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a publication of the american institute of architects ARIZONAa publication of the american institute of architects ARIZONA
GLOBAL COMMUNITYLESSONS FROM HAITI
ARCHITECTURAL ANALOGYARCHITECTURE AND
THE BODY
arizonaarizona
vol. 1vol. 1 nov. 2010nov. 2010
AIANo. 1
forum
no. 1no. 1
TECHNOLOGYWHAT IS KEEPING ARCHITECTS
FROM EMBRACING ENERGY SIMULATION?
Benefits of Building Information Modeling (BIM) Services
and outsourcing to CADsoft Consulting:
• Provides solutions that let project teams create, adapt and reuse
information - rich digital models during every stage of the project
including design, construction and operation
• Project teams can make more informed decisions about building
materials, energy or sustainability
• Prevents clashes between elements which helps eliminate costly
change orders or slow down construction due to RFI’s in real time
• Acts as a digital design change management tool
• BIM provides up-to-date and reliable information of the project
design scope, cost information and schedules
• Mitigates risk through real time conflict detection
• Compresses design lifecycle by increasing collaboration between
Owners, Architects, Engineers and Contractors
• Production of high quality accurate construction documents
• Improves quality of construction by enabling pre-fabrication
• Provide insight into the constructability and potential performance of
buildings before they are built
• Recognize cost savings by eliminating waste and speeding up
construction
• Facilitates construction management
For more information, contact us today at shannon.corgan@cadsoft-
consult.com or 602-732-5224 or visit, www.cadsoft-consult.com
SHANNON CORGAN, affiliate aia
MARKETING MANAGER
602-732-5224 CADsoft Consulting, an Autodesk Gold Tier Partner, is a
full-service consulting, training and technical support company with
specialized expertise in Building Information Modeling (BIM). CADsoft
Consulting has been sought out to develop custom BIM implementations.
CADsoft’s BIM Consulting
Building Information Modeling (BIM) is revolutionizing the AEC industry
by virtual construction of the project even before it is built on the
construction site. CADsoft Consulting has excelled in implementing this
new technology and is committed to providing a team of BIM experts
with not only software expertise, but industry experience in production
and project management. In addition to being a leading provider of CAD
and CAD related software solutions, CADsoft Consulting offers you the
expertise, training and outsourcing services to implement a BIM project
with the Autodesk portfolio of BIM solutions.
Yumiko A. Ishida, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP
GLOBAL COMMUNITY.............................................................................................................................3LESSONS FROM HAITI
ARCHITECTURAL ANALOGY.............................................................................................................15ARCHITECTURE AND
THE BODY
TECHNOLOGY............................................................................................................................................9WHAT IS KEEPING ARCHITECTS
FROM EMBRACING ENERGY SIMULATION?
SPECIAL FEATURE: INTERVIEW.................................................................................................19[MERZ] PROJECT
JOHN DAVID WALLER, ASSOC. AIA
Patrick Villella, affi liate aia, LEED AP
Taz Loomans, ASSOC. AIA
SUAD MAHMULJIN, ASSOC. AIAAIA ARIZONA ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
EDITORIAL..................................................................................................................................................1INTRODUCING THE AIA FORUM - ARIZONA
contributing editors TINA LITTERAL, Hon. AIA, CAE [email protected]
ALEXANDRA EVJEN [email protected]
MARK PATTERSON, AIA [email protected]
CHRIS KNORR, AIA [email protected]
art director SUAD MAHMULJIN, Assoc. AIA [email protected]
layout design and graphic design THEBLACKRHINOS.COM
BRIAN TRUMMEL [email protected]
DARIN BRETT [email protected]
editorial/publishing inquiries SUAD MAHMULJIN Assoc. AIA [email protected]
ALEXANDRA EVJEN [email protected]
ADVERTISING/SALES ALEXANDRA EVJEN [email protected]
JOIN/PARTICIPATE/WRITE
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
SUAD MAHMULJIN Assoc. AIA [email protected]
ALEXANDRA EVJEN [email protected]
SUAD MAHMULJIN, Assoc. AIA [email protected]
It is a great pleasure and honor to introduce the “AIA
Forum” - Arizona.
The AIA Forum is a publication intended to allow AIA members to voice
their expertise, practice experience, visions and theories in publication
format to the architecture community and the community in general. The
forum will challenge its authors to contribute towards solving current
issues, provide insight about architectural practice and author interesting
investigative articles about architectural history, architectural design
(urban, sustainable, technology), and other architecture related subjects.
The collective knowledge gained by the implementation
of the Forum will allow the AIA to provide a wide array
of solutions to issues that in the past have stood by
unresolved. The greater benefit to our community will be the proper
exposure of architecture, a better understanding of architects, and a
clearer message about the role of architects in our society.
The Forum is open to contribution from every AIA Member. Its roots
are based in the communication committee and it is a tool intended to
increase comradeship, communication and allow for member involvement
on different levels. The Forum will allow for interaction and discussion
that will foster a better relationship amongst members and encourage
critical analysis and proactive thinking.
There are three key components that make up the Forum: the content,
authors and peer-reviewers. The content is contingent upon the author(s)
and their respective topics or reasoning for the article. The author(s) are
any member of the AIA, or a team of members that wish to participate
together to co-author a particular article. A peer-reviewer is simply
someone that particpates by reviewing a particular article submission.
1
editorial
8 19 2010
Best regards,
Suad Mahmuljin, Assoc. AIA
AIA Arizona Associate Director
If an individual wishes to participate as a peer-reviewer, he or she
is not obligated to serve on the committee. This encourages
participation from members that may not be able to
commit to attending committee meetings, but are
still interested in being an active voice in the AIA
community.
A peer-reviewer is not obligated to review every entry; however that is
not exclusive either. An example might be if a peer-reviewers particular
expertise, body of work or interest lies in sustainable design, he or
she may be inclined to review a submission about sustainability. Peer
reviewers will be in contact with the committee as new topics are
introduced.
Finally, the Forum publications will be made available (published)
in PDF format after they have been reviewed and approved. Forms for
submission, peer review and journal review are available via the AIA
Arizona website. Similarly the AIA Arizona will archive the each Forum
publication and make them available for viewing and download via the
AIA Arizona website. The Forum will also be published via issuu.com, a
free publishing website.
A very special thanks to the communication committee, all the
contributing editors, Glen Grubbs, AIA, Karla Grijalva, Assoc. AIA, Leslie
Tom, Assoc. AIA, and Andrea Lucarelli. This effort has involved so many
great contributors and it could have not come to fruition without the
diligence, professionalism and support of all.
By sharing the knowledge we all know we have we can proactively
contribute to the profession and improve not only ourselves but the
people and community around us. The path has been set and the first
stone has been laid. This is our challenge and goal to provide a medium
that raises the awareness of architecture and provides credibility to
something we all so much love.
2
editorialcontinued
LESSONS FROMHAITIYumiko A. Ishida, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP
“What do you think?”
“This building is sound. You have nothing to worry about.”
“And this crack?”
“That’s just the plaster. It’s superficial.”
Yves nods doubtfully. We move on.
After spending less than a minute inside the third house, we look at each other and ponder how to reply.
“Well, the grout is crumbling away as we speak, the wall is leaning, and there is no column or beam to speak of.”
Yves nods again, this time with conviction, as if to say I knew it.
3
Less than 24 hours in Haiti, and already one of my assumptions has been
proven wrong. I realize it is easier to tell people their house is unsafe than
it is to tell them it is safe. Bad news is simply taken as a confirmation of what
they already know. Good news, on the other hand, is met with skepticism.
The earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12, 2010, left in its wake damage
both quantifiable and unquantifiable. Over 230,000 dead. Over 300,000
injured. Over 1,000,000 made homeless. What it will take to rebuild the
country in terms of resources and time is still unknown. Even harder to know
is if the Haitians will feel comfortable sleeping inside a building again.
Months after the earthquake, it is common to see families sleeping in tents
in their yard, even when their house stands erect with no sign of seismic
damage. Any building professional intending to engage in the rebuilding of
the country is thus faced with the challenge of overcoming people’s distrust
of what they have to offer.
Two months after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake ravaged Haiti, I was given
an opportunity to visit the Caribbean nation as part of a group of building
professionals tasked with inspecting buildings, advising on short term and
long term housing solutions, and constructing some prototype structures.
The building team was part of a larger group called Love for Haiti (www.
Love-for-Haiti.com) mostly comprised of medical professionals. The entire
group camped out on the soccer field of Anis Zunuzi School, in its own ad-
hoc tent village. Our hosts, Sue and Yves Puzo, arranged for transportation,
translators, and food, provided mostly by the school’s staff. This article is a
compilation of “lessons learned” from observations made during the 5-day
trip, March 3 to March 8, 2010. I am by no means an expert on earthquake
resistant construction or Haitian architecture, but by sharing this experience
hope to inspire others in the building industry to step outside of their
professional comfort zone once in a while, as it is a rewarding and enriching
opportunity.
introduction
As it has been widely reported in the media, the January 2010 earthquake in
Haiti was by no means remarkable if we only consider its magnitude (7.0),
but the death toll and destruction it caused were catastrophic. While the
building team operated within this larger context, the specific activities
undertaken during the short trip were generally limited to the northern
neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince, where the Anis Zunuzi School is located.
Consequently, this article will limit structural discussions to the specific
buildings and former buildings observed by the team.
The damaged structures exhibit textbook examples of seismic failure that
could be categorized under one or more of the following:
• No Lateral Resistance • Too Rigid
• Soft Story • Eccentricity
• Too Tall • Poor Material
• Too Heavy • Poor Construction
Many of the buildings that completely collapsed appear to have failed in
multiple ways. On the school grounds, for example, all of the buildings
still stand unscathed, except for one. The wreckage of the fallen building
indicates it underwent considerable torsion. The school staff confirms that
the structure, used for staff housing, was the only campus building that was
irregularly shaped, two-stories high and with cantilevering balconies. One
may speculate that it possibly failed due to lack of lateral resisting systems,
collapse of the soft story, and torsion caused by eccentricity, all occurring
simultaneously. When the earthquake struck a boy was home by himself.
Miraculously, he was found under the rubble, sitting on a chair in an air
pocket, stunned but physically unharmed.
THE FALLEN
Tent city: A common sight in Port-au-Prince Partially collapsed house
Rubble is everywhere
4
A typical building in Haiti is constructed of reinforced concrete frames with unreinforced
masonry infill walls. Damaged buildings frequently have imbedded “columns” about 8 inches
by 8 inches, the same thickness as the masonry, and lack beams that tie the structure together
at the floor or roof line. Even when the structural frame was constructed well and presumably
acted as a moment frame during the earthquake, the unreinforced non-structural walls
frequently suffered significant damage.
Another typical characteristic of buildings in Haiti the team observed was phased construction.
I have been told that while Americans spend 30 years paying for their houses, Haitians spend
30 years building them. As families save enough money and are able to expand their homes,
they add one room at a time.
It is common to find rebars extending upward from a roof slab, evidently intended to become
a future second floor slab. Frequently it is hard to distinguish at first sight structures that
are simply unfinished from those that have partially collapsed due to the earthquake. In
some cases the phasing of the building appeared to have determined which part collapsed.
The second floor of a house, belonging to a Christian minister and inspected by the team,
completely collapsed on top of the one below. There was no noticeable difference between
the two floors, except that they were built years apart from each other, suggesting that the
difference in quality of materials and/or workmanship contributed to the collapse of the
upper floor. Four boys were at home when the roof collapsed on them. Only two survived.
the fallen
“A typical building in Haiti is
constructed of reinforced concrete
frames with unreinforced masonry
infill walls. Damaged buildings
frequently have imbedded “columns”
about 8 inches by 8 inches, the same
thickness as the masonry, and lack
beams that tie the structure together
at the floor or roof line.”
One building collapsed at Anis Zunuzi School
Destruction in city center
Unfi nished second fl oor
5
the standing
The spectacular collapse of the Presidential Palace made international headlines immediately following the earthquake.
While the sight of the fallen grand mansion, now half of its former height, is in many ways symbolic, structures of that
scale are not common in Haiti. Most families lived in modest one- or two-story homes. The more modest houses, it appears,
had a better chance of survival, as they were low in profile and simple in plan. Ironically, the chickens were more protected
than humans, as is evident in the still standing coop and the birds with no noticeable sign of trauma.
The structures that survived the January earthquake are not necessarily safe. One of the houses the team inspected, while
still standing, will likely not survive another earthquake. Others may or may not. The majority of these buildings fall under
the “yellow” category based on FEMA and AIA’s damage assessment protocol (www.aia.org/about/initiatives/AIAS075269)
and they are the most challenging to inspect. Even when the structure could be fixed with minimal effort, in a resource poor
country such as Haiti, what most families can afford is limited.
Most of the destruction reported in the media has focused on areas in central Port-au-Prince. From a purely structural
standpoint, however, my impression is that the downtown area buildings are more intact than those in the outlying areas.
Admittedly the team only spent a very short afternoon in downtown and therefore it is impossible to make any meaningful
comparison. However, the downtown buildings appear to be generally older and of higher quality. These older buildings
have survived numerous smaller earthquakes in the past.
One of the downtown buildings the team inspected is Haiti’s Baha’i Center, a two-story structure with brick walls and wood-
framed roof and floors. The walls suffered many cracks and the balcony is starting to pull away from the main structure,
but otherwise the building still stands, and the team determined it is possible to repair it. As it is a religious center,
raising enough funds for the repairs should be relatively easy compared to doing so for a residential structure. The largest
threat to its survival, however, is not the structure itself or lack of funds, but something over which the Baha’i Center has
no control: its neighbor, a technical school that is leaning over the property line. Two of the five stories of the school
completely collapsed onto themselves, and the barely standing structure has been abandoned with desks and computers
left in place.
modest home with no damage
A home stands precariously
Old timber frame building Downtown
Leaning building threatens neighbor
6
Lightweight Structures
In response to the long-term needs of Haiti, many solutions have been proposed by well-established international organizations such
as Habitat for Humanity. In the meantime, many local entrepreneurs are marketing their own solutions. One such instance is a fiberglass
dome, supposedly strong enough to withstand a Category 4 hurricane. The concept of a lightweight structure seems to appeal to many
Haitians traumatized by the memory of heavy masonry falling on their heads. Some have rediscovered traditional techniques, such as
building walls with straw and mud.
The Love-for-Haiti building team received requests for solutions to meet the immediate needs of Anis Zunuzi School and its surrounding
community. Among those requests: provide ideas for temporary housing and construct some prototypes. The team evaluated many
prefabricated structures, all of which were either too expensive or not readily available in Haiti. For the prototypes, the team had to
work with materials available locally and was restricted by its tight schedule. Three structures were erected in one day during the March
trip: two rebar domes and a PVC house. Additional structures were built during follow up trips in April and May.
The framework of the rebar structure, which the team named Nura Dome (“light” dome), can be assembled in a couple of hours. The
challenge with the dome is finding a solution for a durable cover. One of the two domes erected in March is simply covered with tarp, and
as of the May trip was still in use as sleeping quarters for some of the school staff. During the May trip the team covered the second dome
with wire mesh and attempted to plaster it. The challenges were multiple: trying to reach the top of the dome, maintaining a workable
consistency of the plaster in the hot climate, and preventing the mesh and plaster from sagging between the rebars. While the visiting
American team was unable to finish the dome during its short stay, the Haitians who participated in the building and plastering continue
to improve and improvise with the dome structure.
PVC pipes are readily available in Haiti, and while they are not the best construction material because of the toxicity, they are strong,
lightweight, and only require a few basic tools. The first prototype the team constructed in March was made of 1 1/2” pipes. While it
served as a movable shaded conference room for a while, it was not anchored, and after a day of strong winds blew over and collapsed.
The school staff, however, liked the transportability of the PVC structure, and requested a larger version of it to use as a temporary
classroom. During the follow up trips in April and then in May, additional PVC structures were built with 2” pipes. The April one was
covered in tarp, and once the rainy season arrived, the tarp sagged considerably, causing ponding, and eventually collapsed under the
weight of water. The frame of the third PVC structure was built in May and left to be covered with woven palm leaves crafted by local
artisans. The team will be reporting on how the palm roof is faring during its upcoming trip in July.
How do we provide housing for the million people that suddenly found themselves homeless?
7
house for sale
The team observed very little in the way of construction activity during its March trip.
One of the most common sights was people deconstructing damaged structures and
sorting rubble. It was not until May, almost four months after the earthquake, that
new structures started to emerge around Port-au-Prince. In a country plagued with
deforestation, lumber is extremely expensive, so people are once again building with
the one construction material they know well: concrete masonry. Recovery is slow, most
likely because very few have the resources, and perhaps the image of a falling building
is still vivid in their memory.
on the horizonon the horizon
Portable PVC structure
Rebar dome
additional references“archrecord.construction.com”. The McGraw-Hill Companies. August 11 2010
<http://archrecord.construction.com/news/haiti/>.
8
WHAT’S KEEPING ARCHITECTS FROM EMBRACING ENERGY SIMULATION?
Over the past few years, in particular, the terms ‘green design’ or ‘sustainability’ have reached the point of saturation in
the collective consciousness of the world at large, almost to the point that they have lost all meaning. While designers are
often polarized on their opinions regarding sustainable design, economic and client restraints, and increasing government
regulation, few can deny the fact that designing with energy efficiency in mind is important. Björn Stigson, President of
the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), sums it up well when he states “Energy efficiency is fast
becoming one of the defining issues of our times, and buildings are that issue’s ‘elephant in the room’. Buildings use more
energy than any other sector and as such are a major contributor to climate change” (WBCSD, par. 3).
Almost parallel to this global uptick in interest with environmentally conscious design is an increased adoption and
acceptance of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in both the design and construction industries. BIM holds a lot of
promise for increasing many aspects of the design/build/maintain process, some of which it has already fulfilled to some
degree. It is only natural to expect that these information rich building models could also be used to assess and improve
the energy efficiency and environmental impact of a building design long before it is built. According to Autodesk, a
software company at the front of the BIM movement, using BIM together with simulation is, “Allowing architects to perform
faster and more accurate energy analysis on early stage building designs, thereby promoting the construction of ‘green
buildings.” (Autodesk 2007). It has been nearly five years since Paul Seletsky, Digital Design Director at the New York
office of Skidmore Owings and Merrill wrote ‘Digital Design and the Age of Building Simulation’ (Seletsky, 2005), extolling
the benefits of these digital stand-ins for detailed simulation, paving the way for a revolution in eco-friendly building
design. Assessing the architectural landscape in mid 2010, it is apparent that this revolution is taking much longer than
we anticipated!
Patrick Villella, affi liate aia, LEED APApplication Engineer and Energy Specialist for CADsoft Consulting
introduction
9
fi gure
1
“Since 2005, several new software technologies
have been created or evolved to a point that they
are more user-friendly, powerful and much more
accessible to a designer rather than requiring a
formally trained engineer to perform accurate
building simulations. Yet their use in the
architectural world is in its infancy.”
Figure 1 - Ecotect can provide invaluable visual feedback showing the effectiveness of overhangs and shading. Also, ecotect can help in the selection of materials such as high effi ciency glazing.
fi gure
2
Figure 2 - Simulation can be valuable for showing daylight factors, helping to determine the best depth of a fl oor plan, choos-ing window placement and size, or designing a shading device.
“Given the current economic hurdles and slowdown of new
projects (‘green’ or otherwise), it is not entirely surprising
that many firms are hesitant to make any type of significant
software or training commitments, but I believe there are
other factors that are involved.”
Since 2005, several new software technologies have been created or evolved to a point that they are
more user-friendly, powerful and much more accessible to a designer rather than requiring a formally
trained engineer to perform accurate building simulations. Yet their use in the architectural world is
in its infancy. Many impressive case studies have been compiled, showing the benefits of using digital
simulation tools early in the design process to determine optimal building orientation, envelope shape
and design, floor plate depth, space planning, and shade structure placement to significantly reduce
a building’s energy consumption and carbon footprint. Regardless, though, anecdotal data shows that
design firms that regularly use energy simulation programs (ESP’s) in their early design process are
extremely limited.
In this first part in a series, I would like to explore some of the reasons why more designers haven’t
adopted ESP’s as an integral part of their workflow. It would be brilliant to get some feedback from
architects in our local AIA chapter as to their thoughts on this matter and ideas on how to work towards
better adoption. The benefits are many, though the initial effort to become proficient with these tools
should not be underestimated.
In the past two years I’ve had the opportunity to lecture on the topic of software technology and energy
efficient design at several events here in the United States, as well as Europe. I’ve demonstrated the
power of tools such as Ecotect Analysis and Green Building Studio for energy design analysis and
discussed how they can be used to leverage the data that is already in building models that designers
are currently developing. When demonstrating this workflow at a local AIA meeting, I was met with an
attentive and excited audience who seemed to quickly understand the benefits of these tools. I met
similar excitement when showing this workflow at various Revit user groups and Autodesk User Group
International (AUGI) CAD Camps. At Autodesk University in Las Vegas last year, I had so many people
attending my sustainable design lab with Ecotect and Revit , that the directors booked a second lab for
the overflow. I’ve recently returned from a trip to Denmark where I was invited to teach a ‘GreenBIM’
course that focused on teaming Revit with Ecotect to enable designers to analyze their building design
early to maximize energy efficiency. The course was well attended and the response of the attendees was
very positive. I mention these recent activities merely to highlight one of my primary concerns; while
I personally see a lot of excitement and interest in this area of simulation, I haven’t yet seen a lot of
follow through. Many of the designers I’ve worked with seem to still be in a ‘wait-and-see’ or exploratory
phase. Designers haven’t yet committed to a particular simulation application or made a significant
investment in education in the use of these applications.
Given the current economic hurdles and slowdown of new projects (‘green’ or otherwise), it is not entirely
surprising that many firms are hesitant to make any type of significant software or training commitments,
but I believe there are other factors that are involved. Here are some of the key factors I perceive. Again,
I would love to get some of your opinions on these ideas and I will be using your feedback to mold the
remaining articles in this series.
1. Lack of stand-out application for design needs.
a. I see this as one of the top roadblocks. There are countless pieces of software that are
available for building simulation and analysis. Some are prohibitively expensive, and some are free.
Some attempt to be comprehensive (and as a result, quite complicated) while others are focused on
one particular task. The majority of these are aimed at engineers, while only a few are geared towards
architects.
b. When Autodesk purchased Ecotect, many felt that this would be a turning point and that with
this software powerhouse behind it, it would quickly become the clear standout. So far, this hasn’t
happened. While it has piqued the interest of many designers, many are still confused by other options
such as VE from IES, EcoDesigner, or even Green Building Studio – another Autodesk offering.
2. Unsure of when or how to fit simulation into the design process.
a. Many firms that start ‘dabbling’ in energy modeling to see what it can do for them will often
try it out with a Revit project that they are currently working on. This is generally not a great idea.
Generally, when a project is in this stage, the model has already been developed to too high a detail
level, which complicates the export/import process into the analysis software, as well as slowing down
the calculations. More important, by this stage, the design is usually already too firm to benefit much
from any insights the analysis might provide.
12
b. To get the most benefit from building simulation, it should be done early, when the overall
design is still very flexible. For this to be feasible, the individual who is actually responsible for the
design decisions should really be the one working in Revit or the ESP. Currently, at many firms, this
just isn’t the case. Many of the senior design staff are working on paper, using their vast experience and
rules of thumb to lay out spaces and build up the envelope. Once they’ve settled on a suitable design,
it moves to the less senior staff that ‘digitize’ their design and build the BIM. While this workflow is
tried and true, it doesn’t allow for the most efficient push-pull of design/efficiency that working in a
digital format provides. The good news is that this is a process that has been changing and will continue
to progress year after year until eventually, even the most senior staff turn to digital tools early in the
creative process.
c. It can also be difficult to choose which type of calculation will be the most beneficial to
perform at a certain stage in the design process. This problem can be overcome with proper training and
establishment of a company sanctioned workflow or pipeline.
3. Lack of confidence in the reliability of the data that is going into or out of the simulation
program
a. This is an important concern and proper training is needed to ensure that all team members
are creating BIMs that are properly formed and utilizing materials that are physically correct so that
analysis results can be as accurate as possible.
b. It is also important to realize that there is a big difference between a simulation used for
design and a more detailed (and accurate) engineering model used for true energy simulation. When
using a tool such as Ecotect, it is not as critical that every part of the building is perfectly modeled or
that every material is perfectly defined. This is because we shouldn’t be attempting to establish a true
energy cost with Ecotect. It is a tool that is aimed at designers and is all about answering particular
questions and arriving at ballpark results that help us make particular decisions. Here’s an example:
i. Ecotect would be great telling us “If we increase the glazing ratio by 10% on the north façade,
we can decrease our lighting power density in the north offices by 15% while having only a moderate
impact on our heating or cooling costs.
ii. It wouldn’t be great for telling us “Mr. Building owner, with this façade your total electricity
costs in a year will be exactly “$XXX.”
iii. While it might be able to come close, you would have to spend a very significant amount
of time fine tuning every bit of the building model, and ensure that every material used was perfectly
modeled, etc. and you would still have a very hard time simulating actual costs since Ecotect doesn’t
have a way of simulating the actual HVAC systems that will be used in the building.
4. Fear of limiting design options due to limitations of software
a. A building design should never be handicapped or limited due software constraints. I’ve heard
this concern voiced before by principals who are experiencing the initial growing pains of moving
to a BIM program. Some creative ideas might be stymied if modelers don’t have enough knowledge of
the software to properly create it in 3D. These same concerns may arise when evaluating a building
simulation program.
b. Here’s something I’ve seen several times: a designer who has never done energy simulation
themselves starts to use a tool such as Ecotect. They are initially drawn to Ecotect because it is a tool for
designers and is highly visual, and in some ways, simplified. They don’t feel as intimated by it as with a
program like EnergyPlus or eQuest, which, though capable of highly detailed analysis (and free), have a
sizeable learning curve and do not natively accept Revit files. The funny thing that happens, though, is
that once the designer starts to understand the power of using Ecotect to evaluate design options, they
quickly start wanting to perform studies or calculations that Ecotect (and several of the ESP’s that are
aimed at architects) just weren’t designed to handle. Examples include wanting to evaluate the impact
of the stack effect in an atrium or stairwell, or analyzing the effectiveness of a double façade system
in minimizing heat gains while mitigating noise pollution. Sure, there are some components of these
scenarios that Ecotect could still help with, but for a comprehensive look at how these systems will
affect your whole building, you’re going to have to jump up to a tool like EnergyPlus or the robust and
wizard driven eQuest.
13
c. This limitation or demarcation can be a challenge. An atrium is something that is clearly the
designer’s purview, but to really understand its impact, the design might have to ship their digital files off
to the engineer so that they can run a detailed analysis. For this very reason, the Chartered Institution of
Building Service Engineers (CIBSE) recommends a two tier approach. The first tier is a simplified design
simulation, followed by a detailed analysis by an expert using a much more sophisticated tool. This split
can work well, but still makes it difficult (and potentially much more expensive) to accommodate much
back and forth give and take between the designers and engineers.
5. The current approach of designers in energy efficient design
a. Many experienced architects will tell you that environmentally conscious and energy efficient
design is nothing new. They’ve been designing with these goals in mind for many years, long before user
friendly ESP’s were available. The number one resource they use to make these design decisions is past
experience (and a lot of it) and intuition – also guided by such experience. Guidebooks are another
important resource, and have the benefit of being very detailed, specific to particular building types,
easily accessible, and don’t require a lot building information or technical training to implement. Rules
of thumb or mathematical formulas are also common influencers of design decisions.
b. So why even use ESP’s? While it is difficult to substitute for decades of real world experience,
ESP’s can help less experienced designers still make good decisions and understand their impacts. Also,
even experience and rules of thumb can steer us in the wrong direction. In some cases, we may not fully
appreciate the complex relationships between parts of a design. Focusing on one aspect can cause us to
be shortsighted and miss some issues that a building simulation might reveal. Also important is the fact
that energy simulation programs take into account actual location specific weather and climate data,
which has a significant impact, while guide books and rules of thumb are much more general.
All of these factors weigh in, and as a whole, have kept some design firms from integrating regular
energy simulation into their every day design process. I believe that the points I’ve outlined are some
of the more common reasons for this, and also suggest some ways we might press on and solve these
issues. What are your thoughts? What has held your firm back? What are your concerns in regards to
energy simulation? Has your firm jumped ahead of the pack in this regard, already benefiting from
the use of tools such as Ecotect, Green Building Studio, or eQuest? Whatever the case, I’d love to hear
from you and I’m sure your feedback can help us move ahead and start enjoying the benefits of energy
simulation right now!
Comments or answers to these questions can be submitted to [email protected].
referencesWorld Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), “Building Sector Must Change to
Meet Global Energy Targets, New Study Finds” Web. 27 April 2009. <http://www.wbcsd.org/plugins/
DocSearch/details.asp?type=DocDet&ObjectId=MzQyMDY>.
“Using BIM for Greener Designs” Autodesk whitepaper, 2007.
Seletsky, Paul. “Digital Design and the Age of Building Simulation” AECbytes Viewpoint #19, 31
October 2005.
Clarke, Joseph. “Energy Simulation in Building Design 2nd Edition” Elsevier, 2001
14
ARCHITECTUREAND THEBODYJohn David Waller, Assoc. AIA, leed ap
introductionThe earliest influences of the body on architecture reach far beyond our usual conceptions of Vitruvius,
of Michelangelo and Leonardo. We can picture with clairvoyance, Homo sapien crouching, arms straining
as they hover, crossed above his matted locks, hands cupped downward, fingers pressing tightly against
each of their neighbors so as not to permit a single drop of the water falling from the sky to wet his skin.
He is cold. His body, core and limbs, tremor in unison. His elongated jowl begins to vibrate, without his
making, mandibles clashing in a rapid cadence against those rooted in the base of his skull. The liquid
pellets striking his back become irritating, torturous even. But he is basically helpless, he is saturated,
for there is only so much one can do to shelter himself from the wants of nature. Although he may not
have known happiness as we perceive it today, in our construed modern state of convenience and luxury,
he was anything but happy in this moment. Contented though, he must have been, the instant he realized
his ability to find shelter in things other than his gangly limbs. From a tree canopy and a rocky hillside
cave, to a fallen branch and a loosened stone, he discovers materials to construct a shelter, ironically
given to him by the same environment which terrorized his very being. And with the same hands he
used to deny the rain, he would learn to assemble a primordial refuge from it and its cursed relatives.
Buildings, however primitive, are inherently connected to the human body. While this is not intended
as a history lesson in human shelter, we take a long journey to Rome where our natural inclination on
the subject matter might have us go; from Vitruvius’ great manifesto to Caesar, through the two most
celebrated prodigies of the renaissance, to the ‘raven-like one’ to today.
15
On Constructions, Overlays and Blasphemy
Much of the influence of the human body on architecture (from the beginnings
of Christianity to modern Catholicism) can be attributed to religion. God, being
the ’Great Architect’ - man, made in the image of God - the image being the
body - the body being the temple - the church designed in the image (in form)
of man, of ‘God-man’ - the human figure, the Christ figure, the head of the
church abstractly translated in plan - the apse, the head - the nave, the body
- the Crucifix arrangement of spaces in a building plan which rendered a very
specific form. One need only overlay Vitruvius’ ‘man’ on even a contemporary,
traditional church to appreciate it. (fig. 1)
History shows us of the influence of the body on architecture in two ways.
First, in physical constructions; man’s instinctual manipulation of material in
its natural state for the purpose of developing shelter, which hasn’t changed
greatly, except for the processing and manufacturing of natural materials into
building components still, for the most part, assembled by hand. Second, the
figurative exposition of the human form, emergent in plan, for the purpose of
identifying the body with the built; for the purpose of providing sanctuary.
(fig. 2) Yet, it is such formative translation of the human figure, studies of the
body in profuse sketches by the greats, which illustrate its shape, still and
in motion, where correspondence between the built and the natural conclude.
We are aware though, of deeper assessments, conducted in private, illegally,
against the will of the church. Examinations which explored the inner work-
ings of the body, its skeletal, muscular, reproductive, circulatory and neuro-
logical systems, documented and preserved in sketch. (fig. 3) It is here where
we recognize the derivative, the inspiration behind the drawings, the innately
human desire - not of body, but of mind - to understand completely, why and
how things work. These, performed dissections of the human body to see be-
yond form, seek a deeper understanding of function, of systems, and of per-
formance. This is the scholarship where contemporary correlations between
architecture and the body should be made, where dissection of the built would
benefit immensely from an informative surgical analysis of the human body.
It is from the inside where essential connections to outside will reveal them-
selves, where there exist associations that cannot be ignored. An endogenous
development process, whereby biological organisms originate from within,
could greatly inform our current processes of building design. There is much
yet to be discovered of how the body can influence architecture, beyond sim-
ply the making of it with our hands, or the superimposition of its form for
ritualistic expression.
fi g. 01 Church Plan, Vitruvian Man Overlay
fi g. 02 Human form sketches by Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo
fi g. 03 Da Vinci dissection sketches with digital anatomy overlays, j d waller
16
fi gure
4
3D Integrated systems representation of Vitruvian Man j d waller
Toward an Architecture of ResponseBut what of the influence of architecture, as it has come to be, on the human body? And where, and when did the transition of the body influencing architecture,
to that of architecture influencing the body take place? While human comfort has always been desirable, it has only been inthe last half-century, with the
advent of mechanical air-conditioning, that ‘human comfort’ was technically explored and exploited, sold and accepted as corporately definable rather than
corporally interpreted.
Today we have adopted the term ’Environmental Control Systems’, for which one can only presume, sounds more responsible than the tenured, industrial
age ‘HVAC’ expression. But when we reflect on the human body as a natural element informing the built, we must consider much more than its figure, and
further, its perceived ability to ‘control’. We must consider its inbuilt systems, its circadian cycles, and its chronobiological reply; its natural, integrated
mechanisms for responding to the larger ‘Cycle of Things’. In doing so, we instigate a more intuitive design by which the body begins to enlighten the built
with an understanding of behavioral response rather than impulsive command. We begin to perceive the implications of suggesting such an ’Environmental
Response System’, versus the former. And we realize, as observed in the human body, the significance of developing an integrated construction, a network of
systems, reactive, communicative, implicitly adjusted, and conductively invested both in its occupants and that which it occupies. We devise a new schema; an
‘Architecture of Response’.
As the idea develops, so does the discussion of form and function take on a novel significance. In seeking order, as exemplified by the human body, we
understand in functionality, a connection to the larger environment that is yet to be realized in the built, and formality as simply the resultant effect of adapted
functional responses to external natural conditions. One interesting correlation to consider is, whether heated or cooled to an uncomfortable condition, the
human body contains natural response mechanisms for maintaining its core temperature. Is it not then appropriate, that the interior of our built creations seek
to maintain a similar level of comfort for their own guts and unsuspecting occupants? Could not such ordinary reactions be calculated into the design of a
building? - with conventional mechanical devices, no, but in biomimetic and ecological reflection, most certainly.
Proportion and Symmetry ReconsideredSimpler illustrations exist, of how the human body responds to its natural setting than those depicted
in our Paleolithic friend, examples that tell of a more natural architecture, one that might appear more
‘alive’. Vitruvius identifies the three ‘departments of architecture’ as ‘the art of building, the making
of time-pieces, and the construction of machinery’. Le Corbusier impresses upon us the notion of the
‘machine for living in’. The human body itself is often referred to as a ‘biological machine’. Thus, in
considering our contemporary dilemma, a grand effort toward developing the ‘Machine for Sustainable
Living’ must be put forth. When we consider Vitruvius’ three conditions as requisite to the architecture
and construction of the human body, whether naturally evolved or created, it becomes clear that such
elements are fundamental to success in the making of anything significant; that ‘beauty, convenience and
durability’ are essential ingredients, required only when one sets-out to generate something substantial
out of nothing considerable, ‘and when its members are in due proportion according to correct principles
of symmetry’, as Vitruvius informs us. And it is beauty that follows naturally, but only when convenience
and durability have been suitably developed, and are sustained throughout a design.
In reconsidering proportion and symmetry (fig. 4) through a more contemporary lens, and how such
fundamental principles might apply to modern practices of sustainable design, we cannot help but to
think of the essential balance required in developing relative proportions between that which is input,
and that which is put out of our buildings. The energy demands designed into our buildings, and the
consequential production of superfluous waste, could be significantly reduced and optimally managed
with a better understanding of the efficiency and natural industry inherent in the human body. Further, we
cannot design today without considering an explicit symmetry, also exhibited in the human body, not in
form, but in function, as essential to the relationship between the natural and the built; the equilibrium
necessary to be achieved in each and every new building we propose, the importance of conceiving
architecture as a part of the whole, as an impartial coordination, balanced in association to the natural
cycles of its surroundings. Like the body, the completed entity is thearchitecture, the composition of its
parts and its integrated systems of response. If we accept architecture, as it is most commonly defined,
the art and science of building, then we must strive to maintain a certain balance between the two. For
too long architecture has sought to identify itself strictly in form. And if we believe that the body, its
biological systems, can influence a more responsible architecture, then we are obligated to reflect on
its inbuilt organism, its inherent response apparatus. We are compelled peer inside, to inquire how it
works. It is only when we do, that the human body will enlighten and impress upon us its true potential
to inform an architecture which is so well adjustable, and adapted to its natural milieu.
Pollio, Marcus Vitruvius, Morgan, Morris H. (Translator). Vitruvius: The Ten Books On Architecture.
Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1914
Le Corbusier, Etchells, Frederick (Translator). Towards A New Architecture. New York: Dover, 1985
references
18
Taz Loomans, ASSOC. AIA
special
feature
I sat down with Chris Nieto Assoc. AIA, the founding principal of merzproject along with Joe Herzog AIA,
last week at one of their projects, Giant Coffee. merzproject is a premier up and coming architecture firm
in the Valley. They’ve done some excellent projects such as the After Hours Gallery, The Galleries at
Turney and the Show Low Public Library.
Many of the people who work at merzproject went to school with me, Joe Herzog, Jonah Busick and Alison
Rainey to name a few. This firm is producing exciting, cutting edge work. Theirs is a simple, elegant yet
raw style of projects. The designers at merzproject are making their mark in Phoenix and I hope they go
on to do it on a larger scale. They manage to push the envelope with good design and are at the same
time, respectful of the desert.
Chris is the business development principal at merzproject and he spoke with me about the realities of
running an architecture firm in this terrible recession and gave me a sneak peak at the kinds of projects
they’re going after next.
Below is our conversation:
TAZ: Chris, tell me a little bit about merzproject.
Chris Nieto: merzproject is an architecture company that was formed in 2004. We have excellent people
working with us and we’re able to work with pretty awesome clients which allows us to do the work that
we do. We’ve been very very lucky.
TAZ: What’s the mission behind merzproject?
Chris Nieto: To change the world through architecture.
TAZ: What’s an example of that?
Chris Nieto: Creating a building that can effect many people at a time, to change the way people perceive
a city or a space or how they occupy space. There’s something incredible to me about building buildings,
it’s almost like creating history in many cases. It’s very tangible, it’s something you can see: something
that was once a vacant piece of property or an underutilized piece of property now is something
spectacular.
19
INTERVIEW:[MERZ]PROJECT
TAZ: What’s your view on sustainability and how do you incorporate that into your projects?
Chris Nieto: I think that it should just be in city code. I think that good designers do it naturally. As far
as LEED accreditation, as far as labels are concerned, we don’t really pay much attention to them. We
try to inherently do that in the design. I think its responsible designing and building. I think that good
designers need to do it.
Sometimes budgets prohibit us from doing a ton of stuff, but we can do what we can given the budget with
have to work with and the schedule we have to work with. There’s no such thing as the perfect project,
eventually you have to finish. All we can do is the best we can. Hopefully the best idea comes forward.
TAZ: How do you see merzproject buildings changing Phoenix?
Chris Nieto: One project at a time and getting involved with the community. I sit on a couple of different
boards around town. All we can do is one building at a time and just be good to each other and try to make
as many connections as we possibly can. Be good people and hopefully do the right thing.
TAZ: How does the architecture that you do change Phoenix? How does it make an impact on Phoenix?
Chris Nieto: Phoenix to me is such a young city with a lack of identity, but there is incredible architecture
that exists here. And I think merzproject is a part of that. I will argue that everybody up there (in the
office) is a rockstar. There is incredible architecture that exists here and there are incredibly talented
people who work here, and I am really proud to live here in Phoenix and be a part of it. We cannot do
everything by ourselves. But we are hopefully going to be considered as part of the group of people who
are creating change in Phoenix for the better.
TAZ: What kind of projects would you like to go after? What are you seeing in your future?
Chris Nieto: We are going after more Health Care (projects). I think there is opportunity for design in
Health Care projects. We’re seeing more Health Care projects in (magazines like) Architectural Record. Health Care is a big deal, it’s a huge part of our economy. It’s about a quarter of our Gross Domestic
Product. Health Care as an industry will continue to grow as the economy grows. And as technology
changes, hospitals change too.
merzproject hasn’t really had a repeat client. We have to start over every time. I don’t know if it gets
easier over time. If you can get in with Health Care, you know you have an ongoing client. Because as
technology changes, as hospitals change, we’ll be needed. There’s something nice about that.
TAZ: There is a definite reality to keeping your doors open.
Chris Nieto: And we think we can bring something to the table no matter what the project. It can be a
hospital. Any place where people are going to spend a significant amount of time healing is a place
where we can do our thing. Well designed spaces help people heal, relax people and reduce stress.
Special thanks to Tazmine Loomans, also known as Taz. You can fi nd more of Taz and on her blog: bloomingrock.com
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