Energy Efficient Design Education Through Architectural Design Studio Projects

Energy Efficient Design Education Through

Architectural Design Studio Projects

Dr. Khaled Ali Youssef

Department of Architecture

Faculty of Environmental Design

King Andulaziz University

Saudi Arabia

Presentation Outline

1. Introduction 1.1. Aim and Objectives

1.2. Methodology

2. „Energy Efficient Design‟ as a Design

Studio Lesson

3. The Experiment of Designing a Zero

Net Energy Building 3.1. Planning for the Experiment

3.2. Design Process Activities

4. Results and Attainments 4.1 Objectives Achieved

4.2. Obstacles and challenges

4.3. Suggestions for future

development



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1. Introduction

Saudi Arabia is one of the major oil-

producing countries, as demonstrated

by:

• extraction rates,

• domestic reserves, and

• size of exports.

Domestic demand for gas and oil

increases by 7% annually, i.e. the

domestic consumption of energy

doubles every ten years.



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Actions should be taken to avoid the

potential concurrence of production

and consumption by 2038.



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These actions might include:

• reviewing energy prices,

• discovery of new wells,

• raising extraction rates,

• reducing population growth rates,

• increasing energy utilization

efficiency,

• renewable energy resources, or

• altogether.



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To reduce electricity consumption in

Saudi Arabia, National Campaign for

Electric Consumption Guidance was

launched in 1429 H (2008).

Activities included:

• executive programs,

• energy efficiency centers,

• laws and legislations,

• field visits,

• training sessions and workshops,

and

• awards for successful practices.



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Communication with the community

took place through:

• press,

• TV and radio ads,

• road signs,

• mobile messages,

• mobile fairs, and

• the campaign website.



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These efforts opened the door wide for

all community groups to support.

Higher Education institutions are

argued to contribute in two main

directions:

(1) preparing the trained staff, and

(2) raising public awareness.



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Responding to that, an experiment of

designing “a zero-net energy office

building” was conducted, as an

educational design studio project in the

Department of Architecture at King

Abdulaziz University, Jeddah.

“A zero-net energy office building”

means that a building which produces

the energy it consumes.



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Design proposals are to be explored;

falling under two main approaches:

(a) reducing energy consumption, and

(b) maximizing energy production

possibilities.



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1.1. Aim and Objectives

The aim is to document and analyze

the experiment of designing a zero net-

energy building.

Goals achieved are highlighted,

obstacles and challenges are

identified, and suggestions for future

development are provided.



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1.2. Methodology

• Identifying the motives behind the

experiment

• Addressing the reasons of selecting

the design studio as an environment

for investigation.

• Giving a theoretical background:

o The VDS system,

o SGU educational plan, and

o „Energy efficient design‟ lesson.

• Documenting the activities and

outcomes of the design process .

• Analysing the experiment



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2. ‘Energy Efficient Design’ as a

Design Studio Lesson

Design courses can be taught under

two main design studio systems:

(1) Horizontal Design Studio (HSD),

(2) Vertical Design Studio (VSD).

HDS system introduces students of the

same educational level to step-by-step,

serial learning processes.

On contrary, VDS students of multiple

educational levels, and sometimes of

different disciplines, study design

courses altogether.

Horizontal

Design

Studio

(HSD)

Vertical Design

Studio

(VSD)



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VDS system offers the possibility to

redesign the design studio, identifying a

set of lessons to be assigned to each

educational level.

The educational plan of the Smart

Growth Unit (SGU) include the following

design lessons include:

(1) rationality and minimalism,

(2) beauty and experience,

(3) style and character,

(4) flexibility and organization,

(5) energy efficient design,

(6) housing,

(7) urban design, and

(8) integration, respectively.



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3. A The Experiment of Designing

a Zero Net Energy Building

3.1. Planning for the Experiment

• Raising economic/environmental

awareness and improving skills

• Realizing the economic and

environmental challenges.

• Building the knowledge base, e.g.

definitions, motivation, scope,

measures, case studies, etc.

• Developing students‟ skills, e.g.

software packages that will be used

in the comparative analysis stage.



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• Promoting rationality and objectivity

• Relying on calculations and computer

simulation rather than on

immeasurable or hypothetical

suppositions.

• Measures included:

• average energy consumption,

• energy reduction rates due to

thermal insulation (based on a

study conducted by Saudi Electric

Company),

• energy production capacities of

photovoltaic cells and wind

turbines (specifications of

manufacturing companies), and

• computer simulation results.



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• Alignment of efforts

• Application on an office building type

with a given architectural program

and a fixed total built up area of

approximately 4000 m2.

• This building type was selected to:

• avoid the functional complexity,

• neutralize social issues, and

• Celebrate a higher level of

flexibility (plan organization and

façade articulation).

given given given

given given given

given given given

given given given

given given given



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• Diversity of application environments

• Multiple sites in two different cities:

Riyadh and Jeddah, are selected.

• Jeddah‟s climate is characterized by

high temperatures, high levels of

humidity, light-to-moderate winds, and

mild-to-moderate rainfall

• Riyadh has hot arid/desert climate with

lower relative humidity levels.

• This would promote students to

explore the potential of „energy

efficient design‟ concepts in different

climatic conditions.



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3.2. Design Process Activities

3-2-1 Preliminary group research

Theoretical background, including:

• terminology,

• energy crisis,

• measurement methods/units,

• renewable energy resources,

• technical resolutions

• building materials,

• cross-ventilation,

• natural lighting,

• passive cooling,

• thermal insulation,

• shade and shadows, and

• thermal mass, etc.



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Energy production technologies

• solar energy, and

• wind power, etc.

Simulation and programming

software packages,

• Autodesk ® VASARY

• Climate Consultant 5.4

• Rhinoceros 3D, and

• Grasshopper 3D

Relevant case studies



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3-2-2 Site selection and analysis

• 6 different sites were selected (3 in

Riyadh and other 3 in Jeddah).

• Land lot area: 10,000 m2.

• Site analysis focused on the issues

that would have direct impact on

energy production/consumption

potentials, such as:

• orientation,

• obstacles to day-lighting and

natural ventilation,

• heights of surrounding

buildings effecting air

movement, and the possibility

to make use of shade and

shadow.



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3-2-3 Architectural design activities

Generation of concepts targeting:

(1) maximum reduction of energy

used, and

(2) accommodation of energy

production technologies

…. Via means of architectural desin



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Comparative analysis (cross-

comparison) and selection of best

alternative

By using Autodesk® Vasari, the

following information would be

available:

• annual energy consumption,

• different approaches to reduce

energy consumption,

• reduction percentages,

• renewable energy production

capabilities, and

• cross-comparison of design

alternatives

• Etc.



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Design development – the final

solution

The recommendations of Climate

Consultant 5.4 and the simulation

results of Autodesk® Vasari helped

students develop the selected

alternatives, moving a step by step

towards the final solutions.

Architectural

Design



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3-2-4 Design products: Students’

projects

Design products were:

(1) Architectural design projects

(individual work), and

(2) A model for a self-responding

kinetic louver system that

automatically reacts to any change in

lighting projecting on the building

(group work)



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(1) Architectural design projects Yousef Yehya‟s Project



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Bird-eye view

Perspective Perspective



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Location and

site design

Plans, facades and section

Energy production and

cooling systems



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VASARI

analysis

Shade and shadow

Calculations of energy

production and

consumption



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(1) Architectural design projects Moaaz Gedaany‟s Project



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(1) Architectural design projects Ty Abo Shosha‟s Project



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(2) Self-responding kinetic louver system Group work



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4. Results and Attainments

4.1 Goals Achieved

• Students came to the conclusion

that architects can play a vital role

in addressing energy issues

within their specialization.

• Students have had the skills of

calculating the consumed/

produced energy, with the help of

software packages.

• The experiment managed to raise

the environmental awareness of:

participating students, faculty

students, staff, guests and jury

members.



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• A "hidden curriculum" is

developed, i.e. linking the design

studio to urgent domestic,

regional, and global concerns.

• There was a chance to “Re-

design the design studio“; i.e.

through the "Problematization" of

design projects.

• Both „explicit knowledge‟ (know-

what), and „tacit knowledge‟

(know-how, know-why, know-who

and know-when) were transferred

from senior to junior students.



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• Explicit knowledge was in the

form of theoretical background

and direct results, whereas, tacit

knowledge was in the form of

experience, culture, and methods

of performing tasks.

• The interrelationship between

architecture and other disciplines

concerned with the topic was

realized.



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Discussion: Results and Attainments

4.2. Obstacles and challenges

• Acquiring basic knowledge and

building skills consumed much

time and effort.

• Nevertheless, repeating the

experiment ensures aggregation

and regular update of the

knowledge base.

• The absence of research

infrastructure (labs, equipment

and software) was a major

challenge.



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• Lack of infrastructure and

specialized staff led to spending

more time and effort to make the

experiment succeed.

• The absence of financial support.



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4.3. Suggestions for future development

• Due to the importance and the

complexity of the experiment, the

engagement of post-graduate

students is promoted.

• It is worth mentioning that a M.Sc.

program was recently launched in

the department, with a track for

awarding M.Sc. degree by

architectural projects.



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• To promote the success of the

experiment in the future,

coordination should be made

with:

(1) authorities that support

research/experimental work

inside KAU (e.g. KAU

Endowment-Waqf and Deanship

of graduate studies),

(2) entities that can benefit from the

trial (e.g. companies working in

the field of intelligent/

sustainable/ green building

materials and technologies), or

(3) institutions that make similar

efforts to reduce energy

consumption or promote energy

production in buildings (e.g.

Ministry of Electricity and Water).



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Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank:

Dr. Osman Khafagy, and

Arch. Abdulaziz Afandi

for their participation in

performing the experiment

of designing a zero net energy office building

as an application to the

„energy efficient design‟ lesson.

Thanks for Attention

Date post:	12-Jul-2015
Category:	Education
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