming Concrete and Cement

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Biofriendly Planet | For a Cooler Environment

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Green Innovations Transforming Concrete and Cement - Biofriendly Planet | For a Cooler Environment

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Anywhere you go, you’ll likely see concrete as part of buildings, homes and other structures. That’s because it’s the most commonly used building material. With that said, it comes at a cost. The Problems With Concrete Although concrete has been the most popular building tool for decades, it takes a…

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Green Innovations Transforming Concrete and Cement

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What is green building? | U.S. Green Building Council

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Beat the heat: Sustainable ways to make buildings in the Middle East cooler

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 Beat the heat: Sustainable ways to make buildings in the Middle East cooler

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 Beat the heat: Sustainable ways to make buildings in the Middle East cooler

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The National New | 2021

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Our reliance on air conditioning is set to increase dramatically, driven by climate change, higher living standards and rises in populations.

By 2050, World Bank forecasts show, the number of air-conditioning units around the globe is set to triple to five billion.

"The demand for cooling will go up, not just because of increasing temperature, but because we haven't built to house all the projected population growth and economic activities in the developing world," says Monjur Mourshed, professor of sustainable engineering at Cardiff University in the UK.

"And the way we have been building in the developing world, I don't necessarily think they are very sustainable."

There is concern that buildings in warmer countries rely too much on air conditioning instead of natural cooling, and may have features, such as glass-covered facades, that cause them to heat up.

Characteristics that reduce energy consumption may be "engineered out" of buildings to lower costs.

Because of the extreme climate, few countries need air conditioning more than the UAE, where the technology has been estimated to account for as much as 70 per cent of electricity consumption.

In other nations the cooling or heating of buildings also takes up a significant share of power consumption, such as about 40 per cent in the US.

Yet there are ways to reduce temperatures without switching up the air-con.

Here The National looks at the options and asks experts how present-day architects and building engineers can use them.

In very hot climates, it is beneficial to have buildings that do not change temperature easily, as this limits daytime temperature increases.

Buildings in Greece, for example, are designed, painted and furnished in ways that reduce temperature swings, says Prof Malcolm Cook, professor of building performance analysis at Loughborough University in the UK.

"They're white, they're concrete and they've got no soft furnishings," he says. "That's because they want to use the stone to absorb the heat."

Also, thicker walls giving the buildings a higher thermal mass, which evens out temperature fluctuations.

Traditionally this has also been employed in the Gulf, as well as in many other hot regions of the world, but modern buildings often fail to make use of this effect.

An exception is Qatar's Msheireb Downtown Doha, which is currently under construction. This development includes a focus on high thermal mass buildings.

While some approaches to passive cooling rely on traditional techniques, others like phase-change materials are based on the latest technology.

These materials move from one physical state to another, following the principle that, when substances melt or evaporate they absorb heat, while when they condense or solidify they release heat.

"These help to maintain a steady temperature," says Prof Mourshed.

"In the desert the night temperature goes down significantly. If there might be a way to take that into account, there might be a way to lower the demand on mechanical cooling."

Phase-change materials from the chemical company BASF have been trialled in plasterboard at an "eco house" at the University of Nottingham in the UK.

The plasterboard contains Micronal, a material of microscopic wax particles enclosed in a polymer shell. Rising temperatures melt the wax, which draws in heat and cools the air.

As temperatures cool, the wax solidifies and releases this heat.

Traditionally, buildings in the Gulf have been cooled using wind towers, or barjeel, which draw air up from inside the building, and funnel down outside air. Dubai's Al Fahidi or Al Bastakiya neighbourhood is known for its wind towers.

If a room has two openings to the outside, only one of which need be a window, a similar effect can be achieved: cooler air comes in through the lower opening, while warmer air leaves from the upper opening.

Cross-ventilation, in which windows are lined up so that air flows in through one and out through the other, is another strategy.

However, it is difficult to use the cooling effect of natural ventilation in high-rise buildings, because increased wind speeds at height can make opening windows hazardous.

As well as employing various passive cooling approaches, designers can focus on the indoor "micro-environment", of cooling the occupant rather than the building, says Dr Anna Mavrogianni, associate professor in sustainable building and urban design at University College London.

"This could be achieved by introducing personal comfort system (PCS) technologies, such as small-scale fans, small-scale evaporative systems, cooled chairs or desks, and encouraging flexible dress codes in the workplace," she says.

Smart systems in buildings are another way of cutting energy use.

Heat exchangers

Another approach is ground-coupled ventilation, which does more than create airflow.

By making use of the fact that the temperature below ground stays relatively constant, in warmer climates it cools air brought in from outside.

"If you could bring air through [the ground], then air cools down to the [ground] temperature, which is very close to thermal comfort level. You reduce the reliance on mechanical means to cool the building," says Prof Mourshed.

Broadmeadows Primary School, built about ten years ago near Melbourne in Australia, offers a good example, with air being drawn in from intakes outside the building before it travels through pipes laid inside water-filled trenches within the foundations.

The water takes heat from the air and can reduce its temperature by more than 20°C.

This has parallels with a traditional method of cooling in the Middle East. Qanats are underground water channels that cool air as it is drawn in. The air then leaves via a wind tower.

Light colours reflect sunlight, so some roads in Los Angeles have been painted white to reduce the urban heat island effect, which causes cities and towns to be hotter than surrounding countryside.

Photochromic glazing - a form of tinted glass - can be used in buildings to reduce the heating effect of the sun.

"It reduces the penetration of direct sun gain, but enables daylight to come," says Prof Cook.

Matthew Tribe, Dubai-based principal at CallisonRTKL, an architecture, planning and design firm, says orienting the facade of a building to reduce sunlight can cut heat gain.

Inward-facing courtyards can maximise shading, as do mashrabiya, windows with wooden latticework.

"External shading mechanisms, such as external shutters, horizontal overhangs and awnings, are particularly effective in reducing indoor temperatures, especially for south-facing spaces," says Dr Mavrogianni.

"Their main advantage is that they block solar heat gains before they penetrate the building fabric and are, thus, more effective than internal shading systems."

In modern buildings, shading can alter according to the time of day, with the more than 1,000 hexagonal shades on Al Bahr Towers in Abu Dhabi closing when the sun is overhead.

Narrow streets and short distances

Towns in the Gulf have traditionally had narrow streets, as their heavy shading reduces temperatures and makes it easier for people to reach their destination by foot.

Mr Tribe said Callison RTKL was not involved with Msheireb Downtown Doha but that it takes a similar approach.

"It set out very early on with the ambition to create a contemporary interpretation of a traditional district," says Mr Tribe.

Buildings at Msheireb Downtown Doha are low-rise but close together to maximise shade and have a high thermal mass to limit temperature changes.

Shops, offices and homes are within walking distance of one another to reduce car journeys, also echoing the traditional town.

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Beat the heat: Sustainable ways to make buildings in the Middle East cooler

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Our reliance on air conditioning is set to increase dramatically, driven by climate change, higher living standards and rises in populations. By 2050, World Bank forecasts show, the number of air-conditioning units around the globe is set to triple to five billion.

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Mask Architects Design Cooling Stations for Abu Dhabi's Urban Heat Island

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Mask Architects Design Cooling Stations for Abu Dhabi’s Urban Heat Island

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Mask Architects Design Cooling Stations for Abu Dhabi’s Urban Heat Island

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Arch Daily | 2020

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Mask Architects has been named one of ten winning teams in the Cool Abu Dhabi a global design competition. Their proposal, The Oasys, is a system where residents of Abu Dhabi can relax and enjoy outdoor spaces without feeling the heat. Selected from more than 1,570 participants across 67 countries, the project aims to tackle the effects of climate change through a localized solution for the urban heat island effect.
News via Mask Architects Project Credits
The Oasys system is a network of gridded stations and hubs that act as islands of harbor and refuge. "With the allocated land to be the first location of our network, it will act as a central point which can be used as a resting place, for activities, and for socializing as a collective and community. Space can be used for temporary pop-ups, sitting areas, cafes, exhibitions, sports etc." The future of The Oasys system is to build multiple networks around cities to create hubs of rest.

The team explains that as Abu Dhabi plans to grow, outdoor thermal comfort systems will become important to public and private spaces to address the dangers of the climate crisis. The Oasys is constructed from modules of palm tree-like structures that will be the main function of the system. It will also spray mist through nozzles that underlay the palms, as well as collect solar energy through solar panels on the roof of the palms.

The modular systems all able to connect with each other, and each module can be different scales and adjustable. It can be temporary or permanent depending on the use of the space, while the foundation will house the storage of water and any operating equipment.

Architecture Design Firm: Mask Architects and Design

Project Name: "Oasys + System ,The Artificial Breathing Palm Modular Structure System "

Lead Designer and Project Architects: Öznur Pınar ÇER ,Danilo PETTA

Technical Teams: Öznur Pınar ÇER ,Danilo PETTA, Derya GENÇ

Animation and Rendering Company: Genc Design Studio

Engineering: Arup, Erkan sahin

Competition Organization: Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT)

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Mask Architects Design Cooling Stations for Abu Dhabi's Urban Heat Island

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Mask Architects has been named one of ten winning teams in the Cool Abu Dhabi a global design competition. Their proposal, The Oasys, is a system where residents of Abu Dhabi can relax and enjoy outdoor spaces without feeling the heat.

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CNN | 2012