Culture,Design,Technology,Urbanism
The Kitty Pod Hotel
THURSDAY , January 12, 2012 | BY
As architects, most of us spend our entire careers designing buildings, and if we are lucky it’s a structure that stimulates, inspires, and contributes positively to the environment. Rarely do we have opportunities to work on projects with no guidelines, zoning requirements, or local building codes; where we are allowed to reinvent the unexpected, push limits, and let our imagination rule. But such design freedom creates new hurdles to overcome; and what architect doesn’t like a challenge?
I recently participated in a FXFOWLE pro bono project that challenged me as a designer unlike any other – to design and construct a shelter for a colony of feral cats in New York City. According to current estimates, tens of thousands of homeless, stray, and free-roaming cats live on the streets and in alleyways, back yards, and abandoned lots throughout the city. Many of the cats live in groups known as “colonies.” The winter months are particularly difficult for these cats, when inclement weather creates serious and life-threatening challenges, including finding food, water, and shelter. Shelter is vitally important and that is where the NYC architectural community comes in.
Architects for Animals “Giving Shelter” benefits the Mayor’s Alliance for New York City Animals. Architectural firms participating in this endeavor design, build, and donate creative and fun outdoor shelters to provide the city’s homeless cats with refuge from the cold/freezing temperatures in winter as part of the NYC Feral Cat Initiative. The only “rules” for the shelter was that it had to hold at least one colony a feral cats (anywhere from 3-5), be warm, and weather-proof.
Initial Design Concepts Pin-Up
During initial meetings with other FXFOWLE volunteers, we focused our cat structure concept as a dual-purpose public bench and shelter, but through various design meetings and researching feral cat behavior, we decided on pursuing a more sculptural/object approach. Primarily, our design evolved into a kitty “pod hotel” with an interstitial space and plywood frame serving as a “kitty jungle gym”, with a central “atrium” providing access to each pod. The structure contains 3 fully-insulated pods varying in length, which serve as shelter for the cats during the colder, winter months. Two non-insulated pods can be inserted into the structure for the summer if additional housing is needed. Each pod contains a pair of hinged doors to allow entry from either end, as well as to provide two means of egress in case of a threat. The pods are easily removable from the plywood frame for maintenance and repair, and can be retrofitted or swapped out to accommodate growing colonies or different seasons.
1:5 Scale Chipboard Model
Using the concept of a vacuum flask (thermos) to house the cats, each insulated pod was fabricated by placing a tube within a larger tube and filling the void between the two with insulation. A 10” PVC tube wrapped with recycled plastic insulation was placed into a 12” PVC tube and the two ends were filled with expanding foam insulation and capped with a laser cut white acrylic ring onto which the cat doors were fixed. All joints and seams were filled with silicone sealant to make the pods water resistant. Each non-insulated pod was produced using a 10” PVC tube wrapped in ½” sisal rope and capped at each end with cat doors. The sisal rope provides a scratch surface for sharpening claws and a textured surface for cats to climb and lounge on. The frame, milled by students and faculty from Columbia University GSAPP Laboratory for Applied Building Science, was painted using a polyurethane based wood stain to seal the plywood and give it rich walnut color. Each of the vertical ribs and horizontal struts were fastened together using brad nails and flat-head screws.
Lucio checks the fit of the first pod
I am happy to have played a small role in bringing awareness to the issue of feral cats in the city. Our shelter is located somewhere in one of the city’s five boroughs, and it’s my hope our “clients” are using it as we imagined.
Thanks to Philip Anzalone, Brigette Borders, & Ray Ho from Columbia University GSAPP Laboratory for Applied Building Science for CNC milling the plywood. Also, thanks to Nobu Arai and Gerardo Sustaeta for assembly and fabrication of the pods and many thanks to Brien McDaniel for organizing the initiative.
ALL MATERIALS USED IN FXFOWLE’S SHELTER
2.5m long x 1.1m wide x .8m high
25 vertical ribs – 33 notches/rib
33 horizontal struts – 25 notches/strut
(10) ¾” sheets baltic birch plywood
(4) ½ pint Minwax American Chestnut Gloss Polyshade
(1) 10 foot 12” PVC tube
(1) 10 foot 10” PVC tube
(1) Roll recycled plastic insulation
(2) Expanding Foam Insulation spray cans
(10) Glaztec Catwalk cat doors
400 feet ½” sisal rope
Additional Links:
http://architectsforanimals.com/
http://www.facebook.com/mayorsalliancenyc
http://www.animalalliancenyc.org/
COMMENTS (0) 
events, Feral cats, Giving Shelter, Mayor's Alliance for New York City Animals, New York, NYC Feral Cat Initiative, wildlife
Culture,Urbanism
Landscape of the City
THURSDAY , May 5, 2011 | BY
It is springtime in New York and we all need to appreciate what this transitional period means (hint: the rebirth of nature) by spending a little more time outdoors. As temperatures became more forgiving and the skies less ominous, I followed my own advice and wandered over to Madison Square Park to enjoy a glimpse of nature. There, a temporary installation “Kota Ezawa: City of Nature,” afforded a supplemental and unexpected look at the natural world in addition to all the flowers and greenery.
As I entered the park’s southeast corner and headed towards the always buzzing Shake Shack, I heard the strange hum of uncannily familiar music only to discover ‘planted’ among spring’s tulips were several flat screen monitors playing a six-minute continuous loop of video collages by multi-media artist and illustrator Kota Ezawa.
From the park’s manicured setting, I contemplated vivid, exuberant scenes of pointedly ‘wild’ nature (sharks, cascades, mountains, and prairies) through the bias of the artist. The piece strings together re-worked popular culture film clips, themed around nature, leading one to ponder the larger questions of nature as a construct of culture.
Kota Ezawa comments about his work, “City of Nature is an alternative to the mainstream nature film in that it weaves together 70 nature scenes from 20 different pop culture films through animation. The nature scenes, stemming from films as diverse as Late Spring by Yasujirō Ozu and Rambo: First Blood, are stitched together into an abstract narrative where one natural element leads to the next. The entire film collage is hand redrawn and transformed into an animated film.[1]
a. Kota Ezawa, video stills from City of Nature, 2011. Courtesy of the artist and Madison Square Park Conservancy.
The experience was well-worth the detour as this culture/nature juxtaposition reverberates at many scales. Consider, for instance, the history of the park’s land itself. Although today Madison Square Park offers a planted haven from its built and paved surroundings – the reason for which I felt compelled to go there to begin with – it is remarkably alien to the original wilderness of the Island of Manhattan. To get a sense of the original ‘natural’ conditions of our habitat, navigate the fascinating Manahatta Project (http://welikia.org/explore/mannahatta-map/.) Otherwise, to give you a sense of the Island’s transformations, here are some striking representations (drawn from the Welikia Project.)
b. The British Headquarters Map, circa 1782, is the best record of Mannahatta's early topography and ecology. The National Archives of the UK, ref. MR1/463. (http://welikia.org/about/how-it-all-began/)
c. Current-Day Satellite Photograph of Manhattan. Photomontage by author from Google Maps Imagery ©2011 Google © 2011 DigitalGlobe, Bluesky, Sanborn USDA Farm Service Agency, GeoEye
d. Current Day Bird’s Eye view of Madison Square Park. Pictometry Bird’s Eye © 2010 Pictometry International Corp © AND © 2010 NAVTEQ © 2011 Microsoft Corporation. Image courtesy of USGS.
In fact, as the artist himself suggests, his work invites a careful consideration of our outlook onto our surroundings:
“Surrounded by classic Manhattan buildings, Madison Square Park itself can be experienced as a piece of architecture, and as such, encourages us to view Manhattan as landscape. The fusion of nature and construction is a prevalent theme in City of Nature as throughout the city of Manhattan—natural film landscapes are re-constructed over and over again through the process of animation, just as nature in real form is re-constructed time and time again as Manhattan continues to evolve. In this way, the film mirrors Madison Square Park, attempting to draw park-goers into a conversation about nature both within the film and throughout the park itself.”[2]
It seems like too good an invitation to pass up. Let’s celebrate Spring, the rebirth of nature, and the City we live in by appreciating its complexities through Ezawa’s fascinating art installation. But go now, for like Spring, it will be gone soon; the installation closes on Sunday, May 15.
Kota Ezawa: City of Nature. Madison Square Park. Daily 9am -11pm. Madison Square Park Conservancy, Art Program (Mad. Sq. Art).
http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=46126
http://www.madisonsquarepark.org/things-to-do/calendar/kota-ezawas-city-of-nature-now-playing-in-the-park
[1] Madison Square Park Conservancy’s Mad. Sq. Art Premieres Commissioned Film, http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=46126 (04/19/2011)
[2] Kota Ezawa. Madison Square Park Conservancy’s Mad. Sq. Art Premieres Commissioned Film, http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=46126 (04/19/2011)
Design,Sustainability,Technology
A Day in the Sun, part 2
TUESDAY , March 1, 2011 | BY
Pascale continues her conversation with Minnie more about the process of developing and building the FabLab house.
Describe the FabLab team and your roles?
Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), with whom we collaborated, selected seven researchers from around the world, including Japan, Taiwan, Lithuania, Australia, France, and Mexico. We were in charge of design, structure, 3D modeling, communication with engineers and consultants, constructions documents, and actual construction.
- Photo by ADRIÀ GOULA
As a LEED Architectural Design was there a sustainable system, either active or passive, that you learned while working on the FabLab house?
Instead of thinking of either active or passive systems, the Fablab house approached sustainability with four points.
Form follows energy: If the twentieth century championed the premise that ‘form follows function,’ the 21st century will be about ‘form follows energy.’ The house is no longer a machine but an organism to be inhabited.
A climate-passive structure: The Fab Lab House uses the resources of its environment—sun, water and wind—to create a microclimate that passively optimizes the basic conditions of habitability.
A house, a tree: A house is like a tree that captures energy with its solar ‘leaves’ and sends it down to its roots, where it is stored, shared, or returned to the house to produce the fruit of electricity.
A domestic metabolism: The house’s control system is designed to provide detailed real-time monitoring of its behavior and its interaction with the environment, creating historical profiles and sharing these socially.
What are some lessons learned?
FabLab house’s goal is to not industrialize production but to allow any person to manufacture a home anywhere in the world, from the platform of FabLabs, or Fabrication Laboratories. Most importantly, we can build a house with our own hands. In looking for a suitable structural system that also allowed us to fabricate digitally, we found Alvaro Siza, Eduardo Souto de Moura, and Cecil Balmond’s Serpentine pavilion to be a great example of how to put parts together with minimal tolerance.
What were the challenges in constructing in the elements?
We proposed a pre-fabricated wooden construction in which all its structural components are computerized numerical controlled (CNC) cut from 2.5m x 12m laminated veneer lumber (LVL) sheets. All 3000 pieces have their own unique names, and keeping track of them and grouping them properly is the key for fast construction. Similar to a giant 3D puzzle, once you find A-1, you know the next piece would be A-2 and so on. These pieces combined into twenty portions that were assembled at IAAC’s warehouse in Barcelona then transported to Madrid. This ensured we had all the correct parts and reduced on site modification. Each structural member had a 1-2 mm tolerance. However, not all pieces were precut correctly, but since we were using wood it was simple to modify the pieces on site.
Provided by Daisuke Nagatomo & Minnie Jan
Describe the design, construction and exhibition processes?
The design and construction proceeded in parallel rather than linearly. The Solar Decathlon Europe organization gave feed back after each construction document submission and each team needed to modify and comply with all rules and regulations before entering the next stage. The process included ten days of construction and inspections, then ten days of competition during which the projects were open to public, and the four days of disassembly. In all, we had about 190,000 visitors to the Villa Solar, as the competition grounds were called.
How does it feel to have won the People’s Choice award?
We wanted to break the traditional box-shape solar house, and had taken a very high risk to create a visually striking image. It was very encouraging to know that the general public could appreciate our effort and enjoy their stay at the FabLab house.
Photo by ADRIÀ GOULA
Design,Sustainability,Technology
A Day in the Sun, part 1
TUESDAY , February 22, 2011 | BY
The recent controversy surrounding the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, which this year is being displaced from its traditional sight on the National Mall in Washington DC to a yet to be decided venue, prompted me to learn more about this event. I took the opportunity to talk to my former FXFOWLE colleague Minnie Jan, who participated with her team FabLab in the Solar Decathlon Europe in 2010.
The Solar Decathlon occurs every two years, in Europe on the even years, in America on the odd years, and China is set to join in 2013. Collaborating with the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IaaC), the FabLab team produced a provocative design for a net zero home designed for a specific location, 2010’s site was in Madrid, with its particular solar resource and climatic demands.
Photograph by Daisuke Nagatomo & Minnie Jan
FabLab’s design, a rounded, solar panel coated, passive house assembled from prefabricated wood glulam panels that form an ellipsoid rib-like structure, rises on piloti of sorts to create air circulation space beneath the home and to impact the site minimally. Simultaneously, as the passive design increases in efficiency, intelligent systems become increasingly effective in monitoring and controlling the home’s temperature and energy use.
Fascinated with the design, I asked Minnie Jan more about the process.
How was working in Spain? How different or similar was the construction methods?
As a first timer in Spain, I found it incredibly beautiful and full of history. However, Spain is extremely hot and humid during summer, so we considered those factors in figuring tolerances for a wood construction house. Solar Decathlon Europe is a competition between universities from all over the world, but all construction methods have to comply with U.S. codes or standard codes of the schools locales.
What was the most challenging aspect of the home design process, why?
There were three challenges: geometry, space, and construction. A standard paraboloid section is suitable for solar tracking—per year per day. We deformed it to get optimal orientation for summer—narrowing to the west, eastward widening and flattening toward the zenith of 70 degrees. The freedom of the paraboloid prototype model allowed us to swiftly and smoothly adapt the prototype’s envelope.
Provided by Daisuke Nagatomo & Minnie Jan
The FabLab House’s rounded shape maximizes internal volume with minimal exterior surface, and it elevates off the ground upon three ‘legs’ in order to create a space under the house for certain outdoor activities. Using the house itself to create shaded space allows cooled air to be introduced into the home for natural ventilation. This simultaneously creates a comfortable outdoor space that doubles the living area. These three ‘legs’ are structural and provide special points for programs and technical equipment for ground level access.
Solar Decathlon Europe required all homes to be assembled and disassembled on site at Madrid in ten days. Thus we designed the house so it could separate into 20 parts and be transported by five trucks. All plumbing and electricity were also pre-designed to be connected on site and be fully functional.
Provided by Daisuke Nagatomo & Minnie Jan
What programs or equipment did FabLab use to prepare the design for construction?
The maximum solar incident radiation in Madrid informed the prototype, so we used Ecotec to adjust the building position to maximize the surface area for solar panels. Achieving a desired volume and footprint, we then used Rhino to construct a precise 3D model, including plug-ins such as Grasshopper, to produce the necessary information for digital fabrication.
Next post I’ll talk with Minnie more about the process of developing and building the FabLab house. READ MORE >
Culture,Sustainability
Mr. Stein’s Green
THURSDAY , January 13, 2011 | BY
No, not Ben Stein’s money, Carl Stein’s Greening Modernism: Preservation, Sustainability and the Modern Movement. The green guru (he’s been working with sustainability issues for over three decades) recapped his recently released book about technology, adaptive reuse, and energy conservation (both in construction and usage) to a full house at the Center for Architecture. His lecture was the first in a new series of monthly Book Talk programs sponsored by the AIANY Chapter’s Oculus Magazine. Stein argues that for forty-plus years we’ve known that energy consumption in buildings will be an increasingly poignant issue, environmentally and architecturally, but we have failed to do much about it.
Carl Stein recapping the tenets of his new book "Greening Modernism"
The talk ultimately evolved into an argument against criticism by a “blogger from Rhode Island” who Stein repeatedly referenced but never identified as David Brussat, architecture critic at the Providence Journal. Brussat in his post “Column: Building, Climate and Original Green” shows a penchant for tradition over modernism, and in an earlier post called Stein “bootlicker to the pillars of the architectural establishment.” Taking the criticism seriously, but in good humor, Stein countered, “I find the image of a pillar with a pair of boots funny.” Basing his presentation as a counter to each of Brussat’s conservative charges, Stein declared that modernism cannot be conflated with style, that style does not oppose sustainability, and that technology does not obviate tradition.
Stein has spent the better part of his career researching and advancing sustainable practices and has a long list of credentials. Besides practicing architecture for three decades, he chaired the National AIA Energy Professional Development Task Force, was a consultant for the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Department of Energy. Consequently, I was surprised that his book talk was not more informative or heavy hitting with the facts, rather than telling the audience to usher in a post-petroleum society by renovating the existing stock of modernist buildings. While the book may address such tactics and statistics, the 25-minute book talk did not.
Culture,Sustainability,Urbanism
The great Greenbuild whirlwind – Day 3
TUESDAY , November 30, 2010 | BY
Day 3 : Thursday, November 18
Having two days to warm up, my Greenbuild momentum had gained full force going into a day of four educational sessions, a meeting with sustainable design leaders from across the country, and the famous Thursday night party.
Continuing on the theme of “big picture” sustainability, I attended a second session led by Sera Architects on Portland Eco-Districts, a concept that looks at infrastructure and planning, green economic development, and job creation. Speaking with representatives from the Portland Development Commission, Lloyd Transportation Management Association, and the Portland Sustainability Institute, the team outlined how they had developed a process and tools for implementing Eco-Districts, and were beta-testing five existing neighborhoods within the city, each of which has differing conditions. Building upon the existing context, the main concerns were increasing pedestrian traffic, localizing energy and water services, encouraging resident engagement in the neighborhood, and creating an economically viable community. The team proposes a 20-minute neighborhood – where one could walk a maximum of 20 minutes to access all services. Building synergies was also emphasized – an office building adjacent to a residential building could potentially share energy due to their different load schedules.
The lunchtime session was the annual BuildingGreen’s “Top 10 Green Products,” which included Ornilux Bird-Safe glass (which we used at the Center for Global Conservation, and hopefully helped raise the general issue of bird-safe buildings).
Sherwood Institute's map of water use by state
I also attended a presentation session by Sherwood Design Engineers and Atelier Ten on the relationship of carbon (and energy) to water. Besides the more commonly known facts, such as the vast quantities of water used in cooling towers, I was astounded to discover the “water intensity” of generating bio-fuels, calling into question the real viability of such an approach, as well as the potentially dire consequences, such as shortages for human consumption and food production. Atelier Ten also participated in a panel on advanced energy modeling, along with the New Buildings Institute’s Mark Frankel, who delved into the question of modeling occupant behavior – a very tricky science, but important since occupant behavior makes the difference between an efficient green building and a wasteful one.
The evening began with a gathering of the Architecture and Design Sustainable Design Leaders, where several of us shared unique initiatives we were working on – I presented our pre-and post-occupancy studies for Rockefeller Brothers Fund. A few of us continued the discussion at dinner where we debated other issues such as the controversial subject of certified wood. Finally, I headed for the final Greenbuild celebration, hosted by several companies including YRG, 7Group, and Fore Solutions.
Culture,Sustainability
Death by Plastic
FRIDAY , October 22, 2010 | BY
by Jessica Pleasants
Green October, a month-long campaign to increase awareness of waste among FXFOWLE staff, kicked–off early this month with a special lecture by Dr. Caleb McClennen, Director of Marine Conservation at the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Dr. McClennen shed light on the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” a high concentration of debris, estimated to be twice the size of Texas, floating at the center of the North Pacific Ocean. The term “patch” is misleading, since the debris consists mostly of small pieces of plastic not readily visible by the human eye or satellite technology. However, Dr. McClennen has seen the occasional floating refrigerator while at sea. Small bits of partially degraded plastics, discarded fishing line, and organic material congregate in convergence zones away from the coastline, pushed together by the ocean’s fluid dynamics.
Dr. Caleb McClennen illustrates how plastics converge in the mid-Pacific ocean.
Although the Marpol 73/78 prohibits international marine dumping from ships, garbage continues to find its way into oceans, killing marine life that either ingest the plastics or become entangled in it. Several organizations sponsor clean-up efforts, but many initiatives remain uncoordinated and are mostly symbolic. That’s why prevention of plastic waste is the first step in protecting our oceans.
An albatross chick confused plastic garbage for food. Photo by Chris Jordan.
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) works to safeguard seascapes that are the home of ocean giants, coral reefs, and great colonies of seabirds. The WCS’s efforts focus on land-based pollution and runoff, as well as on maintaining coastal livelihoods, the effects of overfishing, and climate change on coral reefs. An interdisciplinary conservationist, Dr. McClennen oversees the WCS’s marine conservation efforts in 13 focus areas worldwide, from Belize to Indonesia.
Culture
Up Against a Wall
FRIDAY , September 3, 2010 | BY
By James Way
Eight women sit on platform seats hung from the concrete wall. Coated in beeswax, glistening traces mark the surface around them. Their scant translucent lanolin attire hangs loose and limpid. The performers begin by sitting upright on their perches and alternately proceed through languid drooping and frenetic spasms while a soundtrack of cricket-like chirps and electric crackles accompanies. Variations of this reoccur over 30 minutes.
Performers entering a spasmatic period of "Melt"
This scene (and this week’s heat) definitely serves the title of this performance, Melt, which choreographer Noémie Lafrance conceived during her first searing New York summer. Based on unbearable heat melting away physical trappings—clothing and flesh alike—and billed as site-specific, the performance could have gone to greater lengths to make both more central to the event.
Shown in increasingly longer and more populated iterations since its 2003 debut in Brooklyn, the performers here don’t interact with the site at all. Located at the Salt Pile under the Manhattan Bridge near the East River, the wall remained just a vertical surface—an armature and a backdrop. The performers, glued to the wall, ignore the trains rumbling overhead, the water flowing nearby, and the immense pile of salt. Site-specificity became site-adapted. Even by Lafrance’s admission, “the site needed is relatively simple: a wall.” For such a strong and central feature, the wall remains a passive background. The heat meanwhile was indeed emphasized and present.
Performers melting on their perches
That the production commandeered a raw urban and relatively public setting with a few small props was exciting. And, while visually arresting, unfortunately the environment remained untapped.
Melt runs through Sept. 12 at the Salt Pile at Pike Slip and South Street, Manhattan. See sensproduction.org for further information.
Culture,Sustainability
Where does your garden grow?
FRIDAY , August 13, 2010 | BY
By James Way
Tattfoo Tan, who I’ve written about previously, assembled a panel to discuss urban gardening at the Arario Gallery. I showed up expecting that the afore-unidentified panelists would provide tips on starting, maintaining, and harvesting urban greenery. On that front, I left as ignorant as I arrived. But, what I did get were a handful of activists who have made urban gardens their projects, either as a sustainability issue, access to fresh foods, or reconnecting urban dwellers to the fundamentals of nature.
L to R: Andrew Casner, Aki Hirata-Baker, Derek Denckla, and Daniel Bowman
Andrew Casner, an artist and urban gardener, uses his city plot to grow food and make art through organic processes, such as the mounds of dirt and vegetation eroding paper.
Aki Hirata-Baker, co-founder of Adopt-A-Farmbox, builds and donates farm boxes—made from 100% recycled materials—to local schools and community institutions. The mini-farms reconnect people with food. She cited a study that estimates approximately three million New Yorkers have limited access to fresh foods and are vulnerable to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. The best way to overcome these risks is exposure to healthier food options. Focusing on gardening, she is convinced “food is a catalyst for learning about other forms of sustainable activities.”
Derek Denckla, an all-around green activist, advocates using empty lots, underused land, and rooftops for urban gardens. In his researching and exploring best practices in urban agriculture he launched Farm City as both an online and real time forum for workshops, events, and resources. While experienced with sustainable buildings, Derek focuses on food because “food has a daily impact beyond buildings— a massive environmental impact.”
Daniel Bowman Simon, who began composting as a Peace Corps volunteer, has been campaigning tirelessly for a people’s garden at Manhattan City Hall. I’ve seen him at Pecha Kucha, the The City We Imagined exhibition opening; if it’s somewhat related to architecture, design, horticulture, health food he’s there with petition in hand.
While I may have missed the planting season this year, I now have a list of resources where I can get further information.
Sustainability
Tuning into ASHRAE 90.1
THURSDAY , August 5, 2010 | BY
By James Way
I’ve been lollygagging on studying for my LEED exam so when I heard there was going to be a panel discussing ASHRAE 90.1, which provides a minimum standard of energy use in buildings and their systems (except low-rise residential), I couldn’t think of a better way to get back into it. It’s kind of like those vegetables you didn’t want to eat as a kid; they don’t taste so great, but they’re good for health.
ASHRAE 90.1 presented as part of the "101 Integration" lecture series at the Center for Architecture
The lecture, full of facts and charts, elucidated the standard shaping the future of energy efficient buildings. The third of five in the 101: Integration lecture series at the Center for Architecture, ASHRAE 90.1 101 brought together engineers Mike Waite, of Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, and Fiona Cousins, a principal at Arup, with our own Ilana Judah, who moderated the event, to give an detailed overview of one of our industry’s most valuable energy standards.
While giving background on the standard, such as that they were conceived and formalized within two years as a result of the 1973 oil crisis, the lecture surveyed sections 6 through 11, hinted at future changes, and cautioned about common mistakes, such as referencing them too late in the design process, ignoring thermal bridging, or using center-of-glass averages rather than the full light.
Even amidst the inventory of voltage drops, water usage, insulation requirements, orientation rotations, and prescriptive and load calculations the experts answered the audience’s questions on interpreting the standards and suggested best practices given various scenarios. One thing absolutely clear is that buildings use over 50% of our energy resources nationally and only a tiny fraction of that is renewable. Thus, ASHRAE 90.1-2010 targets 30% less energy usage than the 2004 version with increased stringency and an expanded scope. Considerations looming further in the future include on-site renewable resources, advancing technologies in glass, and more integration.
However, much sooner than later, expect the new version: ASHRAE 90.1-2010.
- Contributors Alfreda Radzicki
Alfreda is an Associate Principal and Director of Pre-Design Services. She loves science fiction, photography, and traveling...especially to Japanese rock gardens.Amanda Abel
A perpetual critic, Amanda manages FXFOWLE's internal graphics and branding. She enjoys gardening, baking, swimming, and metal. Amanda does not currently participate in the government tracking program commonly known as “Facebook.”Brien McDaniel
Brien is the Director of Public Relations at FXFOWLE. When he’s not whipping people into shape, Brien’s leisure activities include going to Broadway shows and concerts, and baking cupcakes for the Marketing/PR department.Bruce Fowle
Bruce is the Founding Principal of FXFOWLE. An avid outdoorsman and skier, Bruce plays an active role in shaping the culture of the firm. He and his wife Marcia are the proud grandparents of six.Carol Hsiung
Carol has been happily designing and drawing with her pencil at FXFOWLE since 2000. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and 7 year old son who loves his pencil but not as much as the mighty computer.Coe Will
As FXFOWLE's Graphics Coordinator, Coe finds inspiration in many things: mountains, architecture, ultimate frisbee, puppies, photography, and food (especially Brien's cupcakes).Dan Kaplan
Senior Partner Dan Kaplan serves in a design and leadership capacity for many of the firm’s larger projects, crafting modern award-winning buildings that are distinguished by imagination, responsibility, and sophistication.Erica Godun
When Erica’s not executing designs for highly sustainable interiors, she’s chasing her four year old Jessica around her back yard. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, Erica also has a black belt in karate, of which she is especially proud.Guy Geier
As FXFOWLE’s Managing Partner, Guy is active in all facets of the firm and is recognized as a leader in New York’s design community. He is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board at the University of Virginia, his alma mater, where he was recently inducted into The Raven Society.Ilana Judah
As FXFOWLE's Director of Sustainability, Ilana assists staff in developing holistic sustainability strategies that consider everything from energy efficiency to healthy lifestyles. She insists the bagels in her home town of Montreal are better than New York’s.Illiana Ivanova
Illiana answers adventure's call whenever she can, and the winds have blown her across five continents...so far. Her current adventure that gets her out of bed each day is her newborn son, who began conquering the world in September, 2010.Katherine James
Katherine is FXFOWLE’s Marketing Director. When she’s not training for her next marathon, she delights in the dramas of the Real Housewives of New York and Lost. And stilettos.Lucio Santos
Lucio is a designer in FXFOWLE’s International studio. He is interested in design as a process of formal experimentation. Lucio enjoys spending time with his wife and 5-year old daughter and is a self-proclaimed master in amateur photography.Mark Strauss
Mark is an architect, planner, and urban designer, and a Senior Partner at FXFOWLE. He is an advocate for sustainable growth as public policy by promoting stronger ties between design professionals, public officials and the public. He lives on the Upper West Side with his wife and two children.Mark Nusbaum
As an Associate in FXFOWLE’s Cultural Educational Studio, Mark leverages his field experience in order to bring a better understanding of how the construction process contributes to design excellence. When not walking construction sites, Mark moonlights as official photographer for his wife’s handbag collection, ‘Handbags by Daphne’.Max Carr
Proud of his dual citizenship, Max has spent the past four years tirelessly working to eliminate the gulf between Kansas and New York. He is quite fond of the high five, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and food-hopping in Brooklyn with his wife, Maura.Michael Buesing
Michael Buesing is an Associate in FXFOWLE's Urban Studio, an active member of Team Green, and is studying Chinese language.Nadia Samuelson
Nadia contributes to FXFOWLE’s high-end condominium projects throughout New York City. Whenever possible, she escapes to a movie and uses her discerning eye to critique its production design. She likes sharpies and the smell of fresh print.Pascale Saint-Louis
Pascale is a designer in FXFOWLE’s International Studio, and is active in both Team Green and the ACE Mentoring Program. She was born in Queens, received her Bachelor’s degree in Brooklyn and her Master’s degree in Manhattan.Peter Olney
Peter Olney is a Senior Associate in FXFOWLE's Urban Studio and an active member of Team Green.Tim Milam
When Tim isn’t following Dolly Parton on Twitter, or sending out his own Tweets, he is responsible for the general management of the firm.Toby Snyder
Toby, a designer and planner, actively participates in Team Green. He likes to travel and received his MArch. from RISD. Has has not seen Frank Miller's 300.
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