net zero design: green motion

The project accommodates the needs for a recreation center and the Kinesiology Department, which are defined through a moving planar form. “Movement” was considered as a concept that the science of Kinesiology mainly deals with. The moving planar form rises from the ground, lands, and merges with the ground at the very end. Integrating this concept with passive systems, the building used an earth-berm strategy where part of it is located underground to use the ground’s stable temperature as a passive strategy for saving energy.

An undulating walking path, which was defined as the “healing path” connects the outdoor space to the roof of the building, while the landscape of the project is in harmony with the already existing park landscape on the north side of the site. A row of clerestory windows has been inserted in the gap space between the two roof decks to break the width of the building and ensure that daylight can reach all the interior areas. The one-story height at the north-east and south-west corners of the project gradually reaches a two-story height at the north-west corner to provide opportunities on its green roof for views towards the surroundings. The 100% glazed walls expose the interior of the space to direct solar gain with the possibility of being shaded using the louver system, if needed, to avoid heat loss at night or to avoid glare and overheating during daytime. (Teammates: M.Azimi, H. Pesarakli)

The active system of the building mainly include a Ground Source Heating (and Cooling) System with VRF to be used for the radiant heated floors of the building. The combination of the active and passive strategies reduce the project’s energy consumption considerably to reach an EUI of 12.46 kBtu/ft2. A 169 KW solar energy system will offset the remaining energy through photovoltaic panels to reach the net-zero target.