My building will be located in the "Narcisa de Jesus" highway in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The pros about the location are the following:
- Its part of a massive ongoing public project
- Easy access because its on a new highway.
- It will be located on Ecuador's biggest park "Parque Samanes". Which is on phase 1 of construction.
- The project will face Guayas River, the biggest in the country.
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With an average temperature of 26 degrees and a maximum of 33.4 degrees, we are definitely looking at a cooling problem.
I can't say the shape of this set of buildings represent something beyond aiming for squares, I was free styling and I know its just an initial conception. The only things I had in mind before start drawing were the following, Besides being mostly mass timber and curtain wall:
- I wanted a square shape building with an atrium all the way from the level 1 to the highest level. This will incorporate an interior open space, also providing more curtain wall area for the building, increasing the natural light source.
- I wanted different masses with different heights interconnected between them. I wanted to use the top levels for different activities and this different heights give visual entertainment to he people on the upper levels of other buildings.
- I wanted the hole complex to resemble the main building. Thats why the perimeter of the hole complex in floor view it's also a square. Because of the different heights and this relation of shapes, it creates a sunlight cover between buildings at times.
I try changing the height relation between the main square shape building and the L shape building.
I think I aesthetically prefer the taller L shape. Even though the solar analysis reflected that the
energy saving with PV panels is higher with the taller square shape building.
I apply the sun trajectory on both models, but I think the orientation will mostly depend on the river facing strategy. Thats why for the moment I haven't decide the orientation.
Then I uploaded both models to Insight to compare them. In the solar analysis it says that Project will generate more PV power than Project 2. But looking this with other perspective Its also more expensive to make it comfortable inside Project 2. Aiming to reduce the energy consumption and aesthetics I will go with Project 2.
I know LoE glass its expensive, and a project with 95% of curtain wall it can scale up prices a lot. I have to make a cost-benefits analysis because maybe its better to change to the more expensive double LoE glass, reducing the HVAC cost.
I'm not sure of the challenge of designing Structural Insulated Panels (SIP) in Revit, that's why I went with the timber frame with wool insulation. Although the cost is very similar.
The project will definitely have PV panels, I put 10 years of payback because it costs the same as 20 years, and 30 years its a lot of time. I don't fully understand what means surface cover because it says the cost of covering all the percentages is the same. But even if it is I don't want to cover all the surface with PV panels, 60% its also a lot.
Looks like the project orientation don't mind. So it will 100% depends on the river facing preference.
Finally I selected that the operation schedule will be 12 hours daily, but all the days of the week because the project will be of public use. Considering that I will apply occupancy controls for energy saving.
