Sustainability Architecture
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Sustainability Architecture
The biggest sustainability problem that is experienced by human beings on this earth is the problem of controlling what exists. When the environment is not well taken care of, then it means that in the near future, there would be little places for one to take comfort. That is to mean, the environmental sustainability ought to be taken seriously by everyone if at all this current generation means well for the future generation. It is man who is to blame for leading the world to this problem especially when there were encroachments, which were not necessary. This has even turned into a cultural problem, as some people tend to think that what they own is squarely theirs or belongs to a certain community, which is supposed to tender it. However, apart from the two forms of sustainability problems we have, the worst is in the designs of the constructions we make. In the next discussion, we look at the sustainability architecture in the sole purposes of conserving what we have.
Sustainability architecture is a term that is used to describe design techniques that are environmental conscious. As argued by Cairns (April 30, 2004), the best way people can approach ethical issues when it comes to sustaining the environment for human kind. In essence and in broad context, the sustainable architecture is aimed at minimizing the negative impacts of the environment on buildings and other forms of architecture. As well, it enhances the moderation and efficiency on how materials are supposed to be used, the development space that is viable and the energy used in the particular design. On the overall, such kind of sustainability ensures that the decisions we make and the actions are within what is required to sustain the larger ecological factors.
Looking at the building design; combining both the element of cost effectiveness and air conditioning/heating/ventilation, one is supposed to make sure that the building is well insulated. For an efficient building, one ought to make sure that the building is dissipating power and there is required ventilation in the building with the capacity to expel the polluted indoor air. In using this technique, significant amounts of energy are taken out of the building in compost streams, water or air. To some extent, some of this energy, which is being dissipated, can be converted to some other means instead of just releasing it to the air or soil. For example, the wastewater that is removed from the building can be stored and can be used for irrigation purposes. The design of eliminating exhausted air from the building should be done in a manner that it does not destroy other living elements such as the plants. Disposal should be done in a manner that it helps improve the standards of other organism rather than destroy them.
There is also the passive solar building design that helps in harnessing the energy from the sun in a most efficient manner and this can be done without the use of any kind of active solar mechanisms. The passive solar buildings designs generally take into account and incorporate the materials that are of high thermal mass and that which can retain heat in a most effective manner. It should have strong insulation that can work in preventing the heat escape, and it should be of low energy designs that require the use of solar shading. This can be done by methods such as awnings, shutters or blinds. Windows of a building should be placed in a way that they maximize the input of the heat creating light while on the other hand maximizing the loss of heat through the poor insulators. In areas such as the northern hemisphere, this can be done by installing large numbers of windows facing south.
Looking again at the issue of environmental problem, there is a huge demand of energy and the consumer demands for this component are growing in a most exponential manner. It is thus recommended that some designs be included in the general architecture that can help tap informal and to an extent formal energy (James, 2003). The solar energy is part of this form of energy conservation instead of relying solely on the water energy to generate light. As well, there are wastes that can be utilized to form some informal energy; for example, there ought to be a structure such as an incubator that can help remake ashes and other forms of wastes be converted to coal. If human activities continue to deplete the levels of natural areas we have, then, the problems that we have today would continue. Then, this would be meaning doom for the next generation as the people who are supposed to take care the next generation would have nothing to take care of.
Revisiting this renewable energy generation, active solar; for example, photovoltaic sola panels can help in the provision of sustainable electricity for any kind of use (James, 2003). In the use of this, the roofs should be angled in a way that faces the sun to allow the photovoltaic panels to collect as much energy as possible. For any kind of solar panel, facing it south can work to maximize the above-described effect. There ought also to have the wind turbines which are normally 250 feet high and even though it is not a must that they can provide the necessary energy, they can be used where wind is of high magnitude. The solar domestic hot water systems can also be utilized and they are noted to be cost effective and generate hot water for the home. This can save the energy of using the electric power that sometimes can run low if there is no sufficient water at the dams.
References
Cairns, J. (April 30, 2004). You and Earth’s resources. Journal of Ethics in Science and Environmental Politics (ESEP), Vol. 1 (1), pp 9-11
James, W. (2003) Introducing sustainability into the architecture curriculum in the United States. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 4 Issue: 2, pp.100-105.