Skip to content

Integrated Design Lab releases their 2023-2024 Annual Report

The Integrated Design Lab has released their 2023-2o24 Annual Report, available here. The Integrated Design Lab is lead by Christopher Meek and Heather Burpee. Christopher Meek is a Professor in the CBE Department of Architecture, and Director of the Integrated Design Lab. Heather Burpee is a Research Professor in the CBE Department of Architecture, and Director of Education and Outreach for the Integrated Design Lab.

Carb talk: CBE’s Climate Solutions Community of Practice sparks interdisciplinary collaborations

The CBE Climate Solutions Community of Practice was featured in a story on the CBE website. See the excerpt below. “Through the materials we use and the ecosystems we alter, arguably more than 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions are related to the built environment,” says Kate Simonen, a professor of architecture at UW’s College of Built Environments and founding director of the Carbon Leadership Forum. Simonen’s primary research focus is reducing the environmental impact of building materials, and she’s been…

February 2022 Inspire Fund Awardees: Progress and Products

Five projects were awarded Inspire Fund awards in February 2022. They have completed various stages of work and have provided a report on their progress and products. Below, excerpts from these reports are highlighted to showcase the work that has been “Inspired” in 2022-23. Rick Mohler: “One Seattle: Leveraging Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan Update to advance housing diversity, affordability, livability and racial equity” This funding supported products from the Architecture 594 research seminar and Architecture 508 design studio, which tasked students…

College of Built Environments Faculty and Student receive Husky Sustainability Awards 2023

The Husky Sustainability Awards recognize individuals and groups across all University of Washington campuses who lead the way for sustainability at the University of Washington. This is the 14th year awards have been given by the UW Environmental Stewardship Committee. The Husky Sustainability Awards are given to students, faculty and staff from the Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma campuses who show impact, initiative, leadership and dedication around sustainability. Congratulations to the recipients from the College of Built Environments, who are listed below….

Evaluating Direct Energy Savings and Market Transformation Effects: A Decade of Technical Design Assistance in the Northwestern USA

Van Den Wymelenberg, Kevin; Brown, G. Z.; Burpee, Heather; Djunaedy, Ery; Gladics, Gunnar; Kline, Jeff; Loveland, Joel; Meek, Christopher; Thimmanna, Harshana. (2013). Evaluating Direct Energy Savings and Market Transformation Effects: A Decade of Technical Design Assistance in the Northwestern USA. Energy Policy, 52, 342 – 353.

View Publication

Abstract

This paper documents the direct energy savings and energy efficiency market transformation impacts of a multi-state design assistance program in the northwestern US. The paper addresses four specific aims. (1) It provides a conservative and justified estimate of the direct energy savings associated with design assistance activities of a market transformation program from 2001 to 2010. (2) It provides a rigorous methodology to evaluate direct energy savings associated with design assistance market transformation programs. (3) It provides a low-cost replicable method to predict energy savings in new buildings by evaluating the integrated design process. (4) It provides quantitative indicators useful for estimating indirect energy savings from market transformation. Applying the recommended analysis method and assuming a 12-year measure life, the direct energy savings of the population (626 buildings; 51,262,000 ft(2)) is estimated as 453 aMW (average megawatts) (electric), and 265,738.089 therms (non-electric). If the entire program budget were divided into the electric savings only, the Lab Network cost per kWh saved ranged from $0.0016 to $0.003 using the recommended method and $0.0092/kWh using the most conservative method. These figures do not isolate contextual influences or represent total resource cost. Statistically significant correlations (r(2)=0.1-0.3) between integrated design scores and energy savings are reported. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Programs; Sweden; Energy Efficiency; Market Transformation; Evaluation

Comparative Analysis of Hospital Energy Use: Pacific Northwest and Scandinavia

Burpee, Heather; McDade, Erin. (2014). Comparative Analysis of Hospital Energy Use: Pacific Northwest and Scandinavia. Health Environments Research & Design Journal (HERD) (Vendome Group LLC), 8(1), 20 – 44.

View Publication

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to establish the potential for significant energy reduction in hospitals in the United States by providing evidence of Scandinavian operational precedents with high Interior Environmental Quality (IEQ) and substantially lower energy profiles than comparable U.S. facilities. These facilities set important precedents for design teams seeking operational examples for achieving aggressive energy and interior environmental quality goals. This examination of operational hospitals is intended to offer hospital owners, designers, and building managers a strong case and concrete framework for strategies to achieve exceptionally high performing buildings. BACKGROUND: Energy efficient hospitals have the potential to significantly impact the U.S.'s overall energy profile, and key stakeholders in the hospital industry need specific, operationally grounded precedents in order to successfully implement informed energy reduction strategies. This study is an outgrowth of previous research evaluating high quality, low energy hospitals that serve as examples for new high performance hospital design, construction, and operation. Through extensive interviews, numerous site visits, the development of case studies, and data collection, this team has established thorough qualitative and quantitative analyses of several contemporary hospitals in Scandinavia and the Pacific Northwest. Many Scandinavian hospitals demonstrate a low energy profile, and when analyzed in comparison with U.S. hospitals, such Scandinavian precedents help define the framework required to make significant changes in the U.S. hospital building industry. METHODS: Eight hospitals, four Scandinavian and four Pacific Northwest, were quantitatively compared using the Environmental Protection Agency's Portfolio Manager, allowing researchers to answer specific questions about the impact of energy source and architectural and mechanical strategies on energy efficiency in operational hospitals. RESULTS: Specific architectural, mechanical, and plant systems make these Scandinavian hospitals more energy efficient than their Pacific Northwest counterparts. More importantly, synergistic systems integration allows for their significant reductions in energy consumption. CONCLUSIONS: This quantitative comparison of operational Scandinavian and Pacific Northwest hospitals resulted in compelling evidence of the potential for deep energy savings in the U.S., and allowed researchers to outline specific strategies for achieving such reductions.

Keywords

Environmental Quality; Energy Consumption; Health Facility Design & Construction; Comparative Studies; Energy Consumption In Hospitals; Pacific Northwest; Scandinavia; Built Environment; Case Study; Design Process; Healthcare Facility Design; Hospital; Post Occupancy

Lighting Energy Consumption in Ultra-Low Energy Buildings: Using a Simulation and Measurement Methodology to Model Occupant Behavior and Lighting Controls

Zhu, Panyu; Gilbride, Michael; Yan, Da; Sun, Hongshan; Meek, Christopher. (2017). Lighting Energy Consumption in Ultra-Low Energy Buildings: Using a Simulation and Measurement Methodology to Model Occupant Behavior and Lighting Controls. Building Simulation, 10(6), 799 – 810.

View Publication

Abstract

As building owners, designers, and operators aim to achieve significant reductions in overall energy consumption, understanding and evaluating the probable impacts of occupant behavior becomes a critical component of a holistic energy conservation strategy. This becomes significantly more pronounced in ultra-efficient buildings, where system loads such as heating, cooling, lighting, and ventilation are reduced or eliminated through high-performance building design and where occupant behavior-driven impacts reflect a large portion of end-use energy. Further, variation in behavior patterns can substantially impact the persistence of any performance gains. This paper describes a methodology of building occupant behavior modeling using simulation methods developed by the Building Energy Research Center (BERC) at Tsinghua University using measured energy consumption data collected by the University of Washington Integrated Design Lab (UW IDL). The Bullitt Center, a six-story 4831 m(2) (52,000 ft(2)) net-positive-energy urban office building in Seattle, WA, USA, is one of the most energy-efficient buildings in the world (2013 WAN Sustainable Building of the Year Winner). Its measured energy consumption in 2015 was approximately 34.8 kWh/(m(2)a (TM) yr) (11 kBtu/(ft(2)a (TM) yr)). Occupant behavior exerts an out-sized influence on the energy performance of the building. Nearly 33% of the end-use energy consumption at the Bullitt Center consists of unregulated miscellaneous electrical loads (plug-loads), which are directly attributable to occupant behavior and equipment procurement choices. Approximately 16% of end-use energy is attributable to electric lighting which is also largely determined by occupant behavior. Key to the building's energy efficiency is employment of lighting controls and daylighting strategies to minimize the lighting load. This paper uses measured energy use in a 330 m(2) (3550 ft(2)) open office space in this building to inform occupant profiles that are then modified to create four scenarios to model the impact of behavior on lighting use. By using measured energy consumption and an energy model to simulate the energy performance of this space, this paper evaluates the potential energy savings based on different occupant behavior. This paper describes occupant behavior simulation methods and evaluates them using a robust dataset of 15 minute interval sub-metered energy consumption data. Lighting control strategies are compared via simulation results, in order to achieve the best match between occupant schedules, controls, and energy savings. Using these findings, we propose a simulation methodology that incorporates measured energy use data to generate occupant schedules and control schemes with the ultimate aim of using simulation results to evaluate energy saving measures that target occupant behavior.

Keywords

Control-systems; Patterns; Offices; Lighting Control; Ultra-low Energy Building; Occupant Behavior; Building Simulation; Energy Consumption

Architecture for Health Is Not Just for Healthcare Architects

Dannenberg, Andrew L.; Burpee, Heather. (2018). Architecture for Health Is Not Just for Healthcare Architects. Health Environments Research & Design Journal (herd) (sage Publications, Ltd.), 11(2), 8 – 12.

View Publication

Keywords

Building Design & Construction; Public Health; Quality Of Life; Built Environment; Public Spaces

College of Built Environments’ unique Inspire Fund aims to foster research momentum in underfunded pursuits college-wide. And it’s working.

Launching the Inspire Fund: An early step for CBE’s Office of Research “For a small college, CBE has a broad range of research paradigms, from history and arts, to social science and engineering.” — Carrie Sturts Dossick, Associate Dean of Research Upon taking on the role of Associate Dean of Research, Carrie Sturts Dossick, professor in the Department of Construction Management, undertook listening sessions to learn about the research needs of faculty, staff and students across the College of Built…

Julie Kriegh

As principal and founder of KRIEGH ARCHITECTURE STUDIOS | Design + Research, Julie Kriegh brings her clients’ project goals to fruition while adhering to the values of sustainability, high-performance construction principles, exceptional craft and attention to detail. These principles apply to custom single-family, multi-family, and residential community developments, as well as religious, medical, educational, and municipal facilities. She offers collaborative, team-oriented architectural services that result in custom designs that are aligned with her clients’ project needs. As a  passive house designer, Julie uses state of the art energy modeling software to design and consult on net-positive energy buildings.

Dr. Kriegh is currently working on several research initiatives at the University of Washington, Seattle. Collaborating with a team of  university researchers and industry partners on sustainability issues, Dr. Kriegh is leading research on building and occupant performance using wireless sensing devices and tailored feedback on energy use in residential settings. As a Research Scientist, she belongs to a consortium between UW, UA, Microsoft and Google researching the future of sustainable Data Centers. In addition, Dr. Kriegh worked with the UW Carbon Leadership Forum investigating materials for the Carbon Storing Data Center of the future to advance Microsoft’s goal to be carbon neutral by 2030 and carbon negative by 2050.

Julie received a PhD from the University of Washington in 2018, where her research focused on high-performance buildings, building user behavior and environmental psychology.