Glenn KatzBroad ideas for a Sustainable Built Environment Learning and Exhibition Center
- Big Design Ideas
I’m really interested in the materiality of sustainable buildings, as I studied in Italy over the summer and the way that their concept of sustainability differs is much different than ours. I was in a town called San Gemini, and most of their buildings are made from stone or brick, some of which have survived since the 11th century, which I would say is extremely sustainable. With the density of the walls, there is also not as much of a need for air conditioning as there is in the United States, where everything is constructed as fast as possible with as cheap materials as possible, only to get torn down 20 years later for some new building to get put in its place.
However, since we don’t have a lot of stone or marble rubble lying around like they did in the times of the Romans, we have to go about creating lasting buildings in a different way. So, for this project, I want to really create a building made to last, not built on superficial principles but actually have it rooted in its location and able to last. Off of this, I started down the rabbit hole of unique materials that are being used in construction now and have attached some images below.
- Design Inspirations
I found much good inspiration while traversing the internet, including this cool building/forest structure in the UK. There are actually plants growing up the sides of those “supertrees,” and not only do the built installations enhance the beauty of the surrounding nature, but they also have PV panels that act as a sort of cooling system that regulates the environment around it.
One Angel Square, Co-operative Group HQ
Architects: 3DReid
Location: Manchester, UK
Architect: Kuo Ying-Chao
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
- Innovative Building / System Features
Here, I wanted to focus on materials that I could use, more non-traditional ones, as I want the building itself to be a place of interest, not just the exhibitions
The above is a sheet of conventional vs. nonconventional roofing, wall, and insulation materials, and I noticed that the nonconventional ones were more natural, less man-made and I really liked that. I need to look more into how these would hold up over time, but the general idea makes me excited.
This is another bunch of nonconventional materials that reuse old materials.
In this one I liked the silicate paints, as it is very durable and weather resistant, yet breathable so that water can’t just stuck in between a thick layer of paint and a wall and create problems. The living plant walls were also interesting and definitely opens up a lot more options for exhibits.