Sketch Design of the Building [Figure 1]
The site locates at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, California.
Site Picture [Figure 2]
The project is near Corte Madera Creek and also has lakes on the side. It also has the natural benefit of sunlight. Therefore, I want to design my project with three main buildings on the left, right and back sides. In the middle of the buildings, I designed a window curtain wall structure as a natural light arcade. At the same time, this arcade can connect the three buildings as a whole.
Natural lighting can save a lot of energy in lighting, but it also cost a lot more need in cooling during the summer. As a result, I decide to install the sharing system on the exterior wall of the buildings. (Brown-Straight Line on the exterior of figure 1)
Considering the building might be located on hills, I also decide to design an underground parking structure system. (See Figure 1)
Psychrometric Chart of the site [Figure 3]
Monthly Dirunal Average Chart [Figure 4]
Temperature Range Chart [Figure 5]
From the Psychrometric Chart [Figure 3], I found out that I need to have 1429 hours of sun shading and 2617 hours of heating and humidification. From Figures 4 and 5, though during the summer the temperature and humidity in Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve are good, during winter time, the lowest temperature can still be close to 30 F and the dry bull temperature can be way lower than the comfort zone. Therefore, I want to design a heat pump + VRF heating and cooling system to resolve the problem of humidity and heating. This strategy can also help us to reach net zero building.
Sun Study [Figure 6]
Solar Insulation Design 1 [Figure 7]
PV potentials Design 1 [Figure 8]
Solar Insulation Design 2 [Figure 8]
PV Insulation Design 2 [Figure 9]
The solar radiation in my first design is 224kwh in one day. It can create 409,250 kWh/year from solar PV. In my second design, the solar radiation increases to 342 kWh and can generate 429,198 kWh/year.
I also did an energy simulation based on my project.
Before adjusting the model, the average energy cost is $14.96/m^2/yr.
Then I changed the window shade and walls on each side, it turns out that these changes have little impact on the energy model.
Lastly, I changed the lighting efficiency, plug load efficiency and HVAC. The average energy cost reached $5.47/m^2/yr, which is below than the Architecture 2030.