T.H. (presentation)

Environmental Physics & Design Research Group

Energy & Sustainability Research Division

Sustainable Urban Architecture: urban design and community

Professor Tim Heath University of Nottingham



‘The Life and Death of Sustainability: long live contextual sensitivism’



What is the motivation? The Challenge…

We are now very aware of the causes and consequences of global climate change and the impact upon this of our cities, buildings and their construction:

• buildings and their operations account for over 40 per cent of worldwide carbon emissions;

• all of those involved in the procurement and operation of buildings have a significant role to play in ensuring we design and operate greener more energy efficient buildings.



Climate Change…

For a number of years, the Earth’s temperature has been rising and to limit catastrophic outcomes, the international scientific community has set a challenging goal of no more than a 2o Celsius average temperature rise. To put this into perspective, research has shown that the average temperature in Alaska has risen by 4oC in the last thirty years.

It currently takes 1.3 years for the earth to replenish what we take out of it in 1 year!



The Current Impact:



WHY SUSTAINABLE CONTEXTUALLY SENSITIVE ARCHITECTURE, URBAN DESIGN &

COMMUNITIES?

In 1900, just 10% of the world’s population lived in cities, today, in little over a hundred

years this has risen to over 50% and is estimated to reach 75% by 2050.



How Fast Cities are Growing (persons per hour)

Source: Burdett & Sudjic (2011) Living in the Endless City

+10 +30 +50



The life of sustainability!

The World Commission on Environment and Development’s (WCED) Bruntland Commission definition of sustainable development in the paper Our Common Future is the most frequently cited definition of the concept: “Sustainable development is the kind of development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

(WCED, 1987) How many of us have quoted this in our lectures, papers, etc.?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_development

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_development



The life of sustainability! The first known European use of the word sustainability (German: Nachhaltigkeit) occurred in 1713 in the book Sylvicultura Oeconomica by German forester and scientist Hans Carl von Carlowitz. Later, French and English foresters adopted the practice of planting trees as a path to "sustained-yield forestry”. The word “sustainability” was first used in the context of man's future in 1972, in a British book, Blueprint for Survival.



The Situation…

…the life and death of sustainability!

We regularly hear terms like ‘green’, ‘eco’, ‘energy-efficient’, ‘sustainable’, ‘low-carbon’, and ‘low-energy’, etc.

In many cases, however, the reality is a ‘marketing ploy’ with little substance or evidence to back up the use of these terms.

Hopefully, these terms will soon become redundant and we will just need to use words like “designed” or “planned” to describe buildings, communities or cities that are contextually responsible and have not just a neutral but a positive impact on society and our planet.



Whilst countries, leaders and politicians fight, we need actions that the public can understand.

The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, Paris



Whilst countries, leaders and politicians fight, we need actions that the public can understand.

2016: …UK Brexit; President-elect Donald Trump; China; etc.; etc.; etc.



Whilst the debate and arguments continue, we desperately need 7.4 billion ‘little footsteps’.



The Situation…


"Think global, act local” attributed to Scots town planner and social activist Patrick Geddes (Cities in Evolution, 1915) The first use of the phrase in an environmental context is disputed. Some say it was coined by David Brower (The Daily Telegraph, 8 Nov. 2000) founder of Friends of the Earth as a slogan when it was founded in 1969.



The Situation…


Traditionally a top down approach:

International Organisations (1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; Kyoto Protocol 1997;

The Government (politician) The Official (urban planner)

The Developer (investor) The Professional (architect, engineer, etc.)

The Community (user)

Time for a re-think: “Think local, act local, impact global”



The Situation…


…long live contextual sensitivism!

(…is this any easier to understand than “sustainability”?)

Contextual: adjective defined as relating to, dependent on (the ‘things’ around us). Sensitivism: to be sensitive (responsive to and aware of).

http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/dependent



One of the most important dimensions of in practice is understanding the contexts:

• physical; • cultural; • heritage; • social; • economic; • environmental; • microclimate; • infrastructure; • time; • etc.

Dalston Area Action Plan, London

Defining “Context”:



Importance of Research: Sustainable design principles should be established at the outset of the design process and should continue through to the construction and commissioning of the building.



7 homes designed and constructed with innovation and flexibility to allow testing of methods of construction, energy efficient design and renewable energy systems.

Creative Energy Homes Project, Nottingham, UK



The Creative Energy Homes Project showcases innovative energy efficient homes of the future. The project aims to stimulate sustainable design ideas and promote new ways of providing affordable, environmentally sustainable housing that are innovative in their design.

Creative Energy Homes Project, Nottingham, UK



BASF house – 3 key design criteria to inform the design process: 1. house had to be energy efficient

and it is designed to achieve an annual heating load of 12.5 kWh/m2;

2. materials had to be affordable and enable a fast construction method requiring low-skilled contractors.

3. house had to be designed so that it could be easily reproduced as a terrace or as a multi-storey solution.

BASF House, Nottingham, UK



A lot of the housing stock we will be living in at the middle of the 21st century is already built and was built before we became aware of the need to be more environmentally aware. In 2050, 25 million existing UK homes will still account for between 70 and 90% of the housing stock.

E-ON House (1930s house), Nottingham, UK



Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZED), London

• UK’s largest mixed use sustainable community.

• Energy: 81% reduction in energy use for heating, 45% reduction in electricity use (compared to local average).

• Transport: 64% reduction in car mileage (compared to national average).

• Water: 58% reduction in water use 72 litres/person/day (compared to local average).

• Waste: 60% waste recycled.



Approach to (Holistic) Design:

1. Analyse the context(s);

2. Understand the user(s);

3. Design to maximise all potential natural resources;

4. Maximise integration of renewable resources;

5. Introduce relevant technologies;

6. Design for flexibility and adaptability;

7. Cradle to cradle approach to materials;

8. Consider construction methods;

9. Prepare building management plan;

10. Undertake life-cycle analysis and post occupancy analysis.



Design Tools + Computer Technologies



Site Planning



Thermal Design Strategies



Ventilation Design





DEFINING THE CONTEXTUALLY SENSITIVE COMMUNITY...

‘The symbiotic relationship between humanity and

earth that facilitates social, economical, political,

cultural and environmental prosperity, so that

quality of life, efficiency and fairness is continually

enhanced, whilst simultaneously ensuring all forms

of life and resources on earth may be sustained for

the enjoyment and creativity of future generations.’



SO WHAT ARE THE ISSUES EFFECTING CONTEXTUALLY SENSITIVE COMMUNITIES?

…need for an holistic approach!



A Sustainable

Community is well

organised and

efficient in terms of

its:

• Governance;

• Transport;

• Services;

• Environmental

factors;

• Equality;

• Economy;

• Housing; and

• Social aspects.



KEY ISSUES/CHALLENGES OF COMMUNITIES

The 4 requirements of the ‘urban system’ are the resources which provide

the building blocks and potential for different forms of land use, which

become the outputs. For the system to be sustained it requires an efficient

transport/communication network to manage the inputs and outputs. All of

which is powered by energy.

1. Resources

2. Land Use

3. Transport / Communication

4. Energy



ANALYSING CONTEXT SENSITIVE URBANISM

Each main input can be broken down into 5 sub-issues:

1. Social

2. Economic

3. Political

4. Environmental

5. Cultural



What Criteria can we use to Design and Assess a Contextually Sensitive

Community?



• An holistic measurement of environmental, social and economic sustainability;

• A framework for collaboration on key masterplan issues.

BREEAM Communities Assessment Model



BREEAM Communities…

Addresses global challenges through masterplanning:



BREEAM Communities Categories

Five Categories and 40 Assessment Issues:

1. Governance

2. Social and Economic Well-being

2.1 Social Wellbeing

2.2 Local Economy

2.3 Environmental Conditions

3. Resources and Energy

4. Land Use and Ecology

5. Transport and Movement



BREEAM Communities Assessment

Five Categories and 40 Assessment Issues each with an individual weighting:



Masthusen (and Bo01), Malmö, Sweden

175 hectare artificial island of Västra Hamnen (Western Harbour) was bought by the Municipality of Malmö in 1996, with the idea of developing an entirely new eco-district.

Västra Hamnen is now a sustainable urban development with the inner city as its model with density and greenness as key words.

Bo01



Masthusen, Malmö, Sweden

The regeneration of the former industrial area, is an important part of Malmö’s drive for sustainable city development. Over the last 10 years, it has been transformed from a polluted industrial area to an environment-conscious district with homes, businesses and recreational areas - an area for knowledge and sustainable living.




Malmö University opened its campus in 1998.

European home fair Bo01 was held in 2001.

The Masthusen area will be a central living and working destination.

It will include 700 residential units, 70,000 m2 of offices, and 20,000 m2 of shops and services.




• Network of narrow streets and lanes designed to provide shelter from the prevailing winds and to reflect the traditional Malmo streets.



Masthusen, Malmö, Sweden The Masthusen development includes the following sustainability attributes:

• mixed-use community providing housing, offices, retail and education facilities;

• range of tenures and

occupational uses, creating vibrancy and supporting existing and new small businesses and restaurants.




• sustainable building materials;

• strong emphasis on designing the area to be adaptable to the impacts of climate change;

• vehicle-free transport solutions, with extensive fast and safe cycle paths that are well connected to the rest of the City of Malmö.




• reduced building

energy use;

• strong focus on

urban biodiversity

providing places for

wildlife and

ecologically suitable

habitats.













“BREEAM Communities provided us with an ideal opportunity to review how we develop sustainable communities in Sweden.”

Anders Nilsson (Architect & BREEAM Assessor)






British Council/Newton Fund Workshop – University of Nottingham and UII (Dec 2016)



Why is ‘community’ important? • Communities meet deep human needs for integration, identity, and

mutual support.

• Architects and planners want to reconstruct cities in ways that would revive local communities. Promote social inclusion and local participation.

• Acting responsibly, equitably and participating in community life brings about well-being:

– ‘happiness’, ‘quality of life’, ‘life satisfaction’

– healthy (including physical, mental, spiritual and emotional health).

• Well-being is a “balance of social, economic and environmental health in individual and community life that engenders respect from others and the environment” (Dolan et al. 2006).



Context Sensitive / Low Carbon Communities

• UK Government Policy defines ‘sustainable’ communities as “places where people want to live and work, now and in the future. They meet the diverse needs of existing and future residents, are sensitive to their environment, and contribute to a high quality of life. They are safe and inclusive, well planned, built and run, and offer equality of opportunity and good services for all.”

• Low-carbon communities are defined as “forms of co-operation and collaboration that aim to reduce the carbon intensity of their members’ lifestyles by providing amenable contexts and mechanisms that encourage behaviour change.”



• Located in Björkhagen; • 10 minute walk to

subway and local amenities;

• 15 minute journey to city centre;

• adjacent to Nacka nature reserve.

• It is a sustainable community comprising: •44 homes; •placed in five ‘gardens’;

•and a common house.

Low Carbon Community:

Understenshöjden - Stockholm






• Began in 1989 with an architecture student attending a lecture on ecological living

• Student relayed the story and eventually it attracted significant interest.

• All interested parties created the Ecological Development in Björkhagen association.

• A shortlist of potential residents was created, these residents forming groups.

• Potential residents set up a series of research groups investigating issues such as:

• Health and home (such as materials, community functioning etc.);

• Financing;

• Sustainability (ecological measures, renewable technologies, planning etc);

• In summary, it was a resident driven programme that took a bottom up approach where the client had extensive input.




• the natural landscape (ecology of the habitat) was to be disturbed as little as possible.

Prerequisite:



• Great care taken positioning the houses on the site so as to minimise the damage or upheaval of existing trees and plants.

• Paths around the site are permeable, that is they allow water to pass through them:

• cuts down the need for extensive surface drainage commonly associated with pavements;

• maintains the water table whereby water naturally goes to ground;

• surface does not flood or require any special design flow calculations - that is it will not overburden any piped drainage system.

Footprint



• Wildlife corridors were encouraged… fruit trees and bushes were planted to encourage the integration of wildlife such as elk and reindeer, as well as decreasing exposure to the elements through the reduction of wind impact.

• The ‘site’ is therefore a sanctuary for wildlife amidst human activity.

Integration into existing landscape



• The 'Common House'. Used as a central community forum for meetings, parties, playroom.

• It has a:

• laundry (minimises number of washing machines / tumble driers purchased...also provides drying facilities and forum for people to meet);

• office;

• large shared kitchen for catering;

• wood-working shop.

Community infrastructure – the ‘Common House’



• The safe play of children was an integral part of the ethos behind this sustainable community.

• The tree house is overlooked by several houses and provides a strong focus for child play.

Children - Play



Throughout the project, particular attention was paid to aesthetics:

• Glazing was a top priority with double glazed wooden multi-pane windows adding to the attractiveness and quality of light entering each room

• Light penetration was optimised through careful design of glazing area.

• Ceilings were specified at 2.7m to provide a sense of space and make the space feel lighter.

• No direct solar protection was designed in. Protection is via the deciduous trees within the natural habitat letting sunlight in during winter and omitting it during summer.

Aesthetics



• Choice of materials was exceptionally important:

• All buildings were timber framed and well insulated using wood cellulose allowing good vapour permeability.

• Cellulose coupled with an adequate ventilation strategy in order to reduce moisture movement through the building fabric.

• Bathrooms are enclosed in brick thus acting as a good humidity barrier and temperature regulator (thermal mass).

Materiality



• External wood treated with ferrous sulphate-based paint.

• Roofing is traditional terra-cotta tiles.

• Interior paint treatments chosen to ensure minimum environmental.

• Woodwork is treated with linseed oil-based paints.

• Floors are made of fir and coated in either lye and soap or oil. All wet areas are tiled.

• Materials chosen to have minimum impact on the environment.

Materiality



• Each roof is equipped with 7.5m2 of solar thermal array for supplying hot water.

• The community has several heat sources including:

• district heating

• central furnace (biomass) heating.

• electric heating.

• solar thermal.

Solar thermal



• Sweden extensively uses district heating to heat homes and other sectors.

• The large-scale housing surrounding the site taps into this.

• Additionally, the construction of these large, multi-unit housing promotes energy efficiency by minimising external skin construction and quantity of building materials.

Surrounding neighbourhood – district heating



• Large fully enclosed storage area.

• Separated into ‘rooms’ for:

• Recycled elements such as paper, glass, plastics, card.

• Materials that cannot be recycled.

• Reuse / free-cycling – includes toys, books, games etc.

• Organic waste is composted in compost bins situated close to each dwelling.

Recycling / re-use / free-cycling



• Car sharing established within community.

• 2 common cars shared on a booking basis.

• Very close to public transport infrastructure that takes residents direct to Stockholm.

Public transportation and car pooling




Importantly let’s remember to be:

…‘holistic’ in our approach;

…sensitive to our context(s); and

…remember the importance of a ‘bottom-up approach’.



As well as the bigger picture, let’s remember to:

“Think local, act local, impact global”

…little steps can lead to great journeys!

Thank You

Professor Tim Heath