Zero-Energy urban development in Aalborg - ULisboa · Zero-Energy urban development in Aalborg ... is the Kingo Houses (1956-58), ... Zero-energy are some of the terms used in the

Zero-Energy urban development in Aalborg

Project Report

Marta Maria Sousa Leito

Attainment of Master Degree in

Architecture

Jury:

Supervisor: Professor Manuel de Arriaga Brito Correia Guedes

President: Professor Doutor Pedro Filipe Pinheiro de Serpa Brando

Examiner: Professor Manuel Guilherme Caras Altas Duarte Pinheiro

October 2012

Zero-energy development in Aalborg

2

Introduction

01. Nordic Context

02. Project Briefing

03. Design Strategies

04. Performance Analysis

05. Design Synthesis

Conclusion

3


EXTENDED ABSTRACT


4

Introduction

This work is the final result of the studies carried out in

the Integrated Master of Architecture, in Instituto Supe-

rior Tcnico, Universidade Tcnica de Lisboa (Techni-

cal University of Lisbon). This report is based on the

work developed between February and June 2012, in

the Sustainable Architecture course, which I attended in

Aalborg University (Denmark) and where I was studying

for one year as an Erasmus student.

This report is about a project developed with a group of

five Danish students, Brian Srensen, Hans Mller, Niko-

laj Olesen, Patrick Vinther and Rene Frandsen, along

a semester that had as a goal studying and exploring

sustainable architecture concepts, with special focus on

Zero-Energy architecture.

As a group, we developed the project that was the start-

ing point of this report. From there, I developed a critical

analysis on the project results, reflecting upon sustain-

able concepts in the Nordic1 context. In this way, the

context research and the design strategies investiga-

tion were carried out individually, with exception of the

Social context, which was also investigated as a group.

1 The term Nordic comprises the Scandinavian countries: Denmark,

Finland, Sweden and Norway.

The performance analysis was also made through the

project design process. However, the interpretation of

the results, the critical overview, and the ideas for fur-

ther work were based on my perspective on the devel-

oped project and the matters that it rises. Finally, it must

be said that the students from Aalborg University have

a different knowledge of architecture, mostly based on

theoretical analysis within an engineering background, a

strong component in their education. Therefore, the over-

all project might reflect a lack of drawing, and sketching

that could help in the relation between the technical and

theoretical knowledge, which could have improved the

architectural quality of the project design.

The project is about designing a mixed-use housing com-

plex in Aalborg (Denmark), containing climate-optimized

high density dwellings. It is also required that two typolo-

gies of dwellings have to be presented, which should

reflect the Danish way of living. The solutions should be

within the requirements of a Zero-energy Building and it

should discuss some sustainable strategies.

Sustainability has been an emergent field in architecture

and very relevant in the way architecture is evolving in

recent years. As a construction art in the building cre-

5


ation, architecture has been submitted to social con-

cerns, adaptation to new environments, development of

new materials, construction techniques and at the same

time to new ways of thinking in the environmental, so-

cial, cultural and economic fields. A new conscience has

been raised towards the impact of the human being in

his environment, and new opportunities to create inno-

vative architecture have appeared. Making man under-

stand how a better relation with nature can mean better

comfort and quality of life should be a role of sustainable

architecture, in a way that understanding the surround-

ing environment is essential to take the most advantage

of it. In this way with this project it will be possible to

discuss and reflect upon architecture as a tool not only

to create good architectural spaces, but also to extend

this architectural quality to the sustainable domain. It is

important to explore how architecture and sustainability

can work together and how the integrated design is im-

portant in that process to create sustainable dwellings.

Therefore, the following goals establish the development

of the report:

The report was organized in five chapters sequentially

from the most global issues involved in the context until

the most particular, the project itself. The first chapter

consists of the investigation of Nordic Context, reflect-

ing on the cultural and social background and how sus-

tainability has been discussed in the architectural field.

The second one, Project Briefing, will present the project

program, the methodology, the site and the most impor-

tant characteristics of the area and its microclimate. The

third chapter presents the Design Strategies that are im-

portant for the development of the project, having as a

starting point the intended vision for the site. It is also

discussed the possible solutions and typologies, on a

energy-eficiency perspective. The fourth and fifth chap-

ters illustrate the Performance Analysis drafted during

the design process of the project, which are interpreted

and discussed from a critical point of view. The results of

the analysis are reflected on the project solutions, which

are presented in the Design Synthesis chapter, by using

diagrams, plans and sections to explain the design solu-

tions. The last chapter is called Further Work, in which

a personal reflection is carried out, demonstrating what

could have been changed or further explored, in case

the project would be continued. Finally, the Conclusion

ends the report providing a critical overview of what was

achieved with the project and the report.


6

01. The Nordic Context

In the 20th century, Nordic architecture met its golden

era with the introduction of Functionalism, which had

its breakthrough with the Stockholm Exhibition (1930),

which master plan was designed by Gunnar Asplund.

However, the development of Functionalism in the North

soon moved away from the Bauhaus influences; it be-

came light and sophisticated and contained what might

be called warmth, moving in the direction of organicism.

One of the front figures of organic architecture, the Nor-

wegian architect Knut Knutsen, expressed that architects

must take care of nature, in a way that buildings should

not become destructive. These thoughts were reflecting

the spirit of the Nordic population to live in contact and

harmony with nature (Lund 2008). In this way, Nordic ar-

chitecture was inspired by international architecture, but

evolved in a different way, experiencing a different matu-

ration and becoming more human; the nature forms the

architecture and not the other way around. In contrast

to the rest of Europe, the impact of the Industrialization

was not as explosive in the North, where things changed

slowly. Architecture and design in the region held on to

craftsmanship traditions, creating an architectural typi-

cal of the region (Lund 2008). Because of this, Nordic

architects are mostly concerned with designing quality

for the majority because () buildings are designed for

people and not for the cold logic of theory (Lund 2008).

This meeting between social compromise and architec-

tural consciousness is what most defines the Nordic tra-

dition. Moreover, the long winters and the lack of sunlight

inspired the architects and also the designers to create

the domestic environment as comfortable as possible

with the materials at hand, giving emphasis to light and

warmth. Aesthetic experiences can have a profound im-

pact on our understanding of nature and our place within

the larger ecological web. Likewise, aesthetically pleas-

ing architecture can enhance our relationship with the

environmental and foster ecological awareness. (Gu-

zowski, 2010).

When talking about Danish architecture, one of the most

important names is Jorn Utzon (1918 2008). He repre-

sented in his buildings all the qualities from the Nordic

architecture, the concern with the nature and the syn-

thetic capacity of relating form, material and function in

a way that emphasizes the social values. (Utzon, 2009)

In his projects, there was already an implicit sustainable

way of approaching architecture, by the use of local

materials, the concern with the site and the idea of pre-

fabricated elements were some of the characteristics of

Utzons Additive Principle. Example of this architecture

is the Kingo Houses (1956-58), in Denmark, a group of

63 L-shaped houses that remind some of the old farm-

house, with central courtyards and within a scale that

reveals his conscience of the human scale. Here, yellow

Figure 01 : Villa Mairea (1937-39) in Noormarkku, Finland. Aalvar Aalto

7


brick and wood are the selected materials, which are the

key elements in the way this architecture is evolving and

being more and more integrated with the site (Fig. 02).

On the other hand, it is quite visible that another move-

ment is emerging in contemporary Danish Architecture,

led by a group of young architects and studios. Bjarke

Ingles (BIG) is the studio that represent the major break-

through, with a lot of built projects in the newest part of

Copenhagen, restad. For instance, the housing com-

plex 8 (2009) is one of the projects that have a sus-

tainable awareness, in which the building formation and

orientation is set according to the sun path so the build-

ing can take the most advantage of solar gains (Fig. 03).

In this way, the referred examples express that the defi-

nition of sustainable architecture is intrinsically connect-

ed to the essence of Architecture. When looking back

to the History of Architecture, Vitruvius already pointed

the principles of sustainable architecture. The system of

firmitas, venustas and utilitas (form, beauty and function)

should include a close relation with nature, by taking

advantage of the characteristics of the site, specially its

natural resources such as daylight and natural ventila-

tion. It is also possible to find sustainable strategies in

the vernacular architecture, which construction is based

on the empirical knowledge of generations.

Throughout the late 20th and 21st century a variety of con-

cepts emerged from the idea of creating a sustainable

architecture. Low-energy, Solar design, Passive de-

sign, Bioclimatic, Ecological, Green, Self-sufficient and

Zero-energy are some of the terms used in the universe

of Sustainable Architecture. It is no easy to distinguish

them because these approaches have close meanings,

presenting slight variations in the context and time that

emerged. However, it is possible to say that Sustainable

Architecture is the widest group, considering Social, En-

vironmental and Economic matters. Inside, theres all the

other groups, being the Bioclimatic design the most ex-

tensive part, comprehending the self-sufficient architec-

ture, in which is located the Zero-Energy architecture.

In recent years, the attention given to environmental

and sustainable design has only increased as a result

of climate changes and rising energy prices. This en-

tire movement of architecture and design was estab-

lished over five decades ago, but instead of reaching a

clear definition, the environmental field is perhaps over-

burdened by social trends and discussions caused by

globalization and the rapid information society. Back in

time, architecture was occupied with increasing com-

fort, but todays movement is concerned with ethical re-

sponsibility towards future generations - a responsibility

measured in energy use and carbon dioxide emissions

(Hardy, 2008). In other words, standardization and legal

modalities of installations also threaten the architectural

space and its sensuous qualities, whereby the individual

identifies a sense of belonging to the particular place.

Figure 02 : Kingo Houses (1956-58), Jorn Utzon. Helsingor, Denmark Figure 03 : 8, BIG. Orestad, Copenhagen, Denmark


8

Sustainable architecture must be defined as a notion

consisting of more than environmental concern and ex-

ploitation of modern technology; the architectural space

and its significance to human beings cannot be denied,

and it is therefore as important as a part of the ethical

responsibility included in the notion of sustainability as

the easier measurable quantities of energy use and car-

bon dioxide emissions. This of course demands aware-

ness from the architect, who must have the knowledge

of sustainabilitys true definition to achieve a holistic ar-

chitecture. Sustainable architecture can be more than

just a calculation and rather a tectonic solution with high

architectural quality in a close connection to the context

and human needs. The first step in the project was dis-

cussing the sustainable advantages of different dwelling

typologies, the high-rise and the terraced house.

The high-rise have become a distinguished form of

housing accommodation in densely populated urban

areas around the world. In contrast to low-rise and sin-

gle-family houses, these high-rise accommodate more

inhabitants per square metre of occupied land and also

decrease the cost of municipal infrastructure. Regard-

ing this project, it is clear that neither dense urban area

nor estate speculation is the pivotal point. However, the

high-rise can optimize energy use by the compact mass

and sharing technical installations will also give a factor

to the sustainability. As an answer to the most twentieth-

century multi-storey buildings that eliminate the human

individuality and the opportunity to express it, the stu-

dio SITE developed a project called High-rise of Homes

(Fig. 04). This experimental design organizes vertically

20 floors, composed by individual residences with gar-

dens and exterior space. Although it was not taken seri-

ously on that time, this project seems very timely and

relevant for present discussion in the field of architecture

and sustainability, especially in the Danish architectural

context. High-rise buildings are not often built mainly be-

cause Danish cities are less dense than, for instance,

American cities. For this reason, the high rise might not

be the most sustainable solution in the Nordic context,

though having some advantages. However, the idea of

having a vertical city with different functions together

with public spaces was exciting and worth exploring.

In addition, a high-rise building can be the catalyst for

structuring the urban identity of the particular site and

enhances the skyline of Aalborg by connecting the tall

eastern industrial buildings with this western high-rise.

From an empirical analysis, the detached-house seems

to be the typology that is usually associated to quality

of life. In recent years, Danish architecture has shown

that it is possible to build attractive buildings with the

integrated environmental strategies and giving some of

the qualities of the detached-houses. In this way, the ter-

raced housing seems to be a good typology not only in

what concerns energy demands, but also as an answer

to the Danish architecture, in a way that compact archi-

tecture and well furnished rooms is a way of approach-

ing sustainable architecture.

After investigating the advantage of the two referred resi-

dential typologies, it seemed opportune to explore how

they could be combined together in order to achieve

something better. It has been evidenced that monofunc-

tionallity is the cause of some of the urban problems,

and diversity has been the solution, not only in uses but

also in what concerns typologies and people. Jane Ja-

cobs wrote a book in 1961 called The Death and Life

of Great American Cities, where she finds great advan-

tages when diversity occurs.

Figure 04 : High-rise of Homes (1981), SITE

9


02. Project BriefingThis project is about designing a mixed-use zero-ener-

gy housing complex in Aalborg containing climate-op-

timized high density dwellings. The solution should be

within the requirements of a Zero-energy Building, but

also look to obtain a holistic sustainable solution. The

following paragraph from the project brief is particularly

interesting: Building a mixed-use zero-energy hous-

ing complex takes empathy and careful considerations

on how to provide indoor privacy and outdoor private

spaces in a dense urban context while at the same time

providing good common paths and spaces for common

activities and daily life. It takes close considerations con-

cerning climate, sun and daylight to provide apartments

with fine daylight qualities and good indoor climate while

at the same time reducing the need for supplied ener-

gy. (Study Board for Architecture and Design, 2012).

The next paragraph helps to find the preferable qualities

for the inhabitants: (...) it is also well known, that the

main part of Danish inhabitants, and especially families

with children, finds the open, green, suburban way of

living in detached houses most attractive (Study Board

for Architecture and Design, 2012). Knowing this, it is

possible to take it as a point of departure in the design

phase, where it will be discussed how these qualities

can be integrated in a high dense building.

The site is located in Aalborg, a city with a strong in-

dustrial heritage, located in North Jutland. Aalborg is the

fourth most populated city in Denmark, having a multi-

cultural population mainly due to Aalborg University that

is responsible for attracting a lot of international students

(Statistik om Folketal, 2009). The character of the city

relates to the proximity of the fjord1 that has been allow-

ing boats and ships to reach the city. Crossing the city in

two (Aalborg and Norresundby), the Limfjord has always

played an important role in the city. The site is located

5km from the city center of Aalborg, at the south bank of

the Limfjord. Located right next to the site, at the coast

line, there is a small boat terminal that connects Aalborg

to Egholm, a green island located right in the middle of

the Limfjord.

Compared to the rest of the city, this area holds a rec-

reational character, which is related to the quality of

the open landscape. The context is dominated by lei-

sure functionalities, such as the two marinas, the camp-

ing site, the Military Museum, the coast line of the fjord

where a lot of people exercise and walk the dog. The

open-air swimming pool, the public baths in the fjord

and the sports field are used extensively throughout the

summer . In addition, there is a residential area - Marina

Fjordparken - was built in 2008 (Andelsforeningen Ma-1 A fjord is a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea usually be-tween high cliffs (Oxford dictionary).


10

rina Fjordparken 2012). Further away, the landscape is

characterized by the DAC silos at Lindholm Brygge and

the small island of Egholm. Generally, the site is domi-

nated by wild vegetation, such as bushes, trees and wild

flowers, which contrasts with the grass lawns established

right next to the residential blocks (Fig.05).

In order to find what are the most preferable qualities in

a house for a Dane, it was taken as a starting point the

Thorkild rs Phd (r 2002), where it was discussed

some typologies and its architectural qualities: open-low,

open-tall, close-low and close-tall. Taking into consider-

ation that the brief sets a fairly high building percentage

and also some considered distance to the surrounding

buildings, the site seems quite favorable to the open-tall

category of rs work. From the open-tall typology he

concluded that the quality parameters were a large size

of apartments, a balcony, a good view and easy access

to public transportation, public institutions and shops.

However, he concludes that the apartment types are not

the preferred home, since a large part of the inhabitants

of rented and owned apartments wishes to move within

five years. The open-low typology is the ideal preference

of homes from the users of the various dwelling typolo-

gies. However, having an ideal does not necessarily

mean the same as dissatisfaction with the users current

home. In the open-low typology, the parameters for qual-

ity are individuality, influence, status and positioning in

society (r, 2002). Taking into consideration his stud-

ies it is possible to conclude that combining the qualities

from the open-low typology with the qualities from the

open-tall would create a forte for the building, being at-

tractive for most of the Danish population.

The microclimate is an important component in the char-

acterization of the site, since the outdoor conditions are

determinant for the way a building behaves. In this way,

the idea of designing buildings in relation to the microcli-

mate is done to exploit the possibilities of passive solu-

tions. To accommodate the specific microclimate, the ar-

chitecture needs to understand it in order to optimize the

building mass to it. The microclimate of the building site

can be different from another location close to it, as the

Figure 05 : Picture of the site

climate is highly influenced by its immediate surround-

ings. Denmark is situated in the zone between three

European climatic zones - Borea influence in the north,

Atlantic influence in the west and Continental influence

in the east - which makes the climate throughout Den-

mark slightly diverse, but in generally it can be consid-

ered temperate. This means that the climate in Aalborg

can be described as the winters being mild and windy

and the summers being cool, without big extreme oscil-

lations. The temperature varies according to the season

and time of day. The daily average and maximum can

be used to determine heating and cooling demands dur-

ing the day, whereas the monthly average gives an esti-

mate of the season length where heating and cooling are

needed. The direct solar gain is the most simple way of

using the sun energy, being also useful in terms of di-

rect daylight. Having in consideration the cold weather,

taking advantage of the solar heating from the sun is ex-

tremely important. In this way, it is relevant to identify the

sun path, especially in the winter months when the solar

heat gain is wanted and the altitude of the sun is the low-

est. Throughout the year, the path changes being much

longer in the summer than in the winter. In Aalborg, the

direction of the wind is most frequently and harsh from

the west, which can be a problem for the outdoor areas

and it should then be considered when designing those.

The layout and shape of buildings and vegetation can

diffuse and divert the harsh wind, creating lee in the ar-

eas for staying.

11


03. Design StrategiesThe vision for this project is focused on the creation of

an architecture that incorporates the suburban qualities

from the single-family house into dwellings, that should

reflect the Nordic way of living. Those qualities will be

expressed into in two typologies, high-rise and terraced

housing, which will be combined with offices and ser-

vices. This will form an urban mix of residential, public

and recreational areas that will bring life to the site. At

the same time, it will integrate and relate the existing

functionalities, becoming part of the urban fabric. In this

way, the vision works as a concept and guidance for the

design process, making all the components move in the

same direction. For this reason, the vision is a concept

and a challenge, being also useful in the explanation of

the design solutions.

To help building the concept it was essential to define

design parameters, which come as a result of the previ-

ous investigation. Since the project briefing phase that it

has been referred how the suburbs accomplish the most

preferable dwelling qualities by Danish people and that

it should be clarified which are precisely those qualities:

own entrance (individuality), residential road (light traf-

fic), exterior spaces (private gardens) and the social

relationships (sense of neighborhood). Due to the ten-

dency for diversity it is not intended to provide all the

apartments with the best qualities at the same time that

the site offers. As a result, this project will mainly concern

the design of two different typologies of single-family

dwellings: terraced housing and high-rise apartments.

Each typology promotes a set of site-specific qualities,

but they should both interpret the qualities of suburban

living, though in different ways. They should complement

each other in an area with social coherence and shared

green areas, while still allowing privacy and individual-

ity. These criteria are useful when looking at the building

by itself but, as referred before, the context lacks iden-

tity and structure. Therefore it is intended to explore: a

high-rise building that creates a relation with the urban

identity; Terraced housing that will provide a frame for

the single-family lifestyle with focus on the close relation

to nature; Services, offices and public green areas that

will promote public life.

The urban form is the result of the complex interaction

between interrelated matters: climatic, economic, social,

political, aesthetic, technical and regulatory. In this way,

land use is a very important factor in the sustainable ur-

ban form. In the 20th century, the zoning1 regulations

resulted in energy waste in terms of transportation, in

which people had to spend a lot of time travelling great

distances, decreasing the quality of life and affecting

the global pollution. However, there has been an effort

1 Separation between living, working an recreation


12

to change those policies to create more sustainable cit-

ies, by exploiting multi-purpose buildings and spaces

with a mix of civic, office, retail, leisure and residential

uses. Taking into account the context where the project

was developed, the solution might rely on a mix of high

dense with low dense areas, in an attempt to combine

advantages of both. Another important aspect for sus-

tainable urban planning is the creation of green areas

at a number of scales. Multi-purpose green areas can

reduce pollution, increase biological biodiversity and im-

prove the quality of life of residents. Thus, contributing

also for the social, physical and phsycological health of

the neighborhoods. Moreover, the vegetation can mod-

erate the microclimate, in a way that it interferes posi-

tively in humidity, temperature, wind, daylight noise and

pollution. The sustainability of the project should start in

the beginning of the design process, so the typologies

referred in the vision should be investigated, in terms of

advantages and disadvantages.

The reasons for building an high-rise in Aalborg were dis-

cussed based on cultural,architectural and sustainable

aspects. The first reason is related to the intention of cel-

ebrating the industrial tall buildings existent in Aalborg,

by giving the city one more of these strong reference

points, from where it is possible to appreciate not only

the view to the fjord, but also to the city. The second one,

is the possibility to explore the qualities of the high-rise

such as views and tranquility in the dwelling, something

different from most of the buildings in the city, which are

facing a noisy and active urban life. The third one is re-

lated to the energy efficiency. In terms of shared techni-

cal installations, it is possible to say that the high-rise

typology can become a good way of optimizing space,

in a way that vertical buildings occupy a smaller part of

the plot, what allows more public space at ground level.

However, there are still some disadvantages. It seems

that there is no doubt that tall buildings consume more

energy per square meter than lower buildings, mainly

due to the elevators energy consumption and the em-

bodied energy in the materials. High-rise buildings are

also more exposed the climate conditions, considering

that there is no more tall buildings in the surroundings

that could shield it. In a addition, the position according

to the surroundings is extremely important, taking into

consideration that high-rises can take light and view to

the other buildings. Nevertheless, there are some op-

portunities that are interesting for the projects vision.

The main idea for this residential tower is to take some of

the qualities of the suburban dwelling such as individual-

ity and exterior spaces, and combining them in a vertical

villa road. As an initial idea, having one apartment per

floor would not be the most optimal solution, even in

the conceptual state. In this way, grouping two apart-

ments per floor would be the best compromise between

individuality, light, view and energy. Another important

issue is the vertical winds; skirts and wind shields are

essential to the comfort of the pedestrians and the ur-

ban spaces in the surroundings. Even though the wind-

speeds occurs at the upper levels of the tall building, the

introduction of a skycourt or an atrium that can be private

and shared can enhance the villa road concept and also

improve the well-being of the occupants (Yeang, 1996).

These spaces can bring advantages in terms of natural

ventilation.

In what concerns the terraced houses, the main quality

would be having a closer relation to the ground, there-

fore having the opportunity for all the houses to have a

private garden. The possibility of creating different out-

door areas will give space to the social affiliation that

this project is seeking out. To achieve these qualities,

a minimum footprint would be ideal and a dwelling with

multiple stories seemed to be the solution. This will cre-

ate open space for the public without compromising the

initial idea of allowing houses to have direct contact with

the ground. When talking about vertical living, there is

a prompt relation with compact and dense architecture

that characterizes dutch architecture. For instance, the

houses developed in Borneo-Sporenburg (Amsterdam).

It is a fact that Aalborg, and especially the site of the

project, are not dense areas, but the dutch typology fol-

lows the project vision. Knowing that it is being con-

sidered a terraced house with three storeys, the place-

ment of functions has to be optimized so that the vertical

movement is minimized through the day.

13


04. Performance Analysis

Figure 06 : Wind studies for the atrium

Figure 07 : Daylight factor diagram, with atrium

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23

Tem

pera

ture

C

Hours along the day

Atrium, 1st January

InteriorTemp

ExteriorTemp

T. ext

T. int

Figure 08: Temperatures in the Atrium, Bsim analysis

28m

11m

8m

In order to evaluate the investigated design strategies, it

was developed an analysis performance on the referred

typologies. They were based on three programs, Be10,

Velux and BSim. These programs were used during

the design process and repeated in several loops. As

as an overall strategy, firstly it was made some analysis

of the building envelope, from which was possible to de-

termine the best orientation and then test it in the wind

tunnel. It required some time to get all the input, such as

walls and windows area, and also U-values. Then, Velux

allowed the optimization of window area that was used in

Be10. Finally, the indoor climate was analyzed by using

Bsim, together with the Velux and Be10, in several itera-

tions till the best solution was found. BSim is the most

complex program. It took some time to draw the model

and to define all the required parameters, but once it

is done, the different performances are quite easy to

get. This scientific knowledge was carried out along the

design of the project, being a thorough process when

confronting with the desired architectural solutions. This

process was applied for all the components of the proj-

ect, terraced-house and high-rise. The masterplan was

only tested in the wind tunnel, for wind performance, and

in google sketch up, for sun studies.

The diagrams in Figure 08 illustrate the analysis perfor-

mance for the high-rise, in special the performance of

the atrium.


14

05. Design Synthesis NFigure 09 : Final Masterplan, scale1:4000

0 10 30

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

PRO

DU

CED

BY

AN

AU

TOD

ESK

ED

UC

ATI

ON

AL

PRO

DU

CT

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

PRO

DU

CED

BY A

N A

UTO

DESK

EDU

CA

TION

AL PR

OD

UC

T

The masterplan is a combination of terraced housing

and a high-rise in relation with gardens, plazas, offices

and services. The layout for the site was found trough

an iterative process and by bearing in mind the analysis

and design strategies defined before. Creating useful

spaces between the buildings and optimizing them in

terms of wind and daylight were the main parameters in

the design. As there is a need for traffic connections to

all buildings, regarding emergencies, fire,ambulances,

etc., the roads are chosen as one-way streets to mini-

mize the area occupied by roads to liberating some ar-

eas to leisure and recreation. With the limited amount

of cars in the area and no thoroughfares, it should be

reasonable to only have one-way streets (Fig.09).

Diversity is encouraged by the high-rise and the pub-

lic spaces that are surrounding it. Offices and services

make the transition between the tower and the high rise,

generating a lively atmosphere. To create social diver-

sity, the masterplan defined three typologies of houses

for different users : single family houses (4 people);

students shared apartments (3-4 people); senior apart-

ments (2 people). It was investigated how these typol-

ogies can function together, but only the single-family

houses were detailed.

The main idea for the high-rise is the combination of

two apartments and a shared atrium, capable of acti-

vating the living areas of the apartments. The bedrooms

are joined together and closed, while kitchens and liv-

ing rooms are more open to the atrium. The elevators

and a staircase form a core, which can be perceived

as the vertical interpretation of the infrastructure of the

residential road, in a way that could resemble the House

of Homes referred before.

The main concept for the apartment is to be organized

around the atrium, which will be the meeting space of

the four apartments creating opportunity for social rela-

tions between the neighbors. These spaces work as the

gardens and the streets from the single family house,

that are working together with the vertical accesses,

composed by two elevators and a fire-escape staircase.

By being an exterior space, the atrium contains the out-

door activities, by being a space where you can park

your bike, plant vegetation, play games or read a book.

The organization of the four apartments differs from top

to bottom. The top apartments have balconies instead of

direct access to the ground floor, still being free to use it.

In this way, the inhabitants of high-rise are encouraged

to use the atrium, and the space then interrelates the

15


A A

B

B

Figure 10 : Floor plan and Section A, High-rise scale 1:400

N

Figure 11: Plan ground floor and cross Section, Terraced house scale1:400

EXIT

N

four families to a sense of a neighborhood (Fig.10). In

addition, the atrium should work as an extension of the

living areas, and the kitchen and living room are there-

fore compressed to encourage the inhabitants to use the

atrium. Moreover, this atrium has the potential to assist

the indoor climate of the apartments, making cross venti-

lation possible. Also, the vegetation inside the atrium can

work as passive cooling in the summer. In case of windy

or hot days, the atrium is provided with sliding windows

be completely opened or closed, depending on the out-

door conditions and on the users will. The best quality

about this atrium is the view that is orientated towards

southeast, due to wind conditions.

The terraced-house typology is distributed by three

floors, so every unit has direct contact with the ground

floor, allowing a private garage and private garden. The

house is divided in five half-floors, in order to minimise

the distance between the rooms. The first floor is consti-

tuted by the garage, entrance hall, with a small closet, a

toilet and the kitchen,with direct access to the garden;

In the second floor are placed the children bedrooms

and half floor above the living room. On the last floor,

the most private space in the house is the master bed-

room, with a private bathroom and a small study room.

The element that connects all the rooms is a wooden

staircase, which allows the light to go through the steps

(Fig.10). As it is possible to see in the section, the liv-

ing areas have a closer relation with the gardens while

the other rooms are more private. On top of the house,

theres a senior apartment, which spans one and a half

family-house, and its distributed by an exterior gallery.

By having apartments on top of the single family hous-

ing, the density is increased and it is created a place

for elderly people with private gardens. The access to

the top of the building is thought to be made by eleva-

tors located in the elbows of the building. The student

housing is organized as flatshare, where there would be

one bedroom per floor and common functions such as

kitchen, bath and living-room would be shared. These

slabs will vary from 3 to 5 storey high terraced houses

with shared gardens.

Considering the achieved architectural solutions, there

could be further developed. Extending the performance

analysis to the offices and services typologies could be

one interesting investigation . In addition, exploring oth-

er sources of renewable energy production to the site

could also reduce the energy demands and bring new

solutions to the project.


16

Conclusion

With this project it was possible to discuss sustainable

concepts and strategies implied to a Zero Energy devel-

opment, in a city that has an identity very inherent to the

Nordic culture. The context was very decisive to most of

the design solutions, not only in the environmental field,

but especially in the social and cultural domain. Under-

stand where and how Aalborg citizens would like to live

was fundamental for the design. This project complied

with the parameters given in the brief for the spatial pro-

gram, in which were required the detailing of two units:

one of maximum 115 m2 and both with 20 m2 outdoor

space. The buildings hold the zero-energy demand and

the total floor to area ratio is between 80% and 150%.

As a conceptual idea, the combination of a high-rise

typology with terraced houses resulted in a variety of

public and private exterior spaces with different sizes,

functions, qualities and users. This seems to work good

in a mixed-use development, which has been showing

proof that is a way of envisioning sustainable cities. Ex-

amples of this can be found in different times and con-

texts, from Barbican till the Freeland (MVRDV, Venice

Biennale 2012), in which the city should grow without

urban planning, according to the needs, individual de-

sires and community goals, being open to all typologies

of buildings. Paola Sassi emphasizes these issues in her

book Strategies for Sustainable Architecture, saying that

To create sustainable cities, life has to be brought back

into the city, not only to a preferable few, but to all social

groups. Employment, housing, education, culture and

leisure facilities should be available to all. () The out-

dated principle of zonig uses has been overtaken by the

concept of mixed use, where working, leisure and living

spaces are as close as possible (Sassi, 2006). With this,

it is possible to understand that sustainability can start in

the program.

In what concerns the masterplan design, there were

sustainable strategies implied from the beginning. It has

been given great considerations of daylight, solar heat

gain, wind, and this was reflected in the orientation of

the building mass, and consequently in dwellings lay-

out. These had positive consequences on the quality of

the exterior spaces for both private and public gardens.

Moreover, going further in the landscape design could

have developed the quality of these spaces, which might

seem unfinished. However, there are still a few houses

that did not end in the most optimal orientation. In this

project it was developed one of the houses that it is turn-

ing -55, however, this typology does not work in the

same way as the 55 orientation, in which direct light and

solar gains in the winter, especially in the living areas,

seem a bit odd. This could be solved with another plan

solution, contributing with some variety for the terraced

housing, escaping from the monotonous pattern that is

created by the faades.

The high rise, or the vertical villa road, was a result of

bringing in the qualities of the suburbs to a more urban

setting, giving rise to a new interpretation of what it could

be living in a vertical neighborhood with similar social

relations. In addition, this resulted in a critical overview

to the dense cities growth, where the qualities from the

traditional neighborhoods are being lost. To solve the

lack of sociability in the high rise buildings, the apart-

ments were organized around a sequence of atria, each

one being shared by four families. In this way, the atria

17


work as Skygardens where the view recalls the memory

of what was an industrial city.

In the terraced house the main focus was the proximity

with nature and the opportunity of having direct contact

with the ground, being the main reason why they are built

in height, in order to give to all the houses a direct con-

nection with the ground level. The final plans ended to

be quite complex and may create some problems for the

constructions and the prefabrications of the construction

elements. This happened from the moment it was made

the horizontal displacement and going one step back

could clarify the plan. Also the facades needed iteration,

together with a more precise materials choice. The same

investigation on materials and faade composition could

be useful to improve the High-rise faade, which might

lack of relation with the Terraced houses. The incorpo-

ration of photovoltaics has been set aside to the roofs.

This has been done to make them less visible, to ease

the construction and increase the efficiency of the cells.

Its use was anticipated from the start and it is a part of

the final design, so while the high-rise provides land for

green areas for the benefit of the terraced houses, the

terraced houses will provide electricity. This conceptual

idea of dependence between the typologies was some-

thing that it was sought.

In order to achieve a good relation between the sustain-

able strategies and the context parameters, the project

was based on the integrated design process, though

having a strong focus on qualitative measures. It was

interesting to understand how energy use, light, air qual-

ity and thermal comfort can actually extend the architec-

tural quality to a better stage. In this way, sustainability

was envisioned as a tool to achieve architectural quality

rather than be used as a style. Therefore, the sustain-

ability is based on the life and quality of the rooms and

the spaces between the buildings and how they can be

appreciated during considerable time.

With this project it was possible to understand that sus-

tainable architecture can have different approaches,

from the very high-tech till the simple passive design,

and its on the architects hands the responsibility to

choose the most adequate to the environmental and cul-

tural conditions. From a learning perspective, applying

sustainable strategies to the architecture is not as dif-

ficult as I was expecting and only with passive design is

possible to improve the architectural quality of a certain

building. In addition, Bsim and Be10 were very useful

tools in the process design.

This project and this report proves that achieving the

Zero-energy goal is difficult and involves different fields,

besides architecture. However, understanding the rela-

tion of interdependency between architecture, climate

and traditions and making this relation clear in the de-

sign strategies is a good way of extending the architec-

tural quality of a certain building, which is also the result

of efforts from different disciplines.

As a student from a southern culture it was very interest-

ing to deal with the Nordic context and learn from Danish

architecture. From my point of view what most charac-

terizes Danish traditional architecture are the compact

way of designing spaces -mainly due to thermal condi-

tions - , the use of brick and wood as local materials and

the need of being close to nature. And it is in the roots

of traditional architecture that the sustainable approach

can be further developed. Danish architecture is already

very developed in the sustainable field, especially in

terms of technology. When comparing to the Portuguese

situation it is possible to see that sustainable architec-

ture in Portugal is not that developed.

Integrating sustainable aims in the buildings, associat-

ing sustainability to the architectural quality is the big

challenge for the Portuguese architects. This might be

related to the education, in which the sustainable archi-

tecture awareness starts. Educating for passive design

integrated in the design process of the academic proj-

ects could be a good way of creating sustainable aware-

ness for the next generation of architects.

Documents

Zero-Energy urban development in Aalborg - ULisboa · Zero-Energy urban development in Aalborg ... is the Kingo Houses (1956-58), ... Zero-energy are some of the terms used in the