10.12.11
Module Three - CAT November
CAT’s November residential was intense; I feel I need to sleep for a week to absorb all that happened. Our first essays and practical reports were due in upon arrival at CAT, we stayed in the timber self-build again, and stayed up late adding final touches to presentations for the following day. On Tuesday, we each gave 10 minute marked presentations for feedback on presentation style, format and interim stage designs. It was great to see the range of approaches to affordable sustainable housing for the brief in Machynlleth. Duncan Roberts joined us for presentation feedback, tutorials and to give the architectural practice lecture.
With the MSc students we had four sets of lectures:
The surfaces of the Lecture theatre creates a large reverberation time, which is great for lectures when few people are speaking, however, the circular plan geometry causes focusing and ‘blind spots’ in sound resulting in difficulty with debates/discussions. Diffusion surfaces would help this but may detract from the unique acoustics of the theatre that make it a special place.
We also investigated the restaurant extension where we eat. Other groups had previously recorded extremely high decibel levels during meal times, experienced by having to shout across tables to hold conversations and not hearing words from anyone a few seats away, just noise. The room is clad in timber as throughout the building and has a large glass fronting that opens up to the courtyard. Digital acoustical analysis showed a long reverberation time and standing waves set up. The reflective surfaces, slanted ceiling and linear plan geometry meant single source sound travels to the opposite end of the room and is heard there as illegible echo or background noise, also creating a lack of conversational privacy when the room is relatively empty. Absorption may improve the situation, but solutions should keep to the style, aesthetic principles and the green credentials of the building.
Each week we also choose a structured seminar, I took part in modelling heat and moisture transfer in buildings, looking particularly at areas of condensation risk in various wall sections on a programme called WUFI. Taylor Roark at CAT is organising the sustainability zone at London Green Fair 2012 which a number of the Prof Dip students are going getting involved with, we had a lunch time meeting to discuss ideas and got the ball rolling. http://www.londongreenfair.org/
On Saturday night, Christmas came to CAT. We arrived to Christmas Dinner, the tables set out long ways with candles – Hogwarts style. In groups we had prepared mini musical pantomimes – another good excuse for the tutors to dress in drag. The lobby space outside the lecture theatre was set up with a stage area and curtains, all us prof dip students joined together to perform ‘The sound of Greece nativity’ before dancing into the early hours.
There is a lot of work to be done this winter, January brings the final presentations of the housing project, lots of drawing, CAD and model making to do in addition to researching and drafting the next essays and reports. During this week we have become a lot closer as a group despite our usual geographical separation, 6 weeks until we are back, time is sure going quickly – next time in Wales we will only have one year left.
With the MSc students we had four sets of lectures:
- Ventilation and cooling systems, finishing with Ben Abel from Hilson Moran showing analysis and design of systems in high rise such as 30 St Mary’s Axe, the Gherkin, through digital environmental modelling visuals.
- Water systems and services with a focus led by Judith Thornton on sewage, toilets, composting human manure and the technology to achieve this.
- Moisture and condensation in buildings, especially in walls, and exploring the issues with retrofit insulation into cavities that were not designed to take the moisture build-up created by this.
- Waste management policy and practice with Peter Wynn.
The surfaces of the Lecture theatre creates a large reverberation time, which is great for lectures when few people are speaking, however, the circular plan geometry causes focusing and ‘blind spots’ in sound resulting in difficulty with debates/discussions. Diffusion surfaces would help this but may detract from the unique acoustics of the theatre that make it a special place.
We also investigated the restaurant extension where we eat. Other groups had previously recorded extremely high decibel levels during meal times, experienced by having to shout across tables to hold conversations and not hearing words from anyone a few seats away, just noise. The room is clad in timber as throughout the building and has a large glass fronting that opens up to the courtyard. Digital acoustical analysis showed a long reverberation time and standing waves set up. The reflective surfaces, slanted ceiling and linear plan geometry meant single source sound travels to the opposite end of the room and is heard there as illegible echo or background noise, also creating a lack of conversational privacy when the room is relatively empty. Absorption may improve the situation, but solutions should keep to the style, aesthetic principles and the green credentials of the building.
Each week we also choose a structured seminar, I took part in modelling heat and moisture transfer in buildings, looking particularly at areas of condensation risk in various wall sections on a programme called WUFI. Taylor Roark at CAT is organising the sustainability zone at London Green Fair 2012 which a number of the Prof Dip students are going getting involved with, we had a lunch time meeting to discuss ideas and got the ball rolling. http://www.londongreenfair.org/
On Saturday night, Christmas came to CAT. We arrived to Christmas Dinner, the tables set out long ways with candles – Hogwarts style. In groups we had prepared mini musical pantomimes – another good excuse for the tutors to dress in drag. The lobby space outside the lecture theatre was set up with a stage area and curtains, all us prof dip students joined together to perform ‘The sound of Greece nativity’ before dancing into the early hours.
There is a lot of work to be done this winter, January brings the final presentations of the housing project, lots of drawing, CAD and model making to do in addition to researching and drafting the next essays and reports. During this week we have become a lot closer as a group despite our usual geographical separation, 6 weeks until we are back, time is sure going quickly – next time in Wales we will only have one year left.
10.11.11
Module Two - CAT October
This module we explored the practicalities of living in a Walter Segal inspired, self-build, timber frame house, which was the accommodation for most Prof Dip students, cosily packed into the small house in bunks, two showers to share and the luxury of a common room – the setting for discussions, drinking and games for the week. The rest of us stayed in the above-the-restaurant-accommodation, described as a chicken-coop, due to its maze of small corridors and pocket-sized rooms.
Whilst we were gone from CAT, we tried out ways to collaborate, share research and work as a team whilst being scattered across the country, Ben set up a wiki, and George set up a dropbox. We are now looking into ways to better organise the communications, after getting lost in the multiple mass of emails circulating around. Getting stuck into our design project, we agreed groups for site analysis, organised by Kirsty, we each researched one subject – Jodie and I looked at Sewage – As a year group we created a detailed book of information, something that would have been difficult to achieve alone.
Back up the slate quarry in Powys, Alison and Trish took us through a 360 degree review to share initial designs for the housing project in Machynlleth. Not a traditional pin-up, we had 2mins each to present, followed by posting feedback on peers work, leading to much discussion around central topics, “If you don’t create a reason for young people to stay in a town (such as employment and amenities) then what’s the point in building affordable housing? It seems logical to create ‘reasons to stay’ as a first priority, as housing will naturally follow this” -Charlotte on community housing. We had the privilege to speak to the dynamic, interesting and knowledgeable client of the project site, sustainable local butcher Will Lloyd Williams, who gave us a new understanding of the site in addition to turning the project into a competition with prizes.
Our lectures, shared with the MSc students, began with architectural practice; Pat Borer who described his obsession with L-shaped plans, amongst other endeavours “…these buildings are made of sticks and what they do is bring in the nature…” The talks continued on a theme of thermal comfort, full of analysis, regulations, equations and design reactions because “…If you don’t know about it, you can’t tell people what to do about it.” – Francis Hill. The tutors devised a way of really making us understand all this by a full-on day of practical workshops. My group started out in the sauna, to see how our bodies react to heat – Jason pointing his surface temperature laser all over the place to prove it – followed by a very quick dip in the 9 degree Celsius reservoir, our surface temperatures dropped by 30 degrees! Refreshed we attended Tim and Alison’s workshop to think about how a building reacts to its environment to achieve thermal comfort. The afternoon brought a U-value seminar and gadget session, devising mini-experiments using tools to measure humidity, surface temperature, core temperature, lux-levels, CO2 levels, etc…
Spooky Saturday Night; Halloween came early to CAT. Some had come prepared with skeleton suits; others raided Mach’s charity stores for vampire attire. Some dressed in plastic, handcuffed themselves together and shuffled around claiming to be carbon dioxide…good ale, good dancing, great friends…
The dancing always takes place in the lobby space outside the rammed-earth lecture theatre, and for many reasons it’s my favourite space in the WISE building. What could have been a corridor between teaching places, bar, courtyard, theatre and bedrooms, Pat Borer and David Lea decided to merge these separate spaces together on the turning axis of the plan, creating a shared-use space that flows. The curved triangular space has light coming in from 3 directions, two on the horizontal as well as from above trickling down the staircase; one side is completely fronted by the calming drop-pool courtyard bringing the experience of outside within. From what I’ve seen so far, (and I’ve only been to CAT a total of five times now,) events occurring in this space include but are not limited to: degree show exhibitions, waiting for interviews, photography for student cards, drawing classes, day group seminar sessions, drinking, DJ and dancing, many people working quietly on laptops, tug of war games, lining up for lectures, experiments of many kinds, a luxury transition space from public to private, moving up to the rooms, people sitting quietly with a sketch book thinking… And the amazing thing is that for each and every one, the atmosphere adjusts and suits perfectly.
Sunday’s lectures concluded the week with Part-L talks whilst nursing sore heads before all falling asleep on the train home. The weight of the work to be done in the 4 weeks before our return looming, next session we need to be ready for hand-ins and presentations.
Whilst we were gone from CAT, we tried out ways to collaborate, share research and work as a team whilst being scattered across the country, Ben set up a wiki, and George set up a dropbox. We are now looking into ways to better organise the communications, after getting lost in the multiple mass of emails circulating around. Getting stuck into our design project, we agreed groups for site analysis, organised by Kirsty, we each researched one subject – Jodie and I looked at Sewage – As a year group we created a detailed book of information, something that would have been difficult to achieve alone.
Back up the slate quarry in Powys, Alison and Trish took us through a 360 degree review to share initial designs for the housing project in Machynlleth. Not a traditional pin-up, we had 2mins each to present, followed by posting feedback on peers work, leading to much discussion around central topics, “If you don’t create a reason for young people to stay in a town (such as employment and amenities) then what’s the point in building affordable housing? It seems logical to create ‘reasons to stay’ as a first priority, as housing will naturally follow this” -Charlotte on community housing. We had the privilege to speak to the dynamic, interesting and knowledgeable client of the project site, sustainable local butcher Will Lloyd Williams, who gave us a new understanding of the site in addition to turning the project into a competition with prizes.
Our lectures, shared with the MSc students, began with architectural practice; Pat Borer who described his obsession with L-shaped plans, amongst other endeavours “…these buildings are made of sticks and what they do is bring in the nature…” The talks continued on a theme of thermal comfort, full of analysis, regulations, equations and design reactions because “…If you don’t know about it, you can’t tell people what to do about it.” – Francis Hill. The tutors devised a way of really making us understand all this by a full-on day of practical workshops. My group started out in the sauna, to see how our bodies react to heat – Jason pointing his surface temperature laser all over the place to prove it – followed by a very quick dip in the 9 degree Celsius reservoir, our surface temperatures dropped by 30 degrees! Refreshed we attended Tim and Alison’s workshop to think about how a building reacts to its environment to achieve thermal comfort. The afternoon brought a U-value seminar and gadget session, devising mini-experiments using tools to measure humidity, surface temperature, core temperature, lux-levels, CO2 levels, etc…
Spooky Saturday Night; Halloween came early to CAT. Some had come prepared with skeleton suits; others raided Mach’s charity stores for vampire attire. Some dressed in plastic, handcuffed themselves together and shuffled around claiming to be carbon dioxide…good ale, good dancing, great friends…
The dancing always takes place in the lobby space outside the rammed-earth lecture theatre, and for many reasons it’s my favourite space in the WISE building. What could have been a corridor between teaching places, bar, courtyard, theatre and bedrooms, Pat Borer and David Lea decided to merge these separate spaces together on the turning axis of the plan, creating a shared-use space that flows. The curved triangular space has light coming in from 3 directions, two on the horizontal as well as from above trickling down the staircase; one side is completely fronted by the calming drop-pool courtyard bringing the experience of outside within. From what I’ve seen so far, (and I’ve only been to CAT a total of five times now,) events occurring in this space include but are not limited to: degree show exhibitions, waiting for interviews, photography for student cards, drawing classes, day group seminar sessions, drinking, DJ and dancing, many people working quietly on laptops, tug of war games, lining up for lectures, experiments of many kinds, a luxury transition space from public to private, moving up to the rooms, people sitting quietly with a sketch book thinking… And the amazing thing is that for each and every one, the atmosphere adjusts and suits perfectly.
Sunday’s lectures concluded the week with Part-L talks whilst nursing sore heads before all falling asleep on the train home. The weight of the work to be done in the 4 weeks before our return looming, next session we need to be ready for hand-ins and presentations.
22.10.11
The Laws of Thermodynamics and Their Implications on Thermal Comfort in the Built Environment
The Second law of thermodynamics is the most prevalent for the explanation of heat uses within dwellings; it describes the natural direction of energy transformation and entropy. Energy “…move[s] from a highly ordered state to a disordered state…” (Cleveland, Kaufmann 2008.) Heat, as the form of energy with the most entropy, is the eventual natural result; “Entropy of a closed system increases (more exactly, does not decreases) with time.” (Prisyazhniuk, 2007.) This heat will spread until it reaches equilibrium. Within buildings this means that a source of heat, whether it be a fire, hot water system or direct solar gain will spread itself from the concentrated source point out towards any cooler area. Ideally for thermal comfort this heat energy, once within the space should be conserved, emphasizing the importance of airtightness and insulation in design as well as the importance of space economy, or: not wanting to spend the energy to heat to near equilibrium a large space, for just one person. The second law also describes how in order to produce a useful lower entropy, (highly ordered,) form of energy; the kind needed in order to generate heat within our home, that additional energy has to be applied and work done. (Prisyazhniuk, 2007.) “…the continuous flow of oil, coal, and other fuels used to run society is converted into low quality, unavailable energy ("waste heat").” Also described by the ‘Zero’ law, “…All bodies acquire the temperature of the environment…” (Prisyazhniuk, 2007.)[1] Such laws explain the difficulty of conserving and storing energy as heat, a continuous battle against natural physics that appears to be one of the main elements of environmental dwelling design. We try to harness the high entropy form of energy to store for times when the natural pulsing environment has spread the availible warmth to near equilbrium at a localized area, working with these rules and using the importance of temperature difference to control passive heat flow we endeavour to slow the enevitable directional movement of energy for our comfort.
[1] The "Zero" Law of Thermodynamics: the Law of Heat Equilibrium, this wording is put by J. Black (1728 – 1799): "All bodies freely communicating with one another and not subject to a non-equilibrium impact of the ambient conditions acquire one the same temperature, as determined with the thermometer. All bodies acquire the temperature of the environment."(Prisyazhniuk, 2007.)
[1] The "Zero" Law of Thermodynamics: the Law of Heat Equilibrium, this wording is put by J. Black (1728 – 1799): "All bodies freely communicating with one another and not subject to a non-equilibrium impact of the ambient conditions acquire one the same temperature, as determined with the thermometer. All bodies acquire the temperature of the environment."(Prisyazhniuk, 2007.)
17.10.11
Module one – Professional Diploma in Architecture (AEES)
The past week has been unlike any other, as the 22 Prof Dip fresher’s travelled to CAT from all over the country to meet for our first meal together on Monday night in the WISE building. The tutors didn’t waste any time and started us off that evening discussing the ‘sacred cows’ of sustainability with the MSc students to challenge our preconceptions and ideologies on sustainability from a wide variety of points-of-view through role-playing.
We were really looked after at CAT, with delicious food, 3 large meals a day, teas, coffees, juices and wine. This week we were sleeping in the WISE building itself, enhanced by our lecture about the building design by David Lea. We stayed 2 to a room in the wonderfully tranquil bedrooms, timber clad, with a floor to ceiling, square glazed screen that slid open directly onto the roof top terrace, looking down to the ‘drop-pool’ courtyard and out to the west Wales mountains.
The first module took us through some information-packed lectures, from Nick Baker: “…intercepting natural cycles of CO2 for human use…”, Peter Harper: “Physics trumps Politics…is true although our whole economic and societal systems are based on entirely the opposite…” To Ranyl Rhydwen, jumping up and down on stage, electrically retelling in quick rhythms the proofs of future doom caused by humanity, then following on in a subsequent lecture “human adaptation/transformation for climate change, opportunity and a change in fundamentals…” renewing students hope, energy and ideas for our learning to design future places. Evening lectures included history of CAT and a visiting lecturer: Roddy from Ted Cullinan architects.
Studio time this week initially made us take a look at our design approach and write a manifesto to be presented in one minute, then, we were taken through a drawing journey with Trevor Flynn of ‘Drawing at work’ who ran a drawing gymnasium. It began in the hills at CAT trying to measure and draw the 5th year’s Bird Hide. This twisting, free flowing form built from standard sized timber all felled within 500metres of the site, proved incredibly difficult to work out in the mind’s eye, due to the shapes and shadows of its morphic appearance. Despite this, with Trevor’s help, freehand oblique, section, isometric, one and two point perspectives appeared before us.
Saturday bought the roundup of the drawing session in the WISE building and a site visit for design project 100.1. This was followed by a traditional evening for the postgrad students: a social with a theme, everybody became their pirate alter ego, drinking rum and playing crew games, wearing elaborate costumes and props created from any material to hand in an old slate quarry. Not sure if anyone remembers which team won…but I do remember the fantastic atmosphere in the bar, the hot wood sauna in the hills and the cool fresh waters of the reservoir lake…
We finished with a Sunday morning of thought provoking lectures, Richard Hammerton: ‘Humans in context: Environmental change’ and Tanya Hawkes: ‘Policy responses to climate change’. The general consensus at the end of week 1 from the Prof Dip student’s is that there is nowhere quite like CAT to study and we are very glad we’re here. We are inspired, very tired, bonded as a group, filled with optimism and can’t wait to get started on the rural housing project based in Machynlleth, sketch books ready, roll on the next week at CAT…
We were really looked after at CAT, with delicious food, 3 large meals a day, teas, coffees, juices and wine. This week we were sleeping in the WISE building itself, enhanced by our lecture about the building design by David Lea. We stayed 2 to a room in the wonderfully tranquil bedrooms, timber clad, with a floor to ceiling, square glazed screen that slid open directly onto the roof top terrace, looking down to the ‘drop-pool’ courtyard and out to the west Wales mountains.
The first module took us through some information-packed lectures, from Nick Baker: “…intercepting natural cycles of CO2 for human use…”, Peter Harper: “Physics trumps Politics…is true although our whole economic and societal systems are based on entirely the opposite…” To Ranyl Rhydwen, jumping up and down on stage, electrically retelling in quick rhythms the proofs of future doom caused by humanity, then following on in a subsequent lecture “human adaptation/transformation for climate change, opportunity and a change in fundamentals…” renewing students hope, energy and ideas for our learning to design future places. Evening lectures included history of CAT and a visiting lecturer: Roddy from Ted Cullinan architects.
Studio time this week initially made us take a look at our design approach and write a manifesto to be presented in one minute, then, we were taken through a drawing journey with Trevor Flynn of ‘Drawing at work’ who ran a drawing gymnasium. It began in the hills at CAT trying to measure and draw the 5th year’s Bird Hide. This twisting, free flowing form built from standard sized timber all felled within 500metres of the site, proved incredibly difficult to work out in the mind’s eye, due to the shapes and shadows of its morphic appearance. Despite this, with Trevor’s help, freehand oblique, section, isometric, one and two point perspectives appeared before us.
Saturday bought the roundup of the drawing session in the WISE building and a site visit for design project 100.1. This was followed by a traditional evening for the postgrad students: a social with a theme, everybody became their pirate alter ego, drinking rum and playing crew games, wearing elaborate costumes and props created from any material to hand in an old slate quarry. Not sure if anyone remembers which team won…but I do remember the fantastic atmosphere in the bar, the hot wood sauna in the hills and the cool fresh waters of the reservoir lake…
We finished with a Sunday morning of thought provoking lectures, Richard Hammerton: ‘Humans in context: Environmental change’ and Tanya Hawkes: ‘Policy responses to climate change’. The general consensus at the end of week 1 from the Prof Dip student’s is that there is nowhere quite like CAT to study and we are very glad we’re here. We are inspired, very tired, bonded as a group, filled with optimism and can’t wait to get started on the rural housing project based in Machynlleth, sketch books ready, roll on the next week at CAT…
28.9.11
on the way to work, a sunny morning -
Sharp shadows are cast from buildings plumb and flush, strike lines and areas accross our land, I see my sillouette follow a journey line, but slip into darkness suddenly into the cool of un-sunned places. A map made of the land showing only these crisp black edges may reveal or conceal the landscape we live among.
26.9.11
Current paradox for an ecological designer...
It is my firm belief, that the only way for humankind, to live sustainably as civilizations within this world, with the future necessity to adapt to climate change and our exponential population growth, is as mid-dense city/nexus all connected on a greened, closed loop grid. (This is due to many reasons including but not exclusive to: the one-planet living calcs for space per person, then thinking about space to leave as nature and space needed for food, adding in the efficiency of grid living and the concept that in order for closed-loop a city to work, the built environment model must be thought of as one organism, not many separate bits.)
However, it is then currently impossible to design an on-grid building that is as ecological as it could possibly be, as the grids themselves are still in the age of fast-track linearity, so, in order to design a sustainable building, or group of buildings, one cannot currently think of it as a part of the city/town organism whole, but as a separate entity that must in itself be a smaller version of the organism. It must be designed such that, when the grids finally catch up to good-looped, as they will when they have too, that the building/s could feed into it and be fed by it, thus enabaling the city to be that whole organism. But this, design not-for-the-green-grid, means that the development of it will be perpetually put-off untill the very last push. How then to design in an ecologically sound manner. On-grid, for the future grids, or off grid for the ecological singular now?
23.9.11
Transitions Towns St Albans
Down with Energy Bills!
Transitions Towns St Albans held an ideas generating session on wednesday night for an eco-open-house programme that might run next year. Inspired by the success of open house movement across the globe, especially the event that has taken place in Brighton for the last few years. This is BrightGreenHomes project, that one of TTSt Albans' energy group’s members volunteered at. He gave a short resentation about what they acheived during the event, how and any outcomes from the feedback.
An interesting and animated group of people form this group who came up with many ideas and interest for the upcoming project, they meet again on the 17th October to discuss further the practicalities and possibilities for this scheme in St Albans...good luck!
22.9.11
Circle...
"ANY ITEM OF WASTE CREATION CAN BE SEEN AS A FALIURE, DUE TO INEFFICIENCY IN THE SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN COMPARED TO NATURAL SYSTEMS..." (Harris and Borer, 2005)
8.9.11
Man is nature..?
Man says to nature: 'you are organic, you grow naturally you are unpredictable and powerful, how did you become to look so perfect?' Nature says to man: 'Nature is according to rules both mirco and macro, what is this distinction between man and nature? man is of nature, you are according to these rules too.'
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