Architecture 453 Mitch McCoy, Vinh Pham, Megan Akerson

1. Architecture 453 Mitch McCoy, Vinh Pham, Megan Akerson “To increase understanding of past, present, and future of tropical biodiversity and its relevance to human welfare.”

2. Location: Just outside town of Bocas Del Toro on Isla Colon in PanamaClimate: Tropical Climate Consistently warm temperatures High humidity Abundant rainfall

3. Engineering: Arup Client: Smithsonian Institute • Higher education, Laboratory • 7,530 sq. feet (700 sq. meters) • Rural setting • Completed October 2003 • Total project cost (land excluded): $1,300,000

4. Design Intent • STRI is a renowned world leader in research on the ecology, behavior, and evolution of tropical organisms. • The building's main functions — labs for resident and visiting scientists, teaching labs, a conference room, and support spaces — occupy a string of volumes on a raised platform shaded by an overhanging pitched roof. • The main laboratory building was designed to minimize its environmental impact while providing an exemplary scientific facility.

5. Design Strategies Sustainability • guiding principle of design: net zero impact • collecting its own water • treating its own waste • generating its own energy Form + Space Concepts • form of the building affords great energy savings • Interior volumes are shaded by the large photovoltaic roof, which minimizes direct heat gains. • The narrow plan, together with the space between the two roofs, allows cross ventilation to keep the building cool while providing daylight and views. • The translucent lower roof, along with the partially transparent photovoltaic roof, admits an optimum 5% of daylight into the interior rooms for day lighting. • The 38-kW photovoltaic upper roof produces approximately 75% of the building's energy needs, while doubling as the rainwater collector.

6. Design Strategies cont…. Cooling • Raising the entire building on concrete piers helps to catch prevailing breezes for passive cooling, and also provides a measure of flood protection and minimizes the lab's impact on the site. • Air conditioning is zoned so that individual rooms can be cooled separately. Materials • chosen for environmental reasons, and, where possible, were left without additional finish. • Sustainably harvested local hardwood was used for the upper structure and siding of the building.

7. Site Description • Lot size: 26,000 m2 • Building footprint: 30,800 sq ft (2,860 sq meters) • Previously developed land, Wetlands, Lake/pond, Sensitive habitat Green Strategies On Site • Development Impacts • Restrict vehicle access during construction to reduce damage to vegetation • Limit parking area • Runoff Reduction • Reduce driveway pavement • Rainwater Collection • Collect and store rainwater for uses in building • Integration with Site Resources • Provide a constructed wetland for wastewater treatment • Siting Analysis • Assess regional climatic conditions • Create a map of physical elements on the site (structures, topography, soils, hydrology) • Create a map of vegetation on site, including notation of significant specimens • Low-Impact Siting • Locate the building(s) on the most degraded part of the site • Site development carefully to protect significant ecosystems

8. Green Energy Strategies • All parts of a building could operate during a blackout due to the unreliability of the local grid • Solar Cooling Loads • Orient the building properly • Shade south windows with overhangs • Day lighting for Energy Efficiency • Use south-facing windows for day lighting • Orient the floor plan on an east-west axis for best use of day lighting • Use skylights for day lighting • Non-Solar Cooling Loads • Use siting and topography to enhance summer breezes • Use ceiling fans to improve comfort at higher temperatures • Interior Design for Light • Use light colors for surfaces and finishes • Cooling Systems • Size cooling equipment appropriately • Use high-efficiency electric air-to-air heat pumps • Site condensing units out of direct sun • Light Levels • Design for no more than 1.0 watts/square foot • Use different task and ambient lighting • Minimize outdoor lighting • Photovoltaics • Use building-integrated photovoltaics (PV) to generate electricity on-site • Light Sources • Use high-efficacy T8 fluorescent lamps • Luminaires • With outdoor lighting, specify luminaires that direct light downward • HVAC Distribution Systems • Keep duct work out of unconditioned space • Size fans and pumps properly to meet the loads • HVAC Controls and Zoning • Zone the building for modular HVAC control

9. Green Strategies for Building Materials • Reusable Components • Use materials with integral finish • Design for Materials Use Reduction • Determine whether varying functions can be accommodated in shared spaces • Minimize space devoted exclusively to circulation • Consider the use of structural materials that do not require application of finish layers • Consider exposing structural materials as finished surfaces • Recyclable Materials • Facilitate recycling by avoiding materials with toxic components • Plan for Materials Longevity • Raise wood frame well off grade • Toxic Upstream or Downstream Burdens • Choose naturally rot-resistant wood species for exposed applications • Materials and Wildlife Habitat • Use wood products from independently certified, well-managed forests for rough carpentry • Transportation of Materials • Prefer materials that are sourced and manufactured within the local area

10. Materials + Resources • Canafistula: wood that is naturally resistant to termites and fungi • Interior walls are water resistant gypsum wall board • Lower roof is translucent fiberglass • Interior floor finish is ceramic floor tile Adaptability • interior volumes are not structural and can be easily reconfigured for adaptive reuse. • Space can be enclosed on the ground floor for additional storage and service use. • The wood frame is bolted together for possible disassembly

11. Indoor Environment Green Strategies • Visual Comfort and The Building Envelope • Orient the floor plan on an east-west axis for best control of daylighting • Use skylights and/or clerestories for daylighting • Visual Comfort and Light Sources • Provide occupants with control of light in their area • Ventilation and Filtration Systems • Provide occupants with access to operable windows • Direct Exhaust from High-source Locations • Ensure that lab hoods exhaust to the outdoors • Below Grade Rainwater and Groundwater • Raise the building up on piers • Above Grade Rainwater and Groundwater • Use rooftop rainwater collection system to divert water • from the building • Above Grade Humidity and Condensation • Locate air/vapor retarders near the exterior surface • of the building envelope • Moisture Control in Mechanical Systems • Keep relative humidity below 60% • Elimination of Indoor Pollutants • Use water-based wood finishes • I

12. Project Similarities • Desirable for net zero impact • Water front • Research and educational facilities • Similar program requirements • Adaptability of spaces for future use • Low site impact • Efficient use of day lighting • Operable during a blackout • Limit cost of energy use • Similar square footage and cost

13. Works Cited • Department of Energy High Performance Buildings. http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/database/energy.cfm?ProjectID=263 • Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. www.stri.org • Canafistula Tree. www.rain-tree.com

14. http://www.calpoly.edu/~sede/teaching.htmlhttp://www.calpoly.edu/~sede/greencalpoly.htmlhttp://www.calpoly.edu/~sede/greencatalog.htmlhttp://www.calpoly.edu/~sede/teaching.htmlhttp://www.calpoly.edu/~sede/greencalpoly.htmlhttp://www.calpoly.edu/~sede/greencatalog.html