Sanchez ThesisProgressPresentation

8/12/2019 Sanchez ThesisProgressPresentation

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The foundation of this thesis is to provide awareness to the global issue of freshwater scarcity andhow architecture may assist to confront the issue.

In response to the investigation, the thesis works towards the design of a building envelopeimplemented for rainwater harvesting that follows a different path from traditional strategies.

The integrative building envelope may be implemented with existing or new structures and may beutilized for future research on water conservation strategies in architecture.

Research of arid environmental conditions was done to address the challenges these locationsexperience with extreme temperatures and shortage of precipitation. It has been in many of thesearid environments that strategies have been developed, such as the use of rainwater catchment

and cistern systems for nearly six millennia, that address the water scarcity issue by reducingwater use and treating and recycling wastewater.

This research seeks to learn from nature and how biota efciently manage water consumptionand retention. Morphological adaptations seen in nature, more specically from integumentfunctionality in desert ora and fauna adapted for arid conditions helped develop design proposal

Although the research conducted turned out various parameters of events -- water capturing

surfaces, drainage and ltering systems, storage cavities, water reuse systems, and hydronicthermal exchange channels -- the design research focuses on rainwater harvesting.

Water stored in the envelope may be useful for future needs in dry seasons and droughts.

The design research phase includes studies on weather data and how it can be used to design formand performance. Water needs also play an important factor on sizing and component design.

ABSTRACT


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Water covers approximately 70% of the Earths surface

Freshwater accounts for about 2.5% of global water (UNEP)

About 70%, over 2/3, of global freshwater is locked up in glaciers and permanent snow cover

Groundwater, nearly 30% of freshwater

Rivers and lakes, account for nearly 0.3% of freshwater

Groundwater sources are being depleted at a faster rate than they are able to be replenished

global water shortages and safe access to potable water is greatly affecting nearly two billionpeople around the world, nearly 30% of the worlds population (

A Thirsty Planet


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freshwater use: 70% irrigation, 20% industry, & 10% domestic use (WWAP)

building occupants account for nearly 13% of total water use in the U.S. per day (EPA)

estimated 40% water use in large cities in developing countries lost from leaky systems (USGBC)

in the U.S., treating, pumping, and heating water accounts for about 8% of energy demand

an average female is recommended approximately 2.7 liters (0.71 gallons) (IOM)

the average male approximately 3.7 liters (0.98 gallons) of daily total water intake (IOM).

4 liters (1 gallon) of water is maximum amount of water needed for drinking, cooking, and foodpreparation each day/person (WHO)

100 liters (26.4 gallons) a day/person required to maintain reasonably good quality of life (USAID)

average American households uses approximately 187.8 liters (49.6 gallons) a day/person (AWWA,1999)

average water footprint of the USA is 2842 cubic meters (2.842 million liters, 750.777 gallons) ayear per capita, compared to global average of 1385 cubic meters (1.385 million liters, 365,878gallons ) a year per capita (Mekonnen & Hoekstra, 2011).

By designing our buildings or city blocks to obtain water on-site by harvesting rain, we couldminimize the amount of water lost due to leaks and manage stormwater runoff. Occupants may beable to monitor water levels locally to adjust daily/weekly water intake and help identify and repairleak problems quicker.

Water Footprint


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deserts are classied as zones where precipitation is offset by evapotranspiration, evaporationfrom surfaces and transpiration by plants

extremely-arid, arid, and semi-arid environments take up about 1/3 of the Earths land surface

estimated two billion people, 25% of the worlds population, desert environments

estimated 1.4 billion people are currently living in river basin areas that are closed, meaning thatwater use is exceeding the minimum recharge levels, or are near closure (UNEP)

it is anticipated that most population growth will occur in developing countries (WWAP)

estimated that by 2025, the worlds population will surpass 8 billion (U.N. Population Division)

possibility of nearly 2/3 of population in 2025 will be living under water stressed conditions andnearly 1/4, 1.8 billion, living in severe water scarce regions (FAO).

Glass Half Empty


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stems and leaves of most species have waxy cuticles that render them nearly waterproof when thestomata is closed.

water is further conserved by reduced surface areas; most succulents have few leaves, no leavesor leaves that are deciduous in dry times.

columnar growth forms maximize exposure to light early and late in the day while avoidingexcessive heat from the mid-day sun, many barrel cactus lean to the south, southwest so that aminimum of body surface is exposed to the drying effect of the midday sun

one ecological role of the hydrophilic skin of the thorny devil is the direct absorption of rain thatfalls onto the skin, uptake from puddles, and enables water absorption from moist sand through

the capillary system

honeycomb-like micro-structure on lizards create a superhydrophilic surface

Desert Flora + Fauna


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provides a water source when groundwater is unacceptable or unavailable, or it can augmentlimited groundwater supplies

reduces volume ow to stormwater drains and also reduces non-point source pollution.

helps utilities reduce the summer demand peak and delay expansion of existing water treatmentplants.

helps reduce consumers utility bills

harvesting rainwater is only useful when the volume and frequency of rainfalland size of thecatchment surface can generate sufcient water for its intended purpose(Texas Water

Development Board, 2005)

disadvantages include the operating and maintenance responsibilities users must undertake

purication process of water for domestic use is another disadvantage of rainwater, as the buildingowner must undertake the responsibilities to provide water purication systems and maintenance

maintenance of the systems includes purging of the rst (foul) ush system, cleaning of the roof

washers, cleaning out gutters, cleaning storage tanks, maintaining the pumps and replacing lters

basic components of system include: catchment surfaces, gutters and downspouts, leaf screens,storage tank(s), delivery system to end use, and treatment or purication system

Rainwater Harvesting


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storage size depends on the sites water needs, the weather, the amount of water being captured,and whether the site is connected to a municipal water supply or not

systems that do not have municipal water backup (called off-grid) must hold much more water,in case of shortage

amount of oversizing depends on how crucial the water needs are

variables of rainfall and water demand determine the relationship between required catchmentarea and storage capacity, catchment surface area should be maximized to capture enoughrainwater to meet water demands

storage tanks, or cisterns, should be sized to sufciently store enough water to see the system andits users through droughts.

1.75 in. rainfall x 3,264 sq. ft.(300 sq.m) catchment x 0.62 gallons/in. rain/sq. ft. x 0.95 collectionefciency = 3,364 gallons


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designed as an advanced thermal mass wall and proposed for a hot-arid region

through direct gain design, radiation from the sun is absorbed by the wall and is converted tothermal energy

water collected in the wall would store excess heat inside the wall and either dissipate the heat tothe exterior during hot days or interior during cold days

wall system consists of a concrete and thermoplastic wall combined as rainwater catchment,storage, ltering and recycling systems

wall captures rainwater and stores it in a exible rubber sac imbedded within the folds of the

wall. The wall lters the water which could be later used for irrigation after serving as a thermalconductor for the wall.

Case Studies_ Hydro Wall : Rael-San Fratello, 2006


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assistance to existing irrigation infrastructures in agrarian farm land

skin is designed to collect, store, and distribute storm water in an elastic, expandable exterior skinfor agrarian irrigation.

exterior skin, of the compact 800 square foot home, is made with rubber canteens that ll withwater which can be used in times of lower water supply

as canteens ll, the skin stretches, revealing an underlying patterning of the exterior rubber skin

at full capacity, the house could potentially hold 50,000 gallons of water

Case Studies_ Canteen Farm House : Endemic Architecture, 2011


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investigation of relationship between building systems, such as mechanical systems, that mediatebetween interior-exterior and architectural design by shifting from air-based systems to water-based systems, hydronic systems.

focus on behavior of uid as part of the generative design methodology, the project proposes abuilding mechanical system that is in the same tectonic prevalence as structure

through the collection of water from a contoured berglass shell and the storage and distributionof water in a soft expandable silicone membrane, the building prototype aims to create a cohesivearchitectural environment through the interaction of different water-based building systemsresulting in a fusion of design aesthetic and building performance.

proposed water management system is conceived as operating in relation to seasonal and dailycyclical needs in relation to water, where the behavior of the building expresses how it engageswith these criteria both in real-time performance and in the design process through the use oflightweight rigid material and soft expandable material

Case Studies_ The Life Aquatech: THINK Tank, 2013


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Hydrophobic Materials

hydrophobic materials, with contact angles more than 90 degrees, cause droplets to form in abead sphere with minimal droplet surface touching the material surface.

hydrophobic materials prevent water from spreading over a surface, and allow it to form dropletsthat easily fall away or drained

most hydrophobic materials are commonly made from thin polymer coatings that degrade whenheated and are easily destroyed by wear

Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastics

berglass, has a high ultimate tensile strength, a high melting temperature, behaves elastically,does not undergo signicant stress relaxation nor creep, light weight, and has an inherent strengthto provide a weather resistant nish with a variety of surface textures

components may be an arbitrary shape, limited only by the complexity and tolerances of the moldused for manufacturing the berglass shell

widely used for small boats and storage tanks

may be manufactured to have hydrophobic properties

bers may be arranged permanently in a preferred direction within a material -- by laying multiplelayers of glass ber on top of one another, with each layer oriented in various preferred directions,the stiffness and strength properties of the overall material can be controlled efciently

Materials


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storage tanks become integrated with the building envelope as a design feature

catchment, drainage, and storage systems mesh together within the building envelopeRoof and facade system boundaries become blurred developing an interwoven

relationship between both.

water located to the perimeter of the building envelope may be used for a hydronicthermal system. Storage of water is still present on the lower portion of the building tominimize heat gain from the sun and minimize evaporation.

dividing water reserves to multiple storage units will allow the user to monitor theirdaily, weekly, and monthly water use

user may gain control of their water use and allocate collected rainwater throughout thebuilding envelope wherever required.


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El Paso, TX elevation: 3740 ft (1140 m) Chihuahuan Desert

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual

Avg Max Temperature 57.2 63.4 70.2 78.1 86.7 95.3 94.5 92.0 87.1 77.9 65.5 57.4 77.4

Avg Min Temperature 32.9 37.5 43.7 51.1 60.6 68.8 72 70.2 63.7 49.6 39.8 33.4 51.6

Minimum Precipiation 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.04 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Maximum Precipitation 2.23 1.69 2.26 1.42 4.22 3.18 5.53 5.57 6.68 3.12 1.63 3.29

Median Precipitation 0.29 0.34 0.18 0.09 0.10 0.36 1.18 1.06 0.96 0.55 0.24 0.42

Average Precipitation (in) 0.45 0.39 0.26 0.23 0.38 0.87 1.49 1.75 1.61 0.81 0.42 0.77 9.43

Average Snowfall (in) 0.8 0.5 0.2 0.6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.6 2.2 4.9

Avg Precipiation days 3.8 3.4 2.4 1.9 2.7 3.9 8.3 8.7 6.3 4.7 3.0 3.9 53

Avg evapo-transpiration 11.1 9.2 8.9 7.7 5.9 3.6 2.5 2.7 3.5 6.1 8.2 9.8 79.26


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Sanchez ThesisProgressPresentation