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In the second semester of 3rd year our design subject had a distinct focus of sustainability. I personally am always looking for ways to integrate positive ecological and social outcomes through my design but it was of great satisfaction that the university curriculum was looking to integrate such things into our education.
The final project was broken into 4 theme groups, each relating to a different aspect of "sustainable" building design. The group I chose was Renewable Energy. I had a good breadth of knowledge in this area and I was keen to push the boundaries of what is possible when integrating a renewable energy system and building design. For me it was never going to be about just throwing some Photo Voltaic Panels on the roof and sticking a windmill out the back and be done with it, this project was a chance to use a renewable energy technology to actually inform and control the design outcome. The project was to design a Transit Orientated Development near Milton train station which was also mixed use. The theme of renewable energy would push and dominate the design but all other factors of sustainability would need to be considered.
I ruled out the use of wind energy in its most common form (due to Brisbane's lack of any viable resource) and using the deep earth (geothermal) was too impractical. As a result I decided to utilise the energy of the sun.
Originally I played with the idea of using thermal chimneys to create air currents using similar principles to the Enviromission technology. However this technology would require a land area that simply didn't exist in a built up area. As well, issues of overshadowing would have hampered any significant energy output. I looked at Solar Furnaces such as the large one in France but that would also require too much north facing horizontal land, which was not available.
After much head scratching, playing with distance, height and the various technologies I finally made a breakthrough utilising solar thermal technology. I was originally toying with large heliostats (roving mirrors) which track the sun and reflect it to a tower. The size of the heliostats was restrictive and had a large range of movement. To utilise such an expensive technology the number of heliostats would need to be significant. My breakthrough believe it or not was simply to use smaller heliostats, but because of their size I could achieve a greater overall reflective coverage area. They were also of a size I could design around, achieving passive design principles, access and movement.
For the technology to work I still required a greater site surface area than what was available. In line with future potential use of the site, the space over the railway line was reclaimed into green space, creating a connecting crossover between Milton Road and the precinct. This additional space would give the additional depth of land required to harness the maximum output of the technology.
The focal structure which would be the dominant residential dwelling would be mounted with the heliostats. The building was broken into 5 equal sections with 4 levels of apartments based on the Le Corbisour Unité d'Habitation model. Each apartment was split over two levels to access cross ventilation, sunlight and views. The levels were offset back from one another with slanted faces to the north. This slanted face would become the mounting point for the heliostats. This offset also worked perfecting in shading the apartment below from the northern summer sun while angled in such a way to allow in light during winter. The 5 uniform sections were arranged in a gentle elliptical curve, open to the north. The heliostats would then have open access to sunlight through the greatest proportion of the day, tracking the sun as it moved east-west and reflecting the light back to a central tower.
The tower and heliostats become an architectural insertion and by calculations should create enough energy to power the site. Mounted Photo Voltaic's on other smaller structures increase further the energy output and create a surplus to be exported to the grid.
The heliostats are not just practical but become a dancing, constantly changing building facade. The form of the structure is not just a reflection of the technology but an inspiring structure of what is possible for architecture. It is a unique, innovative design outcome.
The lay of the land on the site was maintained as much as possible to allow for the normal flow of water. A pocket of green space nestled between the focal structure and retail buildings invites people off the street and sidewalk into the site, giving back further recreational park space to the community. Hydroponic farming on the lowest level of the focal building is lit from reflective sunlight combined with artificial lighting. The food produced becomes an additional positive output, with food for the residents and food grown for use in local restaurants and cafes. The site is designed without on site car parking to promote use of the public transport facilities and bike ways. The residential building manages its own car-sharing operation for resident use.
The design outcome is one not just about energy, but creating architecture that responds to place and to nature while creating net-positive outcomes. It proves green design can be innovative and interesting and can be a means of promoting a new chapter of architecture. Pushing the boundaries of what's possible and what's positive.
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