Glenn Katz
Overall I want to create a space that engages with its context, integrates sustainable materials, and creates an interior that feels open, cohesive, all while being environmentally sustainable as well.
In terms of environmental and economic sustainability, I would want the building to have low embodied and operational carbon emissions. Some building and system features could include utilizing passive solar heating, like orienting the building to face south and integrating water or trombe walls and utilizing materials with high thermal mass to allow the building itself to store and release heat at optimal times. Ideally, the building would also have on-site PV electricity to generate power, as well.
The building system can also have radiant cooling and heating systems to minimize the need for mechanical/forced air ventilation further reducing carbon dioxide emissions. It draws on historical heating systems such as the Korean ondol system where a home is heated through its floors from heat from a firebox, also used to cook and heat water. Designing a building with high ceilings/atriums can also facilitate natural ventilation through the stack effect and allow excess heat to rise and exit the building. A “sunscreen facade” such as a double-skin or innovative ways to use material like brick and ceramics can further help with ventilation and take advantage of passive solar. Facade design not only can help lower the building’s environmental impact but also help define the character of the building, as well.
In terms of social and cultural sustainability, the building should be public-oriented and engage with the community it serves, wherever it may be. There have been conversations about the lack of accessible/affordable “third spaces,” or a space besides home or work for people to meet, congregate, and build community. This could be an interesting concept to examine as social sustainability. Some existing examples include cafes, restaurants, libraries, gyms, theaters, and museums.
Design inspiration / ideas: Experientially, I want to evoke a sense of integration with the environment. The building is not an isolated being but the environment, the built environment. Especially for the entry/lobby space, I want it to be both a public and accessible space, as well as one of transition that pulls people in and encourages engagement and interaction.
Some precedents: