Let’s do our part.
Kyle Berkland
CCDN 331
Vanessa Crowe/Stream 2
Imagine if the world we
live in was to disintegrate in 100 years because of the environmental issues and concerns that have an effect
on all of us, from what we do, to what we don’t do. As designers we can do our part and make
this world more environmentally friendly and more sustainable by adapting and
undertaking this concept of eco design. Eco design is good for the environment,
economy and people because it has special consideration to environmental issues
and a products life cycle. Which leads me to my statement of how us as
designers, can use eco design to achieve material and energy savings while
reducing their environmental impact.
A majority of design in
the 21st century reflects a pervasive shift in societal priorities,
toward sustainable/eco design approaches to building and manufacturing, which
is a good step for designers to make this planet more environmentally friendly
and sustainable. With businesses and companies continuing to feel the effect of
the economic downturn, it is a good time to start looking at possible benefits
that us as designers can bring to the table. This is an opportunity to do our
part to making this world a better place and this is what a team of designers have
already done, consisting of members from Vanderweil and HOK, has created a
project called “Process Zero, Retrofit Resolution” in downtown Los Angeles. This was a challenge of making an ageing 1960’s building
energy self-sufficient using modular microalgae bioreactors, thin-film
photovoltaic panels and greywater recycling system. This would decrease the
current overall energy demand by 84% while generated the remaining 16% on site,
resulting in a net-zero energy building. This design believed to be an
architectural first which uses bio-engineering processes to create energy
onsite. This network of bioreactors preforms various functions. The algae
reproduces; extracting nutrients from the buildings greywater, helped by the
energy of the sun, they photosynthesize, thereby producing lipids for on-site
conversion into fuel and oxygen to enhance the office atmosphere; they absorb
harmful emissions from nearby traffic; and they provide shade to parts of the
interior.
The architects have also incorporated proven
energy-conservation and renewable strategies into their design. (image) This
includes three angled atria in the roof and eight light wells maximize the
amount of daylight that enters the block and ensure that all workspaces are well
lit; integrated louvers allow natural ventilation; a new façade wrapped in photovoltaic
film generates solar power; roof top solar collectors circulate recycled water
to aid climate control; and office equipment is operated by a centralized
computing system. Microalgae bioreactor could generate 9% of the building’s
energy needs. The microalgae can synthesize wastewater and absorb carbon
dioxide generated by nearby traffic to produce oils, which can be extracted for
fuel. This project can provoke new ways of thinking by using bio-engineering to
contribute to making a number of ageing buildings an environmentally sound and
better place to work in. Having this type of design incorporated into multiple
buildings would significantly change the world’s atmosphere on a regular basis,
taking all the nasty emissions from the atmosphere and turning it into clean
oxygen to enhance the user’s experience. This building is basically a living
entity, using materials such as microalgae bioreactors, photovoltaic panels and
greywater recycling system, which is all environmentally friendly materials,
makes the project a living entity with it repeatedly going over its own process
to create a better atmosphere and produce energy which leads to a cheaper,
cleaner environment which benefits the user significantly.
With
an increase of power hungry products we need to look at ways of improving the
environmental performance of products throughout their life cycle which can
benefit the users experience and costs, such as using nature to our advantage
with the likes of using hydroponics. Nature is all around us and I don’t see
why we don’t use it more often to assist with producing energy and saving lots
of money for the user or company. If designers wanted to make a more
sustainable and cleaner world, they will have to make wise energy choices and
nature is the right answer because solar power and wind are free. Active
modular phytoremediation is a project prototype to help improve indoor air
quality while reducing pressure on energy hungry heating, ventilation, and
air-conditioning systems by using the power of wind and nature together. It is
well understood that contemporary construction materials and designs negatively
impact the internal environment of buildings, thereby contributing to health
problems for many users. This situation is often worsened by the high levels of
pollution in urban spaces that typically surround these buildings. The active
modular phytoremediation system works to address these issues with a design
that is both elegant and low energy which in turn makes it cheaper for the user.
Modular pods that contain a variety of hydroponic plants are mounted to a wall.
(image) The growing method used for the plants has the advantage of
exposing their roots, resulting in three to four time the efficiency compared
with potted plants, in which air filtration occurs through the leaves. In this situation,
air is directed across the roots, which absorb airborne toxins, including
volatile organic compounds and particulate matter, which are harmful to people.
Since these particles are taken in at the root level and not through the
leaves, the plant does not become toxic, resulting with clean air that then flows out of each pod through a
series of clean air ducts and is reintroduced to the environment. This process
improves air quality while decreasing energy consumption which creates a
healthier, cheaper internal environment which can benefit the user’s health and
experience.
Instead
of treating it as a troublesome weed, should we encourage moss as a renewable
source of energy? Moss might be your worst enemy in the garden but there is
potential that it could provide cheap electricity. This emerging technology
astounded me and it’s called B.P.V, short for Bio-Photo-Voltaic. A short
definition of this term is during photosynthesis creates a range of organic
compounds that go into the soil which can create a steady flow of electrons in
the soil. Use can then use ribbons of carbon fibre to absorb them which can be
channelled into a usable electrical current. Simply an array of bio-photo-voltaic
devices can make moss generate electricity and that is what this moss table is
producing. (IMAGE) This to me is a good eco design product because
you’re taking a natural object and putting it to use rather than doing what
majority of people do which is throw this weed out. Sadly the lamp you see in
the picture cannot yet be powered by moss pots but what they can do is power
small devices such as digital clocks and also can power a laptop for 10 seconds
which is very impressive from this garden pest. This development of this
emerging technology could be part of the future development of eco design,
although it’s a very small amount of savings it’s in a good direction to be
developed further to eventually create a system to power larger products in an environmentally
friendly way. My honest opinion of this project is that it is very impressive
that you can take a garden weed and produce useable electricity from it to
power small devices which in turn save costs for the user and it’s good for the
little things but on a larger scale this moss table isn’t that helpful but of
course it can be further developed to power larger products. This overall is a
new way of thinking of this nasty weed and can be produced into a sustainable
product that can benefit the user with costs of small device products.
The potential for designers is to recognize
environmental benefits by identifying more sustainable techniques to minimise
the use of materials over the entire life cycle which is product design to
disposal. I like this idea of how products can have little environmental impact
and that there is no such thing as waste. A cherry tree makes many blossoms and
fruit to grow. That’s why the trees bloom. But the extra blossoms are far from
useless. They fall to the ground, decompose and feed various organisms and
microorganisms, and enrich the soil. I think this idea of no such thing as
waste, has had an influence on the project of a pair of biodegradable shoes. (IMAGE) Thinking of the products life
cycle and after you finish wearing a pair of shoes, all you do with them is
throw them into a bin, which is such a waste. These biodegradable shoes fit
right into my opinion of no such thing as waste. The materials used to create
these shoes are the use of natural, renewable materials that actually give back
to the environment. For example the wool they use in the shoe is biodegradable
and can work as a natural fertilizer by releasing sulphur and nitrogen back into
the soil. This avoids more pollution and waste that is already in the world
today. This kind of eco design is very affordable, useful and the designers
really thought about the products environmental performance and their product
life cycle. Although this question seems silly a lot of people wonder, what if
the shoe started to biodegrade while I’m still wearing them. A little further
research and I found out that they only start to biodegrade when they are
confronted with anaerobic and aerobic conditions which can be found at a
landfill. It actually takes twenty years for these shoes to biodegrade compared
to original shoes that could take up to one hundred years. Overall these are
the type of steps and inspiration’s designers have to look at if we want to
achieve material savings while
reducing the environmental impact.
By using eco
design we can achieve material and energy savings while reducing the
environmental impact and benefit of the user’s experience. The team in downtown
Los Angeles showed us how we can turn an ageing building into a modern energy
saving, environmentally friendly living entity which benefits the user with an
refreshing internal experience and have saved money on energy costs. Designers who
created the Active modular phytoremediation
prototype used hydroponics to help improve indoor air quality
while reducing pressure on energy hungry heating, ventilation, and
air-conditioning systems. This project ultimately enhances the users experience
within the building and can also prevent illness as well as savings on energy
costs. Having biodegradable shoes with materials that give back to the earth
strengthens my opinion of there is no such thing as waste and creating the shoe with
environmentally friendly materials made this possible. Some potential ideas for
further exploration can be looking at new products and seeing how we can
integrate renewable energy resources within the products or projects and how we
can create an environmentally friendly atmosphere that can benefit the user in
more than one way. If designers can do their part in adapting to the concept of
eco design, saving materials, saving energy, saving money, creating a unique
fresh experience for users and overall making products that are environmentally
friendly, I think that we can clearly say that we are doing our part to make
this world a more eco-friendly and sustainable place to live in.
References
McDonough, W., &
Braungart, M. (2002). Cradle to cradle:
Remaking the way we make things. New York: North Point Press.
Meyers, W. Bio design: Nature technology creativity.
(2012). Farnborough: Thames & Hudson.
Orr, D. (1994). The Nature of Design: Ecology, Culture and
Human Intention. New York: Oxford University Press.
Yu, Long (2009) Biodegradable Polymer Blends and Composites
from Renewable Resources Retrieved from http://www.vuw.eblib.com.helicon.vuw.ac.nz/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=427895
Images:
White abstract background (cover photo) - http://dryicons.com/free-graphics/preview/white-abstract-background/
Images found in Meyers,
W. Bio design: Nature technology
creativity. (2012). Farnborough: Thames & Hudson.
But
retrieved from:
Process
Zero, Retrofit Resolution - http://www.evolo.us/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Process_Zero-Retrofit_Resolution_1.jpg
Active modular phytoremediation
- http://static.thetechjournal.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Purify-The-Air-Through-AMP-600x400.png
Moss Table -http://33.media.tumblr.com/f03ad1bb08970c83532e0608d9d50583/tumblr_mgs6jh6IS11qbh26io1_1280.jpg
Biodegradable shoes - http://www.yankodesign.com/images/design_news/1970/01/01/one_moment_shoe.jpg
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