house
Maga-1100
mhh_project_report_example.pdf
Mars Hill House Project
Alan Francis CM 120 Professor Alan Francis Spring 2013 April 5, 2013
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 1
Project Description 1
Site Analysis 2
Climate Analysis 4
House Energy Efficiency Features 7
Construction Costs Analysis 8
Conclusion 8
References 9
Appendix A - a mind map 10
Appendix B - functional program 11
Appendix C - building performance program 12
Appendix D - building materials cost estimate 13
Appendix E - floor plans 14
Introduction
As political debate drags on in the United States over the feasibility of a sustainable energ y future, the evidence for catastrophic human-caused climate change continues to mount. Within the mainstream global scientific community however, the discussion appears to have shied from whether climate change is real to what can be done about it. Climate scientists point to Green House Gas (GHG) emissions as the root cause of potentially catastrophic human caused climate change (Gibson, 1982). Many scientific discussions concerning the sources of these emissions center on the major contributing role of the built environment (Architecture 2030). In the building science community today, there is great interest in the net-zero energ y building (ZEB) concept as a promising conservation based approach to reducing overall built environment emissions (Torecelli, 2006). ZEBs hold the promise of dramatically and rapidly reducing building energ y footprints (Prowler, 2008).
Project Description
is project studies the design of a 2,800 sq multi-generational, net zero-energ y residence located in Flagstaff, Arizona (see Appendix A - a mind map and Appendix D - floor plans). e requirements for the home are best described by its functional and performance programs.
Functional Program e overall functional program goals for this residential architecture project are summarized as follows: 1. Provide for current and future multigenerational family housing needs (figure 1) 2. Decrease life-cycle resource use 3. Affordability ($150/SqFt maximum)
e functional program addresses the basic requirements of an affordable net-zero energ y multigenerational family residence (see Appendix B). is program was developed by surveying all building users and compiling their responses.
Building Performance Program is project incorporates a number of building performance programs into the traditional functional program (Appendix C). e purpose of these building performance programs it to explicitly establish building performance as fundamental requirements that are on par with the primary functional requirements of the project.
Figure 1: House area layouts - first floor (left) and second floor (right).
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Site Analysis
e home will be located on a 3/4 acre (32,670 SqFt) city lot near downtown Flagstaff, Arizona (figure 2). e lot was selected expressly to accommodate the design and construction of an affordable net-zero energ y multigenerational family residence (figure 3). e house is oriented on an axis that is 5 degrees east of south to embrace the early morning sun (figure 4). e home (figure 5) on this site will have expansive views of Flagstaff to the east and south (figure 6).
Figure 2: Ariel view of Flagstaff showing the Site and its relationship to downtown Flagstaff and NAU.
Figure 3: Site diagram showing lot location (rendered in yellow).
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Figure 4: Site diagram showing position of house on the site in relation to the annual path of the sun.
Figure 5: Rendering of the Mars Hill House from Revit Building Information Model (BIM).
Figure 6: View to the south from the site looking at the city of Flagstaff (NAU Skydome in midground).
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Climate Analysis
e Flagstaff climate has been analyzed using Climate Consultant (figures 7-11). From this analysis it is clear that the site has a relatively cool climate for most of the year with a short warm/hot season in June and July (figure 7). Flagstaff has reasonable wind resources that can be tapped for natural ventilation (figure 8 and 9) and there is enough annual rainfall (figures 10 and 11) that if collected can supply a small water efficient greenhouse.
Figure 7: Average temperature range and psychrometric chart for Flagstaff, AZ.
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Figure 8: Wind wheel with annual average (left) and summer average (right) winds for Flagstaff, AZ.
Figure 9: 3D annual wind speed chart for Flagstaff, AZ.
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Figure 10: 3D annual relative humidity chart for Flagstaff, AZ.
Figure 11: Average annual precipitation for Flagstaff, AZ (source: www.rssWeather.com).
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House Energy Efficiency Features
Several computer-based tools have been used to study the design of the Mars Hill House. SketchUp was used as the primary schematic design 3D visualization tool. Revit, a Building Information Modeling (BIM) tool, has been used to develop, document, and quantify the design. Additionally, a whole building energ y modeling program has been implemented to evaluate the performance of proposed design features throughout the design process. is energ y modeling program began at the inception of the design process, was integrated throughout the entire design effort, and consisted of two primary computer-based soware applications. Integrated Environmental Solutions Gaia (IES-VE Gaia) and Autodesk Ecotect have been used for preliminary and early schematic design energ y modeling. Integrated Environmental Solutions - Virtual Environment Pro (IES-VE Pro) has been used for extensive design development and final whole building energ y modeling. e combination of these tools has provided increasingly refined insights into the most appropriate glazing, insulation, thermal mass, natural ventilation, and environmental control systems design for this structure (Building Design + Construction, 2011). As a result of this work it became clear that a combination of passive and active design strategies are most appropriate for this house in this location.
Passive Design Features e Mars Hill House relies primarily on passive design strategies to reduce its long-term operating energ y footprint. e design is intended to enable the home to work with the beautiful mountain climate of Flagstaff over a long (100+ year) life. Passive design features are coupled with reductions in embodied material and construction energ y. ese goals are achieved through maximizing the use of recycled materials, local sourcing of building products, and operational energ y efficiency to reduce total life-cycle-energ y costs. e overall passive- design approach (figure 12) is summarized as follows:
• Direct solar gain • Maximize natural daylighting • Indoor/outdoor green spaces • High thermal-mass
Figure 12: Passive design principles; solar gain (top left), thermal mass (top center), glazing orientation (top right), daylighting levels (bottom left), natural ventilation (bottom center and bottom right).
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Active Design Features To create acceptable levels of comfort, the passive features of this home have been augmented with appropriate “active” energ y efficient systems. e active strategies of the Mars Hill House center on collecting the suns abundant energ y and storing it in either thermal or electrical form. Conservation in the use of this energ y is achieved through the use of various energ y efficient systems. e home is also designed to collect and distribute the most precious of desert resources - water. e overall active-design approach is summarized as follows:
• Solar-thermal domestic hot water and radiant space heating • On-site/grid tied photovoltaic (PV) electrical energ y production • Electrical energ y conservation using LED lighting and energ y-efficient (Energ yStar) appliances • Water conservation using low-flow plumbing fixtures • Grey water harvesting for irrigation of native landscaping • Rain water harvesting for irrigation of greenhouse and outdoor garden planter boxes
Construction Costs Analysis
A preliminary cost estimate of this home was created using the building cost calculator (Appendix D) available online at <http://www.building-cost.net/> . e preliminary materials cost estimate for this house indicates that it can be built within the available budget.
Conclusion
is project has asserted that net zero-energ y homes are possible in a climate such as Flagstaff, Arizona. e combined effects of passive and active design features has yielded a home that is predicted to consume net zero- energ y over its total lifespan. is is accomplished by first decreasing total annual energ y consumption by incorporating a series of passive and active energ y conservation features into the design of the home. e energ y savings produced by the selected passive and active design features consequently allow on-site renewable energ y production (solar thermal and PV) to exceed the energ y pulled from the power grid.
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References
1. Architecture 2030: US energ y Consumption by Sector. July 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2011 from <http:// architecture2030.org/the_problem/buildings_problem_why>
2. Building Design + Construction. “Zero and Net-Zero Energ y Buildings + Homes.” Building Design + Construction. March 2011
3. Gibson EJ. Working with the performance approach in building. Report of Working Commission W060, CIB Publication 64. Rotterdam, the Netherlands: CIBdf — International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction — Development Foundation, 1982
4. Torcellini, P. Zero Energ y Buildings: A Critical Look at the Definition. US Department of Energ y, National Renewable Energ y Laboratory. 2006.
5. Prowler, D. - Whole Building Design Guide. National Institute of Building Sciences. 2008
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Appendix A - a mind map
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Appendix B - functional program
FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS - Co-housing
• 2 functionally separate small residences (1000 SqFt each maximum) • Communal “public” indoor space with communal “public” outdoor space • Facilitate care of aging family members
‣ Single level (ramps, no stairs) ‣ ADA
- Livable outdoor spaces (microclimates) • Conditioned indoor space represents minimum “living core” • Living core augmented by outdoor living space • Replace conditioned indoor space wherever possible with unconditioned indoor space • Integrate living core with site and climate
SPATIAL REQUIREMENTS - Indoor - public
• Kitchen • Library / small home office • Great room • Circulation (sunspace) • Greenhouse
- Indoor - private • Bedrooms (3 or 4, flexible with Den) • Den (0 or 1, flexible with bedrooms) • Bathrooms (2) • Laundry / Mechanical
- Outdoor - public • Courtyard (south facing) / Kitchen (outdoor) • Garden • West facing microclimate • East facing microclimate • North facing microclimate • Climate buffering landscape elements
FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS - Kitchen / great room / courtyard - Bedrooms / circulation / courtyard - Greenhouse / garden - Living core / outdoor microclimates - Library / office - Laundry / mechanical
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Appendix C - building performance program
ENERGY-EFFICIENCY PROGRAM - Explicit goal: Net-zero (life-cycle) approach
• Net-zero site energy • Net-zero carbon emissions • Net-zero cost
- Energy efficiency targets • Minimize embodied energy • Minimize operating energy • Minimize demolition energy
- On-site renewable energy system • Photovoltaic • Solar thermal
- Utility grid connection to allow net metering - Integrated building monitoring system (building energy + water + climate data)
• Allow collection of real-time building performance data • Interface with kiosk and web-based dashboard system
LAND CONSERVATION PROGRAM - Limit impact on the naturally forested site
• Trees • Water runoff
WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM - Limit water demand from Flagstaff municipal water system to 25gal/person/day - Design plumbing system to allow collection and use of household gray water
• Gray water to irrigate landscaping through underground distribution - Collect and store rain water to irrigate greenhouse and outdoor garden
• Rain water collected from roof surfaces, stored in cistern, and distributed as necessary - Utilize ultra high efficiency plumbing fixtures throughout residence
FOOD PRODUCTION PROGRAM - Greenhouse
• Extend Flagstaff growing season • Propagate seedlings • Protect sensitive plants from pests • Potting area
- Garden • Space for organic vegetable garden • Cold frames • Irrigation system
- Courtyard • Herb garden • Outdoor food preparation • Outdoor living space • Interconnection to indoor living core
COMMUNITY/CONNECTION PROGRAM - Non-automobile centric lifestyle
• Human powered commute to work • Pedestrian access to downtown Flagstaff
- Linked to Flagstaff Urban Trail System - Connection to municipal and national transportation system
• Bus • Rail • Aircraft
- Connection to local and national information system • Internet • Telephone
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Appendix D - building materials cost estimate
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Appendix E - floor plans
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