Echenagucia, Tomas Mendez; Moroseos, Teresa; Meek, Christopher. (2023). On the Tradeoffs between Embodied and Operational Carbon in Building Envelope Design: The Impact of Local Climates and Energy Grids. Energy & Buildings, 278.
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Abstract
The building envelope has a substantial influence on a building's life cycle operational and embodied car-bon emissions. Window-to-wall ratios, wall assemblies, shading and glazing types, have been shown to have a significant impact on total emissions. This paper provides building designers, owners, and policy makers with actionable guidance and a prioritization framework for establishing co-optimized lifecycle carbon performance of facade assembly components in a broad spectrum of climate contexts and energy carbon intensities. A large parametric study of building envelopes is conducted using building perfor-mance simulation and cradle-to-gate embodied carbon calculations in 6 US cities. The authors derive the total carbon emissions optimization for commercial office and residential space types using standard code-reference models and open-source lifecycle data. Comparisons between optimal total carbon solu-tions and (i) optimal operational carbon and (ii) minimum required assemblies, show the impact of under and over investing in envelope-related efficiency measures for each climate. Results show how the rela-tionship between embodied and operational carbon is highly localized, that optimal design variables can vary significantly. In low carbon intensity energy grids, over investment in envelope embodied carbon can exceed as 10 kgCO2e/m2, while under investment in high carbon intensity grids can be higher than 150 kgCO2e/m2.Published by Elsevier B.V.
Keywords
Facades; Building-integrated Photovoltaic Systems; Carbon Emissions; Carbon; Building Performance; Building Designers; Building Envelopes; Refuse Containers; Building Performance Simulation; Embodied Carbon; Operational Carbon; Parametric Modeling; Environmental-impact; Search
Narjes Abbasabadi, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Washington. Dr. Abbasabadi also leads the Sustainable Intelligence Lab. Abbasabadi’s research centers on sustainability and computation in the built environment. Much of her work focuses on advancing design research efforts through developing data-driven methods, workflows, and tools that leverage the advances in digital technologies to enable augmented intelligence in performance-based and human-centered design. With an emphasis on multi-scale exploration, her research investigates urban building energy flows, human systems, and environmental and health impacts across scales—from the scale of building to the scale of neighborhood and city.
Abbasabadi’s research has been published in premier journals, including Applied Energy, Building and Environment, Energy and Buildings, Environmental Research, and Sustainable Cities and Society. She received honors and awards, including “ARCC Dissertation Award Honorable Mention” (Architectural Research Centers Consortium (ARCC), 2020), “Best Ph.D. Program Dissertation Award” (IIT CoA, 2019), and 2nd place in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Race to Zero Design Competition (DOE, 2018). In 2018, she organized the 3rd IIT International Symposium on Buildings, Cities, and Performance. She served as editor of the third issue of Prometheus Journal, which received the 2020 Haskell Award from AIA New York, Center for Architecture.
Prior to joining the University of Washington, she taught at the University of Texas at Arlington and the Illinois Institute of Technology. She also has practiced with several firms and institutions and led design research projects such as developing design codes and prototypes for low-carbon buildings. Most recently, she practiced as an architect with Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG), where she has been involved in major projects, including the 2020 World Expo. Abbasabadi holds a Ph.D. in Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology and Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Architecture from Tehran Azad University.
The College of Built Environments launched a funding opportunity for those whose research has been affected by the ongoing pandemic. The Research Restart Fund, with awards up to $5,000, has awarded 4 grants in its first of two cycles. A grant was awarded to Real Estate faculty member Arthur Acolin, who is partnering with the City of Seattle’s Office of Planning and Community Development to understand barriers that homeowners, particularly those with lower incomes, face to building Accessory Dwelling Units…
Hashemloo, Alireza; Inanici, Mehlika; Meek, Christopher. (2016). Glareshade: A Visual Comfort-Based Approach to Occupant-Centric Shading Systems. Journal Of Building Performance Simulation, 9(4), 351 – 365.
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Abstract
This paper presents a novel method for designing of an occupant-centric shading algorithm that utilizes visual comfort metric as the form-generating criteria. Based on the premise of previous studies that demonstrate glare as the most important factor for operating shading devices, GlareShade is introduced as a simulation-based shading methodology driven by occupant's visual comfort. GlareShade not only responds to changing outdoor conditions such as the movement of the sun and the variation of cloud cover, but it also accounts for building specific local conditions. GlareShade draws its strength and flexibility from an occupant-centric approach that is based on the visual field of view of each occupant as the occupant is performing common visual tasks in a given environment, and the developed shading system is linked to a distributed sensing network of multiple occupants. ShadeFan is demonstrated as a proof-of-concept dynamic shading system utilizing the GlareShade method.
Keywords
Control Strategies; Design Tool; Daylight; Patterns; Offices; Blinds; Model; Occupant-centric Shading System; Glare; Daylighting; Visual Comfort
Pierobon, Francesca; Huang, Monica; Simonen, Kathrina; Ganguly, Indroneil. (2019). Environmental Benefits of Using Hybrid CLT Structure in Midrise Non-Residential Construction: An LCA Based Comparative Case Study in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Journal Of Building Engineering, 26.
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Abstract
In this study, the cradle-to-gate environmental impact of a hybrid, mid-rise, cross-laminated timber (CLT) commercial building is evaluated and compared to that of a reinforced concrete building with similar functional characteristics. This study evaluates the embodied emissions and energy associated with building materials, manufacturing, and construction. Two alternative designs are considered for fire protection in the hybrid CLT building: 1) a 'fireproofing design', where gypsum wallboard is applied to the structural wood; and 2) a 'charring design', where two extra layers of CLT are added to the panel. The life cycle environmental impacts are assessed using TRACI 2.1 and the total primary energy is evaluated using the Cumulative Energy Demand impact method. Results show that an average of 26.5% reduction in the global warming potential is achieved in the hybrid CLT building compared to the concrete building, excluding biogenic carbon emissions. Except ozone depletion, where the difference in impact between scenarios is < 1%, replacing fireproofing with charring is beneficial for all impact categories. The embodied energy assessment of the building types reveals that, on average, the total primary energy in the hybrid CLT buildings and concrete building are similar. However, the non-renewable energy (fossil-based) use in the hybrid CLT building is 8% lower compared to that of the concrete building. As compared to the concrete building, additional 1,556 tCO(2)(e) and 2,567 tCO(2e) are stored in the wood components of the building (long-term storage of biogenic carbon) in the scenario with fireproofing and with charring, respectively.
Keywords
Wood; Concrete; Energy; Buildings; Impacts; Cross-laminated Timber; U.s. Pacific Northwest; Life Cycle Assessment; Cumulative Energy Demand; Biogenic Carbon; Carbon Storage
Roca, Pere; Liew, Andrew; Block, Philippe; Lopez, David Lopez; Echenagucia, Tomás Méndez; Van Mele, Tom. (2022). A Three-Dimensional Approach to the Extended Limit Analysis of Reinforced Masonry. Structures, 35, 1062 – 1077.
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Abstract
The Extended Limit Analysis of Reinforced Masonry (ELARM) is a simple and user-friendly method for the design and structural analysis of singly-curved, reinforced tile vaults [1]. It is based on limit analysis but takes into account the reinforcement's contribution to the composite cross-section's bending capacity.& nbsp;A three-dimensional approach to ELARM is presented in this paper. The theoretical framework to understand the implications and limitations of extending ELARM to fully 3D structures is described, together with the strategies to carry out the leap from 2D to 3D. This extension is a lower-bound approach for the design of reinforced masonry, reinforced concrete and concrete-masonry composite shells and the assessment of their strength and stability against external loading.& nbsp;The new, extended method is implemented computationally to speed up the iterative processes, provide quick structural feedback, offer immediate results and allow for user-interactive form-finding and optimisation procedures. Different applications of the developed tool are described through the presentation of examples, including reinforcement optimisation, a form-finding process and a case with a shape beyond funicular geometry.
Keywords
Tile Vault; Masonry; Reinforced Brick; Formwork; Concrete Shells; Limit Analysis; Thrust Network Analysis; Extended Limit Analysis Of Reinforced Masonry; Tile Vaults
Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl. (2016). Meditations on the Empty Chair: The Form of Mourning and Reverie. American Imago, 73(2), 131 – 163.
Keywords
Vietnam-veterans-memorial; Photography; Thoughts
Prakash, Vikramaditya. (2019). Dhāranā: The Agency of Architecture in Decolonization. Future Anterior, 16(2), 87 – 120.
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Chen, Cindy X.; Pierobon, Francesca; Jones, Susan; Maples, Ian; Gong, Yingchun; Ganguly, Indroneil. (2022). Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Mass Timber and Concrete Residential Buildings: A Case Study in China. Sustainability, 14(1).
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Abstract
As the population continues to grow in China's urban settings, the building sector contributes to increasing levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Concrete and steel are the two most common construction materials used in China and account for 60% of the carbon emissions among all building components. Mass timber is recognized as an alternative building material to concrete and steel, characterized by better environmental performance and unique structural features. Nonetheless, research associated with mass timber buildings is still lacking in China. Quantifying the emission mitigation potentials of using mass timber in new buildings can help accelerate associated policy development and provide valuable references for developing more sustainable constructions in China. This study used a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach to compare the environmental impacts of a baseline concrete building and a functionally equivalent timber building that uses cross-laminated timber as the primary material. A cradle-to-gate LCA model was developed based on onsite interviews and surveys collected in China, existing publications, and geography-specific life cycle inventory data. The results show that the timber building achieved a 25% reduction in global warming potential compared to its concrete counterpart. The environmental performance of timber buildings can be further improved through local sourcing, enhanced logistics, and manufacturing optimizations.
Keywords
Mass Timber; Embodied Carbon; Climate Change; Carbon Reduction; Building Footprint; Built Environment; Forest Products; Life Cycle Analysis; Environmental Impacts; Wood Laminates; Geography; Concrete; Flooring; Manufacturing; Global Warming; Concrete Construction; Construction Materials; Emissions Trading; Greenhouse Gases; Residential Areas; Energy Consumption; Life Cycle Assessment; Greenhouse Effect; Life Cycles; Construction Industry; Logistics; Floor Coverings; Urbanization; Timber; Urban Environments; Building Components; Emissions; Residential Buildings; Carbon Footprint; Urban Areas; Environmental Impact; Building Construction; Case Studies; Wood Products; Mitigation; Buildings; Timber (structural); United States--us; China
Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl. (2016). Seattle, the Pacific Basin, and the Sources of Regional Modernism. Fabrications-the Journal Of The Society Of Architectural Historians Australia And New Zealand, 26(3), 312 – 336.
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Abstract
The emergence of mid-twentieth-century architecture that was both modern and regional in Seattle and nearby areas of Washington State presents a singular case study demonstrating an array of influences from Asia and Latin America as well as the Pacific Coast of the United States. This network of influences is evidence of the complexity of a dissemination that gained momentum in the 1930s as the modern movement began to spread globally, as identified by historian William J. R. Curtis. Although awareness of distant sources primarily influenced design vocabularies from the 1930s to the 1950s in the Pacific Northwest, by the early 1960s, as Seattle architects and landscape architects began to travel to Japan, they developed a much deeper understanding from a broader collection of sites, and this, in turn, shaped surprisingly varied local responses from Rich Haag's ideas of non-striving design to Victor Steinbrueck's increasing interest in Pike Place Market. Untangling the array of Pacific Basin influences that helped shape mid-twentieth-century design in Seattle provides one demonstration of the validity of considering the Pacific as an interdependent region. Thus, Seattle offers a foundational case study towards the future project of writing an encompassing account of the interconnected architectural history of the Pacific Basin.