This week we had a lecture all about gardening and I found it interesting but I was wondering what can all be used to create a sustainable garden. Gardening in a sustainable way is all about letting nature work as it normally does, not trying to change the process with man-made “solutions”. Here is a quote that I found inspiring while researching sustainable gardening:
“Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” Native American Indian saying.
Gardening is about respecting the earth, not trying to change the natural process that occurs. This means not using pesticides, keeping all growth processes organic. Also this means to reuse the plant in different ways. If there are fallen leaves, branch clippings, etc. they can be used in a compost or as mulch. Another way of respecting nature is by letting plants grow where they naturally do. Planting exotic plants is not a good idea because the climate caters to the plants that are native to the area. Not only are local plants the best choice because they will flourish the best, but letting them takeover the landscape rather than concrete cities will reduce runoff and erosion. Lastly another way to create a sustainable garden is to create your own. Growing your own produce is not only good for you but also for the environment, reducing transportation, pesticide use and cost.
Gardens are the key to life, they provide us with food, give us oxygen and keep us happy.
The lecture by Ted McLachlan this past Thursday discussed the natural forms and processees of the places we live, examining scale, the hydrologic cycle, and unsustainable landscapes. Focussing mainly on the way water shapes the land, McLachlan used David Nash’s Wooden Boulder as an example.
David Nash, a British sculptor since the 1970’s, works mainly with wood, sculpting various elements of nature, demonstrating the history of an environment or depicting natural processes, like in his Wooden Boulder. Beginning in 1978, Wooden Boulder, was a 25 year environmental project, where Nash carved a boulder into a fallen oak tree. Nash, who had intended to take the boulder back to his studio, left the boulder in the water to see where it would taken after getting stuck in the river. Throughout the 25 years, the boulder travelled from the Vale of Ffestiniog, through to the river Dwyryd and estruary, down to the Ynys Giftan, where finally it floated out to the Irish Sea, moving with the river as the landscape around changed. Last seen in 2003, as most creeks, marshes, and estuarys have been searched, it is assumed that the boulder is still floating about the Irish Sea.
“It is not lost. It is wherever it is.” – David Nash
http://some-landscapes.blogspot.com/2006/03/wooden-boulder.html
http://www.sculpture.org/documents/scmag01/dec01/nash/nash.shtml
Filed under: Uncategorized
(Part II: Architectural Acoustics)
- Sound is a form of mechanical energy – it needs a medium to travel through
- Sound waves are rapid fluctuations through a medium
- Sound waves move at a constant speed – travel fastest through solids, slowest through air
What is sound?
- Disturbance through an elastic medium
- energy – pressure waves that go out from the source
- moleculeds move up and down, not outwards (The denser the solid, the more molecules, the faster sound travels)
- Tone – sound of one frequency
- White noise makes sound
- Decibel (dB) scale
- noise exposure limits
The Hearing Process:
- Comes from within
- best direction to hear is straight ahead
- can’t turn off hearing
- audible frequency range (20Hz- 20,000Hz)
- human speech (200-5000Hz)
Interview by Daniel Levitin, Neuroscientist
- believes music has shaped civilization
- music has an effect on humans
- music has been there throughout histroy – all cultures have it
- people use music like a drug
- every scale in world cultures have the octave
- people are hardwired for harmony
- sound/music pre-dates culture
- sound has a primal effect
- octaves and harmony stumulate the brain
- origional purpose of music – to signal (today used also for emotions)
- our brain likes a variation in a beat
- If sound can trigger emotional centers of your brain, how important is it to design?
Evolution of Sound and Architecture
- Africa, outside/openspace – acoustics very rythmic, sounds and dance
- Greek – out door theatres – semi circular, sloped, good sightlines
- Roman – limited seating, angle to 180 degrees, raised performance area, had a hard backdrop to bounce sound off, built arches and vaults (Collusium, seating for 40, 000 people)
- Northern Europe – acoustics (reverberant field), developed melodic as opposed to rythmic
- Basilica – round dome on top, gregorian chant, music had to adjust to the space
- Romanesque Period – Basilica form, cross shaped, organim chant
- Gothic Period
- Rennaisance Period – understood acoustics better, designed spaces for the theatrical productions (not as saccred)
- Baroque Period – Single singer with one instrument, more secular
- Classical Period
- Industrial Period – Crystal Palace
- Romantic Period – stage seperate from audience, beginnging of orchestra pit
- Modern Age
Acoustic Control: unwanted sound/noise
Acoustic situation described by three parts:
- Source
- Path
- Reciever
-speech contours
-direct sound vs. reflected sound
-want 1st reflected sound with in 30 miliseconds
Focusing: Parabola (shape can focus sound in one spot), Elliptical ( creates 2 focal points of sound)
Anti-focusing Elements: pillars, ridges, decorative sculpture, woodwork…
Concave reflector: voice gets carried accross dome
Room resonance: when its reflective surfaces excite certain frequencies of sound vibration (raises volume)
“Architecture is frozen music” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
* I found this class very interesting and helpful as I am learning about design and what that all encompasses. I find it really interesting how years ago buildings were built for so much more than a shelter. Not only did they provide shelter but many other concepts played an important role in the design. In the days before electricity spaces were built based on increasing the sound or lighting in the space. These two functions were crucial in the desgin whereas today design is all about shelter. Architecture was about so much more than a building, it was about creating a space that had a greater meaning or purpose. It was not just four walls and a roof, it was strategically placed windows, walls, arches, domes, etc.. Learning that architecture once was about so much more makes me understand a bit better why old architecture is so beautifully built and crafted, and why it has so much more meaning.
Filed under: November 20 | Tags: Data Collection - New/Alternative Projects
Jonathan Segal Architecture has redeveloped an old textile warehouse in San Diego. 50% of this new block recieves its energy from photovoltaic panels. They are also affordable because of the use of a revitalized building and provide a mixture of different unit types. There are 16 units located along the block with considerable light and ventilation between each, provided by the private outdoor patios.
For more information on The Union: http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/11/19/union-apartments-by-jonathan-segal/
I love the idea of this block. Revitalizing old warehouses really opens up the doors to many opportunities. The overall look off these units is stunning, with a sort of industrial feel yet still seem like a comfortable environment to live in. Even though the units are very close together, green space is still incorporated into the blocks design. Since everyone enjoys there own outdoor space, this adds to these unit’s appeal. I would love to live here!
Filed under: November 13 | Tags: Data Collection - New/Alternative Projects
David Fisher has designed a sky scraper that towers 80 stories, 420 meters, into the air. It will be the first building in the world to rotate and is intended to be complete in 2010 in Dubai. Each floor rotates independently from the others, allowing each floors occupants the opportunity to change the direction in which they face. The sun can shine in through the same window throughout the whole day if one would like. It allows for many opportunities.
This dynamic tower also has many green benefits. Between each floor a wind turbine is located. These 79 or so turbines provide energy for the tower itself as well as for buildings surrounding it. It is the first tower designed to be entirely self powered. The tower is also intended to implement many other energy saving features, including solar panels on the top of each floor. The efficient construction methods of the tower will also save energy. Each unit is pre-fabricated in a factory allowing for a cleaning construction site and fewer workers needed on site. Because of these factors, construction of the tower will be a great deal quicker.
The first 20 floors of the tower are intended for commercial use, mainly offices. The next floors, up to floor 35 are designated for a luxury hotel. The rest of the floors will be residential apartments with the top 10 being luxury villas.
For more information of David Fisher’s Dynamic Rotating Tower visit: http://www.dynamicarchitecture.net/home.html
Ed Epp’s presentation about ICFA was refreshing. Instead of just hearing about ecological problems without solutions, we heard about an organization that is dedicated to research and prevention.
Today’s presentation about acoustics and architecture talked about how music changed with architecture. I have never thought of music and buildings as being related. Perhaps concert halls are the exception; very specific elements are used to create a well-balanced sound throughout the space. Today, all that was blown out of the water. Music changed because buildings changed. Given all the examples in class, it does seem plausible (although I still think this theory gives a little too much credit to architecture). In any case, we must always keep in mind that design will have an influence on people and therefore culture.
In class this week the guest lecturer mentioned a project called Sustainability Street that is at the University of British Columbia. It sounded really and so I decided to look it up and here’s what I found:
- The main focus of Sustainability Street is waste recycling and water re-use.
- The water re-use system is a closed loop system (the worlds first closed loop water system).
- The street consideres water management, heating using natural heat form the earth, and building with recycled materials.
Future of street:
- Develope a centre for research
- To be living in the footprint of the building
To learn more specific details about what is happening on Sustainability Street check out this link: http://www.sustain.ubc.ca/sustainabilitystreet/index.html
* I really liked looking into this project. I found that the place that was chosen for this project is perfect. It is on the university campus connecting the main mall with the west mall. This is perfect because there is lots of pedestrian traffic in this area which makes it a space that people will recognize and utilize, and perhaps the idea of sustainability will become more prominent with the students. The way that the space is designed also makes it more usable which is great, it will no longer be wasted space.
Over all I really like the project and think that more spaces could be designed in relation to it. It has created a usable space out of a pedestrian corridor and it has more importantly incorperated many sustainable designs creating a more environmentaly place.
To find more information on Sustainability Street follow these links: http://www.space2place.com/public_UBC_sustainability_street.html http://www.sustain.ubc.ca/sustainabilitystreet/ubc_sustainability_st.pdf
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Data Collection - New/Alternative Technology
A new way to manage the energy consumption of a room is through occupancy sensors. Detecting the presence or absence of people in a room, occupancy sensors have the ability to adjust lighting and/or heating and cooling accordingly. When properly used, they can save up to 80% of energy consumed through lighting and temperature controls.
There are three basic types of occupancy sensors. The infared detector identifies body heat. Requiring a straight line of sight, they are best used in simply shaped rooms, such as offices, classrooms, etc. The second type of sensor is ultrasonic technology. When small motions must be detected, ultasonic sensoring works best. Emmitting high-frequency sounds, reflecting off the room’s surface, ultrasonic sensoring is able to opperate in oddly shaped rooms. However because it is able to pick up on the smallest movements, it can be sensitive to ventilation systems, motion from surrounding spaces, etc. Lastely is the acoustic sensor, depending on the sound of voices, machienery, audible motion, etc.
Though occupancy sensors are typically used to control lighting, sensors used for heating and cooling are becoming more well-known. One company producing occupancy sensors for both lighting and heating/cooling systems is Telkonet SmartEnergy. To maximize efficiency, Telkonet SmartEnergy determines energy consumption through a rooms location relative to the rest of the building, window placement and direction, window coverings, climate and varying conditions throughout the day, and the condition of the current heating and cooling system. Through their occupancy sensors, Telkonet SmartEnergy ensures comfort and energy savings for every costomer.
Visit http://smgreen.org/Content/controlsys/sensorcontrols.html for more information on Occupancy Sensors, and http://www.telkonet.com for more information on Telkonet SmartEnergy systems.
