For the appearance of my Sustainable Built Environment Learning and Exhibition Center, I want it to look modern but can also blend well in with the surrounding natural environment. The center will ideally be a mass timber building since mass timber is a sustainable material that is becoming more and more popular in the structural industry, and I am interested in learning more about it. I want the building to have a natural vibe with lots of green plants in it, so people who are using this building would feel comfortable and relaxing. I believer mass timber structures will fit well with the overall building’s aesthetics. The Timber House designed by Adjaye Associates nicely integrates the timber structure and green plants, which inspires me.
Timber House Designed by Adjaye Associates
Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice
I hope the building can not only serve as a learning and exhibition center for visitors, but itself can be an innovative example of the sustainable built systems. A good example that inspires me is the Beitou Library in Taiwan. This library has a well-designed solar panel system and a rainwater collection system that allow the library to save energy and water usage efficiently.
Beitou Library in Taiwan
For my building, I want to use natural lighting as much as possible in a building for both the aesthetic and power saving purposes. I will also study the different orientations of the building to see how much solar insolation a building can possibly get. I came across an interesting website about the natural lighting in architecture (https://www.lkhpd.com.sg/natural-lighting-in-architecture/), and I learned about different types of natural lighting and their effects on a building. If possible, I would love to study the different layouts of windows to see how they will affect the building atmosphere.
Bendigo Base Hospital, Australia
Tepper Quad building of Carnegie Mellon
It might also be interesting to see if solar panels (PV) panels are placed on the building’s roof, which orientation can make the panels absorb the most energy over a period of time.
Since the building is used to serve people, it is important for it to be designed in a way that people are comfortable being in it. I would like to carefully design the floor/space layout of the building to make sure that people can move safely and quickly around the building even during peak hours.
