Sustainable Construction

Discussion 5

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1. Discuss why embodied energy is considered one of the most important concepts related to materials?

Embodied energy is the amount of energy it takes it acquire and process raw materials.  The reason why embodies energy is considered one the most important concepts related to materials is because the acquisition and processing of materials can potentially have a high impact on the environment.  Understanding embodied energy and maintaining consciously aware of the materials and resources used in a project is the first step into being able to mitigate its environmental impact, including fabricating, shipping, installation, and the lifetime use of the final product.  Understanding embodies energy also helps understand the importance of using recycled materials, which is the main way to help reduce the environmental impacts of the raw materials and resources used in projects.

Reference

Leffers, M.R. (2010). 87.  Sustainable Construction and Design.  Boston: Prentice-Hall

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2. Do you agree that access to daylight and views can enhance efficiency of building occupants? You can support your argument with an example.

I can personally testify how working near a view and natural daylighting added a gratifying component with respect to going to and being at work as compared to working in a cubical absent of those components.  I also read a study that assessed the impact of windows providing view and daylight to its occupants.  This study also included the impact of eyestrain due to exposure to glares through windows.  This was mitigated by modern shading through motorized manually controlled mesh shades and automated dynamic tint.  The results of the research demonstrated that access to a view, natural daylight, and providing these specific types of shading can improved satisfaction, cognitive performance, and well-being of the building’s occupants. 

Reference

Jamrozik, A., Clements, N., Hasan, S. S., Zhao, J., Zhang, R., Campanella, C., . . . Bauer, B. (2019). Access to daylight and view in an office improves cognitive performance and satisfaction and reduces eyestrain: A controlled crossover study. Building and Environment, 165, 106379. doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2019.106379

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S M

1. Discuss why embodied energy is considered one of the most important concepts related to materials? 

The definition of the Embodied energy is the energy consumed by all of the processes associated with the production of a building, from the mining and processing of natural resources that’s including the manufacturing, transport and product delivery. Moreover, the embodied energy does not include the demolition which means does not include the operation and disposal of the building material. Embodied energy is the ‘upstream’ or ‘front-end’ component of the lifecycle impact of a home.

Every single building concern as a complex combination of many processed materials. As well the Renovation and maintenance also can be added to the embodied energy over a building’s life. As an example, the reinforced concrete is a material with extremely high embodied energy. When manufacturing the cement, large amounts of CO2 are released in the calcination stage, where limestone is transformed into calcium oxide. 

· http://ohp.parks.ca.gov/pages/1054/files/embodied%20energy.pdf

· https://www.yourhome.gov.au/materials/embodied-energy

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2. Do you agree that access to daylight and views can enhance efficiency of building occupants? You can support your argument with an example.

I agree that the access to daylight and views can enhance efficiency of building occupants, and that’s because of two main reasons and they are the psychological benefits and the energy savings benefits. Studies showing that the good daylighting has been shown to improve the overall attitude, satisfaction and wellbeing of building occupants. Exposure to daylight has also been shown to improve general health and circadian rhythm. These psychological benefits can easily justify any extra design effort or added expense associated with introducing controlled daylight into buildings. As well, the Daylighting with proper electric lighting controls can result in significant energy savings by reducing electric lighting loads and associated cooling loads.

· https://www.sageglass.com/sites/default/files/rci_august_2015_sageglass-daylighting.pdf

· http://lightlouver.com/lightlouver-description/why-daylighting/#:~:text=Good%20daylighting%20has%20been%20shown,well%20being%20of%20building%20occupants.&text=Daylighting%2C%20with%20proper%20electric%20lighting,loads%20and%20associated%20cooling%20loads.

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J C

1. Discuss why embodied energy is considered one of the most important concepts related to materials? 

Answer: When we look at the material that will be used in the construction of a building, we must first consider what it took to make that material, how it will get to the jobsite, how the material will be placed at the site, and how long this materials life will be. Embodied energy as stated in the book is “the amount of energy that must be used in order to acquire and process raw material.” What this mean is that each material is extracted from a source and then manufactured into the desired form. This process requires energy that releases chemicals into the environment and the more complex the material the more impact it has on the environment. Once manufactured this material needs to make it to the jobsite. When transporting the material, the longer the distance from the plant the material has to travel the more impact it has on the environment to get there. Finally, the amount of energy required to install this specific material requires energy, the more intensive the install the more impact it has. As designers we must understand that we cannot place any type of material in a project and make it work. We must consider every material from the moment it is produced to the full life of the material. By doing this we can prevent the amount of impact our project has on the environment and save what is left for future generations.

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2. Do you agree that access to daylight and views can enhance efficiency of building occupants? You can support your argument with an example.

Answer: Yes, I do agree that access to more views and daylight can enhance the efficiency of building occupants. A study was done by the EPA and found that the average person spends about 93% of their life indoors. Having occupant’s stair at walls and computers all day can cause dips in work performance and strains on the eyes. A study from the University of Cornell, found that 84 percent of workers had a dip in eye strain and headaches when working in an environment with natural light. As well there was a boost in performance and a 10% dip in drowsiness. Allowing occupants to see the outside and receive natural light can have a sense of openness. I believe we should design buildings to take advantage of the environment around us and provide occupants with the most natural light possible.

References

· Spector, N. (2018, May 22). Where you sit or stand at work can boost your productivity. Retrieved November 17, 2020, from https://www.nbcnews.com/better/pop-culture/sitting-window-can-boost-your-productivity-ncna873991

· SnowBrains. (2020, July 27). Brain Post: How Much Time Does the Average American Spend Outdoors? Retrieved November 17, 2020, from https://snowbrains.com/brain-post-much-time-average-american-spend-outdoors/

· Leffers, M. R. (2010). Chapter 9. In Sustainable construction and design (pp. 87-96). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education/Prentice Hall.

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X C

Discuss why embodied energy is considered one of the most important concepts related to materials? 

Embodied energy (EE) is the amount of energy required to acquire and process raw materials to convert them into “usable” products. In addition to the energy required to extract the materials from the natural environment, it also includes the energy used to manufacture, transport, and install the products for its intended use. The reason embodied energy is a very important concept when selecting materials for construction (or any other type of use) is because there is a direct correlation between EE and its impact to the environment. The higher the EE of a material, the higher the impact on the environment. As designers go through the process of selecting materials for construction, a green approach is to focus as much as possible on minimizing materials with a high energy quotient. As the embodied energy is calculated as an aggregate of the processes the material goes thru until its destination, the more the processes used, the higher the EE level. This is the reason for recycled materials to have a lower EE level.

References, Sustainable Construction and Design, Regina Leffers.

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Do you agree that access to daylight and views can enhance efficiency of building occupants? You can support your argument with an example.

I do agree that access to daylight and views enhance the efficiency and comfort of building occupants. According to a publication by Kunwar Rana, a Sustainability Analyst and LEED Green Associate for the Sustainable Investment Group (SIG) reports that people have a natural attraction and need for daylight. Students in classrooms with exposure to daylight were found to progress 20 percent faster on math tests and 26 percent faster on reading tests over the course of a year. My personal experience and an example of benefits of daylight in buildings is at the Boeing Leadership Center (BLC) in St. Louis Mo. The Boeing company built the BLC in 1999 as a 286- acre campus dedicated to the development in leadership of its employees, managers, and executives. The center is located on a hillside that overlooks the confluence of the Missouri, Illinois, and Mississippi Rivers in St. Louis. The three lodge buildings, open classrooms, conference rooms, theater-like auditoriums, and open dining rooms that make up Boeing’s Leadership Center provide just the right mix of a secluded, well-appointed, and well-equipped location for the development of Boeing’s future leaders. I had the privilege of attending courses at the BLC for over 20 years. What I remember the most is the open and daylight spaces that were conducive to learning and reflecting. The design of daylight throughout the classrooms, conference rooms, study areas and dining rooms was the perfect setting for personal efficiency and comfort. I have attached as references both the link to the SIG report and a link to the BLC where you will see photos of the facilities, it is an amazing learning facility.

References,

https://www.workforce.com/news/winging-it-at-boeings-leadership-center

https://sigearth.com/the-benefits-of-daylighting-in-your-building

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