             CHINA DEVELOPING THE FIRST ZERO ENVIRONMENTAL ENERGY APARTMENT COMPLEX By Dr, Eugene Tsui, South China University of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, China August 13, 2010 Design Development and Research Team: Dr. Eugene Tsui, Design Architect and Director of Research (Visiting Scholar/Professor, USA) Dr. Hsiao Da Wei, Executive Producer, Vice Chairman, South China University of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, China Dr. Zhao Li Hua, Chief Advisor of Research, Professor, South China University of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, China Mr. Shen Jie, Head of Research Production, South China University of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, China Ms. Bei Su, Director of Rendering Production, Sunbow Image Science and Technology Development Company Ltd., Shenzhen, China Mr. Hu Jing Tao, Chief of Rendering, Sunbow Image Science and Technology Development Company Ltd., Shenzhen, China All research took place at the Architecture Department of the South China University of Science and Technology, Guangzhou, China INTRODUCTION For billions of years the living creatures of our planet have been designing and fabricating habitats that use no external power or mechanical systems at all. And for thousands of years we humans designed and built habitats that used no electricity, power heating and cooling, electrical ventilation and mechanical systems. 120 years ago this all changed and the manufacturing and selling of energy sources became a global industry. Water, coal, gas, and now, radioactive materials, solar panels, windmills and geothermal resources, have been added to the list of resources we ravenously consume on a daily basis. Rather than diminishing our consumption of resources we are expanding our consumption in the name of “green” energy. Green energy has become a pretext for massively expanding consumption and economic growth. To continue with this scenario will surely lead us to our own destruction or, as I call it, the Easter Island Syndrome, where human consumption and wars for space and materials, have reduced the once immensely plentiful island paradise into a barren, nearly uninhabited, way station of isolation. The real isolation is that we human beings have become so removed from the intelligence and interdisciplinary processes of nature that our decisions no longer include long range consequences. What is needed is a living environment that is in direct communication with the processes and forces of nature and which, in fact, relies totally on the natural conditions of nature. This is exactly what we here at South China University of Science and Technology have been planning. OVERVIEW Every year the consequences of our human consumptive behavior are becoming surprisingly clear and more urgent. The mega-sized projects we have created to produce electrical energy to feed our seemingly insatiable demand for comfort, convenience and quickness, have ended in radioactive leaks into our drinking water supply, oceanic oil spills that could infiltrate the oceans and coastal ecosystems of the world and the great surge of electricity generating dams that wipe out whole cultures and produce gigantic cess pool-like dead zones where nothing lives. The acceleration and intensification of natural disasters worldwide has made the development of disaster-resistant structural and architectural systems a critical priority. We have yet to experience the full calamitous consequences of these “visionary” projects for the sake of electrical consumption driven by the world’s proponents of the “American Dream”; the mad grab for acceptance into the status quo and the “good life” which only contributes to the ongoing dangers and continual depletion of our planet’s resources and biodiversity necessary for future survival. Tsunamis crush and wipe out whole regions of a coast line including hundreds of buildings and what do we build again; more of the same kind of buildings that were crushed. Fires devastate entire mountainsides and in the aftermath what is erected; larger versions of the same buildings that were burned! Earthquakes level whole cities and what do we construct in the end; the same kind of buildings that collapsed in the first place. It is painfully obvious that we are not learning the lessons that calamity is teaching us. We have failed to analyze the why’s, what and how’s of these events that can guide us to future prevention. Instead, history is replete with the folly of human ignorance, convention and shortsightedness. It must be emphasized that it is not natural disasters themselves that do the killing, it is the collapse of buildings that take hundreds of thousands of human lives annually. But there is more at stake than the saving of lives and the reduction of electrical use, of using less resources and producing less harmful substances. We too easily neglect the social consequences of life based on heedless construction and consumption. Have we become unresponsive to the rampant obesity, maladies and ever expansive state of illness, physical and mental, that spreads like an insidious plague throughout the world? Do we dare to face the social injustices of an education system manufactured by the status quo to proliferate the next generation of elitist membership? The physical and social model of the past must cease and be transformed to an altogether new working structure if we have any chance to survive the future. Given the dire environmental state of our planet, and the social inequities and conflicts that seem to define the nations of the world, what can our human-made living environments do to provide an opposition to these odious forces? THE EXISTING ENVIRONMENT What we have attempted to create is a habitat that addresses environmental, ecological and social issues. It is a living environment that uses no electrical power for heating, cooling and ventilation. It is alive with social interaction, physical sports, artistic Perhaps the first line of inquiry is to ask where in the world a new kind of living environment could be both supported and constructed? And what place would have the greatest influence upon the rest of the world? I chose to engage such a project in Guangzhou, China. It is globally acknowledged that our current century is China’s century. China’s capacity for manufacturing and its ability to garner political support for technological ideas is widely acknowledged. It’s political speed in applying decrees that affect a population of 1.4 billion human beings is second to none in the world. In my annual stays in China I have experienced how a single decree from the government can ban the distribution of plastic bags in all stores overnight—to a population of 1.4 billion people! A government with such speed and efficiency of application is assuring if the right purposes and benefits can be created. In addition, the magnitude of construction scale is also a consideration. Our researched proposal occupies a site nearly 2 square kilometers in size. The building itself is 500 meters in diameter and 320 meters high. In China, this is not considered large for an architectural project. A research team was formed at China’s South China University of Science and Technology, one of the foremost technology and research universities in China. My concept is to create a living environment for 2000 people that uses no electrical energy for ventilation, cooling and heating—a formidable challenge in China’s Guangzhou City region where summer temperature’s exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) and humidity hovers at 95%. During these months insects are plentiful. Winters are windy and carry a wet, cold chill in the mid 30’s to 40’s Fahrenheit (5 to 10 degrees Celsius) with little humidity. Spring and Fall seasons are short, hot, but relatively comfortable. Summers and Winters are dominant extremes. Rainfall is 150 cm. to 200 cm. per year and occurs predominantly in the Spring, Summer and Fall months; peaking during the Summer. The soil is a loamy/clay, red colored variety excellent for supporting fruit trees, vegetables, flowers, insects and animals. The existing water table is high (1.5 meters below the surface) so digging underground habitation is problematic and expensive. Guangzhou City and the surrounding areas are very ancient having the first structures built around 214 BC. The city has evolved piece meal with many, many areas added haphazardly to the previous areas. The city is renown for its seemingly dislocated planning and catch-as-catch-can routing supporting nearly 15 million people. Noise, air pollution, rudimentary sewage treatment, incessant use of air-conditioning, traffic jams, relentless construction and putrid waterways define the ecological state of things. The Guangzhou city area is typical as a burgeoning, incessant, and intensely impacted city of 15 million—like all such cities of the world. DESIGN IMPERITIVE 1) Develop a multi-housing apartment complex, for approximately 2000+ persons that provides a safe, comfortable, accommodating environment which eliminates the need for electrical energy to power ventilation, heating and cooling. In other words, to eliminate electrically powered HVAC systems completely. 2) A living complex that provides a quiet and safe environment. 3) Use locally available materials for construction. 4) Use locally available soil and plants for constructed wetlands, planting, fruit trees and landscaping. 5) The design and construction should withstand high natural disaster forces, be aerodynamic, very durable, fireproof, waterproof and termite-proof. 6) A design that encourages social interaction yet provides plenty of private, reflective areas. 7) The environment enhances the sense of connectedness with nature. DESIGN STRATEGY It is crucial that any human-made environment be appropriate and utilize the resources and materials of its locale. In our case, the region is hot, with intermittent rains, full of insects, plants and animals. The first consideration is how to create a comfortable, cool, airy environment from the natural materials existing in the area? Digging deeply into the ground was prohibitive due to the high water table. Essentially, we had to design the living area at ground level. Dirt provides an excellent, inexpensive and easy to obtain material that is insulative, stable and fireproof. The initial concept is to create a great cave mound environment at ground level that would be cool and insulated. The diameter of this cave/mound is 500 meters and 120 meters in height. To create a passive heating/cooling environment with an ambient temperature of 18 degrees Celsius to 22 degrees Celsius, digging to a depth of 15 meters is crucial. Since the Guangzhou region water table depth is between 1.5 to 2.5 meters an underground casement structure must be designed and fabricated. In other areas of the world, where water table depths are far deeper, casement structures could be eliminated altogether. For our region such casement design must be well informed and proportioned. The Global Health Community (Termite Nest-based design) structure is a passive, water-cooled design which functions on gravity and the temperature differential and behavioral interaction between cold and hot air. The working principle is simple; the Termites burrow deeply down into the ground creating a multiple of linear shafts which become water lines from an underground source—usually an aquifer. The existing underground water pressure from the aquifer pushes water upward to a series of holding pools or cisterns dug and formed by the Termites. This series of water-filled catch pools becomes the cooling source for the entire Termite’s nest. Directly above the water-filled cooling pools are the egg incubation chambers and the related living chambers for the Termites. Simply put, the cool air rises as it encounters the heat of the Termite’s bodies and the higher temperature of the various upper chambers. A series of concentric circular walls are suspended from the ceilings of the internal chambers and operate as cooling “fins” that catch humidity and condense it to cool the air. This internal heat naturally rises and exits through a series of ventilation chimneys at the uppermost portion of the nest. There are secondary ventilation exits throughout the upper area of the nest and there has been studies showing that the vibration of termite bodies indicates a method of communication, construction measurement and the monitoring of air flow through the ventilation chimneys (see T. Evans, R. Inta, J. Lai, M. Lenz study, University of South Wales, Australia, September 18, 2007). Our design and research attempted to mimic the proportional scales of the Termite’s nest keeping the same proportional relationships throughout the overall Termite structure. Depending upon the place and climate a Termite’s nest might accommodate from 1 to 4 million Termites and the amounts of heat generated from their bodies, their overall numbers and placement in the nest as well as the size of various chambers, makes exacting temperature to numbers to space ratios an area for further study. Our goal was to create a basic, human habitation structure from which to begin analysis. From this primary model we could then proceed to make adjustments by adapting the design according to the various levels of testing, analysis and conclusions. The most crucial changes were the placement and proportioning of the continuous hanging walls which act as cooling chambers throughout the interior. STRUCTURE Our goal was to design a structure that has a very low center of gravity and very high aerodynamic efficiency, embodied great structural stability and would behave well under extreme stress and strain from earthquakes, typhoons, hurricanes, tsunamis and other disaster level forces. The structure should not require special skills to build so we researched various construction methods that accommodated the shapes and climatic needs of the structure. Given the extremes of heat and humidity during much of year it is crucial to create a highly insulated structure that is waterproof and cool. It had to seal itself off from the humid air of the region yet create a flow of cool air by the presence of water pools and updraft through heating by body heat. The shape of the structure must passively direct air flow upwards through ventilation chimneys and the condensation of heat to water for cooling is crucial to the success of the structure. When considering all of the crucial needs of the habitat it was important to simplify the conclusion into its simplest terms. The result was the development of a domical structure—inherent stability and aerodynamics—with a series of ventilation stacks at the culminating area of the dome peak; this combination promoted a natural air flow within that directed warming air upwards and accelerated this air through the ventilation stacks. The bottom domical structure would be fabricated not unlike the Inuit habitat “Igloos” of the arctic tundra—ice blocks stacked into a domical structure. In our application, we are using a recycled Styrofoam block of steel rebar and concrete within the block wall domes—creating a reinforced concrete lattice. The upper central portion of the gigantic dome is an insulated glass-like roof structure of layered clear composite material (see General Composites) which allows natural sunlight to light up much of the interior space. It also accommodates in-tension sheets of condensation walls creating the ceiling concentric stalagtite celing walls. This layered, insulated composite structure (a combination of organic and oil based materials) is a series of composite layers separated by air creating a very insulative “sandwich” which lets natural daylight in yet keeps the heat out. The concept alternating layer-and-air has been used by nature’s bee and wasp nest builders for billions of years. The weight of this composite skylight system is thousands of times lighter and stronger than the use of glass. According to the manufacturer the R Value of insulation is approximately R=7 for every 2 cm of thickness. We wish to achieve an R Value of 70 (20 cm total thickness) minimally throughout. The weight per square meter is approximately ____ kilograms, a very light weight indeed. The tensile and compressive ability of the material is equivalent to structural steel, or, ¬____ pounds per square inch. CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS A material that is both structurally durable and insulative had to be found. We found a recycled styrene reinforced block system called, Rastra Block, which is an insulation and structural construction block that is glued together, stacked to the desired length and height, and filled with re-bar and structural concrete to form a monolithic wall system that exceeds R-50 insulation value, reduces decibel sound levels by 50, is waterproof, fireproof and termite-proof. There are several varieties of this kind of construction system and we will use the one that is most readily available in the area. Another similar material that applies to this project is the Quad-Lock Styrofoam system. This is a system of styrofoam walled structures that have plastic lateral braces that interlock each block together to create a multiple course of blocks to create a continuous wall. The resultant wall is a steel reinforced lattice structure capable of resisting tremendous compressive and tensile loads similar to the forces created by natural disasters. For the successful construction of such a structure it is crucial that the materials used be native to the region. China has been using the steel reinforced block system for a decade. The materials and methods are familiar. THE GLOBAL HEALTH LIFESTYLE 1) Life infused with sports, fitness and physical activity such as gardening, walking, biking and running to go anywhere. Special electric vehicles used for delivery only. Automobiles allowed only on designated peripheral areas of the structure. 2) Social gatherings around music, art, sports, health, gardening and other subjects. 3) Diverse selection of ongoing classes such as cooking, calligraphy, painting, writing, sewing, design, clothing design, computers, electronic repair, music, child rearing, family relationships, geography, travel, transportation repair, business enterprises, gardening, cultural studies, global warming, ecology, finance, tax preparation, sports, etc. 4) All owners have their own garden and designated fruit trees to grow their own fruits and vegetables. Rice, beans, nuts and sunflowers are also grown. 5) Taxi and bus stops are located at six entrance/exit locations. Bicycle parking is located near each of the seven apartment complexes and are monitored by management persons. 6) To minimize electricity use all inhabitants are encouraged to sleep after dusk and wake at dawn. The rising and setting of the sun plays a prominent rhythm in the cycle of life. 7) Most items bought use no plastic packaging and all owners bring their own cloth bags. 8) The community supports the creation of one’s own ideas, designs and social groups. AN ECOLOGIC LIFE 1) Living underground with an internal environment focus with natural sunlight illuminating all areas. No conventional panoramic views. 2) Perfumed plants, fruit, Jasmine and Magnolia trees and blossoming flowers exist everywhere and are maintained by owners and resident gardeners. 3) An Olympic swimming pool, 50 by 25 meters , and athletic areas for basketball, gymnastics, boxing, badminton, archery, volleyball, tennis, tennis, soccer, cricket, table tennis, martial arts, wrestling, weight lifting and training, track and field events, diving, synchronized swimming and other sports are in designated and maintained areas. 4) Grass and trees provide expansive areas for recreational use. 5) Every inhabitant owns their own garden for growing vegetables and fruits. 6) Underground water pools contain fish and marine life that is maintained and can be used by inhabitants for fishing. 7) The structure itself is surrounded by fruit trees which are reserved to be picked by the inhabitants. 8) Garbage is minimized by buying and selling materials without packaging. All inhabitants design and make their own clothes, shoes, accessories, bicycles, furniture, rugs and other items as a way to combat mass production and promote personal creativity and ingenuity. 9) A general policy among inhabitants is to go to sleep early in the evening and wake up early to minimize electricity use and to get the maximum sleep possible. 10) All raw sewage is treated through an exterior constructed wetlands system which uses native water plants to eat up and break down bacteria to produce clean water. 11) All showers, baths and sinks use solar heated water and water recycled from constructed wetlands. SUMMARY CONCLUSION Our research indicates that with further air movement, temperature and humidity trials the zero-energy use human habitat concept is viable. The first prototype would necessarily be the most expensive since such a structure has never been constructed before and materials are composed and detailed in unique ways. Given the nature of the structure and its systems it is also suggested that the construction process itself is flexible requiring day-to-day adjustment and remedial decision-making. To minimize expensive construction changes the structure as a whole must be designed as a pre-fabricated unit pre-fitted and perfected off site and constructed in its finished state on-site. Our laboratory testing allows us to create pre-designed environments that can be tested for response to varying conditional changes, i.e., increase and/or decrease in wind, humidity, roof openings, sunlight exposure, rain, etc., and this gives us a scale of extremes in which to impose adjustable parameters. Our design goal is to allow the interior living environment to have adaptable mechanisms to accommodate any changes to the interior habitat from the natural site habitat environment. In a sense, the Global Health Community environment is one of day-to-day change and adaptation and the habitat itself is a planned structure which helps to accommodate those changes. A vital design issue is the importance of the details of the environment to the larger concept as a whole. As with nature, the minute parts of an organism are an integral and inseparable element of the whole and help to define both its purpose and its appearance. What uniquely defines nature’s designs is that every part of a whole is an essential ingredient that makes the whole function successfully. And so it is with our habitat; every aspect of its parts, its details, are an essential and integral functioning aspect of the whole; whether it be as a utilitarian function or as an aesthetic feature; it points to the character of the whole environment and its purpose. In our case, the purpose is the healthy, life-giving quality of being human, of humanity in correct relationship with nature, and living and sharing these qualities with others for countless generations. Our goal as architects is to create an environment so intelligent, so considerate of the planet and its preservation and needs, so conducive to the proper support and development of humanity, that it acts as a catalyst for the whole of humankind to put aside its arrogant, wasteful and destructive ways and means of the past and begin afresh to, as Albert Einstein put it simply, “We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive”. We can no longer afford the luxury of philosophical bantering—it is now a necessity for our survival! So let us proceed towards this new approach and work in partnership with nature to achieve a means for our continued existence. |
