Case Study Zero
CAN WE DESIGN ZERO CARBON HOME USING BIO-BASED MATERIALS AND OFF-SITE CONSTRUCTION METHODS?
Case Study Zero was self guided research project executed in 2020 with support and funding provided by the Savannah College of Art and Design. Over the last 30 years the building industry has seen massive advancements in the push to combat climate change, even as the headwinds of climate change denial grew more intense. Despite the vocal skepticism, the building industry has seen a wealth of responsibly sourced and sustainably manufactured bio-based materials available for use in all layers of any homes construction. This Case Study home is designed on that fundamental concept. The site and program were derived from a past project in the studio and these variables were selected in order to provide a real world baseline for level setting and comparison to the final WBLCA comparison.
The project has targeted the following five categories as critical drivers in designing and building a campus with regenerative design principles embedded in all layers of the project.
Circular Design Principles | When designing and building in the 21st century our primary focus is on lowering a projects overall impact on the environment, climate, and resources. To ensure we are in alignment with the overall sustainability goals of the larger building industry we tailor all decisions to ensure we align with the principles of the Circular Economy. This framework guides our decision making process to ensure we are minimizing the environmental impact of the project from Day 1 and with a plan for the building at the end of its life. We are utilizing prefabrication and design for disassembly coupled with regionally sourced biobased materials to create a campus with intelligent design and construction practices tailored for the challenges of the 21st century. The buildings are designed with a prefabricated panel system that minimizes interior structural elements and bearing walls, allowing for long term adaptability of the interior spaces.
On Site Renewable Energy Production | The design team has an all electric campus designed to reach Net Zero. All photovoltaic panels are planned to be directly mounted to the roofs of the campus buildings. The on site energy production is forward proofed with provisions for a future on site energy storage system with an eye toward creating a campus micro-grid capable of maintaining critical services during a power outage.
Responsible Water Consumption | A water resilience strategy is being developed to make a meaningful reductions of on site potable well water through the selection of low flow fixtures and native planting. In addition, we will collect and store rainwater from the roofs of the new buildings for reuse in irrigation and other approved grey water applications.
Regenerative Landscape |To bolster the existing ecosystem on site we are deploying several regenerative landscape strategies in a concerted effort to protect and restore the environment while encouraging long-term biodiversity and resilience. The site improvements strategies for the project (such as minimizing hardscape surfaces, utilizing bioswales and other natural wetland features for run off water control, and densifying the native vegetation on site) are being layered to create a campus living in harmony with the nature of Central Virginia. This design approach should lead to effective and natural erosion control, reduced water consumption, elimination of chemical fertilizers, healthier soil, and enhanced visual impact of the project to the surrounding community.
Material Health | The project will make informed decisions about the interior and exterior materials to be used with the goal of lowering the projects global warming potential as much as possible from the outset. At every layer of the project the team has prioritized the selection of healthy materials for each building on campus. The starting point will be to place as many healthy materials in the interiors first to ensure the occupants of the buildings are not exposed to any harmful chemicals that are typically found in construction materials.
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