My big idea for the Sustainable Built Environment Learning and Exhibition Center combines both a modern and natural aesthetic while achieving energy efficiency and sustainability. To achieve this, I want to focus on five key elements.
- Use lots of daylight throughout the building.
College of Lake County’s LEED Platinum-certified Science and Engineering Building exemplifies bar massing. I will use an east/west orientation of a linear mass for my building that maximizes daylight from the south (direct sunlight) and the north (indirect sunlight). This simple geometry allows natural light to reach deep into the facility.
Another inspiration is the Hankook Technoplex in Seoul. The building façades have been carefully designed to optimize the use of natural light. Glass louvers are wrapped around the building at varying levels of density to moderate the indoor light levels.
- Use solar photovoltaic panels on the roof
As my Exhibition Center will be located on Stanford’s campus in the heart of Silicon Valley of Sunny California, I would like to use solar energy as a renewable source of energy within the building. I decide to use rooftop photovoltaic panels to help power parts of the facility. Also, I will design the roof to have a parapet so that visitors can come out and explore the panels.
- Use green roof
Using green roofs to reduce stormwater runoff, help moderate internal temperatures, and improve air quality. I will also design the roof to have a parapet so that visitors can come out of the excitation and explore the panels. My Inspiration is from the California Academy of Sciences:
- Use of sustainable construction material
I would like my Exhibition Center to use sustainable materials and structural optimization to reduce material use. Inspired by the Tiing hotel in Bali. It used bamboo together with concrete to build textured walls that blended well with the location’s natural surroundings.
- Incorporate a biophilic design and maximize the green space
I want to incorporate a biophilic design and maximize the green space inside the building so that people can feel immersed in nature as they enter the building. I hope to help them realize the responsibility of cherishing the environment. My inspiration is Parkroyal Collection Pickering Hotel in Singapore.
- Rainwater harvesting system
rainwater harvesting systems — including innovative roof pitches, gutters and water tanks to collect and store rainwater for use in irrigation and other non-potable uses, such as flushing toilets or irrigation.
