Module 3 - Points to Ponder

Accurate modeling of a site’s land features helps ensure that engineered parts of the building such as the retaining walls are constructed appropriately in order to combat some of the lateral forces applied by surrounding soils. From a design perspective, it is important to build with the surroundings in mind because it allows project members to visualize the best opportunities for new development in comparison to those options which might be more costly.

As with many aspects of construction, a cost and energy efficient building typically means these two are adapted to each other. Adapting the terrain to a building is not always sustainable, especially on a hillside particularly susceptible to erosion. In such cases, foundations and tiebacks can only go so far before becoming too expensive. On the other hand, completely adapting a building to the terrain might compromise the owner’s goals for the project. This can ultimately affect the livability of a structure, its practicality, or other aspects important to a habitable building.

Stacking levels for a multi-story building can allow for efficient wall designs and construction processes. Among these methods are the extension of steel members across levels which help reinforce the building in cost-effective manner. This also often helps make fire escape and engineered fire protection measures more easily implementable into the building. However, a non-vertically stacked building has the potential for neat, decentralized HVAC systems potentially more capable of energy efficiency than their vertically stacked counterparts. The unique non-vertically stacked slabs also allow the designer and owner to very tangibly create different spaces to have different uses. Herzog & de Meuron’s VitraHaus in Germany strove for these goals while simultaneously aiming to optimize natural sunlight input.